Chapter 17
A voice came over a set of speakers hidden at the edge of the terrace, asking us to please proceed to the solarium.
We stood and meandered up the steps and into the bright, warm room. Lord Thorne stood by a table that held seven clipboards. Why are there seven clipboards? I looked at Oliver with alarm.
“Why are there seven clipboards and not six?” I had a sickening feeling in my gut.
“Because whether you want to admit it or not, you are a part of the royal family and you will be treated as such.” He smiled ear to ear.
“No one is going to bid on me. The women here couldn’t care less about what I have to say.”
“And they’re idiots if they truly believe that. You’re a part of this family, my best friend, and my right hand, whether you make it official or not. If they don’t see your value, then they don’t deserve to be queen.”
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. This night just keeps getting better. Not only did I have to watch Birdie walk around looking like an absolute goddess, but now I would have to endure the humiliation of not getting a single bid.
“Ladies and gentlemen, if I may have your attention,” Lord Thorne spoke from the front of the room.
“Thank you all for attending our garden party this evening.
This fundraiser is a great tradition that the Thorne family holds close to our hearts.
All the proceeds will directly support our community gardens.
“This year, our silent auction will allow each of Prince Oliver’s suitors to bid for a two-hour time slot tomorrow evening with their chosen member of the royal family.
” He cleared his throat of the emotion that seemed to briefly clog it.
“We are so very grateful for the royal family's generosity. It means so much to us that they would donate their valuable time, especially during this holiday season. So, thank you, Your Majesties.”
“All right, let the bidding begin,” Lady Thorne cheered from beside him.
I noticed that Renata and Ginny made a beeline for the tables to start their bidding. No doubt they were bidding on Oliver.
“That’s weird,” Birdie said to Adelaide, who was standing to my right.
“What is?” Adelaide asked.
“I haven’t seen Gemma tonight. I thought those three only traveled together.”
“I guess we'll find out soon,” Adelaide responded as Renata and Ginny walked over to where we all stood in the middle of the room.
“Ollie!” Renata screeched. Her high-pitched voice was like nails on a chalkboard.
“Good evening,” he greeted flatly.
“I made sure that I put a substantial amount down for you, so you don’t have to worry about being with someone you don’t like.” She winked at him and ran her hand down his lapel.
“Great.” He side-eyed her, and it took everything in me not to burst out laughing.
“Knox, I was so surprised to see you had your own clipboard,” Renata said snidely.
“Why is that surprising?” Oliver asked, his tone stone cold.
Shock flashed across Renata’s face. “I just thought this was supposed to be royal family only,” she said, her voice suddenly sugary sweet.
“Knox is family,” Oliver said sharply. “And you’d do well to remember that, Renata.”
“I didn’t mean to offend anyone.” She laughed nervously. “It was just a joke, Ollie.”
“You know that Knox has been a part of this family for decades. And the future queen will treat him as such. Regardless of whether he shares my last name, he’s a royal family member and will not be treated as anything less.”
“Okay.” Her voice was softer, like a child who has just been reprimanded.
A few moments of silence passed, and the tension started to dissipate.
“Ginny. Where is Gemma tonight? I haven’t seen her,” Birdie asked.
“She wasn’t feeling well so she stayed home.” Ginny smiled nervously.
“I’m so sorry to hear that.”
“Oh my God, Ginny. Tell them what really happened,” Renata laughed maniacally. Ginny gave her a sharp look.
Renata rolled her eyes and continued laughing. “Gemma got a new type of lip filler yesterday, but she had a reaction and her lips puffed up like a blowfish. She can’t even talk! She looks like a Dr. Seuss character,” she cackled.
“That’s awful! I hope she’s okay,” Adelaide said, her eyes wide with concern.
“She’ll be fine,” Renata waved. “That’s why you should stay all natural.” Renata ran her hand down her body.
Oliver and I gave each other one of our telepathic looks that said, She’s kidding right?
“Well…” Oliver started but was interrupted when Lord Thorne walked up.
“Your Highness.” Lord Thorne bowed. “Mr. Henderson.” He nodded at me. “I’m so happy you are both here tonight.”
“Thank you,” we said in unison.
“Mr. Henderson, may I introduce you to my new head of landscaping, Charles, tonight? The grounds always look impeccable at the palace, and I would love for you to talk to him and give him some advice. As the head of the forestry industry, it looks bad when my own gardens are barely thriving,” he chuckled.
“I would hardly say they are struggling. I was floored when I walked onto the terrace tonight and saw the camellias and could smell the witch-hazels. That is an amazing feat to have in the dead of winter. Whatever he is doing is great.”
Lord Thorne laughed. “Well, actually, those are thriving because of Sabine, not Charles.”
“Oh. Well, then,” I cleared my throat. “I guess I should go speak to him.” I loved talking about the outdoors and anything that had to do with it. Maybe I should push for Oliver to marry Sabine so I can have someone around to help me with the grounds.
I excused myself from the group and followed Lord Thorne to the side of the room, where he introduced me to Charles.
We talked for about thirty minutes before I suggested he give me a tour of the gardens.
We finished the tour with a walk along a beautiful maze of holly bushes that led to four greenhouses.
The greenhouses lined the back of the gardens and were lit with twinkle lights.
“That’s about it,” Charles said.
“I can draw up a plan for you and send it over in a few days.”
“I would really appreciate that, Mr. Henderson. I’m a little over my head here.”
“It’s not a problem at all. I enjoy doing it. And you’ll get the hang of it. It’s always hard starting off. Feel free to call me with any questions.” I extended my hand.
“Thank you so much,” Charles said, shaking my hand. “Well, we better get back to the party.”
We walked a few yards back to the manor when something caught my attention from the corner of my eye.
At first, I thought it might have been a deer, but upon second glance, I saw Birdie opening the door to the farthest greenhouse and walking in.
My curiosity piqued. Why was she all the way out here?
And why was she going into the greenhouse?
“Hey Charles, I think I’m going to walk around a little bit more if that’s okay? Can I check out the greenhouses?”
“Of course,” he said. “I’ll see you back inside.”
I approached the greenhouse and opened the door. The warmth hit my face and thawed my fingers that had grown numb from walking the grounds.
She stood on the other side of the small building, running one hand along the leaves of a beautiful blooming bush lily. The other arm held her white wool coat. I couldn’t help but stand in silence and watch her. She always took my breath away.
Her white gown stood in stark contrast against the greenery of the greenhouse. She was like a lighthouse, and I was a ship lost at sea, looking for a way home. How was it that no matter how hard I tried to push these feelings away, each time I thought about her, they came back tenfold?
I found my feet walking closer to her. She was clearly caught up in her own thoughts and I knew I should probably announce myself, but I was mesmerized by the way she fingered the leaf through her gloved hands.
I watched the way her breasts slowly rose with each breath and her eyes danced back and forth to each petal of the flower.
I lived for the moments that I caught her lost in thought.
Her features tended to soften, allowing the full range of her emotions to show, not just the smiling face she put on for everyone.
Caught up in watching Birdie, my shoe scratched the pavement and startled her. She dropped her coat to the ground and let out a high-pitched squeal.
“Holy shit, Knox!” she yelled.
“I’m sorry.” I put my hands up in surrender. “I saw you walk in here and I was just seeing if you were all right.”
“I mean, I’m having a heart attack at the moment, so no, I’m not all right.”
“I’m sorry. I should have said something when I walked inside.”
“You think?”
“Here.” I bent down to pick up her coat and dust it off. “What are you doing all the way back here?”
“I took a walk to clear my head. Then I got lost and I was really freaking cold. When I saw the greenhouse, I thought this would be a good place to warm up before I started to try and find my way back.”
“Fair enough.”
“What are you doing here?” she asked, her tone clipped.
“Charles, the Thornes’ landscaper, was showing me around. When I saw you come in here, I wanted to check on you.”
“Well, I don’t need to be checked up on, okay? I don’t need some knight in shining armor to come save me and make all my choices for me. I can take care of myself and make my own decisions, okay?”
I held up my hands, taking a step back. “Whoa.”
She let out a huff and then started pacing back and forth in front of me.
“I’m sorry,” she said.
“What’s up? Clearly, something is bothering you if you needed to take a walk and then…whatever that was.” I waved my hand in her direction.