"I'm glad your father thought of it and was willing to give it to me to give to you."
"I would imagine it was Mumeleine's idea many years ago. Maybe even Mum’s before that." Her eyes still watered, but she blinked the tears away. "It's perfect." Catherine turned, wrapped her hand around the inside of his elbow, and blew out a breath. "It's time."
Together, they turned the corner, and Jake saw two members of the staff - ones he recognized, but whose names he didn't yet know - waiting on either side of the door. Each opened one allowing them to walk through.
Outside, they strolled down a walkway then turned into the Amethyst Room. Jake had been told there would be a mark for them to stand on, but his glance at the floor didn't reveal one.
Catherine must have seen it or at least known where it was, because she used a bit of pressure on his arm to tell him it was time to stop. The cameras clicked nonstop from just before they came around the corner, before they were even visible. Just in case they tripped on their way? Probably something like that.
After a few seconds, one of the reporters took a half step forward. "Your Majesty, Your Royal Highness, thank you for agreeing to meet us today."
Catherine gave a slight nod of her head. "It's our pleasure. We only have a few minutes before we have to get back to a meeting."
They had a meeting? He thought they were having lunch. Maybe that counted as a meeting? Or maybe they were counting it as a meeting to give them a reason to escape when she was ready.
"Tell us about the ring?" one of them called.
"It was my mother's," Catherine told them. She held out her hand so her ring finger was visible. "Papa saved it for me for when the time came. He gave it to Jacob who then gave it to me as a symbol of our marriage."
"Why did you get married secretly?" one near the back yelled.
Her grip on his arm tightened. "That is a topic we'll address another time. It worked for us. Our two biggest disappointments were that my mother wasn't there, and, at the time, we weren't able to share it with the people we and my mother love so much. We have plans to celebrate with many of the traditional wedding rituals soon. Much of that will be along a route between here and the National Cathedral so the people we love so much can be a part of it. More details will be available in the coming days."
A few more questions were shouted their direction, but Catherine didn't answer any of them. Jacob hadn't said a word when she nodded and toldthem thank you.
They both turned, and Jacob rested his hand on her lower back as they walked back toward the doors of the palace. Once the doors closed behind them and they turned the corner, he felt tension leave her body.
"You did fantastic," he told her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her into his side. "I'm proud of you. Your mother would be, too."
"Thanks. We're going to have to do an extensive interview sometime soon." She leaned her head against him as they walked toward the executive wing of the palace.
"But that's something for another day. Today, we'll focus on what we're given to deal with today. Tomorrow will take care of itself." They reached the side door to her office.
Jacob opened the door and stood to the side to let her walk in first. Following behind her, he closed the door then walked to the conference table with her. Their lunch wasn't anywhere to be seen.
Catherine looked around in confusion. "I thought it was supposed to be waiting for us."
He noticed it wasn't where she expected. "They set them over by the window."
She tipped her head slightly to the side. "Oh. It could be nice to eat over there." She changed her direction and took a seat at the small table next to the farthest window to the right.
Jake took the other chair. They ate their lunch in a silence he would describe as companionable rather than full of the awkwardness he expected.
When she finished, Catherine wiped her mouth on the cloth napkin then pushed back from the table. "Thank you for your support today. I appreciate it more than you know."
"Where else would I be? I'm a part of this just as much as you are. It's my job to support you however I can, however you need." He pulled her close to him, wrapping his arms around her.
She rested the side of her head on his chest. "I know. I appreciate that, too."
Jake wanted to chuckle at her repeated sentiment, but he sensed it wasn't the right time. "It's Friday." He rested his chin on the top of her head. "Why don't we get out of town? Go to the family house on the lake up north?"
The relief he felt in her shoulders told him she liked that idea.
"That sounds amazing. I'll see if we can. I don't think there's anything on our calendars this weekend." Her arms had looped around him, but now she tightened them slightly. "Thank you for taking care of me."
With a slight twist of his head, Jake kissed her hair. "It's what I'm here for."
Standingin Jacob's arms was rapidly becoming Catherine's favorite place in the whole world.
