it had. Both of their lives had been changed dramatically, but he had to remind himself that hers bore the brunt of it. It was just going to take time for them to adjust. And would it kill him to spare her just a little bit more of his time? At least until she settled in.
“Do you have plans for lunch tomorrow?” he asked.
“Nothing I can’t change.”
He had a ridiculously busy schedule, but he could spare some time if it kept the peace. “We could eat, then take a walk in the garden.”
Her smile grew. “I would love to.”
Though he felt ridiculous for it, the happiness that filled her eyes warmed his heart. “One o’clock?”
She nodded vigorously.
“It’s a date then.” He pressed one last lingering kiss to her lips, then opened the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow,” she said, before she closed the door behind him.
And as he walked to his own suite, he considered the events of the past week, since the minute she stepped out of that car and into his life. He knew she had prepared for her position as his wife, and it was clear she took it very seriously. It was her motivation that had him puzzled. Until she moved to Morgan Isle, he had been sure she’d done it for the title. For the security of her family. Yet she seemed to have every intention of making this marriage work.
She seemed to want the real thing.
But that was more than he was willing, or capable, of giving.
Friday came faster than Hannah could have imagined. Faster than she was ready for. She’d spent the past eight years preparing for this, and suddenly everything was happening so fast, she barely had time to catch her breath. And though she vowed not to let the living arrangements upset her, it had been in the back of her mind.
She was beginning to suspect that her ideas about her perfect life with Phillip, all her carefully mapped plans, were silly and immature. And for the most part, totally unrealistic.
She of all people should understand that life didn’t follow a plan. If it did, she never would have lost her father, and her mother wouldn’t be trying to replace him. She couldn’t expect Phillip to fall into line and live his life, one she knew virtually nothing about, by her preconceived notion of what a marriage was supposed to be.
But even if things didn’t go exactly as she planned, that didn’t mean she and Phillip wouldn’t be happy. It was just going to take time to figure things out, to get them running smoothly, and a lot of compromise. She would have to be patient with him.
Honestly, what did it say about his childhood that he’d never considered sharing a living space with his own wife? A person didn’t grow up like that without collecting scars along the way. She would have to be pretty coldhearted not to cut him some slack.
The more she thought about it over the course of the week, when she took the time to consider his feelings, more than being hurt, she felt sad. For him, because of the loving environment he deserved, and obviously never had. She would show him how unconditional love and dedication felt. No matter what it took.
Everything was going to work out all right.
She kept telling herself that all week as last-minute preparations were being made, and when her bridesmaids and mother arrived for the rehearsal luncheon Thursday afternoon.
She chanted it over and over during the final dress fittings, and later at the impromptu bridal dinner Sophie hosted at her residence. While everyone sipped champagne and shared stories of love and relationships, Hannah pasted on a smile to hide the fact that, for the first time since she made the decision to do this, she was questioning herself.
She even pretended, when her mother mentioned her own impending wedding, that she wasn’t horrified by the idea. And when everyone gushed over the palace and asked her if royal life was everything she had dreamed of, she told them yes. Because it was, or, it would be. At least she hoped so.
It was after midnight when everyone retired to their rooms, and Hannah was finally alone, with nothing but time to think about what she was doing. It wasn’t as if she could back out at this point. Not that she would even want to. She was just confused and scared.
What if she was making a mistake?
What she needed was a sign. She needed something to happen that would assure her she was doing the right thing.
She’d barely completed the thought when someone knocked on her door. Then she heard Phillip’s voice.
“Hannah, it’s me.”
She rushed to the door before he could open it. As desperately as she wanted to see him, with the wedding less than twenty-four hours away, she couldn’t. It would be bad luck and, honestly, she didn’t need another black cloud hanging over her head.
She opened the door a crack, and stood behind it, so she wouldn’t be tempted to look. “We can’t see each other.”
“I know,” he said, his tone hushed. “I just wanted to let you know that I’m back from the States. I didn’t want you to worry that I might be late for our wedding.”
“How was your trip?”
“Exhausting. I toured ten resorts in five days. I’m glad to be home.”
And she was glad he came home.
“I ran into Sophie downstairs. She said there was a bridal party tonight.”
“It was fun,” Hannah said. “It was nice to see all of my friends again. You’ll meet them tomorrow.”
“Sophie also said that she thought you might be upset about something.”
How could Sophie have known? Hannah had been so careful not to let it show. “Why would she think that?”
“I don’t know. But I wanted to make sure you’re okay.”
He was worried about her.
Though it was a small thing, for her, it meant so much. “I’m okay.”
“I’m glad,” he said. And she could hear that he was honestly relieved. “I worried you might be having second thoughts.”
Was he seriously thinking that she wouldn’t marry him? The idea that he could be even the slightest bit unsure made her feel a million times better. It made her realize that she wasn’t in this alone. “Are you?”
There was a pause, then an emphatic, “No. I’m not.”
She smiled. Neither was she any longer. “I’m not either.”
“I missed you,” he said. He sounded a little surprised. Like he hadn’t expected to miss her, but it just…happened.
This was it. This was her sign.
“I missed you, too,” she told him.
“I’m going to get to bed. I’ll see you tomorrow. Sleep well.”
“You, too.”
She heard his footsteps as he walked away, then she closed the door and leaned against it.
The sense of dread she had been feeling all week was suddenly gone. The gush of relief that replaced it was so swift and intense her knees nearly buckled. Tomorrow she’d be Queen Hannah Augustus Mead.
Ten
The next day rushed by in a blur. Hannah was so busy, she barely had a moment to be nervous. And only when the time came to walk down the aisle, did she feel a twinge of sadness. Her father should have been here to give her away. But because there was no one in the world who could ever take his place, she insisted walking it alone.
When she saw Phillip standing at the end of the white runner, stoic and regal in his dress uniform, she felt a