"I do say so."
Catherine took a deep breath. "I'll do my best to keep that in mind. I am really looking forward to the lake house. Just us. A lot of rest."
Jake hesitated then nodded. They did have a few easy plans. Local charities she visited from time to time. He'd made sure not to actually confirm any of them. If they got to the cottage and it really would be too much, her visits wouldn't have been announced. A few select people had been toldit was possible she might come by for a brief visit when she was in the area but nothing solid.
They stood there for several minutes. Finally, Catherine took a deep breath and blew it out as she stepped away from his embrace.
"Thank you. I needed that." The professional was back. The real Catherine, the one deep underneath, had made a brief appearance before being relegated to the depths - to be someone very few people saw at all, and no one truly saw the totality of the real Catherine.
Maybe one day his presence would be enough for her to drop the facade completely when they were alone. He had no doubt it would take time and many chances for him to prove his loyalty, to prove that he was a safe place for her.
"What time do we leave?" she called over her shoulder as she walked toward the bedroom.
"You have a meeting at eleven. We'll leave after that." Or so he'd been told.
"That will put us there well after lunch time, but long before dinner," she mused almost to herself. "I'll have to ask someone to make sure there's food for us to snack on."
Jake didn't say anything about their lunch plans. The decision wouldn't be final until they started the trip, and he could get a good read on her mood. He would ask Byron to ensure there was food in the auto to hold them over in case they didn't make the stop to eat.
Catherine remained quiet for the rest of the evening and retired early once again.
The next day began as so many others had. Jake put in a couple of hours working in the archives then went to his new office to continue being instructed on how to be an effective prince consort.
Catherine's meeting ended shortly before noon. The little bit of sunlight visible for the day made the outdoors sort of likedusk, despite the hour. Jake watched as, despite the cold, Catherine stood in the bit of sunlight with her eyes closed as though she were trying to absorb its rays. After a couple of deep breaths, she turned back to enter the vehicle before him.
On the walk from her office he tried to feel her out, to determine if the stop was a good idea. He couldn't get a good read on her mood, but chose to nod slightly in the direction of the security team member who would be driving.
As they drove, Catherine pointed out some of her favorite places in the city. It took her a few minutes to realize they were going in the wrong direction. She leaned forward to speak to the men in front. "Is there construction on our usual route?"
"No, ma'am," the driver answered, but didn't offer any further information.
She gave Jake a worried glance, but he just smiled at her.
The trip to the restaurant took about ten minutes. When they pulled into the parking lot, Catherine gave him a puzzled look, but Jake sensed it wasn't actually directed at him. He just happened to be in the area.
He answered anyway. "We're stopping for lunch." Jake didn't explain further.
It took her a few seconds of intense staring at the sign for it to come to her. "This was my mother's favorite," she whispered. "I haven't been here in years."
Jake reached over and took her hand. "We don't have to stay if you don't want to. The owners have been told it's possible you'll stop by. Nothing confirmed, but that it's a possibility."
It took just a few more seconds for her to nod. "Let's go."
Noneof the things Catherine expected to happen during their luncheonactually happened.
At least none of the bad things.
Photos and videos had been taken, but no paparazzi had shown up.
They’d even had lunch with one of the families who were waiting for a table when she and Jacob arrived.
Jacob had been the one to first strike up a conversation with one of the children. Catherine still didn’t quite know how it happened, but the next thing she knew, she’d invited the family of five to join them. As soon as she’d done so, she glanced at Jacob to see if he minded. The smile he gave the little girl at his side told her he was just fine with it.
At the beginning, conversation was stilted, but by the time their entrees arrived, they all seemed to have settled in.
One of the little girls sat next to Catherine. She tugged on Catherine’s sleeve to get her attention.
“My mama died, too” she said solemnly. “Papa married Mummy and she loves us like Mama would.”
