But what if she could have it all, securityandaffection?
As she thought of George, May wondered if she might still end up with a prince…not just because he made her feel safe, but because he made her happy.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Alix
WITH THE WALESES, A “FAMILYdinner” could mean anything, a casual gathering of five people or a formal meal for forty. Tonight’s family dinner, hosted by Uncle Bertie and Aunt Alexandra at Marlborough House, veered toward the latter. The official reason for celebrating was that Uncle Alfred and his family were visiting from Coburg, though everyone knew that Bertie needed no excuse to host a party. Sometimes he gathered his friends for an eight-course dinner on a Monday evening for no other reason than boredom.
Alix stole another glance around the massive dining table, which was nearly at capacity. The light from the chandeliers cast the guests in a golden glow, setting off their profiles against the deep blue wallpaper. Technically speaking, thiswasa family dinner, since nearly everyone was related to someone else at the table. Half of Queen Victoria’s nine children were here—Uncle Bertie, Uncle Alfred, Uncle Arthur, and Aunt Beatrice—along with their spouses and children. Not to mention Nicholas and Tino, who were still staying at Marlborough House.
The queen herself wasn’t in attendance, and Alix sensed that Bertie was secretly relieved by this. It meant he got topour more wine, laugh louder, tell off-color jokes—all the things he so rarely got to do with his younger brother, who’d moved to Coburg a decade ago.
“I once saw a black-billed thrush in the woods outside Rosenau,” Alix’s companion remarked in German. Alix managed a distracted nod, hyperaware of the fact that Nicholas was on her other side. In just a few short minutes, when the soup course ended, she would finally be allowed to turnand speak with him.
She and Nicholas hadn’t originally been seated together. Apparently Nicholas had solved this before the dinner, when Aunt Alexandra was lamenting the number of guests in Alfred’s entourage (“They’re bringing Coburg cousins who don’t even speak English!”). At which point Nicholas had pointed out that Alix spoke German, and rearranged the place cards himself.
Now here she was, with one of the Coburg cousins—a Baron vonStockmann, or was it vonStockmar?—to one side, and Nicholas on the other.
Realizing that the baron was staring at her expectantly, Alix smiled in apology. “Forgive me. You were saying?”
“I would love to know if you’ve seen any robins yet.” At her blank stare, he pushed his glasses further up his nose and added, “They migrate during the winter, many of them coming from Russia or Scandinavia all the way to England. Some even make it as far as Spain! They cannot stand the harsh northern winters.”
“A tiny robin flies all the way from Russia to Spain?” Alix asked, surprised.
“They do indeed! They are small but mighty.”
He was so earnest that Alix found herself warming tohim. “How marvelous. I feel a kinship for them, for I too have only migrated here for the season.”
The baron nodded assiduously. “And, like the robin, will you stay throughout the winter?”
They were speaking in German, so she didn’t expect anyone to understand, yet Alix felt Nicholas tense next to her. It would seem that he, too, was waiting for her reply.
“I suppose it depends upon a number of factors,” Alix admitted.
At that moment, an army of liveried footmen materialized to whisk away the guests’ soup tureens. This was the moment that, as etiquette dictated, a lady should break off conversation with the gentleman on her left and turn to the one on her right.
“Nicholas,” she said eagerly, beaming.
His blue eyes fixed on hers. “What factors does your decision depend on?” he asked, in English.
“I didn’t know you spoke German.”
“I wouldn’t say Ispeakit, but I understand a little. Enough to follow the gist of important conversations.”
“I suppose one of the factors is sitting next to me.” Emboldened by her own daring, Alix ventured, “And you? When will you be headed back to Russia?”
“I don’t know. I have many reasons to go home, and one very crucial reason to stay,” he said softly.
Alix could only nod in reply. As she’d suggested, Eddy would go to their meeting with Grandmama tomorrow—bringing Princess Hélène with him instead of Alix. She prayed that it would all go smoothly. Not just for her own sake, although Alix needed the queen to accept that she and Eddy were done, but because she genuinely wished them well.
Alix believed what Eddy had said, that Hélène hadn’t spread those rumors about her. Which made her wonder…who did?
Under the table, Nicholas’s foot nudged the hem of her skirts, and she drew in a breath.
“Sorry,” he muttered. “I didn’t—”
“No,” Alix said quickly, before he could move his foot away. She flushed, but held his gaze. “I’m sorry, what were we discussing?”
