A Kiss in Time (29 page)

But youd better get your grades up, if you want to be able to do that, his father says.
And maybe take French. Thatll be easy, Jack says. With my girlfriend over here, and me over there, Ill have lots of time to study. So you approve of Jack . . . Jack
and me? I say to Father. Father laughs. Of course I do. Clearly, he was your destiny. And he and his father are saving . . . how would you say it, Travis? He looks at
him. . . . our Euphrasian behinds. I gaze into Jacks eyes. I would like to kiss him again, but that would be impossible, with
our fathers here. Still, I move toward him and grasp his hand.

I hadnt noticed Travis before, but now he interrupts. Hey, can I be in charge of food?
Maybe we could open the first Euphrasian hot-dog stand.

I clap my hands. Yes! I love hot dogs! Can you make them, then?

We all laugh, and I know it will be all right. It is finally all right. T
wo Years Later =

G G G G j T
alia A
re you ready? Jack asks. I survey his attire. He is not dressed exactly as he was when
first we met. I know all too well what marketing people are now, and they and Jacks father had their ideas about the costume. So instead of
swim trunks under his jeans, Jack wears artfully destroyed blue jeans, and the flag
T-shirt is replaced by a clean, plain one. I chose white, the better to show off his
tanned good looks. He is still as handsome as he was that day.

As ever, my love, I say, adjusting my green gown. But there is a little time, is there
not? Might we look out the window?

We might. Jack offers his hand, and we walk to the window. It is three stories up, and
below, where the moat once was, a lengthy queue has formed within velvet ropes. There are so many little girls in line. Some wear crowns, and others are even dressed like
me, in satiny green gowns which cost many Euros! To one side, a woman circulates, selling
spindle-shaped holders covered in pink and blue spun sugar candy. Several fairies flutter
around in the trees, watching at a safe distance from the crowd.

All to see us? I ask Jack.

I told you, this stuffs really popular. At Disney, they reenact the Sword and the Stone
every day.

I well know it. Last summer, Jack and I went on a tour of all the Disneys (Florida,
California, Paris, and Tokyo) as well as Colonial Williamsburg and Plimoth Plantation, in
preparation for the opening of Royal Euphrasia. I know all about tourist attractions and
lines of people. Indeed, we had to relocate the scene of Jacks and my first kiss from the
tower room to a larger venue (formed by knocking out several walls between the guest
bedrooms and add- ing a grandstand of seats), the better to accommodate the crowds.

Why do you suppose they are all here? I ask. They want magic in their lives, I guess, Jack
says. Magic like we have? I look into his eyes. It will be even bigger, once the movie
comes out, Jack says. Yes, but we will not be here then. It is true. Come fall, Jack will be off to
England to study Landscape Architecture in Manchester, while I will be in Paris, studying fashion. It
is my aim to design elegant clothing for young ladiesclothing to make them feel like princesses and not show their
bellies. Actors will play the parts of Jack and Talia at Royal Euphrasia after we leave.
But for now, and every summer and winter break hereaf- ter, Jack and I will meet in
Euphrasia. And someday, we may live here together in the castle. When it was remod- eled,
many of the rooms were blocked off so that Mother, Father, Jack, and I, and even our
future children, might have a place to stay.

But first, there shall be adventure. And travel. And when I return to Euphrasia, it will
be because I wish to settle down, not because I have to.

Dear Jack, I say, it has all worked out so perfectly!

He sweeps me into his arms for a kiss, a lengthy one that makes me forget everything that
has come before it, and indeed, all the people outside. It continues until we are
interrupted by the clearing of an elderly throat.

Ahem. Perhaps you should save that for your audience.

It is Malvolia. Jack and I pull apart from each other . . . guiltily.

The christening scene went well, then? I ask her.

Indeed. She rubs her hands together. I had those wee ones more scared of me than they
would be of any roller coaster. She smiles.

You are, indeed, quite frightening, I say.

I spoke with Father about Malvolia. It was a good deal of work to persuade him that he
might have been wrong in exiling her. But I pointed out that Lady Brooke had been none too careful in watching me
that fateful day. When he sent for Lady Brooke to discuss the allegation that she had lied
about Prince George, it was found that she had disappeared from Euphrasia entirely.
Grudgingly, thereaf- ter, Father agreed reluctantly that a fairy dressmaker might be of
some use in the castle, on a probationary basis, since there were no children about for
her to harm. The other fairies helped us to search for her within her realm. Once she
heard of the possibility of forgiveness, she allowed her- self to be found. She proved
such a godsend that he has allowed her to continue on, playing herself in the daily shows.
In rehearsals, when she disappeared into a puff of smoke, the assembled onlookers were
amazed at the special effect. They searched far and wide and could find no trap- door. I
expect she shall long be with us.

Now, she begins to laugh and does her trick again. In an instant, she is gone.

Travis appears at the door. Are we ready? he asks.

I can hear the sound of many feet trooping up the castle steps. I take my place on a
pretty velvet sofa under a frieze of flowers designed and drawn by Meryl after the
original tapestries were destroyed in the remodeling. I commence to feign sleep. I can
hear the audience filling in their seats. A Royal Euphrasia employee welcomes them to the
show. Then, Jack and Travis enter stage right.

Wow, shes hot, Travis says. I know, Jack says, and I can feel him leaning closer to me. But shes asleep, like the rest of them. They go through a bit of scripted dialogue,
Travis try-

ing to persuade Jack to kiss me, Jack resisting. Finally, Jack says, Look, I want to kiss
her, but not in front of you. Why dont you go downstairs and look around? The prin- cess
and I need some time alone.

Travis leaves, and Jack leans even closer. He kisses me. I rise from my sleep.

It is magic! The audience applauds, and we are on our way to happily ever after. Again.