Felicia sat in her little home study late into the afternoon. The shadows fell over her table and she was just about to put her desk lamp on when there was a knock at the door. She went down the hall, opened the door and signed for a box, which she took back to her study.
It was as if she had let in the sun, for now it streamed through the window, golden and warm. She smiled as she opened the box and took out a gorgeous basket. She looked at the contents.
There was a bottle of cognac and a glass, as well as a warmer. There was a dressing gown, silk handkerchiefs and organic honey. Felicia felt as though she was going to cry as she held lemons so perfect that they might have been chosen and hand-picked by angels.
There was everything you could possibly need if you did indeed have a cold and weren’t in fact crying over Kedah.
What was it with him that he moved her so?
And not just her.
She thought of how he walked into a room and the aura Felicia felt she could see, how heads turned when he passed.
It wasn’t just his beauty.
There was more.
When he gave his attention it was completely, whether it was to her or to a waiter. Kedah had a way of giving full focus, and she had never witnessed it in another.
Kedah was his father’s son. Felicia was sure.
She was as certain as she could be that he had been born to be King.
But how could she prove it?
There was a note too, handwritten by him.
And this was much better than choosing from a brochure or a huge bunch of flowers.
She could imagine the courier waiting as he penned it, and knew that whatever happened she would keep it for ever—because while he made her cry in private, always he made her smile.
Felicia,
Of course you don’t need a medical certificate. I was just surprised that you were sick and disappointed not to see you. Things are about to get busy, but take the time you need to get well and return when you are ready.
It would mean a lot if I could see you tomorrow before I leave for Zazinia. If not, I understand, and shall be in touch soon.
Kedah.
Clearly he needed her on form to deal with the press and believed that she really had a cold.
Yes, he could be arrogant at times, she thought, but then he was so terribly kind.
And he must never know she had fallen in love with him.
It had never been part of the deal.
CHAPTER TWELVE
FELICIA WOKE LONG before her alarm, and after showering she dressed for battle.
And it would be a battle to keep her true feelings from him.
But there was work to be done and finally, after a long night spent tossing and turning, she had a plan.
She went to her wardrobe and chose the white dress she had worn on the first day they had met.
It was her favourite lie.
It made her look sweet when she wasn’t.
It made her appear a touch fragile when in fact she was very strong.
And she was strong enough to get through this.
She rubbed a little red lipstick into her nose and saw the redness of her eyes had gone down, so hopefully it looked as if she were at the end of a cold rather than in the throes of a broken heart.
Instead of arriving at work early she lingered over her breakfast, and then headed to a very exclusive department store and waited until its doors opened.
There she made a purchase, before going to his office where the doorman greeted her as she walked in.
‘Can I help with your bags?’ he offered.
‘I’m fine, thank you,’ she responded.
She would not let the bag and its contents out of her sight for even a moment.
It was far harder than facing the press—far harder than anything she had ever done—to walk out of the elevators with a smile and greet Anu, who looked as tearful and as anxious as Felicia felt on the inside.
‘Is he in?’ Felicia asked.
‘He flies in a couple of hours.’ Anu nodded. ‘I just took a call from a reporter. He was asking for confirmation that he is flying today to Zazinia. I don’t want to trouble Kedah with it, but I don’t know what to say...’
‘Just tell him that for security reasons you are not at liberty to discuss his movements,’ Felicia answered, and then she looked at Anu’s crestfallen face. ‘Have some faith—Kedah will be fine.’
‘You don’t know that.’
‘Of course I do.’
‘You didn’t grow up in Zazinia,’ Anu said. ‘The people there have always feared this. You don’t know what is about to come...’
So Anu knew of the rumours, Felicia realised. Possibly the whole country did, and had been waiting for the black day when their Golden Prince was removed.
‘When does he leave?’
‘At midday.’
As Felicia headed towards Kedah’s office Anu, the gatekeeper, stopped her. ‘He said that he doesn’t want to be disturbed.’