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Rick nodded. “I would like to try. And I think I have some ideas about how to make this a bit better for us both. Let’s cause a media firestorm.”
I cocked my head. “How? Why?”
“Tip off the press. Sell it. Make it the greatest love story of all time. I’m not the best actor, but I can be convincing. And you are surprisingly good at getting your point across. We could be a dynamic duo, Alexandra.”
I blushed. “Well, I’m shy.”
“I’m not. We’re good.”
“How do we do that?”
“Hire a real publicist to manage it. Work with the press through back channels. They will make your grandmother and my parentsveryhappy with lovely, fluffy stories that make us seem the Couple of the Century.”
I smiled. “And it will make the people happy.”
“Exactly! Celeste may have the upper hand now, but when people fall in love with you, they will want more and more of you—and us—than boring old Celeste. She’s old news.”
“People loved her.”
“Nah. We’re much more attractive, I think.”
I snickered.
“Do you want to do it? Leave breadcrumbs for a couple of weeks and blow it up? Then, announce it. Make a big deal out of it. We gotta play it up. We’re a couple now. We will get caught because we’re so in love that we cannot hide it anymore.”
“How will we do that?”
“Plant stories. Get caught. Finally admit we’re getting married. And then do the thing. By that point, we will already have the date held and throw ourselves into full planning mode. I leave that up to you, of course.”
I smiled. “Fairytale wedding even if it’s a farce?”
“It’s a farce but the ends will justify the means. You will be free, Alexandra. Your sisters can do their own things. We will make the people happy. We are the heroes in this timeline.”
“The heroes,” I echoed, thinking it through. “I’ve never thought of myself as a hero.”
“You will be the wonderful heroine who falls for the handsome prince,” Rick said. “I will be taken aback by the cunning queen. And together, we will rule the world, right?”
“We will rule the world. Let’s do it!”
I locked eyes with him, unable to escape his boyish grin. This must do for now.
We returned to the stables having decided on a plan. I was golden, beaming ear-to-ear over our agreement. However, my happiness was short-lived. Rick and I took the horses back to their paddocks, chatting all the while. As far as horses were concerned, we were a united front. We both loved them. Talking about this was easy. Everyone was in good spirits until we ended up back in the stable aisle.
There, several grooms assembled.
“What is going on?” I asked in French.
I saw a horse down in a stall. It was my beloved Barney. My heart raced.
“Barney,” I said, pushing the grooms aside.
I sat in the stall, pleading with him to get up.
He was colicking. Feeling helpless I stood and pulled, begging him to stand. I sobbed, demanding he comply in three languages. I felt terrible. Losing a horse was awful but losing one to colic was even worse. It wasn’t the first time we'd lost an animal like this, but it might be the hardest loss yet. Barney was everything! If we didn’t get him up he would be a goner.
Tears in my eyes, I turned to Rick.
“Can you help me get him up?”
