Highness (24 page)

“My apologies,” the duke said, nearly pushing his daughter out.

Hope pulled away from the men and straightened her dress. “One day, Thalia.  You and I will finish this conversation,” she said, pointing at her.

“I doubt it.  You’ll be out on your ass soon enough,” Thalia said, grabbing her purse and pushing past Geoff toward the door with her father following behind her.

William quickly closed the doors, hoping that the ruckus had not breeched the library on the other side of the castle.  He looked at his watch and pulled out an envelope from his pocket. Walking back over to Hope, who stood by the window, he offered it.

“This will take care of you for the rest of your life.  You can paint, travel, explore…all the things that you’ve ever wanted to do,” he said, opening the envelope. 

Hope took the check and looked at it.  “Twenty-five million pounds.”

“We’re not buying your silence.  We’re buying our kingdom back.  Our prince is a symbol of this country.  We will need him in these trying times.  Your presence here prevents him from being able to do his job.  Please, madam, I beg of you.  Resist your temptation for him and leave.”

Hope looked over at Madeline.  “Is this what Richard and the Queen wants?”

Madeline fell back in her chair and rested her head in her hands. “Yes, it’s what they all want.”  She wanted to say more but how could she go against her dying husband. 

The room was rife with tension.  Hope looked around in desperation.  Who here was an ally?  And would she ever have one if she chose to stay?  Would they always be plotting against her – his Highness’s ridiculous girlfriend. 

William’s voice was almost a whisper.  “Richard is telling Michael the truth now.  What do you think he will do when he finds out that his older brother is dying?  Do you really think that he’ll denounce his thrown then, and if he does, you always wonder would he have done it, if you hadn’t been in the way?”  He stepped closer to Hope.  “Hate me if you must, but heed my word, you are an impairment to this kingdom.  No good can come of it.  Deep in your heart, you know that.”

Hope felt the room began to swim.  She remembered in that moment every sweet word and promise that Michael had ever made to her, and she knew each of them to be true.  She knew he would stand by her no matter what, loyal to a fault.  She also knew that his true place was with this country, and if she loved him as much as she confessed, then she had to do what was best for him.

Maybe this was best.

“I’m not doing this for your money,” Hope said, looking around the room with tears in her eyes. “I’m quite happy just the way that I am and with what I have.  I’m doing this for him,” she said, picking up her shawl.  “It is apparent that if I stay, I will hurt him. And I can’t bare that. I love him too much.”

“The Queen insists that you take the check,” William said, pushing it into her hand gently.  “If you don’t cash it, at least put it away. One day, you might change your mind.” 

Looking down at Madeline who was awash with tears and grief, Hope gestured toward her. “I’m so sorry for your loss. This must be killing you. Please accept my sincerest sympathies for your family and your loss.”

Madeline wiped her face.  “You’re all a bunch of monsters for what you’re doing to her,” she said, standing up. “And I’ll not have a second more of it.”  Leaving out of the room, she disappeared down the hallway.

Taking the check in her hand, Hope walked toward the doors with the men watching her carefully.  Geoff met her and escorted her to the car. 

“He will be furious that you’ve taken their offer,” he said as they arrived at the front doors.  The sun shined in on them both.  She looked up into his eyes and smiled.  Taking the check, Hope tore it to pieces.  Leaving it Albert’s fragile hands, she sighed at Geoff. “I didn’t accept their offer,” she said as the doors opened to the motorcade.  “I did what is best for him, because I’m just his girlfriend.  And those are the wishes of his mother.”

“He’s a stubborn boy. Don’t go too far, and don’t be surprised, if he comes looking for you.”

Nodding, Geoff took her hand and walked with her to the car.  He helped her inside and slowly closed it securely behind her. “It’s been a pleasure.”

***

Michael stood in the library against the backdrop of a thousand historic books with a look of vengeance in his eyes.  While he had imagined a lot from his brother, he had never truly imagined him trying to get between himself and someone he loved.  His tone was bitter as he spoke.

“You disappoint me, brother,” Michael said, hands in his pockets. 

“I disappoint myself,” Richard said, pouring a stronger drink.  The wine was not nearly enough to satisfy him today.  “But all that I can offer in the form of advice is to get simply get used to certain disappointments.”

“I won’t leave her,” Michael said abruptly. “Nothing that you can say will make me.”

“This isn’t about the girl as much as it is about your country.”

Michael cringed when he heard the words.  It seemed to be the only line these people had memorized.  “The people don’t need me.  They have you. You’re the great hope.  Everyone loves you. Everyone trusts you.  What do they need with me anyway, Richard?”

Richard turned to his brother and took a big gulp of scotch. “There is no easy way to say this to you.  I wish there were.  You’ve been like a son to me instead of a brother and I feel completely responsible for you, but I’m dying.  I’ve got four months before this thing they call pancreatic cancer takes me away from this place, and I need to whip you into shape.”

Michael stood in shook. Unable to blink, he felt his heart pounding in his chest.  “Is this some sick joke?”

“You’d have to ask the oncologist,” Richard said, sitting down.

“There must be something that can be done,” Michael started.  He pulled his hands from his pockets and went over to the desk. Leaning on it, eyes away from his brother, he felt himself getting light-headed.  Tears welded to the edges of his eyes.  Damn it to hell. He had lost his father…not his brother too. 

Richard pulled out his pill bottle and opened it.  Taking three of the strong pain meds, he downed them with scotch. “There is nothing that can be done.  And instead of staying in a hospital, I’m going to spend my final days with my beautiful wife and children.”

Michael whispered.  “This can’t be happening.”

“It’s happening,” Richard said in a matter-of-fact tone. “And it’s happening now, which is why I’ve asked you to leave Hope and lead this country.”  He stared at his brother’s wide back turned to him. “You can do this, Michael.  You always could.  The only person who didn’t believe in you was you.  It’s always been that way.”

“I don’t want it.”

“Most good kings don’t want it. Most good kings have other ambitions.  But another life is not what you’ve been given. You were given this one. Prince of Wales.  And your mother and your country needs you. “

Even dying, Richard couldn’t help but be a prick.  Michael turned to him as he wiped the tears from his face and swallowed down his fear.  “So this is why you think that it is best to run Hope off.”

“Having a girlfriend is not going to help you in your current situation. You’ll have enough critics as is.  We need to get rid of some of your
royal
baggage and prepare you for the responsibilities that will be at hand as my cancer progresses to its full term.  But I will agree that Thalia is a bad pick.  I didn’t see it until today.  God only knows why or how I’ve missed it for so long.” Richard set his glass down.  “I want you to be happy.  I’ve always wanted it.  And I wouldn’t be asking you this now, had I not just been informed in the last three weeks that I’m dying.” He smiled sarcastically. “But the party is over.” He meant that in more way than one, especially when it came to his own life.

“I love her,” Michael said, feeling an overwhelming anger raging inside of him.

“So, I’ve heard.” Richard folded his hands together and crossed his legs. “And I’m sorry about that.  She seems like a truly lovely girl.”

Michael wiped a hand over his face and drifted into the silence of the room for a minute. He would not allow himself to lose control, especially knowing that his brother was ill. 

Smacking his lips, Michael looked at Richard. “I could give her up,” he said, finally.  “But I won’t.  The only reason why you are so resolute about dying is because Madeline has been the love of your life.  You’ve had that and been allowed to keep your title.  Love is what is keeping you going now.  Are you really going to deny me the same thing? I’ll do my job as prince, even as King, but I won’t do it without her.”

“You don’t have a choice. You can’t marry the woman,” Richard said, sitting up. 
Why was it so hard for Michael to see the complexities of such a thing?

“Can’t I,” Michael said, pulling a box from his pocket.  “I intend to, brother. I intend to just that.”

“The country will not allow it,” Richard warned.  “They will turn against you.”

“This country doesn’t have a fucking choice,” he said, walking to the door.  “You’re my brother and I love you.  I’ll see to it that everything that you want is done regarding this country, and I’ll be there for your and my mother until the very end. I won’t deny my responsibility to Britain, but I’ll not deny my responsibility to myself either.”

“Are you willing to live with grave the consequences of your actions?  When the world turns on her, how will you feel then? ” Richard asked, sitting at the edge of his chair. “I am thinking of her.  Will you?  For just one damn minute, will you stop thinking of yourself?”

“I am thinking of her, and every promise that I’ve made to her.  If I cannot protect her, if I cannot love her, then I’m not fit to be king. More than that, I’m not fit to call myself a man,” Michael said, opening the door.  “We’ll talk about this later.  For now, go to your wife and…”

Madeline came barreling down the hall in tears.  Her feet echoed down the marble hall as she ran with her hand covering her mouth.  “Where is he?” she asked Michael, nearly pushing him aside.  She burst into the room and looked at her husband.  “I can’t do this.  That God-awful woman, Thalia, cannot be a part of this family. You can’t leave me here alone on this earth tied to her!  This is wrong, Richard.”

Michael looked down the hall. “Where is Hope?” he asked, jaw clenched.

Madeline turned to him. “She was still in the dining hall when I left.”

Running down the hall as fast as his feet would take him, Michael rushed toward the dining hall after Hope, feeling as though something horrible had just transpired in his absence.  When he came nearly sliding into the room, he saw only the counselors there at the table talking. His heart sank. 

William stood as soon as he saw Michael.  “Your Highness.”

“Cut the bullshit, William.  Where is she?” Michael asked, standing at the end of the table. 

William looked around the room at the other men.  “We were ordered to encourage her to leave,” William answered.  “By the Queen,” he added.  “She accepted our offer, and she is gone, sir.”

Michael nearly doubled over.  “What?” He hit the table with fist, knocking over the glasses of wine. “How long?”

The men jumped.  “Only minutes, five at most,” William answered.

“I will deal with all of you later,” Michael said, belting out of the room. He ran as fast as he could, shedding his coat on the floor as he made his way toward the main hall. 

Albert saw him coming and opened the door for his master.

“Where did she go, Albert?” Michael pleaded. “Where did they take her?”

“I don’t know, Your Highness,” the old man answered sincerely. “She left this.”  He offered the torn up check. 

Michael saw Geoff outside sitting on the edge of the garden smoking a cigarette as he came out the front doors.  “Which direction?” he asked. 

Geoff stood and pointed.  “She must be near the gate by now.” 

One of the men who had escorted them in still stood beside his bike.  As soon as he saw Michael approach, he stood at attention. 

“Give me your keys,” Michael ordered.

“Sir?” the man asked, confused. 

“Give me your fucking keys,” Michael said, getting on the bike.

The man quickly gave Michael his keys. 

“And your helmet,” Geoff said, walking up to them. 

“I have to catch her,” Michael said, putting the helmet on.  Turning the ignition switch on, he shifted the transmission into the neutral, pulled the clutch and pressed the start button.  As soon as the engine fired, he shifted to first gear and applied the throttle.    As he sped away, Geoff got on his earpiece to the front gate.

“Ms. Daniels should be approaching shortly.  Stop her.  I repeat.  Stop her.  The prince is on his way.  She is not to leave out of the gates.”

“Copy that,” the security man answered.

              It had been a while since Michael had been on a bike, but he rode it furiously.  Hitting the curves and moving as fast as the bike would take him.   He sped passed the confused grounds keepers and gardeners, rushed through the wiry lane, down through the thicket as fast as he could. At nearly sixty miles an hour as he approached the last stretch before the gate, he saw the car.