Catherine leaned over until she could talk quietly and still be heard. “My papa married my Mumeleine. She’s always loved us like Mum would have.”
“That’s what Mummy told us when we watched on the telly.”
Catherine glanced at the parents.
“We watched the ceremonies for the ball and the coronation,” the mum explained.
With a slight nod, Catherine turned back to the girl.
“Did you want your mummy there? My mummy said you would.”
Several thoughts flitted through Catherine’s mind before she answered. “I would have liked my mum to be there, but if Mum was alive, I wouldn’t have Mumeleine or four of my brothers and sisters. I love them, and I’m glad they’re here.”
The concept was probably a bit much for the little girl to fully understand. It was something Catherine thought about often.
Yes, she missed her mum.
No, she wouldn’t have known what she was missing out on.
But she still wouldn’t trade having her mum back. She loved Mumeleine and the littles, who weren’t so little anymore, and the thought of a world without them made her exceedingly sad.
One of the other siblings drew attention away from the conversation. The rest of the meal went smoothly. Jacob made certain the bill was taken care of.
Their goodbyes included hugs with all of the children. Those photos would be splashed across social media long before their arrival at the lake home.
Jessica would be thrilled. She’d been after Catherine to do more things out and about among the people. As long as some tabloid didn’t take it and make it into something it wasn’t.
She’d seen it happen in Southern Santiero. Frederick had been on his yacht traveling between islands. He’d volunteered to help a family who missed their cruise ship because of a miscommunication with the ride share service followed by a traffic jam caused, in part, by his motorcade.
They’d been running down the dock, but the gangway had already been pulled in. Frederick saw the mum break down and the father look stricken. He’d asked his aide to find out what happened then ordered his yacht back to the dock to help out and take the family to the next port, also in Southern Santiero.
Local press had blamed him for causing them to miss it in the first place then to use the situation to his advantage and take attention off of some scandal regarding his relationship with a commoner.
Catherine knew Frederick well enough to know the thought had never crossed his mind. In fact, she doubted the young lady’s social status had ever crossed his mind until someone else brought it up. He certainly wouldn’t have used another family’s misfortune to get the attention off something he didn’t believe should be an issue inthe first place.
She spent the entire drive to the lake pondering how they would spin her lunch with Jacob and a random family.
Would she ever be able to relax and just enjoy being? Her every move, every decision had been scrutinized since she started making public appearances on her own at sixteen.
Every appearance she made, every cause she chose to support, meant another equally worthy cause wasn’t in the spotlight due to royal patronage.
No matter what she chose, someone - somewhere - thought it was the wrong choice.
Jacob received a phone call from Byron as they pulled to a stop in front of the ancient home. While not nearly as old as the palace proper, it had still been standing for centuries.
While Jacob took the call, Catherine went inside, easily finding her way to the room she’d been using for decades. Once inside, she looked around, puzzled at what she saw.
Though tidy and dust free, it didn’t look like it had been prepared for their arrival.
Confused, she left the room and wandered back to the main entrance.
Jacob waited for her near the doors. “I have no idea where I’m going,” he told her with a grin.
“I’d be happy to give you a tour while we’re here, but my room hasn’t been made up, so first I need to find someone to do that.”
“Pardon me, ma’am.”
Catherine turned to see the steward walking toward them. He stopped to bow toward them.
