“Not a word. He’ll survive. Next time he’ll listen to you when you tell him not to sit in a chair.”
“Thanks for driving me, Dad.” Daffy buckled up in the passenger’s seat.
“My pleasure, love. I’ll be walking you down the aisle to this chappie one day. Might as well drive you up to get the ball rolling.” He laughed. “Get it? I said, ‘Get the ball rolling.’”
“You’re a regular riot, Dad.” Daffy touched his arm as he pressed the ignition button. “Do you like him? Prince Gus? Forget the fact that he’s a prince. But for your daughter?”
“I don’t know him all that well, but I’ve watched him handle himself through the Prince Pudgy years, to the fame of his smile, through the shame of being left at the altar, and I’d say he’s a good man. Upstanding lad. And if he’s the reason for that light in your eyes, then he has my vote.”
“Me too.” She held her daddy’s hand until they hit North One highway toward Dalholm, toward her prince and the rest of her life.
* * *
Gus
Just do the math.
If he left now, he’d be in Port Fressa by one o’clock. Okay, in the Aston Martin with light traffic, he’d be there by noon.
Give two hours to talk Daffy into coming, another hour to get her things together—he hoped she had a ball gown—and head back to Hadsby by three.
Two hours back Aston Martin time, he’d be on the portico for Mum’s photo shoot no later than five-fifteen. Perhaps, five-thirty.
Gus glanced at his watch. If he was going to do this, he needed to leave now. Of course, he could put on his tuxedo to save time. But, no, it would be wrinkled by the time of the ball.
He’d just have to shorten his convincing time to one hour. And thirty minutes to pack. If she didn’t have a gown, she could borrow from Coral. Fifty bucks she brought more than one. And to his eye, his ex and his true love were about the same size.
Gus mimed holding Coral, then Daffy. Yeah, sure they were the same size. Give or take.
Down the back steps to the garage, he grabbed the motor keys, checked the petrol level, and with one final consideration, opened the bay door and fired down the drive.
No one would miss him this afternoon. Just about everyone went riding or hiking. Several were in their suites reading or resting for the big night.
John didn’t want to risk injury, so the rugby match was postponed until tomorrow. Prince Stephen cheered the delay, as he wanted more time to woo Chuck Mays over to his team. Poor slob, he didn’t stand a chance. Gus had Chuck locked in.
Shifting into high gear, he turned up the radio and flew low down North One through the villages and hamlets to win the heart and presence of his true love.
* * *
Daffy
One would think she was aged or infirm—or both—the way Dad drove up North One, slower than molasses. Apologizing for every pothole. It took forever to get here.
But now that she was settled in her cozy room on the third floor, she was grateful for their time together and that she only had to kill three hours instead of four, when she’d surprise Gus on the portico.
She turned off her phone in case he called. Her silence would up the tension and increase the element of surprise. Also, in the off chance he cruised by the servants’ quarters, she didn’t want her phone giving her away.
Restless, she paced the generous space, gazing out the window, three stories from the ground. She tried to come up with a hairstyle, but she wasn’t good at twists and braids, so she decided to wear it down, let her curls do the talking.
But what if the women were wearing updos? Did it matter? Would she look out of step? Daffy fell back on the single bed’s thick mattress.
“Emmanuel, help.”
She’d been inspired by her conversation with the queen and retrieved her old confirmation Bible from the bottom of her bookcase, intending to read a few chapters before bed. She also looked up the man named Emmanuel, God with us. Why didn’t the queen just tell her flat out? Emmanuel was Jesus, the Christ.
If God was with her, she wanted to know Him. She’d listened intently when Gus talked of God being the impetus for Coral running. Then he brought up Emmanuel, and she knew they’d begun the same journey.
Still on the mattress, she drifted away, the emotional rollercoaster of the week taking its toll. The next sound she heard was someone knocking.
