Highness (23 page)

Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Balmoral Castle

As the royal motorcade passed through the iron gates of Balmoral Castle with all its cars, motorcycles, pomp and circumstance, Hope sat erect in her seat utterly amazed at the sights around her.  Hands planted on the leather interior of the door, she lit up like a Christmas tree as they entered the historic place where kings and queens had resided for over two centuries. 

              The air was thick and rich with elegance and grace. 

              Fresh open air.  Lush green landscapes.  Amazing gardens.  High hanging trees and beautiful birds flying above.  Even as they drove through the thickets of trees, blue skies and a triumphant sun peered down on them. 

              She had never seen such natural beauty.  Excitement erupted inside of her, though she did a good job of hiding it. Inside, she felt like a little girl at Disneyland.  She was all dressed up in a fine gown with a prince on her arm being escorted to the Royal Family. 

              Michael conversely became more and more physically ill as they approached the castle.  His fingers clammed up and his heart raced.  Opting not to have more champagne, he sat beside her quiet and stoic, going over what he was to say to his brother when the time came. 

              “Do I still look pretty?” Hope asked, checking her lipstick in her mirror.

              “You look amazing,” Michael said, pulling himself from his dismal thoughts.  Sitting up, he wiped his tired eyes, ready to get this over with. 

              As the motorcade stopped at the front entrance of the castle, the doors to the Bentley state limousine were quickly opened.  Michael and Hope stepped out and a crisp wind blew through the air.  Hope looked up at the stone building in awe. Taking her hand, Michael led her toward the doorway, which was immediately opened by the head butler, Albert.  Beside him stood a long line of staffers, waiting to assist the royal party. 

            
 
“We are most honored to have you back in our presence, Your Highness,” the butler said in his normal fashion.  He bowed despite his curved fragile back. “Madam Daniels, welcome to Balmoral,” he said to Hope. “We hope your stay is a truly pleasant one.  Please let me know if I can be of assistance to you.”

              Michael stopped instead of proceeding into the foyer.  “Albert, this is my girlfriend Hope,” he said, looking at the other staff who stood stupefied by his introduction.  “Hope this is our family’s eldest and most trusted butler, Albert.  He’s like a great, great grandfather to me.”

              “Hello Albert,” Hope said, offering her hand.

              “My lady,” Albert said, shaking as he took her hand in his own. “It’s a true honor.”

              Michael smiled at Albert.  “When I was six, he swatted me on my bottom for trying to sneak my pony into the house.” 

              Albert smiled. “As I recall it did not stop you from trying, Your Highness.”

              “Nothing ever stops me,” Michael said, guiding Hope inside. 

              While Balmoral’s beauty was lost on Michael, Hope was completely transfixed.  Every step she took echoed throughout the great halls.  There were paintings and gold-gilded entryways, wooden doors, paintings of kings, and every imaginable beautiful thing.

              William, Geoff’s brother, emerged from the library in a somber dark suit and tired eyes.  “Good afternoon, Your Highness,” he said, offering his hand to Michael.

              “William! What are you doing here?” Michael said, shaking William’s hand. 

              “Just assisting for tonight, sir,” William said, bowing toward Hope.  “It’s very nice to meet you, ma’am.”

              “This is William.  Geoff’s brother,” Michael said, turning to Hope. He thought a more informal introduction was due.  It was how he wanted the rest of the night to be.  Simple and informal. 

              Hope’s face lit up when Michael told her who William was. It was as if she was being introduced to Prince Richard.  “Your brother is a charming man,” she said, looking around for Geoff, who had suddenly disappeared from their side. 

              “We can’t be talking about the same man,” William joked.   “Dinner has been prepared in the main eating hall for you both. Your brother and his family will join you shortly.”

              “How shortly,” Michael asked, looking at his watch.

              “Thirty minutes, sir,” William answered quickly. 

              “Good, that gives me just enough time to show Hope the Castle Ballroom.  She’s going to love it.”  Removing her shawl from her arm, he placed it across his and took her hand.  “Shall we?”

              Hope nodded. 

              “Come and find me when it’s time,” Michael said, as he walked off with Hope.  “I don’t want to just sit around waiting on the old bugger.”

***

              The tour that Michael gave was absolutely breathtaking.  There were so many gorgeous rooms, so much history. She tried to take it all in, but it was just overwhelming for a first visit.  The paintings stuck out the most.  So exquisite, so detailed.  It lit her on fire with the desire to go back to Kensington Palace and begin immediately on her own work.

              Michael gave his tour with true pleasure.  He told her of the stories of old queens and kings, showed her private passages, allowed her to touch artifacts and opened up glass casings so that she could touch the fabric of historic garments.  He took a picture of her inside of the electric car built in 1920 and took her to look at the beautiful breathtaking view from the veranda. 

              He was about to take her to the royal garden to get a little more intimate with her when William appeared again. 

              Clearing his throat, he stood in the doorway.  His voice echoed throughout the veranda.  “Prince Richard is ready to begin now, sir,” he said, interrupting Michael giving Hope a kiss. 

              Michael pulled from her lips hesitantly.  Looking over at William, he pursed his lips.  “We’ll be there momentarily.”

              Hope let out a sigh.  “This is it,” she said as the light from the windows shined down on her. 

              “This is it,” Michael repeated. Taking her hand, he led her back to the main dining hall.  Their walk was intentionally slow.  Both of them wanting to take in the moment before the storm began.  With no audible words shared between them, they still managed to say a lot through their emotion. 

              When they arrived at the main hall, the doors were opened for them by the royal staff and they were escorted inside where everyone was sitting.

              The room was unlike any that Hope had ever seen.  Tall ceilings with beautiful crown molding, walls painted in white and green, tall white Corinthian pillars, historic paintings of kings, cherry oak furniture, beautiful green and pink drapes, white sheers, regal chairs, crystal tableware, what seemed to be hundreds of candelabras lit with white tall candles, a table setting for a king, wine, food, drink and a table full of strangers.

              The only person that Hope recognized with Prince Richard, who sat at the head of the table in a sensible black suit was his wife, Princess Madeline, who sat beside him to his left in a soft muted tan suit, black hair pulled back in a bun, diamond earrings sparkling in her ears. 

              Michael walked inside with Hope on his arm, looked around the room and cringed.  He recognized everyone there.  His brother, his sister-in-law, Richard’s closest counselors, his mother’s closest counselors and worse of all Thalia and her father.

              “We’re leaving,” Michael said, turning to Hope. “We need to go now.  This is an ambush.” 

              Hope was confused.  “What?”

              Richard stood from his seat.  All eyes on the two as they stared each other down, Richard, pressed his fingers against the table.  “Sit down, Michael.  We have much to discuss.”

Chapter 22

It was as if someone had just stuck a red poker into Michael’s eye when he saw Thalia sitting there among his family, friends and his rivals, with her chin up and her eyes blazing through him as though she had some major role in any of this. 
How dare she
, he thought to himself.  Sticking his chest out, he held Hope closer to him and gave a curt smile.  “I’m sorry, brother, but we won’t be staying,” he said, eyes narrowing on Richard.

It was Hope to spoke reason to him, although she didn’t understand fully what she had walked into.  “Don’t run from them,” she whispered.  “You’re bigger than that.”

He turned to Hope and looked down into her eyes.  “I have you.”

She nodded. “Yes, baby. You have me.  But you need to handle this.  I can deal with it, if you can,” she said, pulling him gently forward.

“You don’t know them.  You can’t handle them,” he warned.  He had seen them in action before, and they were nothing to trifle with.

“Listen to her,” Richard said, walking over to the couple.  “Have a seat. Talk with us.”

Taller than his brother by a few inches, Richard stood over Hope and smiled gently.  He bowed a little then offered his hand.  “Very happy to have you in our presence.  Michael has kept you all to himself.  We haven’t had the pleasure.”

“Thank you,” Hope said, shaking his hand. 
This wasn’t so bad.
 

Richard turned and introduced everyone starting with his wife.  When he got to Thalia, he looked over at Michael. “This is Duchess of Matsworth.”

Hope recognized her face from the millions of photos and tabloids that she had read back at Kensington Palace.  While beautiful, something about her face seemed sour.  Hope raised a brow at the woman and smiled.  “It’s nice to meet you
all
,” Hope said, following Michael to the seat at the end of the table. 

Michael took his rightful place at the other end of the table and Hope sat across from him.  Holding her hand, he tried to assure her that he’d be right here with her no matter what. Plus, seeing her in the same room as Hope made him realize how much he had settled before her.  Thalia looked as bitter as ever and surely here for some great master plan. 

“What vicious strategy have you been devising?” Michael asked as a servant with white gloves quickly came from the corner and poured him a glass of red wine.

“To the top,” he told the servant. 

“We are in discussion of the royal family,” Richard said, taking his seat.  He looked down at his brother and his beautiful girlfriend and felt ill. Never in a million years did he see himself having to do such a heinous thing, but here he was carrying out the wishes of his mother and his country.

“And by royal family, you mean me,” Michael said in a matter-of-fact tone.

“Yes, Michael,
you
,” Richard answered tersely.  He let out an aggravated sigh.  “There are people at this table that felt as though this conversation should have taken place between just the two of us, but I wanted you to know that everyone at this table has not only agreed to but devised the plan we are going to present to you this evening.”

“Behind my back?” Michael seethed.  He looked over the candlelight at his brother and around the room at the others at the table.  “And why are you here?” he asked Thalia.

“I’m here because I love you, Michael,” Thalia said, looking at Hope.  She twisted the engagement ring that Michael had given her around on her finger.  “And I don’t want to see your future or this country’s future in peril.”

Hope bit her lip in frustration but kept a cool head. She was the one who suggested that they stay, she had to keep it together.

Michael’s face was impassive to her plea. “You love the crown, Thalia. There is nothing more than that to you.”

“That isn’t true.  You never gave me a chance to explain myself that night. You just barged out.  I was overcome with worry and pain,” she said, leaning into the table.  “I just wanted you to understand that your place is with this country, with this family.”

Madeline picked up her crystal glass and rolled her eyes at her husband.  She was very much against the entire notion of forcing Michael to choose love over country or country over love, and she absolutely disliked Thalia with every fiber of her being.  She found the woman vulgar and overly ambitious.  In fact, she did well not to leave Richard alone with her, lest she try her best to tempt him. 

Michael waved a dismissive hand.  “Please stop with your lies, Thalia.  They burn my ears.”

“They are not lies,” the Duke of Matsworth said with respect.  He put on his most concerned face.  “She has been in agony since you left her.  My daughter loves you.  Anything that she might have said that would give you reason to think otherwise was a mistake…too much wine.” His words were desperate as he looked around the room for support.

“Michael, this relationship can go on no longer,” Richard said, looking away briefly.  “The crown needs you. This family needs you to take your rightful place. It’s not that we do not respect your relationship with Ms. Daniels, which is why we brought her here.  We completely respect her, but you have obligations.”

Thalia looked away from Michael over to Richard.  “I’m willing to forgive him.  I’m willing to forgive this entire mess. We can start over.  I just want him back. Would I be here making a fool of myself otherwise?”

“Things can go back to the way that they were.  In actually, this relationship has proven to the British public that they will forgive you rather than push you away,” William assured.  “No offense to present company, but…”

“Offense taken,” Hope spoke up.  She held her head high and stared William in the eye. “Regardless of whether you mean it or not, offense is taken, sir.  I’m not a Duchess, but I am a human being, and I won’t be treated in this manner without sticking up for myself simply because you apologize first.”  Hope held his hand tighter. Looking around the room at the vultures, she released a breath from her parted mouth. 

“Forgive me?” Michael laughed sardonically.  His strong arm flexed as he pointed down the table. “You have to be fucking kidding me. 
All of you.
And Hope is right. You are not excused; this is an offense, and I’ll have no more of it. I don’t want your forgiveness.  I don’t want your hand in marriage, Thalia. I’d rather be hung drawn and quartered first.  I thought that I made that clear to you the last time your snakey little plan came to view.”  He threw down his napkin.  His sneer became more pronounced.  “I didn’t come here for an ultimatum – to receive one or to give one. I came here to denounce my title as Prince of Wales.”

Thalia looked over at her father with an I-Told-You-So glare.

Everyone else froze. 

Michael continued, realizing that he had their attention.  “And don’t worry, I’ll be making a formal statement tomorrow about it. I will not put up with this shit.  Not from you, Richard, not from your gaggle of idiots, minus my loving sister-in-law, whom I deeply apologize to for having to bear witness to this atrocity, and not the crown.  I love my mother, but I’m a grown man.” 

“There have been other developments,” Richard interrupted with a physical pain now evident in his face as he wiped his sweaty brow.  “There far more important issues that have arisen outside of your relationship.” Richard eyed his brother.  “And they cannot be ignored any longer.” 

Madeline looked over at her husband and wiped a tear from the corner of her eyes.  Looking down the table at Michael, she broke her silence.  “Michael, you should speak with your brother in private,” she pleaded. 

“This can be said here,” Richard said sternly.

“No,” Michael said, standing up.  His eye twitched.  “This will be done in private, or not at all. I want to know what the hell is going on, and I don’t want to hear it from this bunch.”

“Please,” Madeline begged her husband.  “Talk to him alone.”

Richard stood from the table.  “We can step into the library alone,” he said, looking at Hope.  “I do apologize. This isn’t about your caliber as a woman. This is a matter of state.”

“Enough with the
state
shit,” Michael said, offering his hand to Hope. “This is about a collective agenda of a very controlling family.” 

“We need to talk completely alone,” Richard said, walking toward the door as the staff opened it for him.

“I’m not about to leave her here with these vultures,” Michael said, looking at Thalia. “You especially. I bet you can’t wait to be alone to say a bunch of bloody horrid things to her, but I won’t allow it.”

“Alone,” Richard insisted louder. 

“I’ll be fine,” Hope assured. “Just go.  Talk to your brother,” she said, letting go of his hand.

***

As soon as Michael and Richard left and were not in fear of returning soon, William turned to Hope awash in desperation. He only had a few minutes to present the last part of the proposal.  He would have to suffer the wrath of his liege later, but for now, he had made a promise to this country and he planned to keep it. 

Taking a deep breath, he smiled.  “Prince Richard is sick, Thalia.  He’s dying of cancer.  In his stead, who will run this country when the Queen Mother is gone?  Richard and Michael have no other siblings and while there are others who can take up the seat, the point is that Michael is the rightful and true heir.”

Hope frowned and looked over at Madeline. “Is this true?”

Madeline nodded. “He has three months
at most
.  It’s very aggressive.  The doctors are doing all that they can, but it doesn’t look good.” 

William got up from his seat and walked over to Hope.  Sitting beside her, he ran a hand through is silver hair. “This troubles me.  I’ve been around Michael and Richard my entire life.  And the Queen has insisted that if it did not affect the state, we should do well to stay out of their personal affairs, but this is bigger than both of you.  Would you not agree?”

Hope pushed back in her seat.  She would not agree.  “What do you want of me?”

William took the question as a sign of temporary neutrality.  “The Queen would like to make you a very generous offer.  She realizes that you love her son, and she has the most respect for you.  But he must now begin to be prepared to be king. Within the year, Prince Michael will lose his brother.  And the country will look to him to lead it sooner or later.  This task is already difficult enough, but he if he is dating an
American
then it will only further impact the British community.  They are looking for a British bride, ma’am.” 

“I love him,” Hope said, tears running down her face.  “And he loves me.”  She wiped her face.  “He doesn’t want this.  He doesn’t want any of it. You’re all forcing this on him.  And that woman over there is a manipulative viper.  She doesn’t love him, but you’d rather see him married to her than to see him happy and with me.  It’s senseless and archaic.”

William turned toward Thalia and gave a look of contempt.  That part of his plan had wilted just as he thought it might.  Thalia’s façade did little to entice the prince.  Instead, she simply pissed him off.  “If the Prince would be less burdened by being alone, then we will accept that. I speak for the Queen when I say that we won’t push for a marriage to Thalia.”

“He doesn’t want her.  Didn’t you hear him?  You can’t make him marry her anyway.” Hope finished.

Hearing enough, Thalia stood up appalled by the discussion about her like she wasn’t there.  “This is insane. We’re placating to a black yank from Mississippi with the bloodline of a chimpanzee.  Send her on her way, already.”

Hope had heard enough.  Before she could think, she charged straight for Thalia with intention of taking her pretty little head off her shoulders.  One of the other counselors quickly caught her by her waist along with William who held her back despite her struggles. 

“You bitch!”  Hope exclaimed.  “He hates you.  And it infuriates you that he found a real woman, someone who makes you look as shabby as you are, hiding behind a title but not worth the paper it’s written on.  You’re just a gold digging heartless social climber.  It wouldn’t matter if it was Michael or Satan, you’d marry anyone to be queen.”

Thalia retreated behind her father.  “Do you see?  She’s violent at the first thought of being offended. Is this what you want in your future queen? An irrational half-wit!”

Madeline stood up infuriated by Thalia’s words and threw her full glass of red wine across the table onto Thalia’s off-white dress.  The glass landed on the floor and the staff quickly picked it up and moved out of the way. “Bitch!” Madeline sneered.  “And what am I? Am I not Princess?  My blood isn’t as pure as yours either.  As a matter of fact, it has black blood from the 18
th
century.  I’m sure you’d be happy to sell that to the rags also.  Well go sell it!  None of us are good enough for your Arian bloodline.  Get out!  Get her out of here!” she yelled. “I want her out! I’ve heard enough from this tramp!”

“Your Highness,” Thalia gasped.  “I never meant to offend you. I had no idea. I apologize.”

“Your presence offends me,” Madeline said as the doors opened and Geoff waltzed in. She looked at Michael’s security and wiped her hands of the wine.  “Take these people off the property at once. I’ve heard enough.”