Page 58 of Royally Wed
CHAPTER
THIRTEEN
“Your Royal Highness?” At last James’s voice broke through the fuzz in Amelia’s head.”Your Royal Highness?!”
She could hear a distinct thread of panic in his tone. How long had she been standing there, staring at that godforsaken watch?
“Yes, James?” she said. There wasn’t a hint of emotion in her voice. Not even a waver. She sounded like a robot.
No, that wasn’t quite right.She sounded like the queen—cool, detached, noble. So much like her mother it was scary.
“You seem...” James paused to choose his next words with discretion. Because every interaction that took place beneath the roof over their heads was carefully orchestrated and choreographed. Even the crises. “... shaken.”
“I’m not,” she heard herself say, again in that eerie monotone voice.
She wishedshe were, though. She wished she felt anything. She would’ve preferred devastation over the nothingness that had crawled beneath her skin and made itself at home.
She wasn’t even all that surprised. For all the feelings Holden professed to have for her, he’d never shown much interest in her. Amelia had blamed it on the chaos surrounding the wedding and engagement. The innocent pecks on the cheek... the awkward hugs... now they made sense. Her fiancé was in love with another woman.
Forever.
She closed her eyes, and still she saw that word etched in gold. The letters were becoming imprinted so permanently in her mind that they were beginning to lose their meaning, like when you repeated a word over and over again until it tasted strange and foreign in your mouth.
She opened hereyes and found James eyeing her with concern.
His gaze dropped to the pocket watch in her hand. He cleared his throat. “Shall I put that away for you, Your Royal Highness?”
Amelia’s fist closed around the trinket. “No.”
“No?” His voice raised an octave, like it did whenever he was worried.
She was causing trouble again. Poor James. He probably thought she was on the verge of a breakdown orsomething. Most other brides would be, if faced with this situation. Of course most other brides probably didn’t conclude their wedding gown fitting by being pinned against the wall by their cello soloist.
Maybe that’s why she wasn’t upset. She had no right to feel angry after what she’d done.
“I need to speak to my mother.” She turned and headedfor the door with such speed that Willow seemedto think it was a game. The corgi scurried after her, nipping at her heels.
James trailed behind both of them calling, “Wait!”
Amelia didn’t feel like waiting. The queen was probably busy. She typically spent afternoons in her sitting room, receiving guests. She’d adhered to the same schedule for Amelia’s entire life. Amelia could remember running down the Queen’s Hall when she was a littlegirl, anxious to share something with her mother. She couldn’t remember what it had been—a drawing, maybe? A book? It could have been anything. Her search for her mummy always ended on the wrong side of a closed door.
This time would be different. She didn’t care if the prime minister herself was taking tea in the queen’s sitting room. She’d just have to sit there and sip her Earl Grey whileAmelia explained what she’d just found.
“James, don’t try to stop me. Not now.” She spun around to face him, so abruptly that Willow plowed into her shins.Ouch. “Just stay out of it. Pretend you had no idea.”
He blinked. “But...”
“But nothing. I’m serious, James. Go someplace else.” She was basically telling him to go run and hide. She didn’t want him to get in any kind of trouble for whatshe was about to do.
But speaking to her mother couldn’t wait. The wedding was in less than twenty-four hours. Unless...
Unless the watch in her hand changed things.
It could, couldn’t it? Surely her family wouldn’t expect her to marry a man who was planning onforeverwithsomeone else. Of course they wouldn’t. The throne would have to be secured another way.
“Your Royal Highness,” Jamessaid. There was a warning in his tone, which Amelia chose to ignore.
She took off down the hall toward the queen’s sitting room. Thankfully, James chose to save himself and didn’t follow her.
