with your personal secretary and press officer. In the afternoon, I have arranged for your hairdresser and manicurist to be here at four o’clock to prepare you for the ball.”
She tried to control the sensation of panic as she listened to Greta. She should be used to having her days and evenings organized but after the relative freedom of Australia, this was going to be hard to take. Greta patted Lara’s hand as if she understood Lara’s anxiety. She was lucky to have someone like Greta who really cared for her. She had been her nanny from when Lara was a small child and then, as she had grown into a young woman, Greta had stayed on in the royal household as Lara’s personal maid. There had always been great affection between them and she considered confiding in Greta about this latest turn of events.
“Your bath is ready. I’ll leave you for now.”
“Thank you, Greta. I appreciate everything you do for me.”
“I’m glad to have you home.” The older woman returned Lara’s smile as she closed the bedroom door.
She finished her toast and coffee and then with a glint of determination in her eyes picked up the phone and rang the queen’s apartments.
“Did you sleep well?” Her mother answered immediately.
“Yes, thank you.”
“It’s so wonderful to have you home. We must make time for a catch up. Did Jack dine with you last night?”
The question was casual but she knew her mother was probing. “No, but he did ask me to marry him.” Nothing like getting to the point, she decided, deliberately hardening her heart.
“Oh, darling. I’m happy for you both. It’s so wise of you, particularly if there’s a baby on the way.”
“Mummy, I refused Jack’s proposal.”
“What? My dear child, how could you do such a thing? The man is going to invest millions of dollars into our country and you refuse him?”
“Exactly.” She gripped the receiver to stop her hand from shaking. “I would have preferred to discuss this with you face-to-face but it appears you and my father decided to plan my life behind my back so…”
“Lara, that’s enough. You don’t understand how important this arrangement is. Besides, I’m not blind. I can see you’re attracted to Jack and I understand. He is a very attractive man. After all, you’ve been intimate with him so it’s not as if you would be marrying a stranger.” Francesca’s voice took on a persuasive tone.
Placing one hand to her burning face, Lara swallowed as she gathered herself to continue. She couldn’t believe she was having this extraordinary conversation with her mother. She had always been a dutiful daughter and naively obeyed her parents with her one act of defiance when she insisted on attending school in Australia. And she would never have won that battle if Carl hadn’t supported her, demanding his royal parents allow Lara to be part of her modern generation. She loved her brother dearly and had always been grateful to him for taking her side on the issue.
“I’m not going to change my mind.”
There was a pause and she waited knowing her mother wouldn’t give in. “We’ll see, dear. Now, it’s a lovely day and I think we should treat our guest to a tour. I have arranged for the three of us to go on a sleigh ride through the parks, and I would like you to be ready at two o’clock.”
Tempted to refuse, she found herself agreeing instead. Jack was here as a royal visitor so she would need to be polite to him, particularly as he wouldn’t be here at all if it wasn’t for her.
“Is Jack still with the king?”
“Yes. They’re going to have lunch together. And, Lara, I don’t wish to discuss this matter in front of him until we have sorted something out. Is that understood?”
“Yes.”
“But the subject is by no means closed. You have to consider marriage in the very near future so it might as well be to a wealthy man like Jack.”
“There are plenty of rich men around, Mummy. Why don’t you put me on EBay and see how much you can get for a real live princess?” Lara’s tone was cutting. Since when had her mother become so hard and so desperate to arrange her daughter’s marriage?
“Don’t be cynical. It doesn’t suit you. Yes, there are wealthy men around and if you don’t agree to this arrangement with Jack your father and I will be obliged to choose another husband for you.”
Click. Her mother had rung off.