by Michele Hauf
“Nothing.” Now was not the time to indulge in complaints. She grabbed her purse and overnight bag, wondering where she and Brian might end up for their first night in Boston. “Let’s go. Prince Philip is waiting.”
Eric shook his head without further comment, and they rushed to the elevator and then the limousine.
“You’re very beautiful, Ms. Borikev. I can’t wait to see you performing.”
Finally, Natalie smiled, and Eric almost huffed in relief, blessing Philip for his perfect compliment. His cousin directed a successful financial company and knew how to put people at ease.
“Are you a real prince?” Brian blurted. He hadn’t stopped gawking at Philip from the minute they’d sat in the limousine. “I mean, what should I call you?”
“Brian,” Natalie exclaimed in a horrified tone while Philip and Eric chuckled.
“What’s easier for you, Prince Philip or Mr. Devereux?” Philip asked.
After a moment of consideration, the boy tilted his head. “I prefer Prince Philip. Sounds more...more special.”
“Then that’s what you can call me. Now, to answer your question about whether I’m a real prince. In my country, Rensy Island, I carry this title. But I’ll tell you what my grandfather often told us: ‘You’re a real prince if you’re a man of value.’ Money and success are great, but it’s more important to be always honest, generous, fair, kind, helpful. That’s a man of value people admire and respect. So, you see, I always try to be a man of value, a real prince.”
Brian bit his lip. “Yes, it’s very difficult to be a man of value.”
8
Natalie almost rolled her eyes at her brother’s naive but honest answer to Philip’s advice—to be a man of value. Being surrounded with sophisticated people with great values would help Brian experience a new way of dealing with life.
“We’ve arrived, sir.” The driver swiped a card in front of a control panel, and the gate swung open. The limousine proceeded along an alley lined with majestic oak trees and followed a roundabout that circled the manicured lawn to stop in front of an imposing mansion.
Philip and Eric stepped out, each from a different side, and held the doors for Natalie and Brian.
She slid out and waited next to Eric. “So, we’re having dinner in this mansion.”
“I never guessed Philip would come to receive us at the small airport. I thought he’d still resent me for the way I quit and took off.”
“He’s a good man, a man of value, as he said. You’re lucky to work for him.”
“I know. Let’s go in.”
“Don’t forget to introduce me.”
He chuckled. “Considering the lousy way I acted, I’m far from being a prince by comparison to my cousin.”
She twitched her mouth. “I can see that.” Her thoughts flew to her greedy stepfather. If she had relatives as good as Eric’s, she’d never have abandoned them.
Eric held her hand as they climbed the steps leading to the front door that opened to reveal a young woman in burgundy velvet pants and a pink knitted blouse.
“Welcome home to our black sheep.” She hugged Eric with the affection of an older sister.
“Charlene, so good to see you.” Wrapping an arm around Natalie’s back, he chuckled. “Let me introduce my friend Natalie Borikev. My cousin, Princess Charlene Devereux Pratt.”
Geez, with her affable smile, confident bearing, and glamorous allure, that gorgeous woman was a princess over and over.
“Ah, the talented new star of the Colosseum. Pictures and reports of your performance were all over Art Magazine this morning.” Charlene pulled her in for an embrace.
Taken aback by the unexpected statement, Natalie could only stutter, “My... My pictures...”
“Yes, we all saw them. This morning, my friend called me to report on a board meeting at the Boston Conservatory, and she related that they passed the magazine around at the meeting.”
“A magazine? Was there gossip?” Anxiety gnawing her heart, Natalie bit her lip.
“Only flattering stuff about you.” Princess Charlene led them to a large room, more of a cozy solarium, where two preschool-age boys played in a sandbox with a tall blond man. In the far corner, a white bassinet shielded a sleeping baby.
“Scott,” she called. “I hope you still remember the bad boy who quit on us three years ago. Scott is my husband, Dr. Scott Pratt,” she explained for Natalie’s benefit.
The doctor scrambled up and hugged Eric. “Charlene and Philip were so mad at you when they received your email from Las Vegas.”
“Edward, Mark,” Eric called to the twins. “Big hugs for Uncle Eric.” The boys came running, and Eric lifted them both into a hug.
For people who were so mad, they sure had forgiven him fast enough. Natalie doubted Hugh Callahan and Spencer Hall would forgive her defection easily—a defection she already regretted as she felt out of place in this high-society family.
Charlene introduced Natalie to her husband, who distributed drinks to his guests. They all toasted Eric’s return and wished Natalie good luck in Boston.
“If I were you,” Princess Charlene suggested, “I’d strike while the iron is hot and pay a visit to the Conservatory tomorrow. Take a copy of this magazine with you.” She handed Natalie the open magazine.
Good Lord, the page displayed three pictures with exalting captions. Ms. Borikev executing a dozen renversées; Natalie Borikev ending her dance with a perfect split-grand-écart; The lovely singer’s final curtsy. Eagerly, Natalie read the gratifying commentary. At the end, a two-line mention hinted that Ms. Borikev was about to sign a fabulous contract that would probably catapult her to stardom.
To think she’d tossed a brilliant future down the drain. “May I keep this magazine, please?” She held the page to her heart, the only proof she’d succeeded after so much effort.
“Of course.” A baby’s wail interrupted them. “Aw, Gretchy is awake and hungry. Let me feed my baby and then we’ll talk over dinner.”
“Can I see her?”
“Sure. Come along.” Charlene collected a screaming pink bundle and soothed her with kisses and cooing.
Natalie followed her to the nursery on the second floor. A dream-come-true baby girl room, with pink walls decorated with animals and flowers. Charlene changed the baby. Soon a fresh scent of baby powder enveloped them.
The princess settled in a rocking chair to breastfeed her child. “Have a seat.” She showed Natalie the other rocking chair and covered her breast with a blanket while the baby suckled.
“How long have you and Eric been dating?” she said with a curious smile.
“Huh... We’re not dating.”
“Ah?” Charlene’s eyebrows arched.
“Seriously. We just met yesterday. Although it seems like ages. He came to my dressing room with flowers and said he’d been watching my show every night for a week. And then he encouraged me to escape with him.”
“Escape from what?”
Natalie had never had a best friend in school, never trusted anyone with her private stories, yet she felt she could confide in the kind princess.
“My little brother has a drug problem. And I was afraid that the powerful producer hiring me would soon ask for special payment.”
“I see. Then you did well in coming here. We’ll help you as much as we can.”
“I need to find a job as soon as possible to support myself and Brian.”
“I’m a businesswoman. The marketing VP of DIF. Unfortunately, I know nothing about the entertainment business, but I can book you an appointment with one of the board members of the Conservatory. As I said, you should pay them a visit as soon as possible.”
“I’ll go tomorrow.”
“So, you met Eric only a day ago. Yet he looks quite the besotted boyfriend.” Charlene chuckled. “That reminds me of my story with Scott. We fell in love at first sight and kissed ten minutes later.”
Interested, Natalie tilted her head. “And you married right
away?”
“Oh, no. I wasn’t that crazy. Considering his impossible schedule and my continuous traveling, I insisted we move in together and see if we could stand each other for a year.”
What a modern and wise princess.
“Gretchen is done.” Her mommy lifted her against her chest to have her burp. “Let’s wear something pretty, pumpkin.”
Dressed in pink, the chubby baby was adorable with her green eyes so similar to her mother’s, round cheeks, and blond down covering her head.
“Can I hold her?” Natalie opened her arms.
“Sure. But please clean your hands with sanitizer. My husband insists we be very cautious with the baby.” She showed Natalie a bottle on the changing table.
Natalie poured some liquid into her hands and rubbed them. Charlene placed the smiling baby in her arms.
“Aw, she’s so beautiful. This is the first time I’ve held a baby since I helped my mom with my brother.”
After her mother’s death and Jonah’s bad treatment of Brian and her, Natalie had vowed never to marry and have children. Her entertainment career was her goal and future. Yet when she pressed a kiss on Gretchen’s soft hair, she marveled at the wonderful feeling of holding a baby. A tinge of regret squeezed her insides when she returned her to her mommy.
In the playroom, Natalie found Brian in deep conversation with Eric. At the sight of her, her brother jolted to his feet. “Tell her, Eric. Please tell her.” Like a restless puppy, he shuffled from one foot to the other.
“Tell me what?” She cast a suspicious glance at Eric.
“Brian and I were talking about you two staying with me in my condo.”
“What? Are you crazy?” She wasn’t sure which one she should punch first, her brother or his big friend.
“Come on, Natty.” Brian clasped his fists on his hips, his chin jutting out. “Eric is a nice, honest guy. Nothing like that skunk of a producer who was hitting on you.”
“Brian!” She gulped and her cheeks grew hot, while Eric watched her with an ironic gaze.
Sudden silence stretched between the people in the room, but she caught Scott and Philip’s amused smiles.
Charlene shook her head. “Dinner is served. Everyone to the dining room, please.” She left the playroom with her baby in her arms. Scott and Philip followed her, each one holding a twin’s hand.
But Brian hardly noticed and continued to challenge Natalie. “Besides, I’ll be there as a chaperone, right, Eric?”
“Right.” Eric’s voice shook with suppressed laughter.
Exasperated, Natalie blew up. “Enough, Brian. Will you shut up?”
“Eric invited us to share his condo. It would be great to live with him. He promised to take me to school on the Harley, and I promised no more drugs, ever. Honest.” To convince her, Brian put one hand on his heart and the other behind his back. She’d bet he was crossing his fingers as he did when lying through his teeth.
“It’s very kind of Eric to invite us. But no means no. I’ll look for an apartment tomorrow. Now kindly remember that our hosts are waiting for us to join them in the dining room.”
“My fault, Natalie.” Eric’s bone-melting smile was far from apologetic. “I thought it’d be easier for the three of us to stay together and help each other. You could cook for us, and I would drive Brian to school and tutor him in math. You can occupy one bedroom suite, and I the other. Brian agreed to sleep in the alcove I used as an office. There’s a couch and a desk. No door, unfortunately, but he said he doesn’t care about privacy.” Eric captured her gaze with a meaningful look signifying they could supervise him better this way. “Just think about it. Meanwhile, let’s go eat.”
“Yes, please think about it, Natty.” Brian sent her a pleading look.
A delicious aroma of garlic and herbs greeted them in the dining room. Charlene seated Natalie next to Scott with Eric on her right and sent Brian to the other end of the table between Philip and her twins.
Brian enjoyed his meal and kept repeating, “It’s so good.” The poor boy had never tasted such tender meat and beamed when Charlene offered him a second serving of roast and potatoes. At least he forgot to nag Natalie about their future housing.
By the time the chef brought the dessert, a warm apple pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and ladyfingers on the side, the twins couldn’t stop yawning. Their heads started to nod, and their eyelids drooped.
Charlene and Scott exchanged glances, and each one picked up a boy from his chair. “You’ll have to excuse us,” Charlene said. “These boys need to go to bed right away.”
“We’ll be leaving now.” Eric stood and then bent toward Natalie and lowered his voice. “We’re tired after a very long day. And it’s too late to go look for a hotel room now. Please, spend the night in the condo. Tomorrow we’ll look for other arrangements.”
“Okay.” After all he had done for her, she couldn’t afford to be stubborn. “Thank you.”
They all said their goodnights and left. Ken drove them in the limousine and dropped Philip first in front of a high-rise. “Goodnight Natalie, Brian. See you tomorrow, Eric.”
“I’ll come in a bit late. We’ll register Brian at school first thing in the morning.”
Surprise and gratitude overwhelmed Natalie. Eric had risked upsetting his new boss for her little brother’s sake. What a guy. She knew she could trust him, yet it still bothered her to inconvenience him once more.
“I can register him alone. You don’t need to come with us,” she said when the limousine rolled again.
“I know, but I want to be present to evaluate if things have changed.”
“Well, public schools are not so different from one another.”
“Exactly. All public schools have more or less the same problems. That’s why I’m taking him to the private school I attended.”
Brian beamed. “Cool. Thanks, Eric.”
“But I can’t afford—”
“We’ll find a way. You don’t want to expose Brian again to the messy atmosphere he left behind, do you? Don’t worry about the high fees. DIF often gives scholarship to employees’ children, based on scholastic achievement or athletic ability.”
She scoffed. “I’m not a DIF employee, and Brian has neither good grades nor any sports medals.”
“Natty, stop arguing all the time,” Brian exploded. “Eric is trying to help me. And one day, I’ll do my best to repay him. You stay out of it,” he shouted as tears rolled down his cheeks. “Don’t spoil it for me. It’s the first time anyone has done anything good for me.”
“How dare you? I dump a successful career for you and—”
“And you left me with that monster for four years to study your art. If you’d stayed in Las Vegas, you’d have become Callahan’s whore, as Jonah said often enough.” Out of control, Brian sobbed.
Desperate, Natalie dropped her head in her hands and didn’t try to suppress her own crying.
“Brian, don’t ever talk to your sister with such lack of respect. Ever. You hear me?” Eric wrapped an arm around her and stroked her shoulder.
“She’s always against everything I want. Going to a good school is not a bad thing.”
“No, it’s not a bad thing, but I understand her. She feels embarrassed at accepting too much from me. Brian, just keep quiet and let me explain something to her.” He cupped her face, forcing her to look at him and listen. “I made a lot of mistakes at a younger age. Maybe that’s why I accept Brian as he is and understand him. I was also into drugs. Fortunately, Philip prevented me from ruining my health and my life. My father was a proud man. He resented Philip and wanted to stop him from helping me, but my mother interfered. And now, Philip is saving me again. This time, I learned my lesson and will do everything to repay him. I’m sure Brian will do the same for me. Right, Brian?”
“Right.”
Natalie hiccupped and nodded. Maybe she should leave Brian here with his new mentor and return to her old life. Eric groped for a tissue from a box
in the door pocket and handed it to her.
“We’re home.” Eric exhaled when the limousine stopped in front of his building.
Instead of holding the door for them, Ken climbed in and sat in a bucket seat. “Before you go to your condo, I have two things to bring to your attention,” he declared in a solemn tone.
“What’s up?” Eric lifted his eyebrows, and they all faced Ken.
“Prince Philip instructed me to bring your car to your garage.” At Eric’s incredulous frown, Ken chuckled. “Your precious Porsche is in its parking spot waiting for you.”
“Seriously?” Eric’s jaw sagged for a few seconds. “He didn’t sell it?”
“Never. We moved it to the DIF garage and drove it once a month. Prince Philip kept saying he was sure you’d come back. He’d prefer you use it to go to work, instead of the Harley.”
Eric burst out laughing. “What a great chap. I’ll make sure he never regrets trusting me.”
“By the way, Rob brought your Harley here too.”
“I’m a spoiled guy. What’s your second piece of news?”
“No news. Rather a difficult task.” In a swift move, he snatched Brian’s backpack from his lap.
“No,” the boy screamed. “Don’t touch it.”
“Why, Brian?” Ken asked. “Why did you keep it with you all day? Why is it so precious? What are you hiding there?”
“Brian?” Eric barked, and Natalie’s heart plummeted to her feet.
“Just my iPad.” Brian tried to snag his backpack, but Ken wouldn’t let go.
“Ken, get his iPad out.” Eric caught Brian’s hands between his. “Now what’s all this about, Brian?” The boy pinched his lips and didn’t answer. “Ken is a bodyguard. He makes sure he protects us from trouble. Check the bag, Ken.”
His head almost disappearing between his shoulders, Brian cringed and started crying. “Please, give it back to me.”
Ken felt the bag all over and pulled at the corner and seams. Suddenly a Velcro ribbon separated from the bottom. He shoved his fingers in and dug out four small packets containing small gelatin capsules.