portion of the luncheon.
A gentleman came toward her and stopped just behind her, to the right. “Your Royal Highness, your husband has been unavoidably detained. He needs you to give his speech. Can you do that for us?”
Did she have a choice? Turmoil rumbled through her stomach, threatening to make her lose the little bit of lunch she’d managed to swallow with all of those eyes on her. How would she ever make it through a speech? But this was part of her job as a princess, right? She gave the tiniest of nods, and the man walked to the podium. He set a green three-ring binder on the top and nodded at her.
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your attendance today. We are grateful not only for your time, but for your generous support. As I’m sure many of you have noticed, our chairpersons are not here. Prince Malachi and Miss Lizbeth Bence have been unavoidably detained and send their regrets. Just last month, Prince Malachi married, and Princess Jessabelle has agreed to give his address instead. Please join me in giving her a warm welcome.”
The applause seemed muted as she pushed back from the table. Dear God, help me. The prayer had been winging its way from her heart and mind toward heaven since she sat in the car on the way to the venue. The intensity had increased tenfold in the last few minutes.
She took her place behind the podium and opened the folder before gripping the sides for dear life. The salutations swam in front of her, but she had to try. “Ladies and gentlemen, honored guests, and those who are joining us via the Internet, unable to be in attendance today.” Her knees wobbled like Jello. “My husband wishes he could be here today but is unable to attend at the last minute. I will be giving his remarks instead.”
If only she could manage to keep the bile in her stomach where it belonged.
* * *
Malachi paced the side of the road, checking his phone again. “What happened?”
Lizbeth looked up from her seat on a nearby stump. “We’re out of petrol, Mal. Surely you understand that? I know you’ve lived a sheltered life, but there’s this sort of amber colored liquid you need to put inside the car. That way, when you turn the key, the engine sparks to life, and you drive. When there’s no more of the liquid, the car doesn’t work.”
He glared at her. “I know what it is. I want to know how you managed to run out and where the security detail is. There’s no reception here.” His phone showed “no service” flashing repeatedly where there should be service bars.
“Sorry. Don’t know what to tell you. The security teams were directly in front of us until that last turn.”
“We’re missing the luncheon. My wife is there without me.” She was going to be extremely uncomfortable. Jessabelle didn’t do well with crowds. He’d known that from day one.
“Speaking of your bride, why didn’t you tell me?”
Malachi stared at her. “Tell you what?”
“That you were getting married. I heard about it on the news.”
“So? There was never anything between you and me, Lizbeth, and you know it.”
“You’ve spent more time with me in the last two years than with any other woman, including your wife since the wedding. And you didn’t think I’d want to know?”
“There was never any understanding. We enjoyed each other’s company, and I didn’t have a different moonstruck girl hoping to be the next princess at every ball my parents insisted I go to.” He glared at her. “You never expected to be my wife, and I never planned on it.”
She shrugged and went back to playing a game on her smart phone.
He stopped his pacing and looked at her. Had she expected something more? No one on the outside would have been surprised if his engagement had been announced to Lizbeth. She had a point. They’d spent a fair bit of time together. Went on “dates”, such as they were, to the various functions. They’d worked together on this fundraiser for several years, taking
A gentleman came toward her and stopped just behind her, to the right. “Your Royal Highness, your husband has been unavoidably detained. He needs you to give his speech. Can you do that for us?”
Did she have a choice? Turmoil rumbled through her stomach, threatening to make her lose the little bit of lunch she’d managed to swallow with all of those eyes on her. How would she ever make it through a speech? But this was part of her job as a princess, right? She gave the tiniest of nods, and the man walked to the podium. He set a green three-ring binder on the top and nodded at her.
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your attendance today. We are grateful not only for your time, but for your generous support. As I’m sure many of you have noticed, our chairpersons are not here. Prince Malachi and Miss Lizbeth Bence have been unavoidably detained and send their regrets. Just last month, Prince Malachi married, and Princess Jessabelle has agreed to give his address instead. Please join me in giving her a warm welcome.”
The applause seemed muted as she pushed back from the table. Dear God, help me. The prayer had been winging its way from her heart and mind toward heaven since she sat in the car on the way to the venue. The intensity had increased tenfold in the last few minutes.
She took her place behind the podium and opened the folder before gripping the sides for dear life. The salutations swam in front of her, but she had to try. “Ladies and gentlemen, honored guests, and those who are joining us via the Internet, unable to be in attendance today.” Her knees wobbled like Jello. “My husband wishes he could be here today but is unable to attend at the last minute. I will be giving his remarks instead.”
If only she could manage to keep the bile in her stomach where it belonged.
* * *
Malachi paced the side of the road, checking his phone again. “What happened?”
Lizbeth looked up from her seat on a nearby stump. “We’re out of petrol, Mal. Surely you understand that? I know you’ve lived a sheltered life, but there’s this sort of amber colored liquid you need to put inside the car. That way, when you turn the key, the engine sparks to life, and you drive. When there’s no more of the liquid, the car doesn’t work.”
He glared at her. “I know what it is. I want to know how you managed to run out and where the security detail is. There’s no reception here.” His phone showed “no service” flashing repeatedly where there should be service bars.
“Sorry. Don’t know what to tell you. The security teams were directly in front of us until that last turn.”
“We’re missing the luncheon. My wife is there without me.” She was going to be extremely uncomfortable. Jessabelle didn’t do well with crowds. He’d known that from day one.
“Speaking of your bride, why didn’t you tell me?”
Malachi stared at her. “Tell you what?”
“That you were getting married. I heard about it on the news.”
“So? There was never anything between you and me, Lizbeth, and you know it.”
“You’ve spent more time with me in the last two years than with any other woman, including your wife since the wedding. And you didn’t think I’d want to know?”
“There was never any understanding. We enjoyed each other’s company, and I didn’t have a different moonstruck girl hoping to be the next princess at every ball my parents insisted I go to.” He glared at her. “You never expected to be my wife, and I never planned on it.”
She shrugged and went back to playing a game on her smart phone.
He stopped his pacing and looked at her. Had she expected something more? No one on the outside would have been surprised if his engagement had been announced to Lizbeth. She had a point. They’d spent a fair bit of time together. Went on “dates”, such as they were, to the various functions. They’d worked together on this fundraiser for several years, taking
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