* * *
I stalk through the palace toward the back entrance where my car will be waiting. Bellford walks along behind me, saying nothing, which is his normal state. ButbeforeI escaped and made him look like the world’s worst security officer, his silence was comforting. Now, it’s got an edge to it that makes me feel very guilty. I apologized to him when I first got back, but all he said was, “You don’t need to explain yourself to me, Your Highness. I work for you, and not the other way around.”
When I tried to press the issue, his tone became unusually sharp, and he told me “What’s done is done. Anything more on the subject is unnecessary.”
I stop when I reach the door and take a deep breath.That’s it. This is my life. I’m going to live it, by God. Spinning on my foot, I say, “Quick detour.”
I hurry to my office, finding Mrs. Chapman at her desk, poring over my schedule. She looks up. “You’re going to be late for your appointment.”
“I’m sure they’ll fit me in,” I say. “I have a job for you.”
Picking up a pen and paper, I write down,Waltzing Matilda, Santa Valentina Islands. “I need you to track down the owner of this yacht and get me his phone number.”
She opens her mouth, but I speak over her. “It’s top priority. Do nothing else until this is completed.”
With that, I walk away with a little smile. Go, Furiosa.
A few minutes later, I settle myself into the back of the limo and pull my phone out of my handbag. I send Tessa a text:Taking your advice. I’ve decided to live in the twenty-first century, after all.
34
The Unmistakable Flavour of Humble Pie
Will - Three Weeks Later
“Two minutes to air.Will, are you ready?” Veronica Platt’s smiling face fills my laptop screen.
My heart pounds in my chest. “Yes, all set.”
“You sure you want to do this?” she asks. “I mean, it’s great television, but after what happened…” She winces and sucks in some air.
“I’m sure.” That’s a lie. I’m not in any way sure.
“Okay, I’ll be back with you in a bit.” She mutes her microphone, leaving me to sit and bounce my left leg nervously. My phone buzzes and I pick it up to silence it, my heart rising, then falling, as it does when it’s not Arabella’s name that appears. It’s a text from Stew Milner:One of my employees was cleaning Matilda for her new owner, and he found a box of your uncle’s stuff in a cupboard. You have exactly one hour to pick it up or it gets tossed.
Muttering under my breath that he’s a total wanker, I quickly write him back:Please don’t throw anything out. I’ll be there as soon as I can.
Oh, wonderful. That is just the perfect time to rub salt in the wound—when I’m about to go on international television, admit I’m a total failure, and hopefully find a way to let Arabella know I’m in love with her without letting anyone else in on that little secret. My stomach flips for the millionth time since I set this interview up. The only thing that’s going to get me through it is the remote possibility that she might feel the same way.
Okay, Will. Focus. I stare into the screen and watch Veronica talk to someone off camera. She’s smiling and looking very relaxed. Yes, I like Veronica. This will go well.
I hope.
The sound comes back on and she says, “Welcome to ABN’s Entertainment News. I’m Veronica Platt. Joining me live from his home in Paradise Bay is the star of “The Wild World,” Will Banks, who is recovering from a traumatic on-set accident. Will, how are you doing after your near-death experience?”
“Getting stronger every day, thanks. I got my cast off two days ago, so I’m rebuilding my right leg. I should be back to full strength very soon.” I offer her a confident smile, even though inside, I feel like a complete loser.
“Excellent. Good to hear. What exactly were your injuries?”
“A severe break to my ankle that required surgery, and a concussion,” I say. “Also, several contusions to the back of my head that needed about a hundred stitches.”
“Oh, my, that is something,” Veronica says. “Now, this season of “The Wild World” doesn’t air for another few weeks, so we’ve been asked not to reveal any spoilers, but can you tell us how the accident happened?”
“No, unfortunately, I can’t get into details. What I can tell you is that it was entirely my fault. My co-host had nothing to do with it.”
Veronica’s face falls a little. “But people have been speculating that she was most likely the one to get you into trouble.”
“Yeah, well, that’s the thing about speculating. It’s a pretty useless pastime. Everything that happened out there was my responsibility. I was the expert, and I slipped up in a very big way. She’s the one who showed incredible strength and courage to get me out of there alive.”See? The truth is easy.
