stay in my heart for always as well. Because of you, my darling Jess, Dominic will live on, with us, with those we love now and with those who come after. But only if we let that legacy live on, my love. Love can’t look back all the time. What I’ve found with you…it’s given me so much joy that I feel I can face anything. With you. Because most of all, best of all, greatest of all, I love you.’
He set her back from him then, just a little, holding her at arm’s length so he could see her face. She stared up at him with eyes that were unfathomable and he didn’t know, he couldn’t tell…
‘I’m asking you to give me a chance,’ he whispered. ‘I’m asking you to let me teach you that we can be a family. That we’re not excluding anyone or dishonouring anyone. If you agree, if you let me love you, then we’ll be taking our love for Dominic and for Lisle and Edouard and Mama and Henri-and cousin Cordelia and whoever else comes along-but most of all we’ll be taking our love for each other and we’ll be moving forward. I love you so much, my beautiful Jessica, and I want more than anything else in the world to make you happy. Will you give me that chance? Can we move forward…together?’
There was no answer. She was reaching up for him. She had her hands in his hair, tugging his face down to hers.
‘Is this for real?’ she asked. ‘Is this truly how you feel about me?’
‘How can you doubt it?’
‘It’s just…it’s a bit of a shock,’ she told him.
‘Why?’
‘You see, I’ve been driving up this road for the last hour, pushing this stupid alpaca into the trailer, bringing her home, and every step of the way I’ve been thinking exactly what you’re thinking.’
‘You’re kidding.’
‘I never kid,’ she told him. ‘Not when you’re concerned. I’ve been missing Dominic so much, but then when I had to leave I thought I was adding yet another loss to my collection. I wanted you so much it just…cut. And now, here you are, saying all the right things, making it…fine.’
‘Fine?’
‘It’s not a great description for how I’m feeling,’ she whispered. ‘But it’s the best I can do without a scriptwriter. Does being a princess make me eligible to have a scriptwriter?’
‘You’re doing just fine on your own,’ he told her. ‘But if you want a scriptwriter you shall have one. You shall have anything you wish. Forever.’ He smiled. And smiled and smiled and smiled.
So…’ Her nose was two inches from his nose and she was smiling almost as much as he was. ‘Let’s get this straight. Even if I don’t let you win at slot-cars, you’ll still love me.’
The sun was coming out, he thought, a blazing sun that warmed every inch of his being. She was so close. She was laughing into his eyes, her eyes were wet with tears and she was his. His own, his lovely Jessica!
‘I’ll love you forever and ever anyway,’ he told her. ‘Though I may have to sabotage your slot-car. Now, have you any other questions?’
‘No.’
‘Then how about hushing to be kissed?’
‘What a truly excellent idea,’ she murmured and that was the last thing either of them could say for a very long time.
‘Well!’ It was a woman’s voice. American. ‘The things you see.’
‘It’s local colour,’ her friend said, dubiously.
There was a tour bus right by them-the kind that took tourists on a See-Europe-in-Ten-Days type of tour. The combination of Jessica’s car and Raoul’s Lamborghini meant the bus had been brought to a halt and the bus driver was honking for them to move.
Which might well happen when they finished kissing. Eventually. Maybe.
The bus doors were opening now, and, as Jess and Raoul drew reluctantly apart, tourists started piling out. There was a great view of the castle from here, and the bus passengers had obviously demanded to use the opportunity for photographs.
‘They say the prince got married yesterday,’ someone said. ‘If I used my telephoto lens I might see royalty.’
‘Not from here,’ someone else said.
‘Hey, you,’ the bus driver told Raoul. ‘Move that heap of junk.’ Then he eyed the Lamborghini. ‘And that, too.’
‘Not until I’ve finished proposing,’ Raoul said, and went back to kissing Jessica.
‘Proposing,’ Jess said breathlessly, in between kisses. ‘What are you proposing?’
‘This morning,’ he said, softly, in her hair, ‘after you left my bed, I remembered that I’d forgotten. You proposed to me.’ His arms held her, tightly, as if she was the most precious thing in the world. ‘But I forgot to propose to you. Jess, this started out as a marriage of convenience but that lasted a whole two minutes before I realised that I’d married the most wonderful woman in the world. That I love you more than life itself. Those we’ve lost, Jess-they’re still with us. They’re part of us and they’ll stay with us as we stay together. As we live together. As man and wife.’
‘That’s…that’s proposing?’ she whispered.
‘No, it’s not,’ he told her and promptly fell to one knee.
‘Hey, look at this,’ said their first American tourist and nudged her friend.
‘It’s Jessica.’ The yell went up from back up the road. Edouard, his hand held by Henri on one side and Louise on the other, had found their way blocked by the coach and had come the last few steps on foot. ‘It’s Jessica. And Uncle Raoul’s on the ground.’
‘He’s proposing,’ the American said and everyone in the tour group focused.
‘He’s proposing,’ Louise whispered. ‘Oh, Jess.’
‘Wait for us.’ It was a roar, and they turned to see a melee of newsmen. Clearly, Louise and Henri and Edouard had been followed. There were professional photographers here now. One edged his way in front of the American tourist and got a swipe from her handbag for his pains.
‘This is my spot.’
‘But if His Highness is proposing…’
‘His Highness?’
‘This is the Prince Regent of Alp’Azuri,’ the photographer said. ‘And his family.’
‘Well, why didn’t you say so?’ the woman exclaimed. ‘Go ahead,’ she said to Raoul. ‘Don’t mind us.’
‘I won’t,’ Raoul said. ‘Jess…’
‘Can you move a little to the right?’ the photographer called.
The photographer was ignored. ‘Jessie…’
‘Yes?’ She was torn between tears and laughter. She was stranded in the most beautiful place in the world. She was surrounded by the people she loved-and a whole lot of people she’d never seen in her life. And Raoul was saying,
‘Will you be my wife?’
It was maybe the weirdest proposal that had ever been made in the history of the Alp’Azuri royal family.
It was the most excellent proposal Jess had ever heard.
And there was only one answer.
She looked down at the man she loved. He gazed up at her and his eyes said it all. She needed courage to take this leap, but he was right here to catch her, forever and ever and ever.
‘Yes, my love,’ she told him. ‘Yes, I’ll be your wife. Forever.’
It was the weirdest day.
It was the best day. A day for moving on…
They’d been surrounded by celebrations, by fuss, by laughter and happiness all this day. Now finally the population of the castle had gone to bed. Soon Jess and Raoul would return to the bridal suite for the real beginning of their married life. But for now…
Now they walked out under the stars and entered the stables.
Angel was kneeling in the hay, and nuzzling her udder were two tiny crias. Matilda and Balthazar.
