LITMIR.BIZ

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legitimate princess with a bright future as the wife of a prominent Rhinelander embarking on a life of ease and luxury.

      The memories came flooding back as she sifted through the clothes—parties, balls, dinners. The memories of Wilhelm, who viewed her, not as a person with feelings or needs or desires, but as a trophy to be shown off in her matching shoes, her hand-painted scarves and her designer dresses. The memories brought her nothing but sadness. Where was that young, naive princess with her whole life ahead of her? Lise stood up and paced back and forth in the small bedroom. That princess was gone forever. In her place was an older, wiser woman who would not dwell in the past. Who would learn from her past mistakes. Who would allow no one to force her into another marriage of convenience.

      She told herself she was better off now than before. Anything was better than being married to Wilhelm. She would wear one of these dresses—hopefully one still fit—and not think of anything but the present. She would go to the party and face the future with her head high and show the world she was not ashamed of what had happened. After all, it was not her fault her marriage was over and she’d been cast out and returned home.

      But when she stood on the flagstone path that led to the formal gardens of the palace, her nerves almost failed her. The figures in the garden, women in flowered dresses, men in black tie, the rows of willow trees planted hundreds of years ago and the vibrant green of the sweeping lawn looked like a painting. A painting that was beautiful to observe, but not to be a part of.

      But she had no choice. Her sisters Ariane and Marie-Claire spotted her and came rushing across the vast lawn to hug her and demand to know how she was and where she’d been. She felt a surge of love for the two people she cared most about in the world. Being deserted by their mother and largely ignored by their father, the three of them had been exceptionally close growing up together. It was so good to see them again, her eyes filled with happy tears.

      “I’ve missed you both so much,” she said. “I’m so glad you’re both here.”

      “As if we could miss the queen’s birthday. But honestly, we came to see you,” Ariane said, squeezing her hand. “You don’t look as though you’re pregnant.” She dropped her hand and walked around her sister, looking at her from all angles and beaming her approval.

      “Doesn’t she look wonderful?” Marie-Claire enthused. “You were the first to marry, and the first to get pregnant.”

      “And the first to get divorced,” Lise said lightly.

      Marie-Claire frowned. Divorce was nothing new in the family. Still, Lise’s situation was especially painful for her sisters to accept. “How are you, really?” she asked. “I can’t believe that horrible Wilhelm divorced you.”

      “Believe it,” Lise said soberly. “And believe that it’s for the best. I’m so happy it’s over, and I’m back where I belong.” As she said the words she realized she was back where she belonged. Despite the fact that the country’s future was up in the air and that she had no real place to call home, St. Michel was where she belonged. The three princesses stopped at the edge of the formal English gardens and surveyed the scene. The murmur of polite voices, the burble of the fountains, the soft music from a string quartet came wafting across the ancient stone walkways.

      “I think everyone agrees,” Ariane said with a glance in the direction of the dowager queen who was seated in a chair that was not quite a throne, but close to it, surrounded by loyal sycophants, “she knows how to celebrate her birthday.”

      “How does she treat you?” Marie-Claire asked Lise.

      Lise shrugged. “As well as can be expected. I have the run of the palace archives and the attics. I come and go as I please and she doesn’t stop me. I’m working on some interesting restoration projects. And of course she’s given me the use of the cottage. Me and Nanny. Other than that, she pays no attention to me. So I can’t complain.”

      “You never did,” Ariane said. “You haven’t even said a bad word about Wilhelm.”

      Lise held a finger up to her lips. “Not here I won’t. I’m doing my best to put the past in the past.”

      “She’s amazing,” Ariane said to Marie-Claire. “I told you we wouldn’t get a word of complaint out of her. If my husband had…”

      “But he didn’t. How is Etienne?” Lise asked, anxious to change the subject.

      “See for yourself. Here he is now.”

      Lise felt slightly nervous seeing her brother-in-law, a Rhinelander prince, not knowing what or how he felt about her divorce from Wilhelm. But Etienne greeted her warmly and her fears were dispelled. Whatever he’d heard, he obviously had no hard feelings against her, and Lise was relieved. She could see immediately how happy the young recently married couple was. She stifled a pang of envy. When Marie-Claire’s husband, Sebastian, joined them she knew she had no worries on that side either. Neither sister had made the kind of mistake she had. Sebastian was charming and clearly adored her sister. No, she was the only one who’d made the wrong choice of a husband.

      Admittedly the choice had not been hers. It had been her father’s. But, as she’d told Charles, she could have protested more strongly. When the men left the sisters to refill their champagne glasses, the three women found seats under a magnificent oak tree on the edge of the garden. Ariane turned to look at Lise again and regarded her sister carefully.

      “How do you feel?” Ariane asked with concern. “You look sensational, by the way. Pregnancy agrees with you. Don’t you think, Marie-Claire? I don’t remember that dress. How is my niece-or nephew-to-be doing?”

      Before Lise could answer, Marie-Claire leaned forward and asked under her breath, “Where is Wilhelm?”

      “I hear he’s in America, but I really don’t know,” Lise said. And prayed that was the end of that discussion.

      “What are your plans?” Marie-Claire asked. “We’ve missed you so much. I hope you’ll never leave here again. Ariane has moved way over to Rhineland, but that can’t be helped. Now that I’m back from my honeymoon, I want us to get together as much as possible. Is that clear?”

      “All clear,” Lise said with a smile. “As usual, you two have asked so many questions I don’t know where to start. And you’ve scarcely given me a chance to say a word. I’m fine and I’ve been right here, in the gardener’s cottage where I plan to remain as long as the powers on the throne are willing,” Lise said. “I wrote you both, but our paths haven’t crossed lately. With both of you married, I didn’t expect to see as much of you. But here we are, together again. Now, tell me, besides honeymooning, what have you two been up to?” Lise asked, deftly switching the subject from herself to them.

      “We arrived only yesterday from Rhineland,” Ariane said. “For the party—and to see you, of course—then we’re off again on a business trip.”

      “I suppose there are rumors in Rhineland,” Lise suggested hesitantly. She didn’t really want to know about any rumors having to do with her.

      “Of course, what would life be like without rumors?” Ariane said lightly. “Rumors about a takeover of St. Michel, about a missing heir to the throne. These are nothing new. But rumors concerning you? Believe me, no one would dare say a word against my sister in my presence.”

      Lise nodded gratefully. What else would she expect from her little newly-wed sister?

      “Speaking of rumors,” Marie-Claire said, looking over her shoulder to be sure she couldn’t be overheard. “What’s this I hear about Charles Rodin?”

      Lise felt her cheeks burn. “I…I don’t know. I haven’t heard anything.”

      “Are you sure?” Marie-Claire persisted. “Are you sure you haven’t seen him?”

      “Seen him? Yes, I saw him. He came to pay his respects.”

      “Is that all he paid?” Marie-Claire asked. “I thought maybe he asked you to marry him.”

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