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Ella’s attendant finished with her hair and darted off to the other room, probably to retrieve more jewelry. Ella was already dripping in diamonds and sapphires to go with her elegant blue dress, looking every inch the queen she was.
Ella tilted her head. “If your love of science hasn’t run him off by now, I doubt it ever will.”
Anna laughed dryly. “If only that were the problem,” she muttered. No, now she had new and much bigger problems. Like knowing Eric’s bill might fail because of her.
Ella squinted, leaning forward to examine her sister’s expression, then leaned back in her seat with revelation washing over her face. “You’re in love with him,” she said.
Anna blinked. “What? No.” But she faltered, because the truth was, she had been falling for Eric. She’d even thought the L-word to herself, crept around its corners and poked at it before burying it deep in the back of her mind again, unable to deal with it yet. “Maybe,” she said slowly. “Okay, yes. I think I am. But it’s awful, I mean seriously, the worst timing ever.”
“Bad timing or not, I’m proud of you. And don’t worry. Whatever speed bump you two are hitting, you’ll recover. I’m sure of it. Even I have noticed Eric seems different lately. He shines brighter, and I think it’s because of you.”
Anna remembered telling Eric he was like the sun and everyone else in the room was a flower. She was a flower too, she realized. He’d changed her, helped her grow and bloom, and she needed him in her life like she needed sunshine on a winter’s day.
Ella’s attendant brought out a tiara, one of the most formal ones that was covered with diamonds. Ella caught her staring at it. “This party is a huge deal for the royal family,” she explained. “A big victory, one of the first real wins for the medical research funding project. And all because of you. I’m so proud of you, Anna.”
Anna’s mouth went dry and she felt sick as she watched the tiara being pinned in place. Tonight, Eric would shine bright during the gala and everyone would listen to him tell them that the results would be positive, that her research was a success, and that his healthcare bill would come through without a hitch. She couldn’t let him lie like that, couldn’t let him potentially ruin his reputation along with hers, especially now that she’d realized she loved him.
She jolted up from her seat, ignoring the dismayed noise from the servant who’d been fixing her hair. “I’m sorry,” she told Ella. “I have to go. I have to talk to Eric before the party.”
All she could do was tell him the research wouldn’t be done on time, and hope he would forgive her.
15
Eric was tugging on his suit jacket when Anna burst into his rooms. A grin spread instantly over his face; she’d changed her mind. She’d decided to come to the party after all, to support him, which could only mean she’d decided to believe her instincts about how good her research results would be when they were ready. The momentary relief was nearly overwhelming. He’d known he missed her, but seeing her again after their long time apart was like a drink of water in the desert.
But then his elation faded. She was in her normal work clothes, but her hair was half pulled up into a fancy style and she had on more makeup than usual—but it was the expression on her face that made his smile vanish. She looked panicked, distraught.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, crossing the room in three long strides. He went to take her hands in his, concerned.
“I love you,” she blurted.
He froze, his hands hovering in mid-air as he reached for her. “Anna—” he started, not really sure what he was feeling but more than a little scared by how strong it was, but she interrupted him.
“That’s why I can’t let you do this,” she said.
“Do what?” he asked, caught off-balance and thoroughly confused.
“Throw this party. You have to call it off.”
Frustration welled in his chest. Had she really come all this way just to shake this tree again? He had to throw the party if he wanted to nab the last few Parliament votes he needed for his bill to pass. “We’ve talked about this.”
“We need to talk about it more,” she argued, her gaze fiery as it bored into him. “It could be suicide to celebrate success before the trials have even finished. I can’t let you throw away your own reputation like that, especially with so much riding on it.”
His eyes narrowed. “What do you mean? Has something changed?”
Her gaze wavered but she lifted her chin. “The research won’t be done before the vote on the bill,” she said. “I’ve checked and double-checked and done everything I can to move things along, but it’s just not going to happen. I’m so sorry, but sometimes delays are inevitable, and—”
He sat down hard on the couch. “You have to be joking,” he said flatly, feeling panic spiral tight inside him. He’d been counting on that perfectly-timed publicity push to ensure that the public and Parliament wouldn’t bail on him during the last-second deal-making. This bill was his shot, his big chance to prove himself as a politician and not just the good-for-a-good-time spare. If he failed at this, it would prove everyone who’d ever judged him right: he was charming, and that was all. He might never get another opportunity to show them otherwise.
“I’m sorry,” Anna said softly again, confirming his worst fears.
He dropped his head into his hands. This was all his fault. He’d gotten too involved with her, distracted her just like the tabloids said. Worse, he’d let her distract him. He had a job to do: fix the royal family’s image problem after his big brother’s wedding scandal. Instead, he’d created more scandals of his own. Women had always been his weakness. He should’ve known that would be the case this time too, that a relationship with Anna would only be a liability. He should’ve never offered to help her with her small talk. He certainly never should’ve seduced her. In fact, it would have been better if they’d never met, if he’d chosen another project with a head researcher who could finish her work on time.
The thought speared him through the heart, but he resolutely shut that part of himself down. He could still pull this off if he got himself together. He stood and buttoned his jacket, squaring his shoulders. “Fine,” he said shortly. “Just hurry it along as quickly as you can and I’ll take ca
re of the rest.”
She hesitated. “You’ll tell everyone there’ll be a delay? Surely Parliament will be okay with that. A potential cure for the most common type of breast cancer is worth a few months’ wait.”
