The Princess (15 page)

“I’ve got the water. Now we can build more.”

“All right. Where shall we add?”

The remodeling was just getting started when Monty spotted his sister.

“Oh look! Jenny’s coming, and she’s bringing the prince. Hi, Prince Nikolai. We’re making a sand castle. Come play with us.”

Monty threw himself at Nikolai when he was near, and the prince swung him up into his arms for a hug. Clearly the two were familiar.

“Hello,” Shelby said to the little girl who had come with the prince. Shelby guessed her to be three or four years older than her brother.

“Hello,” she said, smiling when Shelby met her eyes. “Are you the princess?”

“Yes. I’m Shelby. Did I hear Monty call you Jenny?”

The little girl nodded as she dropped to her knees in the sand. “It’s short for Jennifer.”

“I like that name.”

“I like your hat,” Jenny said, taking in Shelby’s huge straw hat. “I have one, but I didn’t wear it.”

“I have to or I’ll burn.”

“My Aunt Lucy has red hair, and she burns whenever she comes to visit.”

Nikolai had dropped onto the beach as well, his long legs curled to his side as he rested a palm in the sand. He had woken from his nap and found himself alone. His stomach had rumbled so he went in search of food, which he ate on the deck. That was when he’d spotted the hat on the beach. He had still been watching when Monty Stevenson joined her. Even with as little as he knew, it wasn’t any surprise to him that she seemed to welcome the child’s presence.

“Are you going to live here all the time now?” Monty asked hopefully as he dropped into Shelby’s lap.

“No, just until Monday,” she said as she put her arms around him, not seeming to care about the sand and moisture he was getting on her cotton dress. “But I think I’ll visit again.”

“We live here,” Jenny informed her. “Our mother is going to have a baby, so sometimes we have to go to Grandma’s, but when Misty babysits us we can stay here.”

“Is your mother not feeling well, Jen?” the prince asked. It was the first comment he had made.

“She’s real tired, and the doctor said she has to rest or the baby might be hurt.”

Nikolai nodded but knew that the situation was probably much more complicated. He had known the Stevensons for many years and made a mental note to check on them.

“We need a king and queen,” Monty declared suddenly. “We have to have a king for our castle.”

“Go get your men, Monty!” his sister told him. “You know the ones.”

“Okay. I can bring the cars too. We’ll make a road.”

Monty was off before anyone else could speak, and Misty told Jenny to stay put until they returned. Shelby and Jenny began to work the sand and talk. Nikolai helped as well, but what he did the most was watch Shelby. She knew she didn’t look her best, but she didn’t think he would be rude enough to scrutinize her for that. Not until Jenny scrambled off to get some water did he speak.

“Are your arms going to burn, Shelby?” he asked, noting that the rest of her was shaded with the hat or covered with her dress.

“I put sun block on,” Shelby said, looking down at her arms for signs of pinkness and not finding any.

“What protection factor?”

“I think it’s 50,” she said as she dug into her bag. “Here it is. Maybe I should put some more on.”

“That’s probably a good idea.”

For some reason the conversation and his concern dwelt in her mind for the rest of the day. They ended up eating lunch on the beach with the children and then disappearing inside to lie around with books. Dinner was informal but plentiful, and Shelby turned in early.

I can tell he’s trying, Lord. He looks after my well-being, and I think that means he’s trying to take this seriously. If I could just assure him that I don’t have huge expectations of him—if I could just find a way to show him that he can be himself when he’s with me . . .

The thought no more materialized than Shelby realized what she had prayed. Was it fair to ask God to help Nikolai act himself around her when she wasn’t sure she was doing that with him?

How does a person stop blushing and get comfortable?
was Shelby’s last question before she slept. She hoped by morning she would somehow have an answer.

Nikolai didn’t bother with his jacket for breakfast, but he did come downstairs early on Sunday morning completely ready to attend church. The stairway was wide open to the living room below, so the prince was only halfway down when he spotted his wife. She was under a blanket, sleeping on the sofa. To give her privacy yet still be available, Kris had positioned himself by the kitchen door. Nikolai went to him.

“Is she not feeling well?”

“I think it was the storm. I heard a noise about 1:30 and came in to find her sitting on the sofa. She said something about the window breaking and not wanting to go back upstairs. She sat up for a good two hours before lying down and falling asleep.”

Nikolai looked over at his wife. He approached quietly but reached for her shoulder as soon as he was near.

“Shelby,” he whispered. “Are you all right?”

“Yeah,” she said with a dry throat as she tried to open her eyes. “Is something wrong?”

“No. You fell asleep on the sofa. Do you want to go up to your bed?”

Shelby blinked at him and tried to focus. “Do you have a meeting?”

“No, I’m just ready for church early.”

“Oh, that’s right, it’s Sunday. May I get ready and go with you?”

“Certainly. Are you up to it?”

“I think so.”

She blinked and sat up, tugging her robe a little closer around her. Kris was no longer in the room, but she remembered speaking with him and had the impression that he had just been there. Shelby made a move to rise, and Nikolai moved from her way. She felt awful but thought that a hot shower might clear the webs.

“Take your time, Shelby,” she heard Nikolai say as she mounted the stairs. “We don’t need to leave for almost two hours.” Shelby thought she might have waved but wasn’t certain. All she wanted to do was get her eyes open and stay on her feet. She worked on this for the next 90 minutes and finally sat down at the kitchen table across from her husband, who was still reading the paper. He set it down and stared at her. She wore a mint green jacket and skirt; her blouse was white.

Shelby started on the coffee Colleen had set in front of her but was certain she knew what her husband was thinking. Finally she said, “I know, I know. I should go shopping this afternoon and fill these bags under my eyes.”

Nikolai laughed. “Actually I was thinking that you don’t look as though you’ve lost any sleep at all.”

“Thank you,” Shelby said succinctly, not sure she believed him.

“Did I scare you about storms up here?”

She took a thoughtful sip of coffee and said, “I’m not sure. I do know that I’m not at all crazy about storms, and when I woke and heard the rain and wind, I felt rather panicked. Somehow I thought it would be easier to be in the living room.”

Again Nikolai watched her.

“You’re doing that a lot lately,” she gained the courage to say.

“What’s that?”

“Staring at me.”

“I’m sorry, Shelby, but I guess I’m a little amazed. You’ve been placed in such an unusual situation, but most of the time you seem so at ease.”

Shelby gawked at him for an instant before bending her red face back over her cup.

Nikolai felt he learned a lot in those few seconds. She wasn’t the type to rattle on or flap about when nervous. Her movements were totally composed, but she tended to blush. Did that mean she wasn’t as calm as she appeared?

“I guess I just meant that you’re very poised,” Nikolai said, feeling he needed to explain. “I shouldn’t have expected less, but somehow I did.”

Shelby now understood. “I think any composure you might see comes with interpreting for my father on various occasions and being asked to stand in front of large groups of strangers.”

“Was he deaf from birth? I can’t remember if you’ve ever said.”

“No. As a child he ran a very high fever, which resulted in his hearing loss.”

“Can he hear anything?”

“No.”

“How was that for you and your brother?”

“We’ve never given any thought to it. As you might expect, we learned to sign at an early age, and that’s been the norm for as long as I can remember.”

“Can you teach me some sign language?”

“Sure.”

“All right. Teach me how to say something to your father the next time I see him.”

“Okay. This is
how are you?
Do you want to try that?”

Nikolai didn’t even hesitate. Shelby found he was a quick study, so much so, in fact, that if Ivan hadn’t told them the day limo was ready, they might have been late for church. Once in the car they fell silent, each thinking about the time during breakfast,
a time when they had both forgotten their reserve and been themselves. It would have been easy to speculate over the camaraderie they shared during breakfast, but neither was ready for such introspection.

Thankfully, both were able to put the morning behind them in time to concentrate on the service. The pastor of Lake Alston Community Chapel was preaching from the book of 1 John. Shelby’s Bible study had studying that book, so she listened carefully, thankful for the detailed outline he provided. She found it very helpful, and he covered two points that she was excited to share with her class. She was still writing when the service ended.

“You look as though you’re afraid you’re going to forget something,” Nikolai mentioned quietly as he watched her.

“I am,” Shelby answered as she finished writing. “We’re studying these letters in my Bible class, and I want to tell the women a few things Pastor Bingham said.”

“He would welcome any questions you have if something wasn’t clear,” Nikolai told her. “I’ve gone to him several times over the years, and he always takes time for me.”

“I’ll remember that. I think it’s so special to come to the lake house and still have a chance for fellowship. Is there a service tonight?”

“Yes. Six o’clock. I usually attend.”

“May I come with you?” Shelby asked softly, not wanting to push in or presume.

“Certainly,” Nikolai said, thinking he wouldn’t have turned her down for the world.

Shelby smiled up at him. Wanting to say thank you but thinking it might be insulting, she remained quiet.

“Ready to head back to the house?”

“Yes, I think I’m ready for lunch.”

“You didn’t eat breakfast, did you?”

Shelby shook her head no but didn’t speak. They were acting so normal that for a moment she wasn’t sure how to think. That they might eventually fall for each other had never actually occurred to her. The thought stayed with her all through lunch. She was still thinking about it when she stretched out on a deck lounger, a book in hand, and fell asleep before she could read two pages.

“How about we go out for lunch on the way home?” Nikolai asked Shelby the next morning. “There’s a great restaurant in Upper Nave about an hour from here. We’ll make it your birthday lunch.”

“I would like that,” Shelby told him with pleasure. “Is it dressy?”

“Not at all. I’ll be in jeans.”

Shelby followed suit, and just an hour after they left for Faraday, they pulled into the parking lot of The Bayside. The staff had called ahead for a reservation, and five minutes later the prince and princess were shown to a table on the open deck, a view of Princeton Bay and the Capetown Mountains spread out before them.

“Oh, Nikolai,” Shelby breathed, “this is lovely.”

“Not quite a picnic but still outdoors. We can shift around until you’re in the sun or stay under the umbrella.”

“I’m fine where I am. Thank you.”

Nikolai watched her, waiting to see if she opened her menu, but she seemed in no hurry. Her eyes took in the mountains and then the water for long moments before she noticed him.

“I’m sorry,” she said as she hurried to open the menu. “I’m daydreaming, and you must be hungry.”

“Tell me something, Shelby. Do you ever take care of yourself, or do you spend all of your time looking after the needs of others?”

“You make me sound like a selfless individual, Nikolai, and I’m not,” she said frankly. “Had I looked over and found you studying the water, I wouldn’t have mentioned the menu, but I assumed because you were looking at me that you were waiting to order.” Shelby tipped her head to one side and continued softly, “I don’t know what your expressions mean, and I don’t want to be a bother. I know I’m sounding selfless, but in truth, I’m still just a little afraid of making you angry. So you see, I’m really doing it for myself.”