Francesca felt so safe in the embrace of Lord Jacques. She could feel his green eyes staring at her, as if he were memorizing every inch of her. He was definitely handsome, and she could feel the strong muscles beneath his clothing. But why was he looking at her like that? No man had ever looked at her like that before. She shouldn’t be attracted to him and she certainly shouldn’t be dancing with him. He was older than her and divorced too! Francesca avoided making eye contact with him and as soon as the song ended, she excused herself and walked quickly away.
As Lord Jacques watched her walk away, he had to admit that he was taken with her. While she was quite young for him, he appreciated the way she carried herself and seemed far more suited for palace life than her sister, the Crown Princess was. Tall and stately, he found her lovely in a refreshing way.
As the band began to play another jazz tune, Macee rolled her eyes. She was not fond of jazz and was surprised to learn that Princess Katherine did not like it either. Especially since, it was her birthday. As the girls discussed their taste in music, Francesca approached them.
“How did you and Lord Jacques end up dancing together?” Liane asked Francesca as she narrowed her gaze and took Liane's champagne from her.
“He whisked me away from a boring conversation,” Francesca replied before taking a sip from the glass. Macee looked amused.
“You must have enjoyed the dance,” Macee said as Francesca shrugged her shoulders.
“It was okay,” she replied.
“I know I would have enjoyed it,” Liane said.
“You are a married woman.”
Katherine and Macee laughed. “You cannot deny that he is an attractive man,” Katherine added. They all looked at her in shock as that was the first time they had ever heard her say anything like that before. The princess shrugged her shoulders. “I am a woman too,” she added.
“I like this side of you,” Macee said, as she spontaneously hugged her. She had spoken to the princess on many occasions but she had not gotten a sense of what she was really like. Katherine smiled at Macee, as she hugged her back. The queen approached them and whisked Katherine away to introduce her to some potential suitors.
Finally, the night came to an end. It was the first birthday party Macee and her sisters had attended at the palace and it felt far more like a formal event than a celebration.
* * *
A few days later, Prince Louis surprised Macee by bringing Francesca into the palace. He had arranged for her to stay until the baby was born. “How did you get your mother to agree, or doesn't she know yet?” Macee asked him. Prince Louis laughed.
“She knows and she agreed,” he replied.
Macee was not convinced. “Whatever it was that you did, thank you. I am so happy to have Francesca in the palace,” she said and hugged her sister tightly.
“When we lived together, you did not embrace me this much,” Francesca said.
“That was because I saw you every day.”
“I shall leave the two of you alone,” Prince Louis stated.
“Where are you going?” Macee asked him.
“I have a meeting with Lord Jacques.”
Macee looked at Francesca with a cheeky smile on her face as Francesca rolled her eyes. “See you later then,” Macee said to her husband. He kissed her on the cheek and rubbed her belly before he left.
Francesca and Macee sat down on the balcony. One of Macee's maids brought out a tray of refreshments. Francesca looked at the snacks on the tray. There were some peculiar choices.
“What kind of food are they feeding you?” Francesca asked.
“It's because of the cravings,” Macee replied with a frown. The symptoms were driving her crazy. She picked up a doughnut and dipped it in yoghurt. “So how do you feel about living in the palace?” she asked.
“I used to want to live here so badly,” Francesca said with a sigh.
“So what changed?”
“The palace is not this beautiful big house with handsome princes and beautiful dresses. It's a political playground where you have to watch your back all the time.”
Macee nodded as she knew that to be true. From the moment she moved into the palace, she felt the need to watch her back at all times. Ultimately, she was stabbed in the back anyway by Bridgette, the queen’s sister, who had manufactured rumours to break up Macee’s marriage. It only proved to Macee that no matter how careful you were, there were always going to be people that wanted to see your downfall.
“It's very sad isn't it?” Macee asked her sister.
“It is but I think you will be fine.”
“Why is that?”
“Your husband loves you so much and will do anything to protect you. The most powerful weapon you can have in the palace is the king's love.”
Macee frowned. “It's a double-edged sword,” she said. Of course, Prince Louis would protect her at all costs but because of that love, she could become an even bigger target.
“I agree,” Francesca said. She looked at Macee and smiled, “Well you have me now,” she added.
“Thank heavens for that,” Macee said and returned the smile.
* * *
“Stay for lunch,” Prince Louis said to Lord Jacques after their meeting. They had been discussing Jacques's duties as he was had officially started working for the prince as one of his advisors.
“Thank you, your highness, I would like that,” replied Jacques, as they adjourned to the dining room.
“So you are divorced?” the Prince asked.
“Yes, ten years ago,” he replied. He and his wife had divorced after he discovered her infidelities. He was glad that they had yet to have children, thereby avoiding that nightmare of having to maintain relations for the sake of the children and appearances. Since then he had stayed single. He was in no rush to get back into a relationship.
“Do you think you will marry again?”
“I do not think so.”
Lord Jacques had divorced at a young age. They had only been married for four years when his wife’s infidelity had surfaced. As a lord with a large estate just north of Monte Carlo, he had chosen a wife that he thought would be appropriate to the role of lady of the manor, but she had only married him for his money and status. Since then, he had lost trust in the idea of marriage.
“You have not met anyone that has changed your mind?” Prince Louis asked.
“I have not.”
“That's a shame. You are still young. There are many desirable women out there. Perhaps you will find someone who will change your mind.”
After lunch, the men returned to their respective offices to get some work done.