Crouching down, I shake my head. “Never. My ego is healthy enough to handle it, believe me. Now, we should really get going.”
“Oh God, Arthur, I don’t think I can face all those people tonight. I'm a total disaster.” She slaps her hand over her face. “I just thought that those women...weremypeople, you know? The people I'm surrounded with all day long, every day areyourpeople. I thought for once I was somewhere I fit in. But I guess those people aren't my people either."
"Mypeople, as you call them, will never be your people if you can't stop insulting them."Oh, careful now, Arthur, that’s not the tone to use with your very sensitive wife right now.
"You don’t understand. They’ll never accept me anyway, because I'm not one of them and I never will be."
I do my best to keep my voice gentle. "Did you ever consider that perhapsyou'rethe one who doesn't givethema chance?"
A knock at the door interrupts us. I call for whoever it is to ‘come in’ at the same time Tessa calls to them to ‘wait a minute please’.
The door opens, and Xavier fills the entrance, an awkward look on his face. "My apologies, Your Highness, but I'm supposed to tell you that the Princess Dowager and Princess Arabella are already in the car. Would you like them to go ahead without you?"
"No," I say firmly, striding toward the door. "We’re ready now."
I stop in front of Xavier, waiting for Tessa to join me. Glaring at him for a moment, my anger grows. "Really stellar job today. The fact that you allowed Princess Tessa to be secretly videoed speaks volumes of the quality of the work you're providing this family."
"I'm truly very sorry, Your Highness. It won't happen again."
"See that it doesn't, or we’ll have to make some changes around here." I straighten the cuffs of my tuxedo as I brush past him.
The car ride to the hotel is less-than-festive. Instead of sipping some Champagne (everyone except Tessa, of course) and having a few laughs, it’s a silent, simmering pot of hurt feelings, disappointment, judgment, and anger. Neither my sister nor Gran says anything. I spend most of the ride staring out the window, and when I glance back at Tessa, I see she's blinking, trying to fight back the tears.
Just as we pull up in front of the hotel, she whispers, "I'm so sorry, Gran, Arabella. I didn't mean to insult any of you. It just felt so good to feel liked.”
Gran gives her a small smile. "So you told those women what you thought they wanted to hear?"
"Exactly," Tessa says with a nod.
"Oh, my dear girl, you have such a long way to go before you grow up. For your baby’s sake, I hope it happens fast."
"Me, too." Tessa turns to Arabella. "I'm so sorry, Arabella. I wasn’t talking about you.”
“It's fine," Arabella says as she slides toward the door and starts to get out. "Let's just forget the whole thing. But for your sake, I’d suggest you say very little this evening."
