“Good morning, Ms. Hamilton. How was your stay last night?” Bronson inquired, sipping a cup of tea.
“Wonderful. Thank you,” I smiled. “Is there an agenda today?”
“Yes, there is. Tonight is the welcoming gala, so Clarence and his staff will be here precisely at five and twenty past three p.m.”
Of course he’d even be formal when telling me the time.I swallowed back a laugh.“Sounds delightful.”
“Are you ready for tonight?” Vince asked as he scooped a few spoonfuls of eggs onto the porcelain plate in front of him.
“I’m nervous, but I’m ready. It’ll be nice to see Oliver again.”
“PrinceOliver,” said Bronson.
“Shit. You’re right. I’m sorry.”
Bronson closed his eyes and then set his thumb and forefinger on the bridge of his nose. “And please do not curse in front of His Royal Highness or any other member of the royal family.”
Vince let out a small chuckle.
Good grief. I’ve got to make sure that I’m on my game tonight. Prince Oliver. Your Royal Highness. No handshaking. Curtsy. For the love of God, don’t swear.I guessed showing Bronson everything I learned yesterday was a bust.
“I think it would be best if you and Vincent took the rest of the morning to review and practice your curtsy. I will have Sonya fetch you once Clarence arrives.” Bronson took a final sip of his tea, stood, and walked out the door without another word. He hadn’t touched any food.
The air returned to the room once Bronson was gone, allowing Vince and I to make comfortable small talk as we ate our breakfast.
“Once you’re done eating, we can meet in the sunroom at the back of the manor. I think you’ll love it. Sonya will be waiting outside the door and can show you where to go. Please, take your time.” Vince stood and left out the same door as Bronson had.
With both of them gone, any attempt to be ladylike was out the window. I finished scarfing down a cherry Danish, two slices of bacon, half a grapefruit, and eggs drenched in syrup—a habit I had picked up as a child that thoroughly grossed Sam out. After flying yesterday and all of the nerves, my appetite had come back with vengeance.
Once I was done eating, I wiped my mouth and stepped out into the hall. True to Vince’s word, Sonya was there waiting.
“Right this way, dear.”
“Thank you, Sonya.” I smiled and followed her down the long hall to the back of the manor. We passed several doors that led to God-knew-where, as well as more paintings and sculptures. As we reached the back of the house, I was met with the most breathtaking view.
Like everything else in the manor, the sunroom wasenormous and immediately became my favorite spot in the house. The three outer walls were made of glass and overlooked a frozen river snaking through a snow-covered valley, a towering mountain visible in the distance. It was like stepping into a postcard.
At the back wall, a fire roared in the brick fireplace, which was flanked by two plush armchairs. There was already a tray of tea on the pedestal end table between the chairs.
Behind me, Vince asked, “What do you think?”
“I think I’m actually speechless.”
“That does seem unusual for you.”
I gave him a playful shove and rolled my eyes. He just chuckled and walked over to an armchair.
“Okay, let’s do this,” he said as he clapped his hands together.
After hours of being quizzed by Vince and practicing my curtsy, my thighs and calves were on fire. I would have thought that after years of ice skating and countless mornings in the barre studio that I would have the perfect curtsy and my legs could endure an hour of practice.Forget Jane Fonda, nobility should have their own workout DVD.I could barely walk up the stairs to my room to shower before the entire glam squad made their appearance.
After a late lunch and the best shower of my life—How will I ever go back to one measly shower head?—all hopes for a nap to stave off the jet lag were dashed by Clarence’s minions as they bobby pinned my hair into a low chignon at the base of my neck.
Another assistant painstakingly applied feathery false lashes and a deep mauve lipstick as the last one filed and painted my nails. Once they were done, I stepped into a floor-length cobalt-blue gown. I loved this dress. The satin hugged my curves in all the right places and the sweetheart necklineaccentuated my breasts without making them the star of the show. It was classy, yet sexy. It felt just like me.
“How do I look?” I asked, turning to Vince and Bronson as they entered the room.
“Breathtaking,” Vince said as Bronson responded with, “Acceptable.”
