“Has the prince mentioned it yet?”
“Daddy!”
“Guess I’ll have to come out there after all. And bring my shotgun too.”
Now she was laughing. “I’d love for you to come, Dad. But please leave your shotgun at home.”
“If you get to the wedding planning stage, I will be there,” he said.
“Don’t hold your breath.”
“I won’t. But I expect you to keep me posted.”
“Believe me, you’ll be the first one I call.”
“And, really, Meri, don’t be afraid to take risks. Follow your heart. Be my strong princess girl.”
“Thanks, Daddy.” She felt a twinge in her heart. “I love you.”
“I love you too, princess.”
She felt teary as she set down her phone. Between the queen and her father, people sure seemed to be jumping to conclusions today. Sure, Spencer appreciated her. And there had been that kiss. But could he really be considering marriage? Think of the obstacles. Not only the queen, but there were the children to consider. Sure, they loved her…as a nanny or governess. But as a mother? That was a whole different thing. And given they’d just been enjoying the company and attention of their father, would they really want to share him with a new wife? That could become dicey at best.
She leaned back on her bed, still replaying the events of the day in her head and wondering why she even took it seriously. Good grief, she’d never fully believed in the whole happily ever after idea in the first place. Right now, it sounded perfectly preposterous. Maybe in fairy tales it happened, but this was real life. And it was possible the queen was not just being controlling and calculating because she was on a power trip, but perhaps, in her years of wisdom, she recognized the folly of such a naïve plan. Perhaps she just wanted to prevent more heartache for the royal family. After all, it was her duty to look after everyone. And these were the thoughts she drifted to sleep on.
Meredith awoke to the sound of giggling girls standing by her bed. “Wake up, sleeping beauty,” Kat teased.
“Oh, wow, look at you two.” Meredith sat up and blinked in the light. “You’re all dressed and ready for the ball.” She stood and smiled. “You both look beautiful.”
“And you look like a mess.” Kat laughed. “You better get ready.”
“You’re right.” Meredith patted her head, hoping her up-style wasn’t too badly messed. “I guess I should get dressed.”
“We heard the music, and we want to go down now,” Kat told her. “Do you mind?”
“Not at all. This is your night, Kat. I want you to have fun.”
“We know it’s early, but we thought we’d poke around some and see how it all looks. I know some good spots where we can watch without being seen.”
“Sounds fun.” Meredith slowly shook her head. “Oh, Kat, you really look beautiful!”
“Thanks.” She giggled. “See you down there.”
After they left, Meredith surveyed the damage to her hair and decided it was okay then put on her gown, which really was stunning. Almost a Cinderella gown with its full shimmering pale blue skirt and sparkling crystal trimmed bodice. Delicate and elegant, she felt truly royal in it. If she got the chance to dance with Spencer, well, it would be perfectly dreamy. Even if she were forced to leave the country tomorrow, she would take her memories with her.
Feeling ready for the evening, she stepped out of her room and into the living room. It was so quiet and still, she assumed Spencer and Mishka had already gone down. And that was good because members of the royal family should not be late. Of course, this meant she had to go down alone, which suddenly felt intimidating. She could just imagine the queen’s icy stare. Perhaps the queen’s friends would be cold too. Did she really want to do this?
“Hello?”
She turned to see Spencer in a black tuxedo, standing in the shadows in the dining room doorway watching her. “Oh, hello.” She took in a steadying breath then attempted a smile. “I was just trying to work up the nerve to go crash the party.”
“Crash the party?”
She explained how she’d been originally uninvited. “But Kat persuaded me to come. And I even talked to the queen about it today.”
“So I heard.” He walked toward her with a solemn expression.
“You heard?” She bit her lower lip.
