ever since Xander popped in to see me. So now, we have loads of twentysomething women who come in every morning for coffee and a bun, hoping to catch a glimpse of the dashing Prince of Wales. But with more traffic comes more orders, and I’ve been working on custom orders for biscuits non-stop this week. I can’t wait for reinforcements to be hired, and I suggested that if Priya Kapoor is as good as what her CV suggests, she might be a valuable person to add to our staff on a full-time basis. Because at the rate the bespoke orders are going up, I’m going to need more help.
So I’ve been busy with my work during the day, and at night, reviewing more CVs and calculating supply orders for the royal wedding biscuit production. I have to present a budget to Matilda on Monday morning, and she will place it so we can start practicing initial test runs with biscuits as soon as the bakers are signed on and ready to go.
Xander has been busy as well. He did his speech on Tuesday, which got high marks from the press for his distinct voice. Wednesday, he did the fitness walk in Surrey with Camden, and yesterday he—along with Liz, Clementine, Christian, and Roman—held a forum to talk about new initiatives for this spring and summer for the House of Chadwick Charities. Xander’s wit, compassion, and keen interest in hearing the issues being discussed showed on camera. I feel as if he’s taking a few steps out of his father’s shadow this week, which is huge for him.
His event with Camden turned out to be very interesting. Xander said he loved walking with the community. Seeing so many people get up, lace up their trainers and get active made him see the influence he can have on helping people find fitness. But he also had an interesting conversation with Camden, too. He called me after he got back and relayed that Camden and Victoria went out on Tuesday night. And the date was a disaster. Apparently, outside of flirting, they had nothing in common. Victoria confirmed Camden’s story with Liz. When it came time to try and have a serious conversation, the chemistry between them was zero.
Interesting, I think as I roll the blush fondant into a rope and add it to the log of white fondant I have shaped. Once you took out the initial physical attraction, and with no games to occupy them as they had at Ivy Cottage, they had no connection. What’s more intriguing is that Xander said Camden mentioned, off-handedly, that he enjoyed talking to Bella and couldn’t believe her medieval film knowledge. Nothing more than that, but that tells me there might be a spark of recognition there. Maybe something that needs more time to kindle and take off, instead of the instant spark of attraction he had for Victoria. Perhaps, with a second-chance meeting, maybe Camden would appreciate how easy it is to talk to Bella, and there could be so much more to discover if he would take the chance.
Lord. I begin twisting the fondant, so the colours start to streak together, melding to take the appearance of sleek marble. I’m as bad as the suits in the palace who wanted to write a love story for Christian starring an English rose aristocrat rather than an American from Arizona. Just like the suits, I can’t write a story for Camden and Bella.
But that doesn’t mean I can’t hope that one day, Camden will see Bella for the beauty she is inside and out. And like Xander, he will be ready to walk away from his playboy days because he’s ready to change. For something new.
For a chance at love.
I laugh under my breath. Wow. I begin dating Xander, and suddenly, I’m a sappy romantic. That, or somewhere in a previous life, perhaps I was a romance novelist, and that has risen to the surface within me.
I put my marbled fondant aside and sprinkle more icing sugar on my board. I place the fondant back in the centre and grab my marble rolling pin, working out the fondant into a large rectangle.
While I can’t make a romance happen, I can help Bella shine at the wedding next month. She doesn’t know about our meeting tonight at Princess Helene’s place, but we are going to put our heads together to make her feel fabulous—exactly the way she is.
I lift the fondant on my pin