Chapter 28

Heidi

I must’ve looked ridiculous as I waited inside the airport terminal, seated on a stiff-back chair, wearing my huge sun hat.

But the alternative was much, much worse. Who knew what nosy tourists would start doing once they realized who I was? There would probably a parade of covert cell phone photos and another round of sad stories online. I didn’t want to see any more of that, and I certainly didn’t want to put my parents through any more of that either. They’d been through enough because of me. According to my dad, they’d actually had reporters come to their house.

Could you imagine?

Anyway, now everything was settled. I’d made my decision. I’d sent Charles the text, but by the time he got it, it would be too late. I’d be gone.

I’d known it was the right thing to do when he had come by the apartment on Monday—to leave, to get away from all this—but my feelings for him and his entreaty had convinced me otherwise.

Now, for the first time, my whole body felt still, as if the hammer had fallen. Yes, finally I was doing what was right.

Sure, it would hurt Charles, but me staying with him would only be a liability to his career and mine. What would I do sitting around the palace all day? Not to mention that his mother hadn’t even accepted the plan and probably wasn’t going to. Anyway, I wasn’t about to stick around to find out. I was doing what was best for Charles and for me. Of course, I’d let him visit and see his child, but that was it. Although maybe he wouldn’t understand it now, one day he would.

Right now, my bags were packed and checked, and here I was, inconspicuously conspicuous in my ridiculous sun hat and sunglasses. No matter. That was my flight now.

After hearing the call, I lingered a little in the waiting area. I remained in my seat as time ticked down to the last minute we could board the plane. I knew I was getting on it. I wasn’t sure what I was waiting for. I guess a part of me really didn’t want to do this, to leave Charles like this. I had to, though.

So, I got up, slung my duffel bag over my shoulder, and made my way to the ticket counter.

I handed the man my ticket, and he said, “Just one moment please.”

The next thing I knew, there was a strong hand on my wrist.

“Heidi.”

I turned around to see Charles.

He was wearing a big hat and bulky sunglasses of his own, and I almost burst out laughing at how preposterous he looked before I remembered why he was here.

“I have to board my flight. I bought the ticket and I’m going,” I said.

“Can you just give me a minute? Please,” he said forcefully.

He looked at the ticket man. “You can put off the flight for fifteen minutes while we talk?”

The man nodded and mumbled something into his walkie-talkie. Taking me by the arm, Charles conveyed me to an abandoned part of the seating area.

“I’m sorry,” I blurted out. “I just don’t have a career and I’ve nowhere to stay. I know you’ve made these big promises, Charles, but I don’t think your mom’s going to go for it. And my career means so much to me and—”

“She did go for.”

That shut me up.

“What?”

My gaze went to his. His was steady, unwavering. Around him there were airline passengers going about their daily business, waiting for flights and whiling away time on phones and in books. They had no idea that right now two people were making a choice that was going to change everything about their lives.

“She’s agreed that you’re to move into the palace until the baby is born,” Charles continued.

It seemed as though Charles was saying the wrong thing, as if he had said lines that belonged to some other story. They couldn’t be real. They were just too good, too perfect.

“Charles,” I said weakly, “I don’t know.”

“But I do,” he said. “I’ve known for a few weeks now. I won’t be happy with anyone but you. I know this is going to be hard, for both of us, but I can help you with your career if you can help me with mine. You don’t get it, do you, Heidi?”

As I looked into his fervent blue eyes and down to his hand, which was clasping mine, I realized he was right. I didn’t get it.

“You being with me,” he continued, “won’t hurt my career; it will make it. A woman like you will make me a better man, a better ruler. In making me happy, you will make me a fit ruler for the people of England.”

His words were so big, and I still felt so small, so insignificant and accident prone and…

“So will you?”

It was almost surprising to see Charles looking at me in that avid way.

“Will you stay?”

I said nothing.

“Will you at least walk with me somewhere to talk some more? If you decide not to stay, then I’ll have you driven back here myself. I just don’t feel comfortable here.”

I followed his gaze to a woman wrapped in many layers who was not so slyly eavesdropping on us.

Every part of my body was rustling with anticipation. I knew what I had to say, and yet the answer terrified me. It absolutely freaking terrified me. Nevertheless, with every bit of bravery I had left, I said it.

“Yes.”

--

Crystal Palace Park was thankfully pretty abandoned. Part of me wondered if Charles had booked it off. Then I realized he couldn’t have expected I would have agreed to come. Or could he have?

Whatever the answer, it was nice, walking around the giant fake creatures from the scaly iguanas to the hairy moose. Charles made me sit on the back of a giant dinosaur.

“Aren’t we expressly forbidden from doing this?” I asked with a wry smile.

“Have you forgotten who I am?” Charles queried loftily.

“And what about the baby?” I said, more nervousness in my voice now. As Charles climbed up behind me, he rested his hands around my stomach.

“I meant what I said before. I’m never going to let you fall, either of you.”

“Charles…”

His hands stroked up to my shoulders and gave them a squeeze before setting in on a massage.

“Relax,” he said. “We’re just talking, deciding, figuring things out.”

“Is that what we’ve been doing?” I said, still grinning myself.

I’d almost forgotten the whole reason we’d come here. Being with Charles was like that. It clogged my brain with so much happiness, all rational thought got swept under the table. But he was right. I had a decision to make, a really big one.

“I really like you,” I confessed, “but I don’t know about this. It’s just so much in such a short span of time.”

Charles’s hands stopped their relaxing motions, and he lowered his chin onto my shoulder.

“Do we have to do this on the back of a giant, long-neck dinosaur?”

Giggling, I allowed him to crawl off and give me his hand.

“Did they have The Land Before Time in England too?”

He assumed a hotly offended expression.

“What kind of heathens do you take us for? Of course we were well acquainted with Littlefoot, Ducky, and Cera.”

“You forgot Petrie,” I said with a wink as he helped me down.

We stared at each other for a minute and then burst out laughing.

“How is a model so weird?” he asked the sky.

“How is a prince so weird?” I asked the sky too.

He shrugged.

“Poor parenting, I guess.”

I laughed.

“Same here.” We gave each other a high-five, which led into an extended hand-holding session.

As Charles led me over to an old-looking terrace, he continued. “You have to feel this. Tell me you don’t feel this.”

I averted my gaze. His low words were an arrow that hit me straight in the heart. Of course I felt this. How could I not? The whole entirety of my heart was thrumming with this, this feeling, this joy, this rightness.

And yet, my head knew better.

“There’s just so many variables at play,” I said. “It would mean a total three-sixty in my lifestyle, where I live. I’d be far away from my family and friends.”

“Who would be welcome to use our jet to come visit at any time they pleased,” Charles pointed out.

My surprised gaze found his.

“You have a jet?”

Charles heaved a mock sigh. “Oh no. Tell me you’re not one of those.”

“One of what?”

“Those jet hos,” Charles said emphatically.

I burst out laughing, then got quiet. Charles’s words made me think. He was systematically destroying any argument I had with logic. Really, I had been afraid of losing touch with my family and friends, but my dad and mom were not adverse to flying, nor was Cindy, the one friend I’d left back home who I was still close with. They wouldn’t mind taking the odd jet trip out here. Not to mention Charles and I could probably take trips ourselves in the few spare moments we had.

“And my career…”

“Yeah. What happened with that?” Charles asked. “Liza said even your agent blew you off.”

I sat down on the rocky side of the terrace with my legs dangling down. Charles sat beside me, though he kept his arms wrapped protectively around me. The grass was so green that it reminded me of the grass from the Shire in The Lord of the Rings.

“I went in and it was like something out of a movie,” I finally told him. “No one could look at me, not even my own agent. My agent, who I’ve worked with for years, said my career is virtually over, that my reputation is destroyed and no one wants to work with me. I even called this guy who had been begging to work with me and he hung up on me.”

“Who was it?” Charles snapped, his eyebrows arching in rage. “I’ll find him and have cow shit poured upon his dwelling!”

Silence, until I unwillingly burst out laughing. Poking him in the side, I said, “You’ll do no such thing.”

Charles sniffed. “What I do in my spare time is no business of yours.”

“Even if I stay?”

As if I pressed a button, Charles’s whole body swiveled to face me.

“Is that a yes?”

“I don’t know,” I said, irritated at my continued uncertainty. “Everything in me is screaming to say yes, but—”

“I know: your career, your home,” Charles said. “I understand. It’s what you’ve grown to love and it’s all you’ve known. There will be photo shoots as being part of the royal family, of course, and you’d be free to explore whatever passions you have, be it modeling or whatever else. I can’t say that you’d be able to travel and have the same career you would’ve before, but…”

I could see the worry growing in the furrow on his brow. What Charles was basically saying was akin to him saying that whatever I chose to do, so long as it was with him, he’d support me. I’d had many relationships and flings, but it was always on the man’s terms. There’d been no sacrifices involved, no grand gestures of appreciation or support. But this man here, this man who was the future king of England, was saying that because he cared for me as he did, whatever I chose would be all right with him.

“And if my passion is stripping?” I couldn’t resist asking.

Shock flashed over Charles’s face. Then, catching my cheeky grin, he attacked me with tickles.

“Then it’s a passion we’ll explore together in the confines of our bedroom.”

Giggling, I struggled out of his grasp in vain. Every part of me was tingling with light laughter.

“Say it,” he demanded.

“No!” I exclaimed.

He only tickled me harder.

“Say it, Heidi! Say what decision you’ve made.”

Throwing my head back, yet opening my eyes so I could see his expression when I gave my answer, I said it.

“Yes, okay! Yes! Stop tickling me. I’ll stay, I’ll stay!”