Princess Ever After (Royal Wedding Series) (45 page)

The beam of their flashlights caught and captured the brilliant sparkle of a diamond tiara.

“Oh my word—” Reggie gasped, pressing her hand to her chest as flashlight beams shoved light through the gems, fanning glorious prisms across the stable.

“So this is where you’ve been hiding, you naughty tiara,” Tanner said. “I looked high and low for the Princess Alice tiara.”

“I’ve never seen anything so beautiful.” She peeked around
Tanner at the racer. “Except maybe the Starfire . . . No, no, the tiara wins. It’s a tie. Yes, a tie. I can wear the tiara when I drive the car.” Raising the crown, Reggie inspected the platinum and diamond piece from all sides. “Astounding.”

“I found coronets, the royal crowns, and the tiara your gram inherited from the last Grand Duchess, but never this beauty. I thought it was lost. Like so many other archives.”

Reggie faced him. “What’s the story with this one? Do you know?”

“It’s a diamond garland tiara made by Cartier in 1913 for your gram’s sixteenth birthday. It was a gift from Prince Francis.”

“Along with the Princess Alice tree?”

“Ah, you learned of the tree.” Tanner pointed to the top of the tiara. “See these arching laurel wreaths with the sapphire leaves? Your uncle’s design just for her. It’s one of a kind.” Tanner motioned to the satchel with the edge of his flashlight beam. “I bet there’s a matching diamond-and-sapphire drop necklace and earrings inside.”

Reggie dug in and retrieved a yellow silk scarf, unwinding it to discover the necklace and earrings. The stones radiated against the golden threads.

Reggie propped against the car. “The more I discover of Gram’s world, the more I don’t understand her silence. She talked about how she came to America, her second husband, and her daughter, my grandma. She reminisced about her lovely childhood in Hessenberg. But never, ever did she say, ‘For my sixteenth birthday, my uncle, the Grand Duke, commissioned a diamond-and-sapphire tiara for me made by Cartier.’ ”

“Perhaps it was her way of dealing with the pain.” Tanner eased down to sit next to her. “When I gave up the girls, I basically stopped talking about them. If I did, it kept my pain alive. Like your gram, I thought I was never getting them back. I’d never see them again.”

“Makes sense, but I still wish she’d said something.”

“She did, love. In the fairy tale.”

“And we’re back to that.” Reggie held the crown against her Kohl’s Vera Wang top. “What do you think? Goes great, doesn’t it?”

“Yes, with the woman, not the clothes.” Tanner exchanged his flashlight for the tiara and gently set it on her head. “Beautiful.”

A soft blush covered her cheeks.

Tanner held up his phone. “For me? Please. To remember this moment.”

“Okay. But only you.” She smiled as Tanner snapped the photo.

Feeling shy, she slipped the tiara from her head. “How ridiculous do I look?”

“You look stunning. The tiara becomes you.” He brushed his finger along her cheek. “You truly are a restorer. Of lost history. Of lost relationships. Of lost dreams. You stepped into my life and everything changed. It will be the same for Hessenberg.”

“Maybe. But, Tanner, it all started with you.” She stared at the tiara, holding it delicately in her hand. “I’m a little bit scared.”

“Me too.” He scooted in next to her. “I don’t know anything about raising girls. But you’ll help me. You don’t know much about being a princess or politics, but I’ll be with you.” He clasped her hand. “One for one, one for all.”

She peered into his eyes. “One for all.” Then she leaned in for a kiss. “Still loving I can do that
almost
anytime I want.”

“What say we film some of this car? I can have the media team jazz it up a bit.” Tanner aimed his phone at the car, then Reggie. “What else is in the bag?”

Digging in, she retrieved two leather books, a photograph, a small wooden jewel box, and a pair of cream kid-leather gloves.

She thumbed through the first book, a compact leather-bound piece, worn around the edges as if carried often.

“Tanner,”—Regina rose up on her knees—“aim the flashlight over here. Oh my, oh my!” She sighed with a small laugh. “It’s
Gram’s journal.” She flipped to the first page. “Look . . . 1913,”—she fanned to the last page—“to October 1914. Tanner, she left her journals behind.”

“Regina, she left her story behind.”

“The fairy tale,” they said in unison, eyes meeting.

“She was telling me to find the car and look in the trunk.”

“I told you she was speaking to you in that book.” Tanner tucked away his filming, his phone, and every outside intrusion to the moment.

“With pictures and symbols rather than straight-up truth.”

Regina glanced down at the page and read aloud.

“Mamá just entered my room tonight by candlelight, grim and grieving. I am to pack my things and prepare to leave, rather flee our beloved Hessenberg. How can this be? . . . The palace is dark and I was admonished not to turn on my light or light a candle. Uncle, she said, signed over all rights and rule to Cousin Nathaniel. He surrendered to Brighton.”

A reverence fell over her heart. “I changed my mind about the car and the tiara.” Reggie held the journal to her chest. “This is my most treasured possession.”

“Hear, hear,” Tanner whispered.

“I’m so glad I followed the light.” Reggie raised the leather bag to peer in one last time. “There’s an envelope.” She pulled it out, handing it to Tanner.

When he looked inside, he laughed. “My dear Reggie, I’m a believer. I
am
a believer.”

“What is it?” She hooked her hand over his, trying to see the contents inside. “What converted you?”

“Bonds. Lovely, beautiful, bearer bonds.”

“The bonds. Mentioned in the entail.”

“Your Majesty,” Tanner said. “You are a very wealthy woman.”

She peered at him through her tears. “Now I can
really
restore the kingdom.”

THIRTY

S
he’d found bliss—
and
true love—between the shores of a small gem of a nation, restored to royal, sovereign perfection. A past she’d never known came to life, roared into her present, and redefined who she was and all her future days.

As strange as it still felt to be a royal princess, Reggie was confident
this
was what she’d been born to do—restore Gram’s ancient, beloved Hessenberg to its original, classic beauty.

And it only took her twenty-nine years to find out. Her heart understood more every day that this was where she belonged.

For now, however, she was late. For her first official Princess of Hessenberg engagement. October twenty-second, the official signing of the entail and ending Brighton’s hundred-year rule over Hessenberg.

She only had a few minutes to dress. Reggie hurried to her suite, yanking off her boots, squirming out of her jeans. She was excited to find a crew to extract the Starfire #89 from the stable and have it shipped to Daddy. That chore had consumed her the last few days but the antique gem was on its way.

Wouldn’t Al be surprised when he returned home from Texas?

She might just have to fly home for the big reveal. Even Daddy didn’t know exactly what she was shipping him other than, “It’s huge! Big! Unbelievable!”

Going toward the dressing room, Reggie caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror.

Mop of red hair, blue eyes, and the curves of the Beswick women . . . all very familiar. But the glint in her eye was new, a symbol of her growing confidence that she was exactly where God wanted her to be.

The warm drops of oil continued to hit her head, mostly when she was about some royal duty. Like the day she asked Seamus to form a government. He blustered and pontificated, got red-nosed, and accepted her invitation in the end, pledging to drop his plan to charge Reggie as an enemy of the state.

So, the oil drops? The occasional hand on her head? Odd, but she was convinced it was God’s world breaking into hers. All in all, this was his journey, and she was just holding on for the ride.

In her dressing room, Serena had selected dresses from three designers who were already sketching ideas that would define Reggie’s style—wide skirts and cowboy boots.

Choosing the Melinda House silky rich green dress with the front buttons, Reggie slipped it over her head, the fabric flowing down her arms, swishing about her knees. If she’d known dresses like this existed, she might have gone this way long ago.

Tugging on a pair of cream-colored soft calfskin dress boots—hey, she was just reinforcing her style—she headed out.

“Miss, you look beautiful. Redneck royal, my blooming eye,” Serena said, coming in the room. “Shall I do your hair? Mr. Burkhardt sent word to wear your tiara.”

“Wear the tiara? For signing the entail?” She’d embraced the notion she’d have to change some of her ways. Don a fancy dress more often than she’d like. But the tiara and diamond-drop earrings made her feel like a lipstick-wearing, diamond-encrusted poser.

“But this is a formal ceremony, miss. You’re the royal princess. If ever there was a time to wear your gram’s tiara, ’tis now.” Serena unwrapped the delicate crown from the silk pouch Tanner had commissioned for it.

“I feel so silly. Like I’m putting on airs.”

“Come. Sit.” Serena patted the vanity chair. “Let me do your hair and settle on the tiara. You won’t even know it’s there.”

Reggie hesitated. Couldn’t she just tell Serena no? After all, she was the princess. “Okay, but kind of puff up my hair to hide it.”

Serena proceeded to do the exact opposite, taming Reggie’s hair and pulling it back into a twist before settling the tiara on her head.

“Your Majesty, it’s beautiful. You are beautiful.” She met Reggie’s gaze through the mirror. “Like I said, redneck royal, my blooming eye.”

“Serena, this is not what I asked for.” Reggie winced at her appearance and the lush array of sparkling diamonds on top of her head.

“But it’s perfect for you.”

“Are you sure?”

Jarvis’s gentle voice came over the room intercom. “Mr. Burkhardt is here, miss.”

Reggie stood with a glance at Serena. “I’m trusting you with this updo.”

“You’re going to pop his eyes out, miss.”

“Pop his eyes out? Who, Mr. Burkhardt?” Serena caught Reggie kissing Tanner once. Okay, maybe twice. But it was on the cheek both times.

“Oh, go on.” Serena waved off her comment with a shy giggle. “We all know, miss.”

“Well, pretend you don’t.” Reggie smiled at her lady’s maid.

As she came down the stairs, Tanner glanced up, his heart molding his expression. Love.

He won her all over again.

With a low whistle, he propped his elbow on the banister, watching her descend, soaking her with his adoration and desire.

“You know you’re never getting rid of me,” he said, reaching for her when she arrived at the bottom of the staircase.

“Because I wore this tiara?” She raised her chin and tapped the very tip of the crown with her hand.

“No.” He kissed her forehead. “Because you wore those boots.”

She laughed, electric shivers firing through her.
So this is love . . .

“Regina,”—Tanner breathed out, slowly bending to one knee—“I love you and—”

“Mercy above and all the angels.” Serena bent over the landing banister, eyes like saucers, her mouth dangling open.

“Serena,” Tanner said, “give us a moment.”

The lady’s maid shook the palace with her fleeing footsteps.

“Tanner, what are you doing?” Reggie sat on the bottom step, facing him.

“I thought about it all night. Why wait when we know we love each other?”

“But I’m a new princess and you’re a new dad.”

“And we’re going to need each other to learn our jobs. For support.”

She brushed her hand over his cheek, his blue eyes intense with a determined spark.

“It’s going to be complicated.”

“Yes, but it’s going to get fun too.” He wiggled his eyebrows, making her laugh.

“So,” she said, looking down and fluffing her skirt, “what exactly are you asking me, Tanner Burkhardt?”

“Regina Alice Beswick Augustine-Saxon, will you—”

“You forgot to say princess.”

“Pardon me, Your Majesty. Princess Regina Alice Beswick Augustine-Saxon, will you—”

“Tanner,”—she pressed her hand over his heart—“all teasing aside, ask me from here.”

He smiled, raised up off his knee, and scooted onto the step next to her. “Reggie, I’ve loved you since you crawled out from under a Corvette with leaves in your hair and oil on your face. I want to share my life with you. I want you to share yours with me. I can’t imagine another day going by without you promising to marry me. Will you do me the honor of being my wife? Please.” He dug into his pocket and produced a diamond solitaire in a simple platinum band.

Tears welled in her eyes. He knew her well. “Oh, Tanner, it’s perfect.” She cupped her hand over his and met his gaze. “I think I fell for you when you told me who I really was . . . the long-lost princess of Hessenberg. I’ve loved you more every day, and I can’t imagine my life without you. So yes, Tanner Burkhardt, I will marry you.”

He slipped the cool, smooth ring onto her finger and gathered her in his arms, sealing their pledge with a kiss. And then she knew. Regina Beswick was finally
all
the way home.