The Prince Kidnaps a Bride (27 page)

“I
n my day, babies did not toddle all over the throne room. They were kept in their nursery by their nursemaids, as was proper.” Queen Claudia tapped her cane on the marble floor and glared at her great-granddaughter. In her day, the world was not a jumble of anarchists, children knew their places, and the crowning of a king and queen was treated as a ceremony worthy of respect, not a circus where maids ran with hairpins in their mouths, great piles of petticoats littered the throne room, and all three of her granddaughters spent most of their time doubled over with laughter, apparently at her.

Baby Sorcha promptly grinned, showing five perfect white teeth, and toddled in Queen Claudia’s direction.

“Get that child before she drools on my silk gown!” she commanded.

Clarice snatched up her baby and in soft baby talk she asked, “Is baby Sorcha going to drool on Grandmamma’s silk gown? Is she? Is she?”

“Clarice, she’s going to drool on your silk gown, too,” Amy observed. “Watch out. There she goes!”

As a long string of spit dangled from the baby’s mouth, all three of Queen Claudia’s granddaughters laughed in delight. They acted as if the child had done something clever. Queen Claudia didn’t understand how she’d managed to raise three such hobbledehoy granddaughters.

But at least they were good breeders. Clarice had this little one, Amy had a boy baby who actually was asleep in a cradle upstairs, and although Sorcha had confessed to nothing, Queen Claudia hadn’t lived this long without knowing what that glow meant. Sorcha was three months into the performance of her dynastic duty. Sometime in the winter, she would provide the two kingdoms with an heir.

But first she had to be crowned. The ceremony started in less than two hours, and none of the princesses were ready except for Clarice—who now had drool on her shoulder.

“How much longer will you be?” Queen Claudia asked hopelessly.

“All of us have our hair pinned up, Clarice is dressed, and all I have to do is put on my gown. And Sorcha’s behind the screen complaining that her corset is too tight.” Amy winked at Queen Claudia in a quite hoydenish way.

Queen Claudia wavered between reprimanding her and calling her over to confirm Sorcha’s pregnancy.

Then Clarice put the baby down and once again she toddled toward Queen Claudia.

“Isn’t she walking early?” Queen Claudia asked.

“Very early,” Clarice confirmed. “But Robert’s sister Millicent said he walked early, too.”

With freezing formality, Queen Claudia said, “I’m sure whatever precociousness this child has, she received from our side of the family.”

The girls laughed again.

“Yes, Grandmamma.” Clarice caught baby Sorcha and swung her in a circle.

“At least tell me you’re sending the baby to the nursery for the crowning,” Grandmamma said.

“Yes, Grandmamma, at least for that.” In all seriousness, Clarice said, “We wouldn’t want you to get upset.”

“Oh—blast that!” Queen Claudia snapped.

Sorcha stepped out from behind the screen. Clarice and Amy stared at her. All three of her granddaughters looked shocked.

“Grandmamma! Are you feeling quite yourself?” Amy sounded genuinely concerned.

Ever since Sorcha had been kidnapped by that ruffian Count duBelle and Queen Claudia had suffered a pain in her chest so severe it sent her to bed for a week, the whole family hovered anxiously, waiting—probably hoping—for her to turn up her toes. Well, it wasn’t going to happen. Not until this visit was over. Not until the heir was born. Not until she went to Italy and warmed her old bones.

Pointing a crooked finger at Sorcha, Queen Claudia said, “If she can say
cock
, then I can say
blast.
”

The girls looked scandalized for another second, then they broke into laughter.

“Yes, Grandmamma, you can say whatever you like.” Clarice looked lovely, a lock of her blond hair curling on her shoulder, her bright amber eyes sparkling with joy, her silk gown a lovely blue and only slightly damp.

“Don’t mention anybody’s cock today, all right, Sorcha?” As always, Amy had a hint of mischief about her, but marriage and a child had calmed her more than Queen Claudia had ever hoped. With her black hair and green eyes, she had grown into a striking woman.

“I only do it to tease Rainger.” Sorcha lifted her arms to allow her maid to drop her gown over her. When her head peeked out, she added, “Since we got married, he’s so stodgy. He’ll hardly ever let me sneak down to the—” She broke off and sent a guilty glance toward her grandmother.

Queen Claudia sighed. “Down to the tavern, where you drink heaven knows what kind of wine and sing vulgar songs?”

“Yes. He doesn’t want me to do that anymore.” Sorcha’s gown was white satin, trimmed with gold braid and covered with every decoration her family ever earned. She wore a huge rope of pearls and pearl earrings. With her red hair swirled high on her head, diamond hairpins sparkling in every curl, and her blue eyes calm and clear, she was the epitome of royal dignity.

Which was why it pained Queen Claudia to hear her talk about taverns.

“Men are like old tomcats,” Clarice observed. “When they get married, they stop roaming and spend all their time curled up before the fire.”

With naughty amusement, Amy said, “Yes, and every once in a while, they look at you as if to say,
Isn’t there something we’re supposed to do?
”

The girls were laughing again, laughing so hard no one heard the knock at the doors.

With a hand over his eyes, Rainger stuck his head in. “Is everyone dressed? We need to go to the cathedral now.”

“You can look. Everyone is dressed. And they’re not going to start the ceremony without us,” Sorcha said tartly.

“True, but if we’re too late getting back, Cook will ruin dinner.” Rainger grinned. “I’ve known you princesses your whole lives, and you love a good dinner.”

“He’s right, we’ve got to go.” Sorcha clapped her hands and organized the family. “Rainger, you take Grandmamma. Clarice, give the baby a kiss and give her to her nursemaid. Amy, somebody’s got to help me with this monstrous train.”

Rainger came and helped Queen Claudia to her feet and toward the door. There, against all the rules, he turned to look at the girls. His gaze swept Clarice, Amy, and at last lingered on Sorcha. In a soft tone, he said, “Look, Grandmamma. The Lost Princesses. They’re found, they’re together, they’re happy, and they’re wonderful.”

Queen Claudia turned, too, and there they were—her granddaughters. They had their arms around each other, their heads together, and they were smiling at each other. Blond, brunette, and redhead, they were a dynasty of which she could be proud.

Rainger squeezed her arm. “You did a good job, old girl. You did a good job.”

“Yes,” Queen Claudia said with satisfaction. “Yes, I did.”

And they would all, by God, live happily ever after—or they’d answer to her.

C
HRISTINA
D
ODD
’s novels have been translated into ten languages, have won Romance Writers of America’s prestigious Golden Heart and RITA
^®
Awards, and have been called the year’s best by
Library Journal
. Dodd is a regular on the
USA
Today, Publishers Weekly
, and
New York Times
bestseller lists.
The Prince Kidnaps a Bride is
the third book in her classic new series, The Lost Princesses, following her enormously popular novels
Some Enchanted Evening
and
The Barefoot Princess
. Christina loves to hear from fans. Visit her website at
www.christinadodd.com
.

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ODD TRANSPORTS READERS INTO ANOTHER ENTICING PLACE AND TIME.”

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T
HE
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REASURE OF THE
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C
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W
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

THE PRINCE KIDNAPS A BRIDE

Copyright © 2006 by Christina Dodd.