“Yes, they’re all lovely, just as you say, but the coronation is tomorrow, Hortense. There will be plenty of time afterward for such a discussion, agreed?”
“As you wish, Valentin,” Hortense said with anacquiescent nod of her head. “I’m sure that dancing with each of them at the ball will help you to make up your mind. You’re a prince, after all. Only the most regal and graceful partner will do as your future princess.”
Valentin nodded, too, not wishing to prolong this conversation any longer as he gestured for the footmen flanking the massive doors to open them for Hortense.
“Give my regardsto Edward. I’m sorry he was unable to attend this evening.”
“Yes, he’s been out of sorts lately…though I’m sure the festivities tomorrow will cheer him. Good night, Valentin.”
Surprised that Hortense so amiably took her leave without a final word about whom he might marry, Valentin waited until she had climbed into the carriage before he turned and strode to the library.
Actually, these pastseveral days she had hardly pressed him—well, except for her query tonight—as if she fully anticipated he would choose a bride from among the three and she didn’t need to emphasize the point at all.
Add to that, she had sent Estelle a bouquet of flowers each morning to her room, which had astounded him and yet made him suspicious. He’d read the gesture at once for what he was certain it was,a thank you that for a few days, Estelle wasn’t a distraction to him so he could focus on the others.
Which he had done, reluctantly.
An amiable Hortense was much less onerous to deal with than a fretful one, so he hadn’t said a word about the flowers or declined the walks through the castle gardens with his other guests, and had done his best conversing with all three of them the past two nightsat dinner. Yet he was sick to death of the whole charade that thankfully would soon be over!
He missed Estelle so much that it felt like a physical pain. Every time he’d gone to her room, dutifully with Robert as his chaperone, she’d been sleeping, Adam admitting that her soreness had been worse than he’d anticipated so he’d given her a bit of laudanum. She was recovering, so Valentin needn’tworry, but Adam wasn’t certain she would be able to attend the coronation or ball after all, which made him thrust open the door to the library in frustration—
“Your Highness, wait!”
Valentin spun around to see Estelle’s lady’s maid, Mattie, hurrying across the entrance hall toward him. At once dread seized him that something might be wrong, until the young woman smiled nervously.
“Forgiveme, my lord, but Miss Easton is awake and asking for you—oh!”
He’d lunged past her so abruptly that Mattie twirled in surprise, and then raced after him.
Past startled footmen and other servants going about their evening tasks while Valentin scarcely noticed them, his heart begun to pound.
He ached as surely as he breathed to look into her beautiful brown eyes again. He didn’t stop until hereached the door to her bedchamber, although Mattie took another moment to catch up with him.
“Lord and Lady Linley already looked in on her, Your Highness…and they’ve retired for the night,” the young woman quickly explained as she caught her breath. “I’ll stand just inside while you’re here.”
He nodded, entering after her and taking care that the door was fully propped open as propriety demandedbefore he ventured deeper into the room.
In the lamplight he saw with keen disappointment that Estelle, clad in a white nightgown with her long hair plaited into one thick braid, might have fallen back asleep. Her eyes were closed, her lovely features in gentle repose. If so, he decided he would sit beside her for a while just to be near her…
“Oh, Valentin, you’re here at last.” Her eyes hadflickered open, and she stared at him with such joy that his throat tightened. He sank to his knees beside the bed to draw her outstretched hand to his lips.
“Yes, my love, I’m here. I’ve come by many times but you’ve been sleeping. Are you feeling better?”
To his relief, she nodded, though she winced as she shifted in the bed so she would be closer to him.
“No, no, stay still,” he gently badeher, his heart sinking that she still felt discomfort when she moved. How could she possibly attend his coronation? Dance with him at the ball? Yet she persisted, rolling over onto her side so that she faced him to smile reassuringly.
“See? I’m better, truly. Who would have thought throwing oneself from a horse would cause such trouble?”
He couldn’t answer her for a moment, his throat growntight again. Yet her sweet display of humor and determination had given him hope that she had every intention of seeing him crowned tomorrow at the cathedral.
“Are you feeling better, too?” she added quietly, sobering. “Adam told me he prepared a salve for you.”
“Yes, much better,” Valentin was glad to share with her, grateful for how quickly the ointment had eased his pain when rubbed intohis back. “I wish my doctors had been as versed in what he knows. He’s an amazing physician.”
“Yes, he’s helped all of us at one time or another, Linette especially. She came by to see me tonight with Adam, and told me you were kept quite busy conversing at dinner.” The softest sigh escaped her as Estelle reached up to tenderly caress his face. “Only one more day and then no more pretending.”
“Yes, no more pretending,” he echoed, cradling her hand to press a fervent kiss to her palm. “Everyone will know that you shall be my wife…Estelle, what’s wrong?”
