of winning. She looked at the other girls, with their petite figures, pale skin, and soft hands, and she knew she was nothing like them. She was fooling herself if she thought she could pass for a princess, let alone a delicate, sensitive one. Why should she try if she was destined to fail?
Genevieve glanced back, but Violet waved her on.
“Hello.”
Startled, Violet turned. She found herself staring into Richard’s eyes.
“Hello,” she said, her voice a bit unsteady.
“I’m sorry I frightened you.”
“No, it’s all right.”
“You look amazing,” Richard said.
Violet smiled. “Thank you for the dress.”
He shook his head. “I didn’t send it for you, although I wish I had thought of it,” he confessed.
“If it wasn’t you who sent the dress, then who did?”
“I honestly don’t know. But if I find out, I’ll be sure to thank them.”
A beautiful dog with long reddish-gold hair bounded up next to Richard and whined. “Hey, Duke, let me introduce you to the lady Violet.”
Violet extended her hand, and the dog sniffed it and then licked it. “He’s beautiful,” she said.
“Thanks,” Richard replied. He paused, then continued, “I’m sorry to hear about your mother’s health. She’s a wonderful woman. Is there anything I can do?”
Violet felt the smile fade from her lips. “Father Paul is doing the best anyone can. Thank you, but I don’t think anything can be done.”
Violet searched Richard’s eyes. There were so many things she wanted to say. The hallway became silent as the last of the chattering princesses disappeared from view. They were alone. Violet could tell him exactly how she felt, but somehow being in the castle was so much more awkward than walking around the farm.
The grand size of the building took her breath away, and she had been almost afraid to look at the tapestries that decorated the walls, feeling as thougha stare might ruin the delicate embroideries. At home they had to make things that would last and survive heavy use.
“I’m not quite sure why I’m here,” Violet blurted out. She had to talk to someone, and she didn’t think Genevieve would understand. At any rate, even if Genevieve might understand, it would mean explaining a lot more than Violet was in the mood to explain at the moment.
Richard stepped closer, and for a moment Violet forgot to breathe. He put a finger under her chin and tilted her head up toward his face. “There’s a question I asked you that you’ve never answered.”
He pinned her with his stare, and Violet felt the rest of the world melt away. It was as if only the two of them existed. Softly, he asked, “Is it me?”
“Yes,” she breathed.
Richard smiled and leaned in to Violet. She closed her eyes.
“Your Highness!”
Violet jerked, and she opened her eyes just in time to see Richard turn aside, a look of irritation on his face. The servant she had met earlier stood there, his eyebrows arched with vague disapproval. “Your parents wish for you to join them in the throne room.”
“Thank you, Steward,” Richard nodded. So the man was the steward, the one in charge of running the castle. No wonder he looked at her disapprovingly.
When Richard turned to excuse himself, he staredat Violet with smoldering eyes. “Pardon me,” he said, bowing. “I’ll see you at the banquet.”
Violet nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Prince Richard strode toward the throne room after the steward, and after a moment Violet continued on in the direction the other girls had gone and quickly entered the great hall.
In the banquet hall Violet discovered that Genevieve had saved her a seat toward the head of the table, and she gratefully took it. Violet counted eighteen girls besides herself at the table. There were several others that she took to be parents or older siblings of some of the princesses.
“Did you come here with anyone in addition to your servants?” Violet asked.
Genevieve wrinkled her nose. “My
Genevieve glanced back, but Violet waved her on.
“Hello.”
Startled, Violet turned. She found herself staring into Richard’s eyes.
“Hello,” she said, her voice a bit unsteady.
“I’m sorry I frightened you.”
“No, it’s all right.”
“You look amazing,” Richard said.
Violet smiled. “Thank you for the dress.”
He shook his head. “I didn’t send it for you, although I wish I had thought of it,” he confessed.
“If it wasn’t you who sent the dress, then who did?”
“I honestly don’t know. But if I find out, I’ll be sure to thank them.”
A beautiful dog with long reddish-gold hair bounded up next to Richard and whined. “Hey, Duke, let me introduce you to the lady Violet.”
Violet extended her hand, and the dog sniffed it and then licked it. “He’s beautiful,” she said.
“Thanks,” Richard replied. He paused, then continued, “I’m sorry to hear about your mother’s health. She’s a wonderful woman. Is there anything I can do?”
Violet felt the smile fade from her lips. “Father Paul is doing the best anyone can. Thank you, but I don’t think anything can be done.”
Violet searched Richard’s eyes. There were so many things she wanted to say. The hallway became silent as the last of the chattering princesses disappeared from view. They were alone. Violet could tell him exactly how she felt, but somehow being in the castle was so much more awkward than walking around the farm.
The grand size of the building took her breath away, and she had been almost afraid to look at the tapestries that decorated the walls, feeling as thougha stare might ruin the delicate embroideries. At home they had to make things that would last and survive heavy use.
“I’m not quite sure why I’m here,” Violet blurted out. She had to talk to someone, and she didn’t think Genevieve would understand. At any rate, even if Genevieve might understand, it would mean explaining a lot more than Violet was in the mood to explain at the moment.
Richard stepped closer, and for a moment Violet forgot to breathe. He put a finger under her chin and tilted her head up toward his face. “There’s a question I asked you that you’ve never answered.”
He pinned her with his stare, and Violet felt the rest of the world melt away. It was as if only the two of them existed. Softly, he asked, “Is it me?”
“Yes,” she breathed.
Richard smiled and leaned in to Violet. She closed her eyes.
“Your Highness!”
Violet jerked, and she opened her eyes just in time to see Richard turn aside, a look of irritation on his face. The servant she had met earlier stood there, his eyebrows arched with vague disapproval. “Your parents wish for you to join them in the throne room.”
“Thank you, Steward,” Richard nodded. So the man was the steward, the one in charge of running the castle. No wonder he looked at her disapprovingly.
When Richard turned to excuse himself, he staredat Violet with smoldering eyes. “Pardon me,” he said, bowing. “I’ll see you at the banquet.”
Violet nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Prince Richard strode toward the throne room after the steward, and after a moment Violet continued on in the direction the other girls had gone and quickly entered the great hall.
In the banquet hall Violet discovered that Genevieve had saved her a seat toward the head of the table, and she gratefully took it. Violet counted eighteen girls besides herself at the table. There were several others that she took to be parents or older siblings of some of the princesses.
“Did you come here with anyone in addition to your servants?” Violet asked.
Genevieve wrinkled her nose. “My
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