George left for dinner early, hoping to see Drina. He had her Christmas present in his jacket pocket and he couldn’t wait to give it to her. But when he arrived in the reception room, she was already on the arm of Prince Friedrich. They were standing next to Princess Alice and Prince Louis and all four were laughing and looking like they were having a jolly good time together. He watched them for several moments, when he felt someone standing behind him.
Before he could turn around, he heard his brother say, “So, a little bird told me that you aren’t going to live under Father’s thumb anymore.”
“Is Father still livid?”
“Very,” Edward said with his usual teasing smile. “He railed about disinheriting you, crossing your name out of the family Bible, and never mentioning you again.”
“What did you say?”
“I was tempted to agree with him, you know,” Edward said. “More money for me and all that. But it is Christmas Eve, so I went and spoke with Mother and convinced her to be indulgent of your engineering folly and let you give it a go. I’ve even prevailed upon her to settle a sum of money on you so that you may be financially free of Father and his whims.”
George was speechless. He opened his mouth and then closed it. Then opened it again, but no words would come out. His brother, of all people, had come to his aid when he needed it most.
Edward put a hand on George’s hair and mussed it up. “Happy Christmas, little brother.”
“I—I—”
“It was worth it just to see you speechless for once in your life,” Edward said, clapping him hard on the back.
“Thank you,” he said with a gulp. His gaze had somehow ended up on Drina again.
Edward put his arm around George’s shoulders. “If I were you,” he whispered into George’s ear, “I’d take advantage of the mistletoe before you miss your opportunity.”
He shrugged his brother’s arm off. “I don’t need your advice.”
Edward grinned even wider and shook his head. “Oh, but you do, little brother. You do.”
The wretched fates proved Edward correct. The Queen and Prince Albert entered the reception room and began the procession to the State Dining Room. Prince Friedrich took Drina’s arm and followed Princess Alice and Prince Louis. The only lady left was Lady Clara. George offered her his arm and sat next to her at dinner.
George was delighted when Lady Clara and the rest of the ladies left the gentlemen to drink their port. He poured himself a large glass and steadily avoided his brother’s laughing eyes and his father’s angry ones. He found Prince Louis beside him, pouring his second glass of port and looking positively unwell. His face was flushed red and his hands were shaking.
“Are you all right?” George asked him.
“Ja,” Prince Louis said, nodding absentmindedly. He kept pressing his hand against his coat pocket.
“Got something important in there?” he asked.
Prince Louis reached his hand into it and pulled out a silver brooch. “It is a present for Princess Alice. Do you think she will like it?”
“Yes,” George said. “Ladies love pretty baubles.”
Prince Louis drank the rest of his port and was about to pour himself a third glass, but George took the bottle from his hands.
“Bad idea,” he said kindly. “The royal family decorates their tree on Christmas Eve and then exchanges presents. You don’t want to be foxed.”
“Foxed?”
“Drunk,” George explained.
“I’m so, so … anxious? Is that the right word?”
He shrugged. “Anxious about what?”
“My visit to England is almost over,” he said, squeezing the brooch in his hand. “I mean to ask Princess Alice to marry me tonight.”
“Anxious and nervous are probably both the right words,” George said, giving the prince a smile of encouragement. “Best of luck.”
“I think I’m going to need it,” Prince Louis said. He lifted the glass to his lips, as if he’d forgotten it was empty, with shaking hands.
George nodded sympathetically. “Just tell her how you feel.”
“Fill?”
“Your feelings. Tell her that you love her,” George said, thinking about Drina. “That there is no other person in the whole world that you’d rather be near than her.”
Prince Louis smiled. “I like your words very much, Lord Worthington. I think, with your permission, I will say something similar but in German.”
“You have it,” George said.
Both he and Prince Louis followed Prince Albert and the rest of the gentlemen to join the ladies. The royal children were already putting gingerbread decorations on the tallest Christmas tree that George had ever seen. Princess Alice and Drina were hanging nuts and ornaments on the tree and laughing together. Queen Victoria herself was lighting the candles.
“Ask her now,” George said, gently pushing Prince Louis toward Princess Alice. “Before you lose your nerve.”
Prince Louis nodded and went up to Princess Alice. They walked together away from the enormous Christmas tree to the fireplace on the other side of the room. George watched their exchange, and he wasn’t the only one; Drina’s and Queen Victoria’s eyes were also on them.
Queen Victoria handed her lighter to Bertie and walked past the couple, as if to go to another room. Prince Louis and Princess Alice stopped her.
“Prince Louis has proposed,” Alice said, blushing and smiling.
“Your Majesty, Queen Victoria,” Prince Louis said, extending his hand. “May we have your blessing?”
Queen Victoria took his hand and squeezed it with her two plump hands. “Certainly.”
George looked at Drina, who was smiling broadly at her friend. Queen Victoria called for her husband and he came immediately. Prince Albert was told the news and he embraced his daughter and then shook Prince Louis’s hand vigorously.
“A beloved newly bestowed full-grown son,” Prince Albert said, loud enough for the entire room to hear. Prince Louis beamed in triumph.
George reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out Drina’s present. But she was no longer standing by the Christmas tree. Bertie was also strangely absent.
George spun on his foot and left the room, shoving his gift back into his pocket.
He was being a fool. Drina was clearly meant to be a queen and he, well, at least he would be an engineer.