Grandmother gave the I-forgive-you-do-better-next-time head tilt. Grace turned and went back to Kensington and Anabelle where they were getting out of the fourth vehicle.
“Mama, it’s cold.” Sofia’s voice carried across the distance.
Grandmother took charge. “Then inside we go. San Majorians aren’t used to this weather.”
It took several minutes to get everyone into the grand room, though they all seemed to have some sense of where to stand, based on the hierarchy within their own family. Esther found it quite interesting that Grandmother stood between Esther’s mother and Astrid, while Darius’s mother - also the Queen Mother of her country - stood at the end with her youngest children.
Esther and Darius stood in the middle with Darius standing closer to her family. She wondered if that was on purpose.
Benjamin started to say something, but Esther didn’t catch what it was.
“Benjamin.” Her father’s low tone wouldn’t carry far. “You may be king, but not here, and you are not the host of this gathering.”
Benjamin clamped his mouth shut.
She heard, even felt, Darius take a deep breath. “We hadn’t quite expected all of you to arrive at the same time, but it’s just as well, I guess. Most of my family is going to be surprised by the reason we’re getting everyone together.”
“Are you getting married?” One of Darius’s younger sisters squealed with excitement.
Darius shook his head. “No.” He took Esther’s hand. “Princess Esther of San Majoria and I were married last March.”
The women of his family gasped. Most of the males just looked surprised, but not overly interested.
Benjamin remained stone-faced.
“In fact, King Edward performed the ceremony in Benjamin’s office, with just the four of us present.”
Esther noticed his mother’s face most of all as Darius explained that the reasons were theirs alone and may or may not ever become public, even to the family.
The Queen Mother’s lips were pinched together so tightly they were white and tears leaked out of at least one eye.
“Everyone has been assigned a room.” He looked to his family. “Some of you are together. Even in a house this size, with over two dozen of us, there’s not enough for everyone to have their own rooms.” He pointed to the side of the house where his family stood. “The San Majorians are actually on this side of the house. King Edward, Queen Miriam, Jacqueline Grace, and Kiara are all in the main portion of the house. Everyone else is in the wing, except Harrison who is in the other wing with my family.”
He turned to his family. “Benjamin, you’re in the main portion of the house. Alfred, you’re technically in this main portion, but right next to the hallway for the other wing. Everyone else is in the wing on that side. The rooms are all marked.”
Esther needed to say something. “I know this is a shock to all of you. I also know everyone isn’t well-acquainted, though I’ve met many of you in passing or several years ago. I hope we can all get to know each other better over the next few days so we can continue to have at least some holidays together. I know it’s late for most of you, so our suggestion is a good night’s sleep, and we’ll get together for breakfast at eight tomorrow morning.” She still wasn’t certain where they’d all sit.
Everyone sort of nodded and started to disperse. Awkward smiles and “excuse me” statements punctuated the movement. Queen Eliana started for the same portion of the house as the rest of her family. She turned to Darius and whispered. “Find somewhere for my grandmother, please?”
He hadn’t finished nodding when she turned and went to the queen’s side. “Queen Eliana, you’re actually not over in this part of the house. You have the master suite down here.”
“I do?” The crack in her voice broke Esther’s heart.
She put her arm around the queen and turned them to face the other way. “Right over here.” Darius hadn’t put a card on this room, though there was spot for it. “This is actually the master suite for the house, though all of the rooms have access to their own bathroom.”
“Then why doesn’t one of the kings have it?” she asked as Esther opened the door and stepped to the side to let Queen Eliana enter ahead of her. She closed the door behind them.
“Because my father and your son are equals. They have identical suites upstairs, both very nice.”
Understanding crossed her face. “And this way neither one of them can be offended because the other has nicer accommodations.”
“Exactly.”
“So why me? Why didn’t you and Darius take this suite since you are the hosts?”
Esther gave her the best smile she could. “Who’s the only person a king can’t get mad about if she has nicer accommodations than he does?”
Queen Eliana just looked perplexed.
Esther’s smile widened. “His mother.”
Her mother-in-law’s face fell. “If only that were true.”
25
The withering stare from his brother was easy for Darius to ignore. The obvious pain in his mother’s eyes was harder. He was glad to see Esther headed straight for her as the gathering broke up.
“Queen Grace,” he called as she started for the wing where she’d been told her family would be.
“Yes?”
He hurried to her side. “I’m afraid we have a bit of an issue. We weren’t aware that you were coming, so there’s not a room ready for you just yet. We’ll have one,” he rushed to assure her. “I’m just not certain where yet.”
“Is there another room?” she asked with one brow raised.
“There is one more bedroom in the basement, but it’s not very close to everyone else.”
His grandmother-in-law chuckled. “Oh please. Do you know how much I like the quiet?”
“I haven’t even looked at it to know what it’s like,” he warned.
“Will I be sleeping on a couch?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Then it will be fine.”
“I do know the bathroom is accessible to anyone from the basement game room.”
“Does it have a lock?”
Darius couldn’t hide his grin any longer. “I imagine so.”
“Then I’ll take it.”
“Grandmother, why don’t you take my room upstairs? You’ll love the view, at least I think you will, and you’ll be right next to Esther and Darius.” Jacqueline Grace entered the conversation. “The girls have already decided they want to stay together so Kiara won’t be with me. She’ll be wherever Sofia and Gracie are.” She laughed. “When they saw they were sharing a room, they were so excited, then almost cried when Kiara’s name wasn’t on the door.”
Queen Grace studied her granddaughter. Darius wasn’t going to override whatever decision they made unless the former queen really did decide to sleep on a couch.
He eyed the door to the master suite where his mother had disappeared with Esther. But he had host duties to attend to. With his elbow extended to the former queen, he bowed slightly. “Will you allow me to escort you to your quarters?”
She sniffed, in that way a grandmother and former queen can. “No. I’m perfectly capable of walking up stairs and finding a placard with Jacqueline Grace written on it and understanding that’s my room instead.” Her look softened to a smile. “Go find your mother.” The glare returned. “You should have told her.”
Darius’s shoulders slumped. “Yes, ma’am.”
Jacqueline Grace said she’d walk with her grandmother and find the basement room on her own later. Darius took the few steps down the hallway to the master suite. He realized he hadn’t labeled it with his mother’s name.
He knocked but didn’t open the door until he heard Esther tell him to come in.
His mother stood in the sitting room, with her arms wrapped around her waist, as she stared out the window. He could see her tears in the reflection.
Darius shoved his hands in his pockets like he had when he was younge
r. “I should have told you sooner, Mother. I’m sorry.”
“Will you at least tell me why? Even if you don’t tell anyone else?”
He walked to her side and put his arm around her shoulders. “Sit down?”
She nodded. As they went to the sofa, he noticed Esther at a small table on the other side of the room. Was that one of those coffee makers like the one he’d finally mastered? He heard the hiss as it started so it must be.
“So?” his mother prompted.
Darius sighed, knowing his sins were about to be on full display. “Last February, I told everyone I was going to Ravenzario for a holiday. Instead, I went to Islas del Sargasso, to a resort there. Very exclusive, very private. I just wanted some space, you know?”
She nodded.
“One day I met this beautiful woman next to the pool.” He closed his eyes and leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees as he clasped his hands together. “One thing led to another, and we spent four days together. She didn’t know who I was. She just liked me, Dare. But when I left, I dropped a business card.”
He raised his hands until he could prop his chin on them. “A few weeks later, I was called to a meeting with Edward. That’s when I found out Star was really Princess Esther of San Majoria.” He took a deep breath. “And she was having my baby. The decision was made to get married.” He didn’t want to bother her with the Treaty of 1702 and Isaiah’s influence in all of it. “Edward performed the ceremony with a special license Benjamin can issue if a member of the royal family marries another royal and wishes it to be confidential for a time.”
“The baby should have been born in November,” his mother pointed out.
“There was a miscarriage. We didn’t know it at the time, but the baby had already stopped developing when we got married. She is pregnant, though, and due at the end of May.” That was good timing as far as school was concerned.
His mother’s face remained impassive. “Congratulations, then, I suppose. My first grandchild, thousands of miles away. Why here? Why not stay home? Or even in San Majoria?”
“Esther wanted to attend school here. I was able to transfer. We decided we wanted to start our lives together in private.” That wasn’t quite how it happened but close enough. She didn’t need to know of the threats.
“How long has Esther’s family known?”
“About a month. Only her parents know about the pregnancy, though. We were in that car accident about six weeks ago. We’re both fine, but they came to see us.” He closed his eyes, hoping to block out the pain he saw on his mother’s face.
She hadn’t had the chance to come.
“Maybe I’ll tell you more about the whys some other time, but there were some conditions put on the relationship by Edward. Maybe before school starts again we can all sit down and explain everything more thoroughly, but not over Christmas. Edward owns the house we live in. He hired a couple of staff members to help us learn to be grown-ups. Neither one of us could cook a meal or make a bed or anything most adults know how to do. It’s been good for both of us.”
“Here, Queen Eliana.” Esther held out a mug. “Darius told me this was your favorite, and they happened to have it over there. With all the information you’ve absorbed in the last few minutes, it might help you sleep.”
His mother took the mug from Esther and took a sip, though Darius had no idea what was in it.
“I gave this tea to my children.” She gave the first smile Darius had seen since he entered the room. “Now, I guess I’ll be giving it to my grandchildren.”
“We would love that,” Esther assured her. “I know it seems cruel that you weren’t told, that you couldn’t be there for the wedding, but there were good reasons.”
“Isaiah.” Bitterness colored her voice. “Isaiah was the reason, wasn’t he?”
Darius had hoped she wouldn’t guess. “Part of it.”
“That man will be the death of me yet.”
Darius wasn’t sure he was supposed to hear the words, but as she took another sip of her tea, he wondered how much she knew - and what.
The reflection in the mirror didn’t show Esther the way she thought she should look. She needed to project confidence, assurance in her husband’s love, something she wasn’t certain she had.
“Do we know where we’re all going to fit to eat?” she asked Darius, though she avoided looking at him. She already knew he wore a towel slung low around his hips, as he did every morning when he shaved.
“Louis said he had it under control in that main dining room. I know he got some help from Jonathan for staffing during the day. A temp service or something. I know he got nondisclosure agreements from all of them.”
Esther went back into the closet to change into a different outfit. She needed something that didn’t make it obvious she was pregnant until after they made their announcement at the end of the meal.
“You looked gorgeous,” Darius called after her, the sounds of water splashing telling her he had finished.
She stared at the clothes someone, probably Vesta, had hung in the closet. If only they were eating on the deck where she could wear a coat. Maybe she could just wear track pants and trainers with Darius’s t-shirt. She’d given it back to him as promised, but was pretty sure she’d worn it more than he had since.
Both families had been told it was a casual weekend, but they were royal families, and no one went quite that casual.
Finally, she decided on her current go-to outfit, leggings and a tunic that couldn’t hide the bump, but she’d wear a sweater over it, claiming a chill until it was time. It wasn’t a lie. She’d probably end up putting it back on anyway. Many of the girls at school wore them when it was cool out, and she’d noticed the employees kept them handy year-round in case they were cold in the office.
Esther had discovered she got cold easily. It probably came from growing up where she did. The cold never seemed to bother Darius.
She slid her feet into her favorite leather boots and tugged them up to her knees.
Noises from outside the bedroom door told her she had no more time even if she’d wanted to change again.
“Ready?” Darius tucked his button-down shirt into khaki slacks. “It’s time.”
He held her hand as they walked down one of the staircases. She didn’t see anyone but could hear little girl voices down one hall and male laughter down another. Better than Harrison and Josiah fighting. When they reached the first floor, she heard a voice in the great room.
“In here, dears.”
Her grandmother sat in one of the chairs with a mug in her hand. Her parents sat across from Grandmother. Esther dropped into a quick curtsy as Darius bowed. She’d have to remember to do that again when she saw Benjamin.
“Whoever handled your staffing for this weekend did a wonderful job.” Grandmother sipped at her cup of coffee. “Things in the kitchen look quite organized.”
Darius chuckled. “There’s actually a more industrial kitchen in the basement. I think that’s where most of the prep is being done. Feeding two dozen people anything but spaghetti really needs a larger kitchen.”
Any number of voices could be heard converging on the staircases upstairs. Esther glanced at the clock over the mantle of the fireplace. Ten minutes before eight. No one would show up right at eight.
The door to Queen Eliana’s room opened as though she’d heard Esther’s thoughts. The woman looked much more put together and cheerful than she had the night before. “Good morning.” When she saw Esther’s father, she simply nodded rather than curtsying. Her father nodded back.
Esther wondered at that until she remembered her father had been friends with King Alfred. Perhaps the two couples had come to some sort of understanding about protocol in private.
Queen Eliana turned to look at someone behind Esther. This time she did curtsy which could mean only one thing.
None of her family stood, but simply nodded in the general direction of “behind Esther and Darius.” Esther turned,
as did her husband, to face Benjamin. She curtsied again while Darius bowed. This whole formal thing could get old fast with two monarchs around. At least it was only once a day.
Out of the corner of her eye, Esther noticed Vesta in the background. The woman gave her a nod. Breakfast was ready.
“Everyone,” Esther called, getting the attention of those in the area between the stairs. “If you would turn around, through the foyer and to your left is the dining room where we’ll be eating.” She thought there would be name tags in an attempt to get the families to mingle, but she wasn’t certain if there were and who had placed them.
This could go very well, or it could go very poorly.
In the dining room, four tables had been set up. One longer one was in front of the wall to her left and held seven seats on one side of the table. Three others were perpendicular to it with six seats each.
Esther had no idea which table she would be at, but probably shouldn’t have been too surprised to find her name next to Darius’s at the head table, along with all three parents, her grandmother, and Benjamin.
Grandmother was given the seat of honor in the middle. Darius’s mother was to her right, then Esther’s parents. To her left was Esther, then Darius, then Benjamin. Why were the kings to the outside?
Darius held the chair for Grandmother, then held Esther’s as Esther’s father seated the queens who sat between him and his mother in the center.
Around the room, she noticed her siblings interspersed with her in-laws. Everyone was smiling, so that was good, right?
All three little girls sat at one table with Darius’s youngest siblings, and Jacqueline Grace minding them. Astrid and Kensington each sat with their spouses but at separate tables. Harrison sat with Astrid. Darius’s seven other siblings were split between the two tables with no rhyme or reason Esther could see.
Grandmother stood as the last person sat down. “I believe it’s time to say the blessing.” She turned to look at the end of Esther’s side of the table. “Benjamin, would you do the honors?”
A Royally Beautiful Mess Page 20