Ever After (Unfinished Fairy Tales #3)(40)
“Or maybe she was inspired by His Highness.” Poppy grins. “He should be proof enough that there are men who will cherish you and...”
A baby’s wail comes from upstairs, followed by the maid pleading that she can’t handle two at a time.
Poppy groans. “There they go again! I swear, the twins will be the death of me!”
“Let me help you,” I say quickly. I had experience helping Mom when Paige was a baby, and also I did babysitting in college.
We rush to the bedroom, where a scene of perfect chaos unfolds. The maid is trying to calm a screaming Sébastien in his cot, while Little Katriona is crawling across the floor, leaving a trail of spilled milk in her wake. A bottle, overturned, is lying against the leg of a table.
Poppy puts a hand on her forehead, like she is on the verge of collapsing. She must have been exhausted taking care of the twins. I decide to take charge of the situation.
I hail the maid. “Can you get some cloths and clear up the mess? Poppy, maybe you can change Little Katriona’s clothes? I’ll take care of Sébastien.”
A moment later, order is restored. I pacify Sébastien by feeding him some milk from another bottle (as with twins, their possessions come in twos), and singing him Beyonce’s Love on Top. The maid has wiped up the milk on the floor and brought a new bottle. Poppy stripped Little Katriona of her soiled dress, scolded her for her sodden state, and dressed her in fresh clothes.
“It’s Little Katherine, by the way,” Poppy says, depositing the baby in the crib. “Because that is your real name.”
I smile at her, touched. “You need more rest, Poppy. I can’t imagine you having to deal with two babies with only one servant. Can’t you hire more people?” From what I’ve learned of Athelia, it’s easy to ‘get a girl’ for domestic help.
“Oh, we took an ad in the paper just a while ago. That reminds me...I need to go through the mail after the babies go to sleep.” Poppy wipes her forehead. “I knew marriage was tough, but oh my…” a saddened look appears in her face, and she lowers her voice to a whisper. “Don’t tell anyone, Kat. I love Sébastien and Little Katherine with all my heart, but sometimes I wish I don’t have to see their faces all day, all night.”
“Don’t you ever have a break?”
She shakes her head. “Only when my parents, or the in-laws visit. A friend of Jonathan’s has a child who was mistreated by his nurse, so Jonathan got the notion he can’t have the babies left entirely in the care of the maids. Either he or I must stay in the house all the time. But Jonathan has been so busy lately—his services has been in real demand since he defended you in court—so I have to stay in most of the time.”
“Maybe I can come over more often,” I say. “Seriously, I don’t have much to do. I can help you take care of the twins.”
Poppy brightens visibly, but then frowns. “But since you’re in the palace now, won’t it be a matter of time before you can be reunited with His Highness?”
“It’s not that simple.” Quickly, I relate to her about the difficulties of divorce, which are especially hard as I’m no longer part of the aristocracy.
“I don’t even know if he can get a divorce,” I say, trying not to look depressed. Unless Katriona commits adultery, which is impossible, there will be little reason for divorce. And what will the public say if they learn that the prince divorced his wife, after only a year of marriage, and married a lowly commoner? I already had a fair share of disapproval from the aristocrats when I married Edward as the second daughter of Earl Bradshaw.
“Oh dear.” Poppy catches my hand. “I’m so sorry to hear that. But I believe in His Highness. He will find a way to marry you again. He will.”
I squeeze her fingers, grateful for her support. It was already a miracle that I’m allowed to return. All we need is another miracle.
20
Edward
I can hardly wait to be done with breakfast. Today I have a ‘date’ (Kat told me it stood for a romantic outing in her world) with Kat; I had sent her a message through Amelie, that I wanted to take her to The Bookworm. We need Wellesley’s promise to vouch for her new Athelian identity, as it’s ludicrous to tell the public that Kat is from another world and transformed into an Athelian through fairy magic.
“Edward. Edward.” Katriona’s voice rouses me. I had been thinking of Kat—just a while longer and I could be holding her in my arms, listening to her delightful talk and quirky manners. I barely noticed Katriona’s attempt to engage my attention.
“Pardon me.” I force myself to return to the present. Across the table, Father sends me a stern, disapproving look. Mother’s glance is less berating, but it’s a warning look nevertheless. For a moment I am embarrassed of my behavior; I should not let Kat crack my self-discipline, at least not in company.
Katriona Bradshaw looks hurt. “I was merely inquiring if you would like to attend the horticultural exhibition next week. They have sent us an invitation. According to tradition, we are to cut the ribbon and perform introductions.”
“I am afraid I cannot go.” In the beginning I had enjoyed the flower show, which was actually my idea, but since I became of age, I was less enamored of it. Rarely could I stroll around and admire a rare species without a scheming mother trying to introduce me to her daughter. “I have much to do.”