Page 16 of Dancing With a Royal

The fracture could have been a lot worse. Clara relaxed upon receiving the news. It was the best possible outcome. Injuries like that happened all the time. As long as she didn’t need surgery, she should be back for theNutcrackerrun at LABT. Seven weeks should give the rest of her body enough time to recuperate any other issues. She just hoped she could maintain her conditioning and flexibility.

“I’m cautiously optimistic we will have you back to dancing in four months’ time.”

“I certainly hope so. I’m going to need to be available to dance in the fall season. I’m a brand new soloist. If I want a shot at making principle, I need to be able to prove my worth as a soloist.”

7

Lunch With The Princes

David marched at a pace that would impress any general of the British Army up to apartment 1A of Kensington Palace. He paced back and forth in front of the door until he was sure it was late enough in the morning to wake up Eddie. David pounded on the front door. The door opened. “Is the Prince of Wales awake yet?” an impatient David asked.

“No, sir. I believe he is not. His diary was clear last we checked, and after Dr. Evans left last night, we thought it best to allow him to rest.”

“Unfortunately, Parker, there was another incident yesterday, and he needs to apologize to the young lady whose career he may have inadvertently ended,” David barked. Parker, the head butler, had served as a member of the Prince of Wales’s staff from his infancy. He was a favored staff member to both princes. “My spy let me know the young lady has a broken foot and it’s all Eddie’s fault.”

The rest of the staff remained hidden. The senior staff members knew better than to question or be in the general vicinity of the Duke of Leeds when he was in a temper.

“Please see that he is showered, shaved, and dressed in the next thirty minutes.” David grunted and stormed off. He needed to run off his temper. A few laps around the Kensington Palace grounds would set him right. The cold morning bite of the crisp air was exactly what he needed.

The staffof Kensington Palace was well known for the efficient and discrete manner in which they worked. In no time at all, Eddie was awakened and dressed before he had time to process what was going on. He always trusted his staff to shuffle him from place to place as needed and his trusty valet to have him looking his best.

David awaited Eddie in his private office. He paced again to and fro. Eddie knocked on the door to enter, shuffling inside to the sofa across from the fireplace. With the exception of his bloodshot eyes, Eddie didn’t seem too worse for wear. David stopped his pacing. He heard Eddie gulp.Good, he knows he is about to get a dressing down from me. I hope he has a splitting headache.

“Do you remember exactly what happened yesterday afternoon?” David was extremely gifted in using a quiet voice to get his point across. He didn’t yell or even raise it, merely spoke with authority.

“No.” Eddie didn’t elaborate or look up at David. Instead, he chose to stare intently at the carpet.

“I’ve gone to a lot of effort to have you taken care of and ensured there are no photos from your drunken escapade. Two days ago, you called me while I was in America and told me there was an emergency.” David turned to face Eddie, crossed his hands behind and back, and waited for an answer.

Eddie’s face drained of color. “I feel like I’m going to be sick.” Eddie hunched forward and David passed him a rubbish bin.

David sighed.Don’t let Eddie know you really feel sympathetic.Eddie was like his brother, not a cousin. David felt so helpless and needed to make Eddie understand that he couldn’t act out like this anymore. How could he do that, though? Eddie’s own parents never made an effort to be available. Eddie needed his family and stability.

David waited until Eddie was finished being sick and pointed to a glass of water and aspirin on the desk. “Take those. Think while I ask you again, what happened yesterday or even the entirety of last week? Did you think Sophia running away was an actual emergency? Eddie, your security team informed me it had been four or five days since she left. You have been self-pitying and self-indulging in drink.”

“I don’t understand. It’s just a few gaps in my memory. Why is it such a large concern to you?”

“A few gaps in your memory?” David sarcastically laughed. “Do you even hear yourself? It would do you well to remember that you are the Prince of Wales. You are the future leader of the monarchy. You may not like it, but this is what you were born into. If you want to take the easy road out and resign your position before you even take up the mantle of king, then be my guest. You have the opportunity to be a positive change in the world. Do you even know why I was in America?”

Eddie remained quiet. He slowly questioned, “Why were you in America?”

“I was working with investors for our soon-to-be-announced joint charity foundation. I need you to think back to the children we worked with in the hospital last summer. Do you remember the ones that were stuck isolated inside and you suggested they needed art classes, books, a sense of normalcy? That’s what I was working on.” The cat was out of the bag. Maybe Eddie would understand that all of the meetings, endless calls, and grunt work David had put in mattered.

Eddie’s eyes began to water. His breathing became short. Eddie’s body shook with grief. “You know I still dream about those children.”

This could be Eddie’s turning point. David’s ability to get the job done under the radar went underestimated by the majority of the British public. He was just fine with that. David visited more shelters, hospitals, and got his hands dirtier than almost anyone in his family.“Do you understand why you need to change? Just by being the Prince of Wales you can bring awareness to issues. The press can run stories about your work rather than you gallivanting to Paris and trashing a three-thousand pound a night hotel room.”

David changed gears. “You need to understand we are family. I will always be here for you. You are more of a brother to me than a cousin. With that being said, we need to discuss what the nature of a true emergency is and talk about what happened with Clara Little.”

Eddie sat up straighter. “I know what an emergency is. What did I do to the woman?” Eddie’s voice tremored. He sat forward in his seat, looking over at David.

“To put it bluntly, you got pissed, ran to the loo, and stepped on Clara’s foot. My sources tell me it’s broken. Clara is a dancer. She depends on her feet for a living. With one misstep, her career could be over.” David’s voice rose steadily. Jenna, his source, was a godsend.My royal behind will be kicked to the curb with Mario Kart, but it’ll be worth the loss of pride if Clara agrees to a formal date.

Eddie rubbed his head, his face drained of color. “I really, really mucked this one up. I’m done with women. I’m sorry, David. You don’t know how truly sorry I am. I promise to do better. I’ll stay off the drink. You’re like a brother to me too.” Eddie and David stood and shared a hug.

“Don’t apologize to me. You will be apologizing to Clara herself when she is brought here for lunch with us. You have some groveling to do.”

The black RangeRover belonging to David sped along the driveway leading up from the main road to Kensington Palace’s royal residences. Leaving Dr. Evans’s office in Wimbledon Common, Clara and Michael made good time. Clara’s mood was dim. Her leg felt heavy as she adjusted to the weight of the fiberglass cast that would remain on her leg for the next few weeks. She knew this was coming, but getting a cast stunk. How was she going to get around?

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