Page 24 of Royally Matched

Chapter Eight

The noise in the club was deafening and getting on Max’s nerves. When Richard had begged him to come along for his stag night, Max had done it thinking he would enjoy himself. Little did he know, all that would happen was that he would end up with a pounding headache and foul mood.

“What’s wrong with you?” Benji Stinson, one of the other groomsmen for Richard, asked with irritation. “I thought Maxwell Beaumont knew how to party. Didn’t know you would end up being the stick-in-the-mud,” he said, slapping Max on the back. “I would have put money on it being Richard but look at him grinding up on that girl on the dance floor.”

Max ignored the breach in protocol, as it was taboo to touch a royal without their permission, and instead said, “I need to get some air.”

As he stood up from the VIP table and left the roped-off area, Max heard Benji mumble to the other groomsman, Bradley Furlez, “Max isn’t at all what he was billed to be in the press. I must say, what a disappointment.”

Normally, being slammed like that would have annoyed Max, but considering the source and what it meant, he didn’t care. It was true, the old Max would have loved all of this, but since returning home, he had changed.

The combination of taking on the responsibilities of the Crown Prince, developing a real relationship with Lily, and rededicating his life to God, left no room for his old ways. He no longer wanted to live a partying lifestyle or be around people who did. Not only was he content to be king one day, but he wanted to be a devoted husband and Christian. None of those things meshed well with drinking, sleeping with random women, and throwing money around.

Max stepped into the alleyway, noting his bodyguard was close by, and took in a deep gulp of fresh air. Hecould still hear the noise from the club, but rather than being an overwhelming pounding beat, it was now a muffled, pulsating beat.

If Max had it his way, he would leave right now, but he knew it would be in bad form if he didn’t at least stay for another hour. Once he made it another sixty minutes, he could make his excuses to Richard and quietly slip out.

Now that he had a plan, he could focus on that rather than how much he hated being there. A wry smile formed on his lips as he thought about how much his life had changed in only a couple of months. Never would he have thought he would rather be watching Netflix with his fiancée than out partying with friends.

Just as he pulled the door open to go back inside, he heard the unwelcome voice of Georgina. “There you are, Max. I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”

“Is that right, Lady Georgina? And why would that be? I thought I made it clear last time we spoke to stay away from me.”

“Oh, don’t be silly,” she said with a flirtatious smile as she placed her hand on his chest. “Why can’t two old friends catch up? I mean, you sure have been doing a lot of that with Lady Liliana. What’s keeping you from doing the same with me?”

Ah, it all made sense now. That was definitely Georgina’s mode of operation. She hated being shown up by anyone, especially Lily, so it made sense that she would come after him with a vengeance. She wanted to prove she could get what she wanted, when she wanted it, and take it from anyone she wanted. It actually had nothing to do with him, and everything to do with her desire for social dominance.

Pulling away from Georgina, Max snapped, “Iwill not be a pawn for you, Georgina. You need to get it through your head, I want nothing to do with you.”

Georgina pushed her bottom lip out in a pout. “Is this because of Lily? Are you two back together or something?”

“Even if we were, I wouldn’t be telling you. It’s none of your business,” he said, pushing past her.

“That wasn’t a denial,” he heard Georgina shout from behind him. “I guess I’ll just have to go to the press about what I know.”

Max hesitated for a moment, wondering what he should do. Realizing he didn’t care if the press knew about him and Lily, he called Georgina’s bluff. Turning to face her, he challenged, “Go ahead. You do what you think you have to, but I won’t be blackmailed.”

A look of shock came over the woman’s face, then one of anger, and finally disappointment. “Whatever, Max, you want to act like you’re so different, but leopards don’t change their spots. You’ll go back to your old ways soon enough, and I’ll be there to say, ‘I told you so.’”

Max wanted to rebuff her statement, but a small part of him worried she might be right. Rather than standing there and arguing with her any further, Max turned around and took off. He couldn’t be around the irritating woman a second longer.

Once back at the VIP table, he noticed that both the groomsmen were now out on the dance floor with Richard. Well, thank goodness for small favors. At least he didn’t have to listen to Benji and Bradley prattle on about their latest sexual conquests, financial acquisitions, and social triumphs anymore. Max could wait out the rest of the hour in relative quiet—minus the obnoxious electronic pop music blaring through the speakers all around him—and escape back to the palace. Maybe if he was lucky, Lily would be still up, and they could spend some time together.

* * *

The Primrose Tea Room was elegantly decorated for Margo’s bridal shower luncheon. The tables were set with light pink tablecloths with vintage mixed china. In the center of each table was a pink and white flower arrangement with pearls draped through them.

The vintage eatery was filled with antique knick-knacks that decorated the flowered wallpapered walls. It was an unusual location choice for a royal party, but one that Lily was glad Margo had insisted on. Both of them got tired of pretentious parties at country clubs and mansions, so it made planning the bridal shower a pleasure for Lily.

Once the final guests arrived—rounding out the number to fifty of Margo’s closest friends—Lily stood to her feet and addressed the group. “Welcome, everyone. I’m so glad you could make it to Margo’s bridal shower. Growing up together, Margo was always looking for her perfect match. Just like me, she was a hopeless romantic, so when she met Richard and they fell in love, it was obvious it had finally happened for her. Today, we are going to shower her with gifts to bless their upcoming union.” Lifting her glass into the air, Lily added, “To Margo and Richard—may their lives together be more than both could ever hope for.”

All the other ladies in the room lifted their glasses as they agreed to the toast.

Lily took her seat, and the servers came out with the meals, placing them in front of the ladies. They spent the next hour eating and talking about royal affairs, their families, and the upcoming wedding.

As the meal portion of the afternoon was wrapping up, Lily was suddenly ambushed by Lady Matilda Blanchard and Lady Alexa Davidson who were seated at the same table as Lily. She had grown up with both women, all three of their families being part of the royal court.

“So, we’ve seen you’ve been spending a fair amount of time with the Crown Prince the past couple of months,” Matilda said with a hint of irritation in her voice. “Is there something going on between the two of you?”

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