“We’re so glad to have you again, Princess Shelby,” the matron, a Mrs. Radford, at the care center said. “Will you be staying until lunch?”
“Not today,” Shelby said calmly, but her mind was racing. She had seen some things in this place that made her uncomfortable. As one of the directors, she had been allowed to question and inspect to her heart’s desire. She hadn’t seen anything too noticeable, but the matron was always so swift to point out the ways she was saving money. Shelby hadn’t seen anything in the books that would indicate the center was in financial trouble, so this made no sense to her.
Then she began to notice where the cutbacks were taking place—they were all in the dining room. Shelby had eaten with the residents twice and both times was very uncomfortable with what she’d seen and eaten. She was not a person who usually made snap judgments, willing to give others the benefit of the doubt, and she was not going to be hasty now, but after visiting with a few of the residents as well as the staff, Shelby made a mental note to visit at mealtime the next chance she had.
“I was at the care center this morning,” Shelby told Nikolai’s grandparents as they walked toward the August Botanical Gardens. The day was sunny, not a cloud anywhere, but the temperature was only in the mid-seventies.
“You’re a director now, aren’t you?” King Anton asked.
“Yes. I took over for your mother. She was delighted when I told her.”
“We plan to take her a flower, Shelby,” Ketra told her. “We’ll be sure and tell her you were back at the center today.”
“Or I could take the flower for you,” Shelby offered with a smile, “and tell her myself.”
The three were still talking as they entered the gardens and were almost immediately joined by some of the members. Shelby met several dozen people before having a chance to excuse herself, wishing she’d used the ladies’ room at the care center; the bathroom at the gardens was quite a long walk away. She was still in one of the stalls when at least two other ladies came in.
“Is my slip showing?”
“No, it’s fine.”
“Did you see him?”
“Yes. I’m telling you, Liz, he’s the best looking man I’ve ever seen.”
“You’re not kidding.”
“The princess is here today too.”
“Really? I didn’t know that.”
“That’s what my mother told me. I’ve heard she’s beautiful.”
The other woman sniffed, her voice playful. “I don’t care what she looks like; he should have married me.”
Both women left in laughter, but Shelby didn’t join in. She didn’t know what happened to her when her husband was near, but she definitely wasn’t herself. She didn’t really think it could be called fear—no, it was more like awe. Yes, that was the word. Awe was when something made you a bit tongue-tied and put you at a loss. He had been nothing but a gentleman for weeks now. Indeed, Shelby had never known such a gentleman, but she still felt awkward and shy in his presence.
She exited the bathroom with a small measure of panic rising in her breast, all the while telling herself to calm down and be respectful. She wasn’t ten feet outside the door when she stopped to look to where they would eat lunch and have the program, the fronds of a large plant making it almost impossible. She was in the midst of taking a deep breath to subdue her nerves when he spoke from behind her.
“Shelby.”
“Oh, Nikolai!” she exclaimed, a hand going to her heart. “I didn’t see you.” Her eyes huge with fright, she looked up at him and saw him smile. Did he think it was funny? For the first time since she’d met him, she found herself feeling grumpy toward him.
“I didn’t know you were going to be here,” she said, her voice a bit formal.
“My plans were of the last minute variety, or I would have informed you.”
Looking unconsciously regal, Shelby nodded and began walking down the path, not caring if he followed or not. He stayed right at her side, matching his longer legs to her steps. Still a bit miffed, she didn’t speak to him again but smiled at a few people who passed.
“This is quite an honor,” Nikolai spoke up. “I think the average age of the members here is about 50.”
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you just told me I looked old.”
Nikolai looked down at her profile to see if she had been joking and couldn’t tell. He opted not to smile again, even though he wanted to, but he suspected she might be upset with him about something.
“How old are you, Shelby? I can’t remember.”
“I’m 23,” she told him, not bothering to mention that she would only be that age for a few more days.
Hearing the note in her voice, Nikolai decided to stay quiet again. He honestly didn’t know her well enough to gauge whether she was upset with him or not, but he wasn’t willing to chance it. Both the prince and princess were relieved to look up and see Anton and Ketra ahead of them.
“You found her, Nicky,” Ketra said with a smile. “I think they want us to take our seats.”
The president of the garden club, Mr. Potts, came forward then to show them to their seats and give them a rundown on the next few hours. Shelby found herself quietly taking it all in and smiling only when Mr. Potts looked in her direction. The three people with her were old pros at this sort of thing, and she thought she would do best just to watch and listen. She was so quiet in fact, that when lunch was over and she excused herself before it was time to make her address, the queen regent mentioned it to her grandson.
“She’s so shy around you, Nicky. I’ve noticed it before.”
“You don’t find her shy with you?”
“Not in the least. She was those first few weeks, but no longer. She even calls at times to ask me questions or say hi, and she visits with Anton’s mother at least once a week.”
Nikolai was silently amazed. He knew he had a long way to go, but not until that moment did he realize how far. If he could have looked into his date book right then, he might have started to adjust his schedule on the spot. The Lord had been speaking to his heart and leaving no doubt as to what he should do: He needed to get to know his wife. He often felt the Lord prompting him to talk with her, to share his life and ask her about her own. He was asking the Lord to give him strength to do just that when he saw Shelby heading up to the temporary speaking platform.
“King Regent Anton, Queen Regent Ketra, Prince Nikolai, President Potts, members of the August Garden Club, gardeners, and guests,” Shelby began, “thank you for presenting me with this honor. I have long loved flowers, although I’ve been accused of having a black thumb, and I find myself delighted with the chance to visit here and feel at home.
“For as long as I can remember, my mother has had a summer garden. Some years it flourished and some years it didn’t. She was never very interested in houseplants, but come the spring, you could find her amid her flowers in the backyard of our home. The only drawback for her was the honey bees. My mother hated the thought of getting stung, and just the buzz would cause her to flee to whatever she deemed a safe distance.
“My father had no such problem. He enjoyed the garden on weekends, and you could always find him out with my mother. The bees didn’t bother him. The reason for this might be that my father has been deaf from childhood. My brother and I watched all of this as we were growing up, and somewhere along the line I made a connection in my mind. You see, my mother was never stung, and neither was my father, but my mother’s hearing put her in a position to fear.
“I found myself asking, ‘What do I listen to that causes me to fear?’ It might seem like a small thing to you, but over the years the sight of flowers or trees has often helped me remember to whom I should listen when it comes to the subject of fear. It is for this reason that I will plant my 12 trees at the palace in a place where I will be able to watch them grow. And selfishly enough, I’ll plant the 12 other trees where I can see them on occasion. I’ll think of them as my 24 reminders to l
isten to the right voice and be wise about my fears. Thank you for the trees. I know God will use them in my life in a special way.”
The applause was thunderous. Nikolai joined in, but he was stunned. She had been wonderful. Toby had come to his parents and said he’d found someone special—this had been what he was talking about. She was coming toward him now, and Nikolai stood, smiling down on her as she neared. On impulse he bent and kissed her cheek.
“That was wonderful,” he whispered in her ear just before he helped her with her chair.
“Thank you,” Shelby said as she smiled at him, but she couldn’t stop the blush that stained her cheeks.
Dessert was served after that, but Shelby wasn’t given a chance to enjoy it. Many people came to their table to thank her or share their own stories. Nikolai watched the gracious way she received everyone and had to keep his mind from turning to bitter thoughts. Yvette had not liked public appearances or been good in crowds. The prince had no trouble with this, but in his mind he pictured some of these people comparing the two women. The thought of his Yvette coming up short was intolerable to him.
The prince did not let his feelings show, but neither did they put him in a good humor. He made no attempt to engage the princess in conversation on the way home. She had come to the garden club with the king and queen regent but naturally departed with her husband for the return trip to the palace. His silence unnerved her, and Shelby found herself wishing she had come in her own vehicle. It wasn’t surprising that when the car delivered them to the front door, she escaped his presence just as soon as she was able.
Seven
“Is the princess out of town this weekend, Murdock?” Nikolai asked the minister as soon as he arrived home from church Sunday morning.
“She went to Henley for the day, sir. Do I need to contact her for you?”
“No. Thank you, Murdock. I only wondered because I didn’t see her this morning.”
The house minister exited the room then, seeing that the prince was lost in his own thoughts. Nikolai, working hard to keep his frustration at bay, didn’t even hear him leave. He knew very well that he was paying for his own mistakes, but that didn’t change the angst he felt broiling inside.
It takes me forever to obey You, and when I’m ready to do the right thing, my wife disappears. She has got to be the busiest woman I’ve ever known. Nikolai knew he sounded irritated and also knew that he had no right; he had no one to blame but himself. Shelby had been in the car with him on Wednesday after the garden club meeting, and he’d even seen her a few times the rest of the week, but the willingness to try again did not come until Saturday night. On Sunday she was gone for the day. He knew very well that he’d had opportunities and lost them.
Nikolai sat back in his chair. Shelby’s face was in his mind the way he’d seen her briefly on Friday, and a plan was also forming.
Murdock needed time off as much as anyone, so Nikolai would let it go for the day, but first thing Monday morning he would meet again with his house minister.
“Oh, Mother!” Shelby exclaimed when she tore the wrapping off her last birthday gift. “My favorite.”
Daria smiled but then shook her head. From the time she was little, Shelby had loved Fairy Cakes, a white cake and frosting confection that could be found in any market. Daria, knowing she probably hadn’t had them in ages, had bought two boxes and wrapped them.
“I think I’ll eat one right now,” Shelby declared. “Do I have to share?”
“Yes,” Brice told her in no uncertain terms.
“All right,” she said, her voice playfully grudging. “But only one, Brice. You can buy your own.”
“The whole country thinks you’re the most wonderfully giving woman in the land,” he teased her. “What would they say if they could see you now?”
“They wouldn’t say a thing,” she said, her smile cheeky. “Everyone but you seems to understand that no woman should be asked to part with her Fairy Cakes.”
“Pathetic,” her brother pronounced about her but still took the one cake she offered.
“Did you want one, Fa?” Shelby, relenting, asked Josiah.
He shook his head. “I don’t know how you stand those things when your mother made that delicious cake.”
“I’ll eat some of that too,” Shelby told him placidly, making her mother laugh.
Daria was delighted to have her daughter home for the day and told her as much, but before Shelby left to return to the palace, she was determined to learn why Nikolai had not accompanied her. Often she had held her tongue, knowing her daughter needed time, but on this occasion, both Daria and Josiah agreed that if Nikolai did not come with her, they would want to know why. When Shelby had not been looking, she had asked Josiah if he’d asked the question. When he said no, Daria planned just how she would get Shelby alone. Now was the time.
“Shelby, will you come help me with the cake and ice cream?”
“Sure.”
Shelby rose without hesitation, and just as soon as they were behind the closed kitchen door, Daria spoke.
“We had hoped that Nikolai would come with you, Shelby. Was he busy today?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t ask him.”
“You didn’t ask him if he was busy, or you didn’t ask him to your twenty-fourth birthday party?”
“I didn’t ask him anything,” the redhead admitted, looking across the room at her mother, who was taking bonbons from the freezer.
“Can you tell me what’s going on?” Daria asked, her face open and showing all the love and caring she felt.
Shelby shrugged as she got out napkins and forks. “I went to the palace with such noble ideas, Mother, but the prince doesn’t need me. It’s taken a while to see that, but it’s true. Most of the time I can tell he doesn’t want me anywhere near him, so I don’t try to push in.”
“What do you try to do?”
“Be helpful to everyone else. I honestly enjoy it, Mother, and I can’t imagine leaving there, but I’m not important to the prince. I seem to be important and loved by the staff and even Nick’s family, but Nick doesn’t want or need me.”
“Oh, Shelby,” Daria whispered, her heart breaking with this news. “Do you think it will stay that way? Do you think he’ll never get over her?”
Shelby tipped her head to one side in thought. She was doing her best to be pragmatic about it. “As you like to remind me, never is a long time, and I have to keep reminding myself that it hasn’t been that many months. But for the present, at least, I think the best thing I can do is stay out of the prince’s way. He checks with Murdock about me—I’ve heard him do it—and he does ask me how I’m doing if he sees me, but that’s not very often.”
“Are you going and doing too much? Should you make yourself more available to him?”
“I wouldn’t know how to do that. I do have a pretty busy schedule, but I’m home a lot too. Unless we end up in the same place, and that rarely happens, he just doesn’t seek me out. If I were to make myself more available, I think I’d end up sitting around the palace while the prince leads his own life.”
Daria nodded but didn’t speak. Something wasn’t right. Whenever she read of one of the royal couples going out, they were together. It was something of a tradition. Not knowing if this fact had escaped Shelby’s notice, Daria opted not to mention it. Clearly the prince was keeping them apart. The thought was enough to cause Daria to weep. Forcing herself to remember that this was her daughter’s birthday, she put the thought aside.
“I’m glad I checked with you, dear,” she said instead. “Know that your father and I will be praying.”
“Thank you, Mother.”
Shelby gave Daria a hug and the older woman held on tightly. Will she ever know a mother’s love, Father? Will the prince ever love her? Will she ever hold their child in her arms? You are able to do this, Lord, and I pray that You will—in Your time and in Your way.
“What do you mean he changed my schedule?” Shelby asked so
ftly, staring at Murdock. That man shifted a little in his chair.
“He didn’t give his reasons, but he asked me to cancel certain of your appointments.”
“Did he say I should see him?”
“No,” Murdock regretted to admit. “But—”
“Where is the prince?” Shelby cut him off with this question.
“He was in his office earlier, but I’m not—” Murdock stopped speaking. The princess had already come to her feet and was headed toward the door.
Nikolai’s head was bent over the papers he was studying when Shelby appeared at his doorway. Thinking it was Murdock, who would know to come in if the door was open, the prince did not immediately look up. Sure she was being ignored, Shelby became all the more upset.
“I would like to speak with you,” she finally blurted, and Nikolai looked up in surprise.
“Come in,” he said as he stood, his expression open.
“You changed my schedule,” Shelby stated without preamble.
“Yes, I did, Shelby. I thought it was for the best.”
“What do you mean?”
“You looked tired to me, and we need—”
“Tired!” Shelby interrupted, sounding as shocked and angry as she looked. “Most of the time you don’t even know I exist, and now you say I’m tired.”
The prince looked surprised by this pronouncement, but Shelby, still feeling very upset, gave him no time to speak.
“I may be the princess, Nikolai Markham, but you don’t own me. I’m 24 years old, and I’m perfectly—”
“You’re 24?” the prince said with a frown. “I thought you were 23.”
“I had a birthday, and don’t change the subject! The fact is I’m not a child, and you had no right to change my schedule.”
For several moments the two stood in tense silence.
“As a matter of fact,” Nikolai finally began quietly, “as your husband, I have every right.”