A Royal Holiday (Royals of Valleria #5)

by Marianne Knightly

  Rebecca huffed a laugh. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  “Shall I distract you from your current troubles?”

  “I thought that’s what this trip was?”

  Cat leaned conspiratorially towards Rebecca. “I have a date to the ball.”

  “What? Who?”

  “He’s a lesser member of British royalty, though not the branch we’re related to. I believe he and Tavin when to school together.”

  “Did Tavin set you up?”

  “No. Philip – that’s his name – is a businessman. I stopped by Alex’s office last week just as he and Philip were finishing up a meeting, and Alex introduced us. We somehow got to talking about the ball – it will be Philip’s first time attending – and then Philip suddenly invited me as his date.”

  Rebecca’s eyes goggled. “In front of Alex?”

  “I know, right?”

  “I can’t believe Alex didn’t mention this to me.”

  “Well, he didn’t seem too happy about it. Maybe he was trying to break us up first, or at least break our date.”

  “You’re a grown woman who can make your own decisions.”

  “Say that again when you have five brothers and a father who literally runs the country.”

  “I still can’t believe Alex didn’t say anything to me.”

  “Well, I’m telling you now, and you can make him pay for it later.”

  Rebecca smiled. “What a lovely idea.”

  “I know,” Cat said smugly, then leaned in to whisper. “But here’s something only you know: I’m using Philip.”

  “For sex?”

  Cat snorted a laugh. “While that sounds like a good idea, I’m actually using him to distract Mama.”

  “Oh, Cat. Is that really a good idea? I know your mother wants you engaged before my wedding, but you don’t need to fake a relationship.”

  “It’s perfectly fine. I’ve already told Philip and he’s on board.”

  Rebecca’s mouth dropped open. “You told him you need to fake a relationship?”

  “No, no, no. I told him I needed an escort for several events in the near future, but wasn’t looking for a relationship. Only you and I know the truth. And you can’t tell Alex.”

  “I hate keeping things from him.”

  “But you will.”

  Rebecca thought for a moment, then let out a long breath. “Yes, all right. I will, for the time being anyway. I won’t do it forever.”

  “I wouldn’t ask you to,” Cat said as the car pulled over.

  As the other women exited first, Rebecca turned to Cat. “I hope you know what you’re doing with Philip.”

  “I’ll be just fine. Now, are you able to put one of your gorgeous smiles back on your face while we shop? Let’s show that bitch she can’t hurt you.”

  “A fine idea,” Rebecca said as she took a deep breath, pasted a bright smile on her face, and stepped out of the car.

  ***

  Charlie felt uncomfortable. No, she decided, that wasn’t right. She just didn’t feel confident.

  She walked with a gaggle of sophisticated women and felt out of place. Not only that, she felt lost as she stared at the rows and rows of men’s clothing.

  “You seem like you’re pondering something of great significance,” Cat said as she came to stand beside her.

  Charlie, whose hands were still buried in the pocket of her wool coat, clenched. “I suppose I am. I’m trying to figure out what to buy Nate for Christmas.” An idea came to her, and hope lit her face. “Do you know what he might like?”

  Cat’s lips pursed in sympathy. “I’m sorry, Charlie, but I don’t think I can help you. I’ve just bought some handmade leather ties for his hair, as it doesn’t seem like he’ll be cutting it any time soon.”

  Charlie sagged a little. “He’ll like that gift. And he won’t be cutting his hair, I do know that much.”

  “Do you know why he won’t cut it? Mama asks him about it all the time.”

  Charlie knew Nate would never tell his parents the real reason: that he grew it long to hide a scar from a terrible accident. Remembering that Nate had only trusted her with the truth made her feel more secure and marginally brighter. “I’m sure if he wanted to share that information, he would.”

  “Do you want my advice about gifts for the man in your life?” Rebecca asked as she came up beside Charlie and put an arm around her shoulder.

  “Yes, please,” Charlie said, pathetically grateful.

  “You’re in the wrong department.”

  Charlie crinkled her eyebrows. “What do you mean?”

  “If Nate is anything like Alex, you should be in the women’s lingerie department.”

  “Really? That’s an okay gift?”

  Rebecca winked. “Charlie, it’s the best gift, trust me.”

  Cat put her hands over her ears. “Ew. I don’t need to hear this about my brothers.”

  Rebecca laughed as Cat walked away. “She doesn’t get it yet, but she might soon enough.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “She’s got a date to the ball. She doesn’t think it will lead anywhere, but I have a feeling she’s in for a surprise.”

  “Oh.” Charlie – who had never had any real girlfriends growing up – was still getting used to being friends with so many women. She could almost forget they were royal or classier than her.

  “How are you doing, Charlie?”

  “I feel as though I should be asking you that question.”

  Rebecca’s lips curved in a rueful smile. “I’m all right. Alex is, too.”

  “It’s hard when people say things about you, whether or not they’re the truth.”

  The pair started walking down the store aisles, which led from the men’s clothing towards the children’s department. “You sound as though you have experience with that.”

  “I do.” Charlie stopped in front of a display of baby blankets in a bold, jeweled green. Children’s clothes were so often white or pastel-coloured in America, so she wasn’t sure if it was right. “Do you think Arianna and Finn might like this?”

  Rebecca fingered the delicately soft cotton and smiled. “I think she might. It’s close enough to Brazenbourg’s colours that it should work.”

  Charlie nodded and decided to buy it. Up ahead, she could see Genevieve and the other women combing through onesies, booties, and incredibly cute, tiny dresses. “People said a lot of things about me when I was growing up. Now that I’m with Nate, they still say things, just different things.”

  “Has anyone been bothering you? You can tell us. We’ll take care of it.”

  Charlie shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. I’m tough. I can deal with it.”

  Rebecca linked arms with Charlie. “It doesn’t matter if you’re tough. You’re a part of the family now. If you need help, you only need to ask for it.”

  It was similar to what Nate had mentioned this morning, and a well of emotion filled her heart now as it had done then. She couldn’t remember ever being part of a family before, unless she counted the time she spent with her foster mother, Lola. Charlie cleared the gruffness clogging her throat. “Thank you for saying that. It means a lot to me.”

  “You mean a lot to us.”

  “So do you. If you ever need me to take that bitch down, just let me know.”

  Rebecca laughed. “I knew I liked you from the moment we met, and I was right.”

  Charlie halted their steps while they were still out of earshot of the rest. “In the meantime, I know it’s tough what you’re going through. I’ve had Nate’s former girlfriends, or whatever they were, thrown in my face before.”

  “That’s right. I forgot about that.”

  “I didn’t. And, I’m sorry to say, you won’t forget about her, either. But you have to remember that he’s with you now. I still don’t get why Nate loves me sometimes, but I have stopped questioning it so much. He loves me. I love him. Someone from his past can’t change that, and I know the same is t
rue for you and Alex. You’re way too sappy together to let something like this break you.”

  Rebecca let out a long breath. “You’re right, Charlie. Absolutely right. I knew that in my head, but now I think my heart knows it, too.”

  “Good.” Charlie smiled conspiratorially. “Now, do you want to give the press something else to think about?”

  “What did you have in mind?”

  “Oh, how about a bunch of royal women buying baby clothes?”

  “People will assume it’s for Arianna.”

  “Not if you pick up a few items in Vallerian purple and make a show of how much you love them.”

  “Oh, you are terrible. And I love it. Come on, let’s tell the others.”

  ***

  Grace usually felt a tinge of sadness and loss whenever she came across baby clothes. Miscarrying a child – even the child of her dead, abusive husband’s – wasn’t something she thought she would ever get over, but she had come to accept it, and had grown to live with the permanent ache in her heart.

  Days like today made it all the more bearable. Surrounded by women who loved and supported her, all of whom knew of her past by now, she could easily wander the aisles and dote on the impossibly small, soft clothes.

  “What do you think about this?” Rebecca asked as she held up a purple onesie. It wasn’t as dark as Vallerian purple, but it would do.

  “I like it,” Grace said in her refined English accent. “I think you should make a bigger show of how much you adore it, however.”

  Rebecca winked and started waxing poetic about its cuteness, its softness, and everything in-between.

  A small crowd had formed in the local shop. Women pointed and snapped photos while the royal women gushed, all of them in on Charlie’s plan.

  As Grace fingered the soft fabric of another outfit, she wondered again if she would ever have children. The doctors weren’t sure, and Marcello had said he didn’t mind either way, that they could adopt if a natural birth was out of the question. She certainly wouldn’t mind adopting. However, she couldn’t stop the yearning to nestle their child within her, to watch her belly swell and to know that she was nourishing it.

  She sighed and put the thoughts away for now. Perhaps she was feeling this way due to the holiday season, which usually held terrible memories for her. Or, perhaps, it was because this would be the first Christmas in a long time where she was loved, cherished, and cared for.

  Perhaps it was knowing that she could love again, and that she loved Marcello. She saw a bright future with him, all while her dismal past faded more and more into the background. She’d already decided on the perfect Christmas gift for Marcello, but she wanted to give him more. She seemed to have an unending well of love these days, and wanted to pass it on to a child.

  Their child.

  “I don’t know about this one,” Cat said as she held up another outfit. “Grace, what do you think?”

  Grace smiled back at her long-time friend. “I say we take the lot of them.”

  “A wonderful idea,” Genevieve said. “We do still have quite a bit more shopping to do. Let’s get these wrapped up and move on to the next store.”

  As the girls chattered on their way to the checkout, Grace gave the racks of miniature clothes one last wistful glance before following.

  Chapter 5

  “I like Finn’s plan,” Alex said as he sat in Gabriel’s office. “Do you really think we can pull it off?”

  “Finn seemed to think so. I’m having our legal department review it, in any case.”

  A knock came at the open door and Corrado, Gabriel’s chief of staff, walked in and bowed. “Your Majesty. Your Highness.”

  “Yes?” Gabriel asked.

  “Sirs, there is yet another story circling social media about the royal family.”

  Alex’s eyes darkened. “You mean more rumours.”

  Corrado smiled. “Sir, if it is a rumour, at least it’s a happy one. Though if it’s not true, the public will be sorely disappointed.”

  Gabriel gave the man a bland look. “Stop talking in riddles and come out with it.”

  Corrado smiled even broader. “Yes, Your Majesty. I’ve just sent you the media alerts. Apparently, people are saying Miss Campo is pregnant.”

  Irritation crossed Alex’s face. “That’s nothing new. They’ve been speculating about that since we moved in together.”

  “That’s true, Sir, but this morning Miss Campo was spotted shopping for baby clothes. Purple baby clothes, Your Highness.”

  Alex blinked. Surely, this was just a ploy. Wasn’t it? She couldn’t be. Could she? Alex turned to his father’s speculative gaze. “I know nothing about this, Papa, though I can’t imagine the rumours are true.”

  “Couldn’t they be?” Gabriel asked with a smirk.

  “Well, yes, I suppose they could be true. However, Rebecca would never shop for our child’s clothes without telling me that she was pregnant first.”

  “Regardless, Sirs, it seems as though this morning’s scandal has been pushed aside, at least for the moment.”

  Alex and Gabriel shared a look. “That seems a much more likely scenario, Papa, though I’ll confirm with Rebecca.”

  “What about the questions our press office is receiving, Sirs?”

  Gabriel and Alex shared an unspoken communication, and Alex nodded. Gabriel smiled and faced Corrado. “Tell them that pregnancy rumours surrounding Miss Campo are nothing new, and that if the royal family had such blessed news to share, they would do so at the appropriate moment in the pregnancy.”

  Corrado laughed. “Yes, Sir. Very clever. Thank you, Sirs.”

  After Corrado walked out, Alex quirked an eyebrow at his father. “You realize what that statement says, don’t you?”

  “It says that we won’t comment on it.”

  “You’re also alluding to the fact that we wouldn’t confirm a pregnancy until at least three months in, even though there is no pregnancy to confirm.”

  “That you know of, my son.”

  “Papa.”

  Gabriel held up a hand. “Trust me, Alexander. The statement will at least keep the scandal at bay for now. Rebecca was very clever to think of it, if it’s not the truth.”

  “I’m going to call her now. It can’t be true, Papa.”

  Gabriel gave his son a curious look. “Are you so unwilling to become a father that you’re hoping it’s a rumour?”

  “No, of course not.” Alex ran an impatient hand through his hair. “I can’t wait to have children with Rebecca, but I know she wanted to wait until after the wedding to get pregnant.”

  “Well, life has a funny way of deciding your plans are useless, my son.”

  “That’s true.” Alex stood and walked towards the secret door that led from his father’s office to his own. “I’ll let you know once I hear back from her.”

  As soon as Alex disappeared into one of the many secret passages snaking through the palace, Gabriel leaned back in his chair and smiled, wondering if he would become a grandfather to two children next year instead of one.

  ***

  When Alex got back to his office, it was to find Marcello seated in front of his desk.

  “What are you doing here?”

  Marcello’s mouth broke out in a wide grin. “Just wanted to congratulate the new father.”

  “Oh, shut up. It’s not true.”

  “It’s not?”

  “Well, it likely isn’t true.”

  “So, you don’t know for sure?”

  “I was about to call Rebecca and ask.” Alex sat down behind his desk and gave Marcello a pointed look. “Is there a reason you’re here? If not, please leave, so that I can call my fiancée.”

  “In a minute. I wanted to update you on the investigation.”

  “Why didn’t you just come by Papa’s office? I was in there a few minutes ago.”

  “It’s your business before Papa’s.”

  Alex nodded; it was times like these that he loved havin
g his brothers nearby for support. “What did you find out?”

  Marcello pointed to a file on the desk between them. “Take a look inside. I’ve outlined everything there.”

  Alex flipped open the plain folder to find dossier full of information, topped with a photo of a sleek-looking photographer aiming his camera. Cesaire Sacheverelle. Originally from France. Known for taking indiscreet photos of royalty or world leaders and selling them to the highest bidder. Based on the figures listed, he made quite a living at it, too.