The deep breathing told Elise he wouldn’t have heard her response if she’d given one.
Instead, she went back to the kitchen and made herself a cup of hot tea. Once ready, she took it back out to the living area and made herself comfortable with the tea and a blanket to ward off the chill from the breeze and an ereader to ward off the boredom.
When she finished the first chapter of a new book by Joanna Davidson Politano, Elise realized she wasn’t going to be able to focus. After setting down her cup and ereader, she pulled the blanket up around her shoulders and fell asleep.
After the announcement went out,the outpouring of support from the general public amazed Frederick. Flowers and cards and well-wishes came from all parts of the country. The operators were overwhelmed with phone calls and public email inboxes were filled to overflowing.
“What would you like us to do with all of the flowers, sir?” George asked the question from his spot on the sofa where Elise had fallen asleep earlier.
She couldn’t have slept well the night before, not with how often she checked on him and made certain he wasn’t in any pain and took his medication. Frederick had thought to let her sleep as long as possible, but George’s arrival put the damper on that. He didn’t know where she’d gone after letting George inside.
“What do we usually do with them when we have a significant amount sent?” He should know this.
“It depends, but often we’ll send them to hospitals and other places with people who will enjoy them.”
Frederick nodded. “Do that.”
George sent a quick message. “We’ll go through every one of the cards, emails, and other communications. We’ll respond to as many of them as possible with thank you notes.”
“Thank you.” Could that be the last item on the agenda with George? His assistant had promised the meeting would be short.
“That’s all for now.” George stood and closed his tablet. He bowed toward Frederick. “I am staying in the palace for the next few days. I’m here when you need me.”
“Thank you.” Frederick gave a nod of acknowledgment and realized he didn’t know much about George’s personal life. Heknew George didn’t live in the palace like many aides did and didn’t wear a wedding band, but not much more than that.
Frederick reached for the blanket he’d tucked to the side of his chair when George arrived. Joggers, a t-shirt, and socks wasn’t his normal apparel for a meeting with his aide, but a blanket seemed to make him seem a little too much like an invalid.
“Did everything go well?” Elise walked back into the lounge, taking the blanket from him and covering him with it herself. She tucked it tightly around his legs but let him decide how far to pull it up.
Then she covered him with the blanket she’d been using earlier and pulled it all the way up to his shoulders.
A good thing since he’d started shivering. “I don’t know why I’m so cold.”
“It’s the anesthesia.” She tucked it around his shoulders. “Having the door open likely doesn’t help either.” One of her brows arched his way as Elise walked to the balcony door and closed it. “I know it’s nice having it open, but not right now.”
Frederick nodded. “Thanks.” He closed his eyes, desperate to stay awake, to have some time with his wife. The warmth of the blankets combined with the sudden lack of breeze coming through the door made it difficult to keep his eyes open.
“Get some rest. That’s really all you should be doing the day after a surgery.” She pulled another blanket out of somewhere and covered her own legs with it as she took her spot on the sofa.
“I’d rather spend some time talking with you.” His eyes refused to open all the way.
He felt her hand on his leg. “We have our whole lives to spend time together. Right now you need to heal.”
It was enough to allow him to drift off. When he awoke, Elise had also fallen asleep again on the sofa. None of the lamps were turned on, so the setting sun left little light permeating the room.
Frederick found his phone and submitted an order for food to be delivered. It had to be a good sign that he was finally hungry.
He was able to get himself out of the recliner more easily than he could earlier in the day. When he returned to the lounge, Elise was sitting up.
“I’m glad you got some rest,” he told her redirecting his steps toward the door when a knock sounded. “I ordered dinner for us.”
Elise joined him in taking the cart to the table.
As they ate, they talked about what they wanted to do with the rest of the time they were supposed to have been on their honeymoon.
“Do we have to stay here?” Elise asked him. “Or could we go somewhere else? The yacht is out until you’re more fully recovered, just in case, but what about the resort where your mum lives? Or does your family have a home outside of the city? Maybe on the shoreline somewhere?”
Frederick turned the idea over in his head. “Let me talk to Cap. I’m certain we can go elsewhere, somewhere we won’t feel the same pressure to work or be busy like we would be here at home.”
