This was the life. A girl on holiday with her mates. Surely something memorable was bound to happen.
Standing on the water’s edge, Daffy washed her weary soul with the low rumble of the waves, raised her face to the sun, and pretended she was more than an ordinary girl.
Time away was so needed. After graduating with her master’s degree, she jumped straight into work, striving to prove herself with barely a moment to breathe.
Two years in she needed a break. Then while online Christmas shopping she stumbled across the sweet blue cottage on the American coast and booked a week in February without even checking her diary. Then she coaxed her little sister along with her best friend, Leslie Ann, to join in the fun.
The three had arrived on the central Florida private beach around midnight and slept until the sun filled their rented beachfront cottage with glorious light. The sights, sounds, and sun filled her with expectation. This week was going to be amazing. She just knew it.
“I think I’ll emmigrate to America,” she said.
“Surely not.” Little sister Ella splashed through the winter-chilled waves. While the sun was warm, the breeze still nipped with a southern chill. “Why would you?”
“Why not? I always said I wanted to live abroad.”
“You never.” Ella paused beside Daffy as she tied her rich dark hair into a floppy topknot.
“You wanted to marry the prince andruleLauchtenland. Besides, you joined the Royal Trust to work for Mum. She’d be put out if you left.”
“Dream killer.” Nevertheless, Ella was right. Well, partially right. Daffy couldn’t leave the Royal Trust after Mum went out on a limb to secure her position. Not very far out on the limb, but far enough. “But I do love my job.”
With her master’s degree in restorative arts, she wanted nothing more than to knock around historic artifacts, furniture, clothing, paintings, photographs and literature. The House of Blue had acquired such things for the last, oh, five hundred years. Longer, if the Hadsby Castle fire in 1595 hadn’t destroyed nearly everything the royal family owned.
Butthe chairhad been saved. TheKing Titus. Constructed by Lauchtenland’s first king after the Norman conquest. It had been the royal throne for almost a century before King Louis II replaced it in 1881.
“What are we talking about?” Leslie Ann Parker, stunning, talented—and the latest sensation of Lauchtenland’s nationalMorning Show,reporting on all things royal—arrived at the waves.
“Daffy wants to immigrate to America,” Ella said.
“Surely not.” Leslie Ann dismissed the idea with a flick of her hand.
“That’s what I said.” Ella slapped Leslie Ann a high five then bent to inspect a rather large conch shell.
“Thanks, you two. Your vote of confidence in me is touching.”
Why couldn’t she move to America? She was educated and confident—well, most of the time. Surely American museums and historic societies needed curators. Lately corporations had been hiring curators to acquire fine art. Others to build a museum of the company’s history. Daffy would love such an opportunity.
“When did you ever want to live in America?” Leslie Ann repeated Ella’s question. “I’ve known you since A-levels and never once did you express a desire to live abroad. Darling, don’t you remember the time it took a month of talking to get you off on a London weekend?”
“Maybe I said it more to myself than out loud. Look, we’re standing on a Florida beach, aren’t we? This whole holiday was my idea. And the weekend to London was during final exams. Of course I didn’t want to go.” Daffy kicked at a small foaming wave as if to make her point.
“She also never said out loud that she wants to marry a prince. But she does.” Ella was simply on a wild, fantastical roll this morning.
“Wanted tomarry a prince,” Daffy said. “Past tense. Present tense makes me sound like a silly little girl.” Which was the purpose of sisters, no? “And if I never said it out loud, how do you know?”
“Fine. Notwantsbutwanted.” Ella ran the shell up to their beach chairs and returned with more on the prince topic. “I suppose I can tell you now. When I was little, I used to sneak into your room and read your diary.”
“You read my diary?” Daffy laughed, then sobered. “Please say you’re joking.”
“Yeah, the one titledMy Life with the Prince by Daffodil Caron.I thought it was fiction at first. You went on and on about this beautiful, sweet girl who married a prince. It couldn’t have been you.” Daffy splashed her laughing sister. “But in the end, you started writing your names. Daffy and Gus. You wanted to marry Prince Gus.”
“And you never did?” Daffy said. Both sisters grew up in the halls of the palace. For a while anyway. Before the great departure.
“Marry Prince Gus?” Leslie Ann moved away from a seagull that touched down a little too close. “Where is this tome? I want to read it.”
“Don’t tell me you never had visions of marrying one of the Blue princes?” Daffy faced her friend. “Half the girls in my class wanted to be my friend so I’d invite them to the palace after school.” Where she went every afternoon while Mum worked. She’d been the queen’s private secretary before taking on the direction of the Royal Trust.
“You’d get a jolly laugh, I tell you.” Ella pressed her hands to her cheeks and batted her eyelashes. “‘I just love him so much. He’ssooooocute.’”
