Shelby paced around a bit, still feeling hot and miserable. She was just about to open the window when a startling thought hit her.
What if I’ve gone too far, Lord? What if I’ve put the crown in a bad light? What will Nikolai’s father say to me? How will I explain? Maybe I should have gone to him first.
Shelby was still in a quandary over this when someone knocked on the door.
“Come in,” she called absently, turning to see Nikolai enter. She waited until he’d shut the door and then blurted, “Nikolai, can the princess be fired?”
Nikolai stopped short. He blinked and stared at his wife.
“No,” he finally said slowly.
Shelby nodded but still looked distressed.
“Shelby, is there something you want to discuss with me?”
She opened her mouth but ended up shaking her head. “No, but thank you for offering. I still have some thinking to do on my own.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.”
“All right,” Nikolai said but continued to watch her.
Shelby’s brows rose after a moment, and her husband seemed to come out of his trance.
“Here is that list of names Murdock said he would get to you.”
“Oh, that’s right, thank you,” Shelby said as she took the paper from his hand.
“You’re sure you’re all right?”
“Yes, Nikolai, thank you again.”
Not until after he went out the door did Shelby wonder if she should have talked to him. Thinking she’d missed her chance, she mentally shrugged and went to take her shower.
“Well, hello there,” Nikolai called as he walked into the large parlor in the west quadrant and greeted the small boy he found sitting there.
“Hello,” the lad returned softly, watching him with huge eyes.
“Are you here to see the queen mother?” Nikolai asked, taking a seat across from him.
The boy nodded. “We do magic together.”
Now it was Nikolai’s turn to nod. He had not heard of this but found it plausible.
“What sort of tricks do you do?”
“Oh, things with cards and rings and such.”
“Have you been at it for some time?”
“Years and years,” he said with quiet modesty.
Nikolai smiled. “Is my grandmother teaching you, or are you teaching her?”
“We’re sorta working together. She’s pretty good.”
“Yes, she is. I’ve been watching her magic acts since I was your age at least.”
The boy’s eyes grew round. “Are you the prince?”
“I am. What’s your name?”
“Peter, sir. Peter Owens.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Peter. Do you live near the palace?”
“I live next to Toby.”
“Oh, I know Toby,” Nikolai said calmly, but things were beginning to fall into place. Toby had been asking for prayer for his neighbors for many years now. Nikolai’s heart softened instantly, just knowing who this was.
“How is it you came to work with my great grandmother?”
“Toby told King Anton, and he told Queen Miranda.”
“Maybe you can perform for me today.”
The boy nodded, looking old beyond his years. “If the queen wants to, we can.” Peter paused. “Sometimes she gets tired.”
“And she needs her rest for Saturday.”
“We’re going to do a magic show at eleven.”
“I’ll look forward to it. What would you say is your favorite trick?”
Peter’s head tipped a little. “I think separating the rings. I like how smooth they are and the sound they make.”
“I’ll look forward to seeing that one,” Nikolai said. Not for the world would he have told him that his great grandmother had shown him the trick to that one when he was ten.
“Well, Nicky,” the queen mother spoke as she entered the room, “I’m glad you made it. Lunch is just about ready.”
“Good. I was just talking to your partner here. It sounds as though the two of you are going to delight us.”
“Peter will,” the queen mother said as she sat beside him. “He has marvelous hands.”
The little boy smiled shyly up at the queen, and Nikolai’s heart turned over. He adored his grandparents, all of them, and was delighted to see this young man with some of the same feelings.
“Prince Nikolai was hoping we would perform for him,” Peter now confided to the queen.
“What do you think?” she asked without looking at her great grandson.
“Maybe just one,” Peter said softly.
The queen nodded solemnly, not once letting her eyes roam to Nikolai. She had lost her heart to this hurting child and knew that speaking to him like an adult made all the difference in their relationship.
“Actually,” the queen mother remembered, “Beckett and two others of the staff were hoping we would give them a little performance. Why don’t we do one trick right after lunch and invite them to join Nicky?”
Peter smiled, a shy smile that didn’t last long but lingered in his eyes as Beckett called them to lunch.
At the table Nikolai sat opposite his great grandmother, Peter between them.
“Now, Peter,” the queen said kindly, “whenever Nicky eats with me he thanks God for the food. I just wanted you to know.”
“I don’t have to pray, do I?” Peter asked, his look becoming guarded.
“No, but I like Nicky to.”
“Since you don’t care to pray, Peter,” Nikolai added, “is there anything you would like me to ask God when I pray?”
Clearly the question caught the boy off guard. Not surprisingly he said no.
Nikolai nodded and bowed his head. “Thank you, Father, for this food. It looks very good, and I know we’ll enjoy it. Amen.”
Both Nikolai and the queen immediately reached for the food set out for them, although they were both very aware of Peter’s intense scrutiny. That he had been expecting a different sort of prayer was obvious.
“I hope you’re hungry, Peter. I ordered extra because you were coming.”
“I like these chips,” he admitted as he put some on his plate. He already had a sandwich and his root beer. The queen took this as a good sign and told him to save room for dessert.
The conversation picked up where it left off, Nikolai asking questions about tricks of illusion, and Peter answering them with serious confidence and dignity.
The lunch was a delightful hour, and whether or not the queen mother planned it, Nikolai’s heart was hooked. He left the west quadrant for his next appointment, asking God to put him in touch with Peter Owens again.
There was a blonde woman in the kitchen. She was dressed in a royal blue pantsuit and baking cookies. Nikolai stood quite still as he watched her take a pan from the oven and nearly laughed when she turned and he could see it was Shelby. This wig was curly, shorter than her own hair but still touching her shoulders.
“Bible study today, Shelby?” Nikolai asked as she let the door close.
“Yes,” she said with a smile in his direction, the hot tray in her hand going onto the counter.
Nikolai approached.
“How many are in the study?” he asked, his eyes on the sheet.
“There are six of us,” she replied, a smile in her voice as another batch of cookies went into the oven.
“Are any of them watching their weight?”
Shelby had a good laugh over this. “I take it you’d like a sample.”
Nikolai turned innocent eyes to her. “Only if you have enough.”
“I have plenty, but they have nuts in them.”
“Does that matter?”
“It would to Fa and Brice. They want my mother to warn them.”
“Well, I guess my favorite chocolate chip cookies would be without nuts, but since I’m begging, I can’t be choosy.”
“Would you like a hot one or one that’s cool?”
Ni
kolai gave a sad shake of his head, his voice positively tragic as he said, “That you would offer anyone a cold chocolate chip cookie when there are hot ones available is nothing short of a crime. I’m ashamed of you, Red.”
Shelby bit her lip to keep from smiling as he continued to wag his head and at the same time sweep three cookies from the pan. The first one went down in two bites, and she waited for the verdict.
“These are good,” he managed before another cookie disappeared. “I think you might be in the wrong line of work.”
“Some days I would agree with you,” Shelby admitted.
“Like when?” Nikolai asked, instantly alert. He leaned against the table as though he had all day.
Shelby shrugged. “Like tomorrow at the King’s Fair.”
“Why then?”
“I don’t know,” Shelby admitted. “I’m just very nervous about it. I wish I had a job to do.”
“Shelby, you work hard all week long. It’s supposed to be a time of fun.”
“The queen mother will be working.”
“True, but she doesn’t do what you do all week long. Not anymore, that is.”
Shelby still looked unconvinced.
“I hope you know that you might change your mind a week from now.”
“Why?”
“The Palace Fair. This weekend you need to try to relax. We’ll be working hard next weekend.”
Since Shelby didn’t know what that would involve, her doubts were not dispelled. She knew, however, that if they continued to speak of the fair, she would start stammering and blushing in an attempt to make herself understood. It was nice to have the timer go off and to have an excuse to turn her attention to the cookies. She also had to keep moving for other reasons—five of them to be exact: The women in her Bible study were waiting.
“How are you?” Shelby asked Natty where she lay in the hospital bed. The women were meeting in her room this day.
“It was worse yesterday, I’ll say that much, but I can’t promise that I’ll stay awake, even for Second and Third John.”
“If you fall asleep, we’ll just fill you in later,” Grace offered.
“I’m not sure I can study with a cookie in my hand.” This came from Deb, the character of the group.
“You could consider putting it down,” Natty suggested.
“Spoken like a woman who isn’t in the mood for cookies,” Deb continued as she took one more.
Natty only laughed and tried one. Shelby was quietly pleased when Natty went on to eat two. Shelby kept study short and spent extra time on prayer requests, but seeing Natty so ill made her feel drained. She returned to the palace, her mind full of questions for her Lord. Without even changing her clothes, she took a walk on the grounds and ended up near one of the trees that had been a gift from the garden club.
“You know me well, Lord,” she prayed softly, glad to be alone and unheard by others. “I planted these trees close by so I could be reminded not to fear, but I must tell You that I would much rather be stung by a bee than lose my Natty. My father told me when I took over the study that the price might be steep, and even though I understood, I didn’t really grasp it. It’s hard to see her so sick. She was so pale, and I know she felt a little vulnerable without her wig.”
Shelby’s hand went to the blonde hair on her own head. Just the feel of it caused tears to flood her eyes. This time she prayed in her heart.
She won’t need one of these if You take her home, will she? The only question that remains is whether or not the rest of us will survive. You suffered for us, and I forget that so easily. Now I see Natty, and I can hardly stand the thought of what You went through on the cross. I want to ask You to take her soon, but that’s telling You what to do. My heart just hurts so much.
“Shelby?”
The princess turned to see Nikolai standing just ten feet away.
“Are you all right?”
A single tear slid down her face as she shook her head no. Without permission, Nikolai came forward and put his arms around her. Shelby, desperate to be held, clung to him. The prince ached to tell her everything would be all right, but he couldn’t do that. Knowing that she had been with her Bible study ladies, it could have been any number of hurts that brought on her tears.
“I’m sorry,” he finally heard her gasp. Up to then she hadn’t been making any sound at all.
“Did something happen?” he asked, his arms still around her.
“No, not really. I mean, Natty’s in the hospital, and she just looks so—” Shelby couldn’t go on.
“You don’t have to explain,” Nikolai said, his head slightly bent so she could hear. “After you left, I was sorry I didn’t ask you if I could come long enough to meet the women.”
Shelby moved back in his arms, her own falling from his back, but his hands remained locked behind her waist.
“You wanted to meet my cancer ladies?”
“Yes. I’m sorry I keep forgetting to tell you.”
“Oh, Nick, they would be so thrilled to meet you—especially Natty.”
“We could see her tonight. I’m free.”
Shelby blinked fast but still felt tears come on again. She made no argument when Nikolai pulled her close once more. He hugged her for a long time, and when he let go, he kept an arm around her to lead her to the house.
“We’ll go right after dinner. Will that work for you?”
“Yes. Thank you, Nick.”
Nikolai had everything he could do not to pull her back into his arms. Whenever she dropped his full name, he felt they were making progress. Some weeks before, his father had told him he would think of a way to court Shelby. Nikolai felt as though he’d done just that. He had cleared his schedule as much as he was able and simply looked for times and opportunities to be with his wife. When he had looked out and seen her on the grounds, he had been content just to watch her. Then she had put her hands over her mouth, and he knew he had to join her.
A few hours later he was very glad that they’d gone to see Natty. Shelby walked with great familiarity to her friend’s hospital room, and when she slowed, he put a hand on her arm.
“I’ll wait here, Shelby, so you can see if she’s up to meeting me.”
“Oh, that’s a good idea. I’ll be right back.”
Nikolai leaned against the wall, sure he would be waiting some minutes, but Shelby was back in just a matter of seconds.
“Come on in.”
Nikolai joined his wife in the spotless hospital room and saw a small woman on the bed. She had a golf cap atop her bald head and smiled as soon as her eyes met his.
“Natty,” Shelby began, “this is Nick. Nick, this is Natty Carlson.”
Nikolai put his hand out. “It’s good to meet you, Natty.”
“Thank you for coming. My husband just left. He’ll be sorry to have missed you.”
“Maybe I’ll meet him next time. Do you have children who visit, Natty?” Nikolai asked as he took a seat.
“Yes. They’re all grown, though. We have an empty nest.”
“Natty’s daughter is a nurse here at the hospital,” Shelby filled in. “They see each other a lot.”
“Does she actually work in this ward?”
“No, she’s on the children’s floor, but when I’m admitted she comes after work each day.”
“Do they want to keep you for a while?”
“About a week total. I go home Monday or Tuesday.”
Nikolai smiled.
Natty’s gaze shifted to Shelby, and she smiled.
“I had forgotten how pretty your hair was, Shelby. All we ever see are the wigs.”
“I have my eye on a new one.” Shelby’s smile was mischievous.
“What color?”
“A strawberry blonde, all curly and wild.”
Natty crowed with laughter.
“Where is it?”
“At Bergdorf’s. They also have a gray one I like, but I don’t think I can pull that off yet.”
?
??Give me some warning,” Nikolai chimed in dryly. “If anyone ever spots me moving around town with all of these different women, my reputation will be shot.”
The women clearly took no pity on him. They teased him for a while before one of the interns wanted to check Natty. The exam held the possibility of being quite lengthy, so the royal couple said their goodbyes.
“Thank you, Nick,” was all Shelby said when they arrived back at the car.
Nikolai only kissed her cheek, unable to speak. So many things were starting to make sense about his wife—her kindness and way with people, her tender, compassionate heart. Something was happening to him, something scary and exciting all at the same time, and he didn’t know what to do with it. He wanted to tell Shelby that the trip to the hospital was his pleasure, but at the moment he couldn’t have spoken if he’d tried.
Thirteen
The day of the King’s Fair dawned lovely and warm. Shelby dressed according to the schedule on her desk. The children’s games were first. After lunch came skeet shooting. Following dinner that evening they would attend the concert on the palace grounds. All of the events were fairly casual, but Shelby wanted to look nice. Her family would be arriving that morning and staying for the next two nights. She was very excited about this but also a little nervous about their having a good time.
She need not have worried. They arrived when she was getting some last-minute instructions from the queen, and Murdock saw to their comfort. She didn’t see them until the children began to gather for the games, and the first thing they told her was how comfortable and beautiful their rooms were. Shelby was able to move on and not worry.
“Shelby,” Nikolai called to her almost as soon as she left her parents. She turned to see him with a boy.
“Hi. Did you need me?”
“Yes. I want you to meet Peter Owens. Peter, this is my wife, Princess Shelby.”
“Hello, Peter,” Shelby said warmly as she put her hand out to shake his. “How are you?”
“I’m fine.”
“Are you excited about the games?”
“Yes, but I can’t do some of them. I have to perform.”