Read Online A Royal Holiday (Royals of Valleria #5) by Marianne Knightly - Free Book Online
Authors: Marianne Knightly
Ads: Link
ahead, she could see Genevieve and the other women combing through onesies, booties, and incredibly cute, tiny dresses. “People said a lot of things about me when I was growing up. Now that I’m with Nate, they still say things, just different things.”
“Has anyone been bothering you? You can tell us. We’ll take care of it.”
Charlie shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. I’m tough. I can deal with it.”
Rebecca linked arms with Charlie. “It doesn’t matter if you’re tough. You’re a part of the family now. If you need help, you only need to ask for it.”
It was similar to what Nate had mentioned this morning, and a well of emotion filled her heart now as it had done then. She couldn’t remember ever being part of a family before, unless she counted the time she spent with her foster mother, Lola. Charlie cleared the gruffness clogging her throat. “Thank you for saying that. It means a lot to me.”
“You mean a lot to us.”
“So do you. If you ever need me to take that bitch down, just let me know.”
Rebecca laughed. “I knew I liked you from the moment we met, and I was right.”
Charlie halted their steps while they were still out of earshot of the rest. “In the meantime, I know it’s tough what you’re going through. I’ve had Nate’s former girlfriends, or whatever they were, thrown in my face before.”
“That’s right. I forgot about that.”
“I didn’t. And, I’m sorry to say, you won’t forget about her, either. But you have to remember that he’s with you now. I still don’t get why Nate loves me sometimes, but I have stopped questioning it so much. He loves me. I love him. Someone from his past can’t change that, and I know the same is true for you and Alex. You’re way too sappy together to let something like this break you.”
Rebecca let out a long breath. “You’re right, Charlie. Absolutely right. I knew that in my head, but now I think my heart knows it, too.”
“Good.” Charlie smiled conspiratorially. “Now, do you want to give the press something else to think about?”
“What did you have in mind?”
“Oh, how about a bunch of royal women buying baby clothes?”
“People will assume it’s for Arianna.”
“Not if you pick up a few items in Vallerian purple and make a show of how much you love them.”
“Oh, you are terrible. And I love it. Come on, let’s tell the others.”
***
Grace usually felt a tinge of sadness and loss whenever she came across baby clothes. Miscarrying a child – even the child of her dead, abusive husband’s – wasn’t something she thought she would ever get over, but she had come to accept it, and had grown to live with the permanent ache in her heart.
Days like today made it all the more bearable. Surrounded by women who loved and supported her, all of whom knew of her past by now, she could easily wander the aisles and dote on the impossibly small, soft clothes.
“What do you think about this?” Rebecca asked as she held up a purple onesie. It wasn’t as dark as Vallerian purple, but it would do.
“I like it,” Grace said in her refined English accent. “I think you should make a bigger show of how much you adore it, however.”
Rebecca winked and started waxing poetic about its cuteness, its softness, and everything in-between.
A small crowd had formed in the local shop. Women pointed and snapped photos while the royal women gushed, all of them in on Charlie’s plan.
As Grace fingered the soft fabric of another outfit, she wondered again if she would ever have children. The doctors weren’t sure, and Marcello had said he didn’t mind either way, that they could adopt if a natural birth was out of the question. She certainly wouldn’t mind adopting. However, she couldn’t stop the yearning to nestle their child within her, to watch her belly swell and to know that she was nourishing
“Has anyone been bothering you? You can tell us. We’ll take care of it.”
Charlie shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. I’m tough. I can deal with it.”
Rebecca linked arms with Charlie. “It doesn’t matter if you’re tough. You’re a part of the family now. If you need help, you only need to ask for it.”
It was similar to what Nate had mentioned this morning, and a well of emotion filled her heart now as it had done then. She couldn’t remember ever being part of a family before, unless she counted the time she spent with her foster mother, Lola. Charlie cleared the gruffness clogging her throat. “Thank you for saying that. It means a lot to me.”
“You mean a lot to us.”
“So do you. If you ever need me to take that bitch down, just let me know.”
Rebecca laughed. “I knew I liked you from the moment we met, and I was right.”
Charlie halted their steps while they were still out of earshot of the rest. “In the meantime, I know it’s tough what you’re going through. I’ve had Nate’s former girlfriends, or whatever they were, thrown in my face before.”
“That’s right. I forgot about that.”
“I didn’t. And, I’m sorry to say, you won’t forget about her, either. But you have to remember that he’s with you now. I still don’t get why Nate loves me sometimes, but I have stopped questioning it so much. He loves me. I love him. Someone from his past can’t change that, and I know the same is true for you and Alex. You’re way too sappy together to let something like this break you.”
Rebecca let out a long breath. “You’re right, Charlie. Absolutely right. I knew that in my head, but now I think my heart knows it, too.”
“Good.” Charlie smiled conspiratorially. “Now, do you want to give the press something else to think about?”
“What did you have in mind?”
“Oh, how about a bunch of royal women buying baby clothes?”
“People will assume it’s for Arianna.”
“Not if you pick up a few items in Vallerian purple and make a show of how much you love them.”
“Oh, you are terrible. And I love it. Come on, let’s tell the others.”
***
Grace usually felt a tinge of sadness and loss whenever she came across baby clothes. Miscarrying a child – even the child of her dead, abusive husband’s – wasn’t something she thought she would ever get over, but she had come to accept it, and had grown to live with the permanent ache in her heart.
Days like today made it all the more bearable. Surrounded by women who loved and supported her, all of whom knew of her past by now, she could easily wander the aisles and dote on the impossibly small, soft clothes.
“What do you think about this?” Rebecca asked as she held up a purple onesie. It wasn’t as dark as Vallerian purple, but it would do.
“I like it,” Grace said in her refined English accent. “I think you should make a bigger show of how much you adore it, however.”
Rebecca winked and started waxing poetic about its cuteness, its softness, and everything in-between.
A small crowd had formed in the local shop. Women pointed and snapped photos while the royal women gushed, all of them in on Charlie’s plan.
As Grace fingered the soft fabric of another outfit, she wondered again if she would ever have children. The doctors weren’t sure, and Marcello had said he didn’t mind either way, that they could adopt if a natural birth was out of the question. She certainly wouldn’t mind adopting. However, she couldn’t stop the yearning to nestle their child within her, to watch her belly swell and to know that she was nourishing
Similar Books
