Royal Affair by Alice Gaines Page A

others spaced themselves
around the room, Felice in an armchair near the dressing table and
Casey and Dixie sitting on the end of the bed with Cupcake at
Dixie’s feet.
    Casey grabbed a cushion and hugged it to her
chest. “Okay, spill.”
    “Spill?” Marta repeated, even though she had
a fair idea what Casey meant. They’d heard about Friedrich being in
her room the night before, no doubt via Ulrich, and they wanted to
hear her side of the story.
    “Ulrich told his brothers he caught
Friedrich leaving here this morning,” Felice said. “Early and in
the clothes he’d worn last night.”
    No point denying it. “Ah, yes. I see.”
    “Is it true?” Casey said.
    “Of course it’s true,” Dixie said. “My
husband-to-be near to had a fit when Prince Friedrich didn’t deny
it.”
    “Why, you two sneaks,” Casey said to Marta.
“How long has this been going on?”
    “All the way back to the trip to the
monastery is my bet,” Dixie said.
    “I wouldn’t say…that is, we weren’t then…not
that we are now…” For once in her life, Marta was truly at a loss
for words. The young people had figured everything out, and denials
would prove pointless. They certainly couldn’t expect her to share
any details, so what could she say? She sat smiling at all of them,
but her facial muscles couldn’t maintain that forever.
    “Well I, for one, think it’s wonderful,”
Felice declared.
    “Fabulous,” Casey said. In a moment, she was
surrounded by hugs from all of them. Even Cupcake barked
happily.
    “Another royal wedding,” Dixie said. “We’ll
all plan it, without the other Beaumonts to help.”
    “None of that, young lady,” Marta said. “You
concentrate on your own special day and don’t worry about me.”
    “We’d better worry about Prince Friedrich.”
Dixie let out a belly laugh. “Right now, all three of the sons have
him trapped in a family conference. My fiancé thinks he’s going to
order his father to do the decent thing by you. Funniest damned
thing I ever did see.”
    “Oh no, they mustn’t.” Poor Friedrich. At
some point, he’d have to let his sons know about their
relationship, but not via a confrontation—three against one. It was
too soon. She and Friedrich hadn’t decided on anything permanent.
She would not have him forced into anything, especially by
his children. Marta rose to go to him and then remembered she was
still wearing her dressing gown and her hair was half-done.
    “Relax.” Felice guided her back to her seat.
“One thing I’ve learned is to let them work things out themselves.
They never fail to come make a wise decision.”
    “Do you really think so?” Marta said.
    “Positive,” Felice said. “They’re all his
sons, after all.”
    “Lady Marta’s right that we need to
concentrate on Dixie’s wedding now,” Casey said. “But Dixie’s right
that you and Friedrich should get married.”
    “If it’s fated to happen, it will,” Marta
said. “Why don’t we leave it at that?”
    “Not quite.” Felice put her fingers over her
mouth as if trying to hold a secret inside, and then her face broke
into a grin. “Dev and I haven’t said anything in case something
goes wrong, but I’m pregnant.”
    A brief silence followed before the others
broke into whoops and squeals of joy. This time, the hugs all went
in Felice’s direction, and Marta got into the middle of it.
    When things calmed down, Felice took Marta’s
hand. “You see, my own parents never settle in one place for more
than a month or two. They’re great people, but not grandparent
material. I’d so love for my baby to have a grandmother.”
    Again, Marta’s voice failed. A grandchild to
spoil and photograph endlessly so she could bore people with
pictures. A tiny baby to help bring into the world and grow up
happy and healthy. Someone to tuck into bed and sing lullabies to.
So much more than she’d ever thought possible.
    “That’s a secret for us only,” Felice
said.
    “Of