She was only three. Her speech wasn’t really too delayed. Maybe Annabelle needed a little encouragement and coaching instead of assessing and prodding. She would have to choose her words carefully when she explained all this to Alex. There was no magic wand that she could wave here. Annabelle had to be allowed to develop at her own pace.
Ruby settled back against the pillows. Annabelle’s eyes were getting heavy. She would fall asleep soon—and then Ruby could think about this a little more...
* * *
‘Ruby!’
Her eyes shot open. The first thing that struck her was the crick in her neck. The second thing that struck her was the three people standing in the doorway—all of them staring at her.
She tried to push herself up, but Annabelle was still curled in her lap, sleeping. Ruby couldn’t even begin to imagine what she looked like—rumpled clothes, hair sticking up in every direction but the right one, and more than likely pillow creases on her face.
Brigette, Rufus and Alexander were standing in the doorway, three sets of eyes fixed on her. She tried to edge herself out from under Annabelle without disturbing her. The curtains were still drawn and the TV was flickering on the wall.
Alex rushed across the room. ‘What on earth is going on? Why is Annabelle in here?’ He seemed furious. ‘Have you any idea what I thought when I saw her bed was empty?’
He was shouting now, unable to contain his anger.
Of course. The same horrible thought she’d had for a few seconds last night, when she’d saw Annabelle’s empty bed. The horror. The worry.
She couldn’t get the words out quickly enough. ‘I’m sorry. I found her sleepwalking last night. She was close to the top of the stairs. I just grabbed her. Then I didn’t know whether to try and wake her or not, so I brought her in here. I was worried she might do it again.’
Alex reached over and lifted his still sleeping little girl out of the bed. ‘Sleepwalking? Why didn’t you call me? Why didn’t you call Brigette?’
He was angry with her.
‘I’m her father. You should have come and got me if there was something wrong with Annabelle.’
Ruby shook her head. She understood his anger. She understood those seconds of panic.
‘There was no one around, Alex. I had no idea if sleepwalking was normal for Annabelle or not. And she seemed to settle with me really quickly. She just wanted some comfort. I did plan to talk to you about it today.’
Alex shot her a look that left her in no doubt about his feelings. He didn’t even say another word. Just turned and walked out of the room with Annabelle in his arms, still asleep.
She turned to Brigette. The last thing she wanted to do was get Annabelle’s nanny in trouble. ‘I’m sorry, Brigette. I knew you had a migraine. I didn’t want to wake you when I felt as if I could deal with Annabelle on my own.’
Brigette brushed past her too, leaving Rufus the last person to lock his beady eyes on hers.
She sighed. ‘I’m going to take a shower and get dressed.’
Rufus tutted at her and then spun on his heels and left.
Great. Just great.
Now she was awake a little more she wanted to shout at them all to come back and tell them to calm down.
Annabelle was fine. They should talk about her sleepwalking and put steps in place to keep her safe.
But common sense told her this wasn’t the time.
* * *
He hadn’t spoken to Ruby in four days.
It was ridiculous. He’d snapped at her when there had been no reason to. But when Rufus had bustled along the corridor to tell him Annabelle was missing he’d panicked. He could have broken speed records with his bolt along the corridor.
The thought of something happening to his daughter... He couldn’t even allow his brain to contemplate it.
But seeing Ruby asleep on the bed with Annabelle in her arms had knocked the wind from his heels.
After the instant relief he’d felt a wave of anger.
Their heads resting next to each other, the mish-mash of blonde curls and long brown hair, the way Ruby had been sheltering Annabelle in her arms had consumed him with an unexpected rage he hadn’t felt in a long time.
She couldn’t know that, against advice, on lots of occasions Sophia had taken Annabelle in to sleep next to her. She could never imagine that the impact of seeing his little girl in someone else’s arms would flood him with unspeakable guilt.
He hadn’t loved Sophia the way people thought he had. He had loved her like a best friend. A best friend who’d been cheated out of sleeping next to their little girl and seeing her grow up.
If Sophia was here now he was almost sure Annabelle wouldn’t have any problems with her speech.
As for the sleepwalking...? Was that his fault too? It was yet another worry. Another failing. Something else to consult a whole array of doctors on.
He couldn’t even begin to understand why it annoyed him all the more that it was Ruby who’d found the problem. She was under his skin in more ways than was imaginable.
Guilt was chipping away at him. Guilt for how he was feeling about Ruby. And guilt because he continually felt as if he were failing his daughter.
What would Sophia have thought? His friend would have dealt with things so much better than he could.
But if Sophia were here now he would never have seen Ruby again. And that was what burned away at his insides. That was what filled him with even more hideous guilt.
The last few days of being around Ruby had lit a fire inside him that had long since died. He could feel her presence everywhere. The staff in the palace seemed happier—less formal. It was almost as if her scent drifted in the air into every room. Light, flowery, lifting the mood.
She’d connected with most members of staff in her polite but informal manner. She wasn’t afraid to ask questions, and more importantly she wasn’t afraid to laugh. In the space of a few days the atmosphere around him seemed to have lightened. The palace had started to feel happy again.
Years of worry about his father’s health, the economy of Euronia, and then the terminal diagnosis of Sophia, followed by the concerns about Annabelle, had made being here oppressive. Every tiny part of this place seemed to weigh on his shoulders relentlessly.
Seeing Ruby’s connection today with Annabelle had been unexpected. He’d never realistically thought about someone else stepping into Sophia’s shoes.
But he should have. It was inevitable.
At some point he would marry again—this time for love—and that woman would become a mother to Annabelle. He’d been so busy these last few years, and so stressed, he hadn’t taken time to think of the impact of that.
The impact on the country. The impact on Annabelle. The impact on him.
And then, there she was, with her mussed-up curls parallel with his child’s. Making him see something that everyone had probably already surmised.
It was time to move on.
But was he ready?
CHAPTER FIVE
THE CLOTHES WERE lying across her bed. Seventeen dresses of varying styles and colours—all with matching shoes.
‘I don’t understand. Did something happen to my clothes?’
Rufus shook his head. ‘I told you I would arrange for some other clothing to be sent to the palace for you.’
She reached down and touched the nearest designer dress. It was red...beautiful. Like something you would wear to the Queen’s garden party back in London. It certainly wasn’t like anything she owned.
‘But I’m not sure I really need these. I don’t know how much longer I’ll be here. And I’ve got clothes of my own.’ She opened the wardrobe, revealing her few dresses, jeans, T-shirts and a couple of pairs of sandals and heels.
Rufus gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head. He turned to leave. ‘They’re here now—enjoy!’ he said, and with a wave of his hand he disappeared, leaving her to perch on the edge of the bed, too nervous to touch some of the dresses.
‘How very Pretty Woman.’ She sighed. Her head was swimming. Was this another way for Alex to buy her? Did he want to dress her up like some doll?
Every dress was beautifully styled and there was a rainbow of colour. It was strange, but whilst they were all different none was in a style that she wouldn’t wear. It was almost as if they’d given her friend Polly a free budget and the run of all the designer houses.
A silk one slid through her fingers. It was almost the same blue as Alex’s eyes. She gave a little shudder.
Alex. He hadn’t spoken to her for four days. Falling asleep with his daughter was obviously a no-no. But while it might have been a little unconventional she really thought everyone had overreacted.
The imaginary walls between herself and Annabelle had definitely started to crumble. The little girl wasn’t completely ignoring her any more. Yesterday she’d sat next to Ruby as she’d thumbed through a book. After a while Ruby had asked her if she wanted her to read the story and Annabelle had given a little nod and slid closer.
It was a small step, but gaining Annabelle’s trust was the most important thing of all.
She picked up another of the dresses. It was yellow—a colour she never usually wore—and it matched the sun outside and the flowers in the garden directly beneath her window.
She slipped off her T-shirt and Capri pants. The dress dropped over her head and fitted her curves as if it had been specially made for her. Everything was covered, from the round neckline to the flouncy skirt that fell to her knees. She reached behind to fasten the zip. It was a little tricky. She managed to pull it up to her bra strap. Then she reached her hands above her shoulders and over her back, trying to pull the material of the dress a little higher and grasp the zipper.
Someone cleared his throat loudly. She spun around.
She hadn’t thought to close the door after Rufus had left. No one ever seemed to come down this corridor.
‘Alex!’ Colour flooded into her cheeks.
He was leaning in the doorway, his hands folded across his chest, with a cheeky smile on his face. She hadn’t even heard his footsteps.
‘What are you doing here?’
His smile just seemed to get broader. ‘Looks like I’m helping a damsel in distress.’ He stepped into the room and twirled his finger. ‘Go on—spin around and I’ll fasten it for you.’
It was amazing how quickly his presence could cause a buzz in the air around her. She sucked in a breath as she turned around.
Fastening a zip should take the briefest of seconds. But Alex waited. She could feel the material of her dress shifting slightly. The zipper must be in his hand. Then he stepped forward, closing the gap between them.
His head was at her shoulder. She could smell his aftershave—it was coiling its way around her. Who was the snake in that childhood film? Kaa, in The Jungle Book—with the hypnotic eyes that could make you do anything that he wanted. She was pretty sure Alex’s eyes would have the same effect on her.
‘I’m sorry I snapped at you,’ he said quietly. ‘I thought something was wrong with Annabelle.’
‘Okay...’ That was all she replied. Her breath was still caught somewhere between her chest and her throat. It was all she was capable of saying right now.
There was a drumming noise in her ears. Her heart was thudding against her chest as she waited to see what would happen next.
‘I thought today we could go back to the café with Annabelle—like you asked me to.’
She smiled. Did that mean her mistake was being forgotten, or was this part of his apology? He still hadn’t moved. He still hadn’t fastened her zipper.
She nodded. Not breathing was getting difficult. ‘Okay.’
‘Do you like the dresses?’
She could feel his breath warm the skin on her shoulder.
‘I love them—but I don’t need them. Rufus didn’t need to do that.’
‘He didn’t do it.’
She froze. One of his hands moved and rested on her hip.
This was all becoming remarkably familiar. Richard Gere was going to appear any second now. Didn’t he buy Vivian a new wardrobe in Pretty Woman?
Her profession might not compare with Vivian’s, but the thought of Alex purchasing a whole wardrobe for her was both mildly disturbing and somehow exciting. She didn’t know whether to be insulted or overjoyed.
‘I don’t think I like this, Alex. You can’t buy me. You can’t dress me up as if I’m your little doll.’ She could feel her stomach tighten.
But Alex just shook his head. ‘I’m not buying you, Ruby. I don’t care whether you wear the clothes or not.’ He waved his hand. ‘If you don’t like them give them away—give them to charity. It makes no difference to me.’
He stepped a little closer.
‘I guess I’m just not good at this. I’m trying to say sorry. Sorry about how I reacted over Annabelle. For a second I thought she was gone. I thought someone had kidnapped my daughter—I overreacted. And...’ He waved his hands again. ‘This is how I say sorry. Doesn’t every woman like clothes?’
The tightness in her chest dissipated. It was clear he meant every word.
‘What are you going to do if it happens again?’
He smiled. ‘Silent alarms. Everywhere. If Annabelle opens her door in the middle of the night alarms will go off in my room, Brigette’s room and in Security.’ He looked over his shoulder and whispered. ‘And, don’t tell her, but we’ve actually had tracking devices sewn into all her pyjamas.’
She laughed. He was sorry, and he’d put steps in place to ensure Annabelle’s safety. Of course he had. She hadn’t doubted that for a second, but it made her mood lighten.
He nudged her, and pointed to the dresses as he slid a hand around her waist.
‘Which is your favourite?’
He was so close. His lips were almost touching her ear. If she just moved her head a little...
‘The blue one.’
‘Why?’
‘I like the colour.’ The rush of blood was heating her cheeks. Her answer had been automatic.
She was conscious of the lightness of his fingers on her hip. Would he make the connection between the colour of the dress and the colour of his eyes? No. Guys didn’t do that kind of thing.
This time his lips did brush against her ear. ‘I like the red one. It reminds me of you in Paris. The same colour as your coat.’
A whole host of tiny centipedes were marching along her arms with their hundreds of legs, making every single hair stand on end.
His finger touched the skin of her back. She gasped. It wasn’t cold—it was just unexpected. A thousand butterfly wings had just exploded on her back, and all the little nerve-endings were waiting for the next sensation.
He bent a little lower and whispered in her ear again. This time it felt as if his breath was caressing her skin.
‘Ten years is a long time, Ruby.’
He pulled the zipper up with his finger inside, then ran it along the upper end of her spine, resting his fingers at the base of her neck.
Her legs were turning to jelly. It was ridiculous. It was nothing. But she felt as if she’d waited ten years for that.
Ten years of dreaming. Ten years of imagining. Ten years of hoping.
She stepped backwards. Against him. Into him. Feeling the full length of his body next to hers. Her eyes were fixed outside, on the gardens. If she turned around and looked at those blue eyes she might do something much more inappropriate than fall asleep next to his daughter.
She rested her head back against his chest. ‘Yes, it is.’
Her voice was tinged with sadness.
They both stood there—neither moving. It was almost as if they were happy for this to be the first tiny step. The first real acknowledgment that their time ten years ago hadn’t just been a figment of her imagination that she’d played over and over in her head.
She could feel the rise and fall of his chest against her back. The heat from his body through the thin fabric of her dress. It felt natural. It felt as if this was exactly the place she was supposed to stand. As if this was exactly the place she was meant to be.
His hand moved slightly from her hip around to her stomach. His other hand met hers and he threaded their fingers together in front of her.
This might be wrong.
It might be inappropriate.
But why did it feel so good?
‘Your Highness?’
The voice came echoing down the hall and they sprang apart. Alex disappeared out of her door in flash to meet Rufus, who was muttering again.
Ruby’s feet were stuck to the floor.
Had that really just happened?
Her body was telling her yes. Every sense seemed to be on fire.
But her brain was turning to mush. Sensible, rational thoughts seemed to have flown from the building.
Ruby was logical. Ruby was always sensible.
The one time in her life she hadn’t been entirely sensible had been ten years ago in Paris. Ten years ago she’d acted on impulse. And look where that had got her.
But ten years ago she’d felt the same tiny flicker of warmth and excitement that was burning inside her right now.
This was the first time she hadn’t felt like the hired help.
This was the first time she’d felt as if she wasn’t here just for Annabelle.
Question was: what was she getting herself into?
CHAPTER SIX
ALEX’S HANDS WERE still shaking. That had been it. The situation that—in his head—he’d dreamed about being in.
Him and Ruby alone.
Getting private time in the palace was harder than it seemed.
Ruby’s questions a few days ago had started to play on his mind. How much time did he actually get to spend with Annabelle?
He tried to be there most mornings when she had breakfast. He always tried to see her before bedtime. But in a world where visits to other countries were inevitable and midnight conference calls were normal it wasn’t always possible.
Annabelle was the spitting image of her mother. He’d already been friends with Sophia at her age. And, although he loved his daughter with all his heart, sometimes she was a painful reminder of the friend he had lost.
Perhaps he’d overreacted when the nanny had mentioned Annabelle’s speech seemed a little behind?
Alex had no experience with children. And the internet seemed like a dangerous tool sometimes. He’d paid for expert upon expert to assess her—all the while terrified that there was something wrong with his child.
When Ruby had said that as part of the assessment she wanted to see how Annabelle and Alex interacted with each other he’d felt a wave of panic. Was it a criticism? She hadn’t made it sound like that. Maybe he was just feeling under pressure.
He’d planned carefully. He’d had someone pack a picnic to take to the palace grounds, then they would walk into the centre and have some ice cream—just as Ruby had suggested.
Then he gone to find Ruby and she’d been surrounded by the dresses he’d ordered and been half dressed.
Maybe not strictly true. But that glimpse of the skin on her back had been enough to send his blood pressure rising. When he’d offered to zip her up it had taken all his strength not to pull the zip down.
Alex was always in control. That night in Paris years ago had been the first time he’d shaken off his security team in years. Bumping into Ruby had made the whole night perfect. Having her in the palace again was bringing a whole host of sensations he hadn’t acknowledged in years.
Rufus had mumbled in his ear all the way along the corridor. The look of surprise on his face to see Alex exiting Ruby’s bedroom had spoken volumes without a single word being said.
Neither of them had acknowledged it. Alex had immediately started talking business and given Rufus a list of instructions for the rest of the afternoon.
Annabelle and her nanny were waiting at the main entrance for him. After a few minutes Ruby came down the main staircase carrying a bright pink ball in her arms. Her face was slightly flushed. A sure sign they’d been doing something they shouldn’t.
Brigette gave a nod and left while Alex offered his hand to Annabelle and put the picnic basket over his arm.
‘A picnic? You never said we were having a picnic,’ said Ruby.
‘Didn’t I?’
He glanced at the ball, then at her feet. She was wearing a pair of white trainers with a yellow dress. It brought a smile to his face. Ruby didn’t really worry about who might take her picture and claim she’d made a fashion faux pas.
‘I didn’t take you as a footballer.’
Ruby pulled at the skirt of her dress and smiled. ‘I have lots of hidden talents. But maybe I should have worn something different—trousers, perhaps?’
He shook his head. ‘I think your dress will be perfect. Now, let’s go.’
There was a further little flush of colour in her cheeks. Both of them were remembering exactly why he liked the fact she was wearing a dress.
But Ruby wasn’t giving anything away. She bent down in front of Annabelle. ‘A picnic—wow. It’s been years since I’ve been on a picnic. Why don’t you take us to your favourite place in the palace grounds and we’ll eat there?’
She gave Alex a little smile and walked out through the door, waiting for them to join her.
He could sense the general unease in the air. There were a few members of staff staring at them. Was it really so unusual that he spent time with his child—or had word spread even more quickly than he’d thought that he’d been seen leaving Ruby’s bedroom?
He gave Annabelle’s hand a squeeze and they walked out into the beautiful sunshine. Ruby’s idea was good. He’d been trying to decide between going near where the horses were stabled, to the ornamental gardens, the duck pond or the palace maze. But Annabelle had other ideas. She was leading them around the side of the palace, her little footsteps assured.
It only took a few minutes, then she plunked herself down on the grass directly behind the ornamental fountain.
Alex blinked. This was the place where he’d had that picture taken with Sophia. They’d both been about Annabelle’s page and the photo had been zoomed around the world with the press headline ‘Future King and Queen?’
Had Annabelle ever seen that picture? He wasn’t sure, but he could tell from a fleeting glance at Ruby’s face that she certainly had.
Whatever her thoughts on the matter, she sat down next to Annabelle on the grass, not even waiting for him to lay out the picnic blanket he’d brought along.
The little girl started to fumble with her shoes. Ruby gave her a smile and knelt down next to her, taking off her white leather sandals and frilly socks.
She held out her hand to Annabelle and the two of them walked over to the fountain. Annabelle hadn’t said a word and he was confused. How did Ruby know what she wanted?
He moved closer as Annabelle stood up on the wall surrounding the fountain and dipped her toes in the water. She let out a little laugh and he took a deep breath.
His little girl’s laughter. How beautiful it was—and how rarely he’d heard it.
Annabelle was walking around the fountain now, holding Ruby’s hand to keep her balance. She had the biggest smile on her face.
He walked in pace with Ruby. ‘How did you know that’s what she wanted to do?’
He couldn’t take his eyes off his little girl. Couldn’t believe how much she looked like her mother. It alarmed him how much he noticed.
Ruby shrugged. ‘It’s exactly what I would do if I were Annabelle’s age.’
They reached the point where they’d started and Ruby put her arms around Annabelle’s waist and swung her in the air.
‘Whee!’
Annabelle laughed again as Ruby swooped her through the air and landed her on the blanket that he’d spread out. She picked up a corner of the blanket and started drying Annabelle’s toes.
Alex opened the basket and started unpacking the food. The palace chef had outdone himself, as usual, but the most curious thing was a small tub full of steamed-up food.
