PRINCE CHARMING: A Stepbrother Secret Baby Romance(11)
“I’m afraid that might be a bit formal for a luncheon in the city,” Allete said with a gentle laugh. “However, you could wear it to the dinner tomorrow night.”
“Really?” Olivia held the dress up to herself and glanced at the reflection in the wardrobe mirror. “Man. This is going to take some getting used to.”
***
An hour later, Olivia emerged from her rooms looking like a dressed-up doll. She wore a knee-length turquoise skirt that ruffled at the bottom, a perfectly fitting white blouse with turquoise flowers on the back, the same color high-heeled sandals, and a full jewelry set she was terrified to wear. Every piece of it was real, and she knew how much real stones like this cost.
“Just act like you know how to wear a couple thousand dollars’ worth of clothes and jewels and you’ll be fine,” she whispered to herself as her heels clicked down the corridor. They were awkward on her, and she had to concentrate on every single step she took. She’d nearly made it to the stairs when her ankle turned and she stumbled with a curse, right into a pair of very strong arms.
“Caught you,” Quincy said as he helped Olivia right herself. “You alright? Was that wine really too much for you last night?”
She smiled as she thanked him and glanced up. The smile froze on her face. He’d looked good last night, but today, he looked like a prince. “Wow.”
“I’m sorry?”
“I mean… not wow, I just… I’m not used to walking in heels,” she said quickly, hoping he didn’t notice the color rising in her cheeks. “You clean up very well, Prince Quincy.”
“As do you, Olivia.”
She tucked a stray curl behind her ear, hating that her hair had to be fixed this way, and tried to look anywhere but his face. “Yeah well, back in Nebraska, it’d be jeans, a sweatshirt, and ponytail.”
“You must tell me of your home,” he said and offered her his arm like a true gentleman. She wrapped her hand around it and they meandered down the hall together. “It must be fascinating to live there.”
Olivia laughed. “Nebraska? Not really. Fields of corn and that’s about it.”
“But you have roads that connect you to other states? You’re not on an island that you can’t get off of.”
“There is that, but most of what’s around me are fields and fields of corn and wheat, and there’s an endless blue sky with a paved road under it,” she said and heard the longing for home in her words. It wasn’t much, it was true, but it had been her home and one of the only places that had ever felt real to her. “It’s definitely simpler there,” she said with a smile.
She glanced at him and saw someone behind them. Allete and another man were following them at a distance down the corridor.
“Do they always do that?” she whispered, leaning in closer to Quincy.
He frowned. “Ah, yes. I’m afraid that’s something else you will have to get used to. Servants or bodyguards following you everywhere you go. It can be quite tiresome, but once we get out into the city, you won’t notice them as much. They’re very good about blending in with the crowd and giving us at least a little peace.”
Olivia would just have to get used to having a shadow and ladies to wait on her, as well as dealing with a man who was both extremely attractive and still such a mystery to her. She glanced down at her outfit again and asked him how they’d managed to find clothes that fit her perfectly.
Quincy laughed. “Magic, of course.” Her lips thinned as her eyes narrowed. “Your mother,” he said. “Before she left, she gave your measurements to a few local seamstresses, bought you quite a few outfits, and then left them in their hands. I’m assuming you like everything?”
“I do. I was sad I couldn’t wear one of the gowns today,” she told him with a sigh. “I’ve never worn anything that beautiful.”
“Good,” he said, then stopped their walking and whispered in her ear. “I picked those out for you.” He winked, and Olivia prayed he had nothing to do with the undergarments that had appeared in the wardrobe, too.
The walk through the rest of the palace was quiet except for Quincy pointing out which halls led where and what each room was. By the time they reached the grand entrance hall, Olivia couldn’t remember any of it, and she was pretty sure her face was still red from thinking things she shouldn’t be about the man whose arm she held.
He stopped and bowed his head, and Olivia glanced up to see King Lamont and her mother walking towards them. She waved at her mom and quickly curtsied to the king, making sure she didn’t tumble over in her heels.
“There they are. A wonderful image of royalty they make,” Lamont beamed.
“Morning, Father,” Quincy said lightly, but Olivia saw how his face tightened.
“Morning, King Lamont,” she said, trying to not notice the stare-down happening between the two men. She disentangled herself from Quincy to give her mom a hug.
Melinda hugged her back tightly and held her at arm’s length. Her eyes glimmered, and Olivia smiled even wider because she was still so happy this early in the morning. Melinda had never been much of an early riser and usually needed a whole pot of coffee to get her going. “Those clothes look amazing on you. Do you like everything? I had some help picking things out.”