Princess - A Love Story

Chapter 20

"Good morning, Philip." He glared at Matthew who sounded annoyingly chipper.

"If you say so," Philip muttered.

"I hear there is to be a grand party tonight. To celebrate the safe return of the Prince and Princess. Whose idea was it? The Queen?"

"No the cabinet," Philip replied morosely.

Philip had been right in his assumption. The minute the word of the accident at the site reached the city, two parliament members presented themselves and confessed to everything. They were part of the minority that voted against Philip early in the year. Wright approached them soon after. While they were happy to sabotage the plant, the thought they might be implicated in harming the Prince frightened them. They even gave up Wright who would stand trial shortly.

"That's nice of them," Matthew said, then began to laugh. "Of course, they don't know the most dangerous thing you've encountered is an angry five foot nothing woman." He found this whole thing hysterically funny.

"This is all your fault." Philip snapped.

"How? It was your genius idea."

"I should have let her hit you at the Pallis' that day. Maybe it's not too late." Philip's eyes gleamed at the thought.

"She talking to you yet?"

Philip shook his head in the negative. "I haven't tried."

Matthew chuckled knowingly. "Why don't you just accept it and then you can live happily ever after."

"Accept what?"

"That she calls all the shots and you follow her lead."

"Leave Matthew, else I'll turn over your property guardianship to some stuffy old member of parliament who'll expect you to give him weekly accounts and call him Sir."

"All right, all right, I'm going. See you tonight" He walked away with his hands in his pockets.

That evening, Emily found herself humming as she got dressed. She stopped and stared at herself in the mirror. She was back. Over the last six months, she had become a sorry creature who had drifted through her life. No more. She was seizing back control. As for the standoff with Philip, that ended now. She was going to speak to him. Tonight, if possible and either he told her he never wanted to see her after her contracted time was up, or they would be together forever. There was no in between.

She chose a midnight blue full length dress. it draped over her shoulders down to her waist, cinched in a silver braided belt before falling to the floor in soft waves. "Lookin' good, if I do say so myself," she winked at her reflection.

Zoe came in then, "His Highness has sent this for you," handing her a small velvet case.

Emily opened the small box. Inside were the most beautiful sapphire earrings she had ever seen.

"He asked what colour your dress was," Zoe said meaningfully. They were gorgeous and Emily was sorely tempted. But resolutely she shut the box and handed them back to Zoe who immediately looked disapproving.

Not yet, she told herself. Her mother had always said you don't accept jewelry from a man unless you're willing to see it through to the end. That rule modified, meant she wasn't wearing jewelry gifted by Philip unless she knew exactly how he felt about her. Resolutely she picked up her mother's pearls, a present from her grandparents to their daughter on graduating college.

Philip was waiting to escort her downstairs. She saw his eyes flick up to her ears and then dim in disappointment. She quelled the pang that went through her. Soon she promised him silently.