“Because he’s friends with Eddie. They served in the Life Guards together for four years.”
I process the information. That explains the bit about him knowing about horses. If he was a member of the Life Guards, Eric would’ve worked with horses for at least two years in the Household Cavalry before moving over to the infantry side of the regiment.
“Do you know how old he is?” I ask.
“I think he’s twenty-three? He was one of the younger members of Eddie’s squadron.”
I nod. Unofficially, I’ve set the max age of men I’m willing to date at twenty-five. I know age is just a number, and if the right person comes along, exceptions can be made. However, I find that for me personally, I tend to have more in common with the twenty-five and under group.
I stare out the window and take a few steadying breaths. I’m ready to take another step forward. “If you think that highly of Eric, I’m willing to do lunch with him.”
Amanda squees and claps her hands together.
“Tone it down a notch, A. Use your indoor voice,” Clara prompts.
“Sorry. I’m just so excited Ali said yes to a date!”
Clara shakes her head, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
“What is your schedule like next week? I can arrange all the details for the outing, if you’d like. I want everything to goperfectly. If it all plays out, who knows. Maybe he’ll become your boyfriend!”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” I suddenly feeling lightheaded at the thought of a boyfriend. “I’ll text you tomorrow after I meet with Mum. I need to see what public events she expects me to appear at. But if you want to plan the date, please, feel free to take the lead.”
“You won’t regret it!” Amanda nods. “Tell you what, I’ll get things started by finding out what Eric’s schedule looks like, then touch base with you.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
We hear a gentle snore. Clara’s head rests against the window of the car.
Amanda leans close and whispers into my ear, “Just between you and me, I have a feeling C is going to have somebignews to share with us soon. She’s been extraordinarily tired of late and nauseous when it comes to certain smells.”
It takes a few moments for her words to register. Then a lightbulb clicks on inside my head. I bite back a gasp as my heartbeat picks up for a moment. “Are you sure?”
“No, I’m not. For now, it’s just a hunch. C and I have been friends since we were teens. I know her as well as I know myself. I’m planning to ask her about it later this week.”
I cross my fingers. Clara and David have been married a little over four years. I know how much the pair of them have wanted to become parents. I can only hope Amanda’s hunch is right.
Throughout the remainder of the ride, I can’t help but ponder all the changes taking place around me. My thoughts turn to Amanda and Eddie. They’ve been engaged for about five years. They’ve talked about getting married since Eddie completed his military service last year and made the transition to being a full-time working royal. They’ve been driving Mum and Papa mad over their lack of plans for their wedding.
“Amanda?”
“Hmm?”
I brush a stray piece of lint off my dress. “I’m just curious; have you and Eddie had any conversations about your wedding?”
“On and off. It’s the big elephant in the room.” She closes her eyes and rests her head against the back of the seat. “We’re getting pressured from both my family and yours to hurry up and make our plans. We’ve both agreed on next year, but when is TBD. It’ll probably be in the summer.” Her shoulders hunch. “The truth is, neither of us wants a big ceremony. If it were up to us, we’d have a private event at DisneylandParis with just our immediate families present, but unfortunately, that’s not going to fly.”
I grimace. She’s right. Eddie is the heir to Papa’s throne and the next head of state. People have been talking about the next big royal wedding since the day their engagement was announced. The public expects a big ceremony, just like Clara and David had. Eddie and Amanda are going to have a minimum of five to six hundred guests.
“I suppose there isn’t much point in putting off a serious talk too much longer. The more time that passes, the worse the pressure becomes. We might as well get the ball rolling. Goodness knows we’re more than ready to officially become husband and wife.”
A blanket of warmth spreads over my body at her words, like relaxing in a nice hot spa. I want Amanda to officially become my sister. I just hope they’ll get some say in their plans. Mum has been waiting her turn for years to help plan a wedding, but her level of enthusiasm rivals my aunt Charlotte’s. She may turn into a mum-zilla.
Seven
Isettle back into the rhythm of life in London over the next week. Although we’re scaled back on royal engagements, Mum has still managed to fill my diary. I’ve learned over the years it’s not worth using my energy to fight her over it. It’s better to accept what she says, put in a few appearances, and move on. Even if they bring me a great deal of anxiety, theoretically, the more I participate, the easier they’ll become.
I text Amanda back on Wednesday morning.
