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She snickered. “Well, as long as we’re clear. I would like to learn to drive, though. All joking and whinging aside.”
I squeezed her hand, instinctively. It was an urge that hit me suddenly. It was sincere. “I will teach you as soon as I can. If you want to learn, you should.”
She grinned like the Cheshire Cat. It was infectious. I beamed back.
“Thank you! I want to do that. I cannot believe you’d… offer? Can you do that?”
“You tell me, Your Majesty.” I chuckled. “What do you want me to do?”
“I want to learn to drive. I want to dance. I cannot think of much else now, Rick.”
“Well, tell me when you find out,” he said.
“I want to take up tennis again,” she spitballed. “And go out to dinner regularly. I want to taste the best, most avant-garde food. I want to go shopping and have fun. I want to make friends. I want to do all those things.”
It broke my heart.
“I am sorry I didn’t believe you at the start. I couldn’t imagine growing up like you did. You were locked up at a time when everyone else gets to spend exploring, making terrible choices, and learning from their mistakes. You didn’t even get that chance to find yourself. It makes me sad, Alexandra.”
She took my hand in both hers. They were tiny, soft, and warm. She was earnest.
“I appreciate that so much. Thank you for seeing me. But don’t pity me, Rick. Just give me space to be myself and we’ll call it even. That’s the best you could do for me.”
“I will,” I promised.
“Why do you care? You don’t have to.”
“Because I like you,” I said. “And your sisters. I want to see you all happy. I might be a dickhead. And yes, I’m getting something out of this, too, but I care about you, Alexandra.”
She smiled. “I appreciate that.”
I felt a pang of guilt. I was getting more than she knew. She was saving my ass. She was sparing my family an abundance of pain. And she also may still be in the crosshairs someday if it ever came out. I cared enough about her that I could worry, but not enough to spare her. She didn’t know a thing and I was sure I’d take that to my grave.
“Don’t worry about me, okay? Just enjoy the next few months of being the belle of the ball.”
“Hard to believe I could be.”
“You will be,” I assured.
“And tomorrow?”
“We will put on a hell of a show this weekend,” I said. “I promise you. The press will be eating out of our hands.”
Thirteen
Alexandra
Rick and I played it cool for the first day of the tournament. We were only spotted together momentarily. I played adoring girlfriend from afar. I didn’t particularly care for polo, but it meant I got out of the house. Astrid and I were invited to the polo association’s tent to mingle with charity. I wrote a check, of course. Or, I had been told I had since I couldn’t do anything much. I got to see the Belgians again.
I nearly tripped over the glamorous Brits. They were the most popular royals—the beautiful people. All their clothes were so posh and chic.
“We need to take fashion notes,” Astrid said. “Look at them all. They’re so fab.”
“I am so jealous. I’m like the frumpy queen. Compared to the others.”
“It’s unfair. Natalie and Kiersten are sisters and Margaux is their cousin,” Astrid said. “I’d never seen them with my own eyes. But look! Their family has deep genetic strength. They all look so alike.”
“Right?”
