NINETEEN
DECEMBER 21
FOUR DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS
Madeline & Hyacinth Live! Show
Hyacinth: “Four days, Hyacinth. Four days. This is killing me. No hint of a royal Christmas wedding. No gifted goats bleating from the palace mews. I’m sad, I tell you. Did you see Lady Jordan photographed with Clive Boston? Sheesh, he’s old enough to be her father.”
Madeline: “Hang on, my dear Hy. I have surprising news for you. (An image of Colin and Avery popped up on the screen.) One of our loyal viewers sent us this yesterday. Seems the prince has been keeping company with the princess’s sister, Avery Truitt. Here they are walking arm in arm in Old Towne.”
Hyacinth: (Gasping) “What? You’re joking!”
Madeline: “Viewers, our producers are willing to put their money where their hearts are . . . in their wallets. (Laughter rose from the audience.) For any viewer who calls or Facebooks us with a valid tip on Prince Colin and Avery Truitt, you could be eligible to win up to ten thousand pounds.” (The audience gasped and applauded)
Hyacinth: “Oh, please call or message us. I’m obsessed with this tradition.”
Madeline: “Stay tuned. We’ll be right back.”
Colin snapped off the television with a glance at his office door. The news was out and he expected Dad to barge in demanding an explanation.
He was grateful for a platonic image of the two of them walking through Old Towne instead of a photo from the Franklin’s Bakery kiss.
Colin pinched his lips together. At times, he swore they still buzzed from her touch.
This morning he’d sent a dozen white roses to Lady Sarah as a thank-you for spilling the beans about his secret trips to the States. She did more for him in a five-minute conversation than he’d done by surprising Avery on St. Simons.
After Franklin’s, they couldn’t be parted. They spent the day ducking into the shadows to steal kisses, all the while riding the reins on their passion. But Colin wanted her. In every way.
Nathaniel invited him to have dinner with the family and Avery’s mama gave him what Avery dubbed the Glo Truitt stink eye.
“What are you doing with my daughter?”
He promised and pledged he was on the up-and-up. He would not hurt her again.
After dinner, they retired to the media room for a Christmas movie, The Holiday. Avery sat next to him, curling her body into his, and if the world had ended that moment he’d have died a happy, happy man.
But reality settled in as he walked out to his car, Avery’s hand in his. “Colin,” she said. “What about your dad?”
“I’ll have to talk with him, Avery. But as far as I’m concerned, you are the only one for me. He’s going to have to accept the truth.”
She nodded, wrapping her fingers around his. “I do not want to come between you. I’ll be praying he understands. But I can’t . . .” When she lifted her gaze to his, her eyes glistened with love. “I can’t deny how I feel.”
Colin drew her to him for a kiss. “Nor can I, love. But I need to give him a chance to get on board. I don’t want to blindside him.”
“What if he absolutely protests?”
“It doesn’t change my mind. I have to do what I feel God is calling me to do.”
She brushed a tear from under one eye. “I’m scared.”
“No, darling, don’t be scared.”
“Can I really be this happy?”
“Yes, we are this happy.”
“Colin.” She grabbed his hands in hers. “Do you truly believe God rang the bell?”
“I do. He answered my prayer about you, love.” He brushed away her trail of tears. “We’re going to be together. I promise.”
Her kiss was firm, pure, resonating with love. “Then I’ll trust you. And God.”
With those words, he slept peaceful and deep all night. He woke up smiling.
Colin checked his tie in the mirror over the bookcase and smoothed his hair. The workday was over. Time to speak to Dad.
God, be with me.
Down the hall for the large corner office overlooking the river, Colin peered through Dad’s open door. “Got a sec?”
“For you, of course. I was just looking over the union contracts from Hessenberg. It looks like I need another meeting in Hessenberg. I’d like you to go with me. I’m arranging it for Friday, the twenty-third. I know it’s holiday time, but if this union contract fails—”
“Dad, can we leave off work for a moment?” Colin took a seat adjacent to the desk. “I need to talk to you about the bell.”
Dad set down the contract. “I’m listening.”
“That night, when Guy and I were in the tower . . .” He paced, detailing the story to his father. Why did talking to Dad about intimate things like love and God feel uncomfortable? “All that to say, I love her. I want to marry her.”
Dad’s countenance remained unchanged. So Colin went on.
“I know this is not what you want for me, it’s not what we planned, but it’s what I want, I believe what God wants.”
Dad paced around his desk to the bar against the wall. He reached for a glass and poured a small shot. “Avery knows this?”
“I’ve not officially proposed, but yes, she knows I love her.”
Dad tossed back the drink. “So what do you want from me?”
“I’d like your blessing, but I understand—”
“You just said it, son. This is not what we planned.” Dad hammered his glass against the bar top. “Colin, consider your future. You are a royal. A man of industry.” He swung his arm wide, toward the office. “All this will be yours one day.”
“How does that preclude me from marrying Avery?”
“Doesn’t she want to be a coach? How will she do that here?”
“Volleyball is a growing sport, Dad. We’ll find a way. But that doesn’t change how we feel. What we know is right.”
“Poppycock. All well and good until she wakes up one day and realizes she’s given up everything for you. You saw how her sister ran off on Nathaniel when she had to give up everything.”
“That’s not fair. She had to give up her citizenship. Avery won’t have to do that. Even if she did—”
“Do you want to face divorce one day? Scandal.”
“Dad, she wanted to marry me five years ago. She already wanted to give up everything.”
“You were children.”
“Well, we’re not now. We know what we want.”
“Love is blind. How can you know—”
“Love is also eye-opening. I can be more of who you want me to be with Avery than Lady Jordan, trust me.”
“So you’re going against me.”
“Dad, I don’t want to go against you. I’ve always followed your wisdom and advice, but this time I must follow my heart. I must follow the Lord. He’s speaking to me directly now and not through you. Or Mum.”
“Mum will be devastated. She loves Lady Jordan.”
“She loved Avery when she first met her too.”
Dad started to pour another shot but put the decanter down. “Then will you give it time? See what the new year brings. Then if you feel the same this time next year, I’ll support you.”
“I can’t do that. I said to the Lord that if I could marry Avery, I’d launch the Pembroke traditions. And He responded by ringing the bell Himself. I’m going to marry her at Watchman Abbey Christmas morning.”
Dad locked his hands behind his back, facing the windows to the city. “When will you announce?”
“First I need to properly ring the bell. I know ringing it this late is not the tradition, but I need to keep my word to the Lord. I need to do it for Avery. I have some things to organize, but I plan to ring it day after tomorrow. Then propose.”
“The twenty-third? I want to leave for Hessenberg on the eight o’clock ferry.”
“Absolutely. I’m your man, Dad. I’ll ring the bell at first light, then meet you. I just need to return on the two o’clock ferry. I have plans to propose that evening.”
He had it all organized. At least in his head. He’d invite Avery to meet him in the quiet, romantic Old Towne Square Friday at sundown. There, he’d propose.
Dad’s jaw knotted as he nodded. “If you’ve made up your mind.”
“I have. Can we keep this between us? I don’t want the press or anyone finding out before Avery.”
His father hesitated, then nodded. “Very well.”
Colin pumped his fist on his way back to his office. It wasn’t all he wanted from Dad, but more than he expected.
Now to get truly organized. First stop? Lord & Gladwell to retrieve Granny’s engagement ring.
Then he had to see a man about some goats.
Edward swirled another shot of golden brew in his glass and stared out his window, considering his options. God rang the bell? Indeed. If he didn’t know better he’d think his son had gone mad.
Colin was a steady chap. True blue, that one. Yet in the matter of Avery Truitt, he was soft. What he needed was a solid wake-up call. Edward suspected the Truitt girl did as well.
She belonged in America. And Colin belonged in Brighton with a Brightonian woman.
Returning to his desk, Edward reached for the phone, hesitated, then dialed. He didn’t want to do this but desperate measures must be taken. “Madeline Stone please. Edward Tattersall calling.”