Page 49 of Once Upon a Royal Summer
Henry reached for it and undid the clasp, anxious to get this conversation over with, whatever it was about. And then he went still as an 8 x 10 photograph slid out of the envelope.
“That’s you and Miss Pope, yes?” the queen said.
Henry stared down at the picture. It wasn’t from the pirate ride, when he thought he’d seen a flash, but apparently had been taken while he and Lacey rode the Ferris wheel together. They were seated side by side, sharing that huge puff of cotton candy. Even though the photograph had been taken at twilight, Lacey was instantly recognizable in her voluminous, over-the-top theme park princess costume, and unfortunately, so was Henry.
“I lost my hat,” he said quietly, unable to tear his gaze from the picture. “I was only without it for this one ride.”
He’d felt so safe at Once Upon A Time. It was strange to think someone had recognized him and snapped a picture of what seemed like a private, intimate moment, and he was just now finding out about it.
Henry’s jaw clenched. His annoyance flared, but he couldn’t help feeling somewhat mesmerized by the picture. The photo would’ve been a lovely keepsake, if it hadn’t felt like such an invasion of privacy. He and Lacey were looking intently into each other’s eyes, perfectly framed by the shape of their little gondola. The picture had been snapped from behind, and their silhouettes were backlit by the neon colors and flashing lights of the park spread out before them. The effect was magical, almost as though sparks of electricity were bouncing back and forth between them. Despite his exposed, hatless head, Henry barely recognized himself. The expression on his face was one he’d never seen before—not in a single one of the pictures that had been taken of him throughout his many years of public life. By all appearances, he was completely smitten.
Had he really ever thought his feelings for Lacey were purely platonic?
Henry looked up and met his mother’s gaze. “Where did you get this?”
“From the local press. They apparently bought it off a tourist who recognized you and subsequently sold the image to a news agency here in Bella-Moritz. They’ve been holding on to it until the Flower Festival in order to make the biggest splash.” The queen sighed. “They sent a copy to the palace with a request for a comment.”
“Fine. Just say no.” Henry shrugged. “We decline to comment.”
“I’m afraid it’s not so easy, son. Lacey is the first woman you’ve been photographed with in years.” His mother gave him an apologetic smile. “And now she’s here. In our home.”
Henry nodded. The queen didn’t have to spell things out any further. Once the photo ran in the local paper, Lacey would be instantly recognized at the ball. Everyone on the Mediterranean coast—possibly even the world—would think they were an item.
Henry didn’t even want to think about what they might have to say about her job.
“I have an idea, if you’d like to hear it,” Queen Elloise said gently.
“I’m not sending her home.” Henry shook his head. Lacey had only just arrived. If she left now, Rose would be heartbroken. Not to mention Henry himself…
He’d been restless since returning from Florida—unsettled in a way that made his chest ache. Seeing Lacey again, even for only a few minutes, had been a balm. He could breathe again.
“That’s not what I was going to suggest at all. Why not simply release a statement to run alongside the image? You can say Miss Pope is simply a family friend.” His mother tilted her head. “Even better, she’s just a special acquaintance of Caitriona’s. After all, that’s the truth, isn’t it?”
Was it? Henry wasn’t quite so sure anymore.
He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. It should’ve been the easiest thing in the world for him to say that Lacey was simply a friend of the family. There was nothing romantic going on between them whatsoever.
Then why can’t I bring myself say it?
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Could We Get Beheaded For This?
“Did you have a party in here and forget to invite me?”
Ava stood in the center of Lacey’s luxurious room at the palace and glanced around at the duvet and pillows piled on top of the sitting area. A tray holding a few stray remains of chocolate eclairs sat on the coffee table, along with empty glasses and a fine china pitcher that last night had held the creamiest, ice-cold milk Lacey had ever tasted. The floor was scattered with books—fairy tales, along with the hardback volume of Black Beauty Lacey had brought with her from the States, a gift for Rose. It was good thing Lacey had texted a picture of the elegant room to her dad and stepmom before she’d made such a mess.
“Sort of.” Lacey laughed as she flipped through the clothes in her suitcase. “Rose spent the night. We made a blanket fort, read books, and right before we went to sleep, Miss Marie came and brought us a midnight snack.”
Lacey still couldn’t get used to the idea of having a ladies’ maid, but she’d never been one to turn down chocolate. Especially, as it turned out, European chocolate.
“That little girl thinks you hung the moon.” Ava plopped down on the settee and picked at a bite of eclair. “Oh my gosh, this is delicious.”
“I know, right? But you do realize we’re about to eat, don’t you?” Lacey pulled out a floral linen dress with a flippy, ruffled hem. This might be the first time in the history of her adult life that she’d worn anything that required ironing to breakfast. Back home, she normally wore her pajamas.
“I do, but we don’t know if there will be eclairs there, do we?” Ava licked a bit of dark chocolate from the tip of her finger.
“Point taken.” Lacey slipped into the dress and frowned at her reflection in the mirror.
