Chapter 23
To Meredith’s relief, and perhaps the children’s too, the queen was away from the palace for the next few days visiting various regions of their small kingdom, which Meredith thought couldn’t take too long considering the size of the tiny country.
During the queen’s absence the royal family was not required to eat in the royal dining room.
Consequently, the atmosphere in their wing of the castle felt light and comfortable.
Well, except there was an awkwardness between Meredith and Spencer.
She wasn’t sure which of them was working harder to avoid being alone together but suspected it was mutual.
She knew, in the light of day and common sense, that kiss never should’ve happened.
Spencer probably knew it too. Still, it was hard not to feel butterflies when their eyes met across the dinner table or when he came in to tell the children goodnight.
It seemed a bit easier with each passing day—or so she told herself.
She and the children were getting out and seeing things during the daytime.
They even managed to get in some tennis matches as well as a pleasant horse ride in the nearby countryside.
The children were good riders, and she managed not to embarrass herself too badly.
Really, it was like being on a paid vacation as long as she could distance herself from their father.
On the third day, Kat and Mishka, along with the assistance of a polite chauffeur and burly security guard, had assumed the responsibility of showing her their charming village.
While visiting the various shops, Meredith popped into a pharmacy to get some personal items and discovered Kat conversing with an attractive but heavily made-up young clerk at the makeup counter.
“Looking for something?” Meredith asked Kat.
“Do you mind?” Kat scowled at her little brother. “Can you take him to look at some toys or something?”
“Are you buying makeup?” Meredith asked quietly, taking in the clerk’s jet-black hair with lime green tips that matched her dramatic eye shadow.
“Maybe. This clerk is helping me.”
“But your father?” Meredith said. “Will he approve?”
“I asked you to speak to him. Remember?” Kat picked up a bright purple lipstick. “I guess I’ll find out.”
“Right.” Meredith didn’t know what to do.
Was it up to her, as the governess, to put her foot down?
Or perhaps it was better to help Kat navigate this bumpy path toward adolescence?
She already knew how self-conscious Kat was about her appearance, and like many girls her age, she was starting to get blemishes.
Would a bit of concealer help the girl feel better about herself?
But what would Spencer say? Or was he too preoccupied to notice?
The past three days, he’d remained busy with whatever it was a prince did while the queen was away, and they only saw him in the evenings when Meredith, with the help of some kitchen staff, prepared simple dinners for the four of them.
But she couldn’t complain. The queen’s absence had made her brief visit much more relaxing.
As Meredith knew, however, all good things must come to an end.
And if allowing Kat to get a few simple cosmetics put the kibosh on her visit to the kingdom… well, so be it.
“I suppose I could explain it to your father.” Meredith glanced at Mishka, looking on with wide eyes. She pointed him to a nearby children’s book rack. “Why don’t you go find us a good book,” she suggested. “Something you and I can read together at bedtime. We’re nearly done with Robinson Crusoe.”
“Good idea.”
With Mishka distracted, she turned her attention back to Kat, who was examining some metallic turquoise eye shadow.
“The way to get your father on board will be to begin with natural looking makeup. Products that enhance your beauty without drawing attention to the makeup itself. Does that make sense?”
She shrugged. “I guess so. But this is pretty.” She twirled a magenta tube of lipstick.
“Right. Well, I think it’s good to experiment a bit.” Meredith picked up a gentler shade of a peachy pink. “This would probably look nice on you.” She smiled at the eager clerk. “Do you speak English?”
“A bit.” She nodded. “I help Princess Katerina. If you like.”
Just then Meredith noticed a fair strawberry blonde woman across the aisle. Attractively dressed and not overly made-up, she was arranging some skin care products on another counter. “That clerk has coloring similar to yours,” she quietly told Kat. “I think we should get her to help.”
Kat looked unconvinced.
“Unless you want to do this another time.” Meredith put some firmness into her tone. “After I speak to your father.”
Kat did another eye roll but called out to the other clerk, who looked eager to help and, as it turned out, spoke enough English that Meredith was able to explain what they wanted.
“I think we should start with some basic skincare products, Mila,” Meredith said after reading the nametag. “Something suitable to her skin type.”
“Yes. That is good plan.” She selected several items, sitting them on the glass countertop. “These are good for Princess Katerina. Healthy skin is happy skin.” She smiled.
“Right. We’ll take those. But I want makeup too.”
Meredith suggested Mila show her colors similar to what she was wearing, but appropriate for a young lady and, before long they picked out a number of items that Meredith felt Spencer wouldn’t object to.
Especially if Kat only used them in the privacy of their own wing, but she could make that clear later.
Mishka found a book, and with shopping bags in hand, they were on their way back to the palace.
Barely back in the rooms of their own wing, an invitation was waiting outside their door.
The queen was requesting Spencer and the children join her in the royal dining room for a formal dinner this evening.
Since Meredith’s name was noticeably absent from the handwritten note, she assumed she was uninvited to this particular event.
Not eager to sit under the queen’s scrutiny again, Meredith was fine with that.
Later in the afternoon, a text message from the queen’s assistant pinged on her phone with the explanation that the children needed to be formally dressed and down to the dining room by seven o’clock sharp, although dinner wouldn’t be served until seven thirty.
Perhaps the children had to pass her inspection.
With this in mind, Meredith did her best to help the children get ready.
Mishka was receptive to her assistance and hopped right into the tub to clean up, but Kat was obstinate, wanting to remain in her room and play with the new makeup products.
“We’ll do that tomorrow,” Meredith promised.
“Why does it have to be a formal dinner?” Kat grumbled after Meredith told her the denim skirt and T-shirt wouldn’t do “And if you don’t have to go, why do I?”
“Because you’re a princess?” Meredith held up a pale blue dress with a bodice of lace. “This is pretty.”
“Ugh. The last time I wore that I could barely breathe.”
Meredith laughed. “Well, let’s just try it. Besides, I think you’ve thinned down, Kat. I noticed your T-shirts seem looser.”
“Really?” Kat stood up and tugged on her shirt.
“You try this dress on while I locate the right shoes for it.”
“If I put on this dress, will you help me with some makeup?”
“I said I’ll help you tomorrow.”
“Then forget it, I’m not changing clothes.” Kat flopped back onto her bed.
Meredith considered her options. Play hardnosed governess and make Kat comply? As if that would even work. “Have you tried the skincare products yet?” she asked as she looked through Kat’s shoe shelf, finally locating a pair of black pumps with kitten heels.
“No.”
“Tell you what—let’s try the skincare, and if you promise to wear the dressier dress and let me do something with your hair, I will help you with the makeup.”
“Really?”
“Yes. But here’s the deal. Your father must see you and approve the makeup before you go down to dinner. Okay?”
Kat jumped up. “Okay.”
In the bathroom, Meredith gave a recap of how Mila said the skincare steps went—cleanse first, then toner, and finally the “magic” ointment that was supposed to clear a complexion within a week.
“I’ll check on Mishka while you do that.”
With fingers crossed and a silent prayer for Kat to get through the evening without too much adolescent stress, she went to Mishka’s room.
Done with his bath, he was just getting on his trousers.
As she helped him tie his tie, he talked about the new book he’d gotten for them to read.
“I hope Grandmama doesn’t make us stay down there all night. ”
“Does she usually do that at a formal dinner?” She backed up to check the tie.
“Sometimes. If someone brought their family to dinner. Then we’re supposed to make sure they have a good time.” He sighed. “And that’s not always fun.”
“The price of being a prince, eh?” She smiled then helped him with his jacket. “Well, you do look handsome, Mishka. I hope your dinner guests are enjoyable. Why don’t you go to your father and see if you are presentable? I’m still not well-versed on formal dinner dress.”
“You’re lucky you don’t have to go.”
She tried not to chuckle, but she was thinking the same thing. As he left to search for his father, she returned to check on Kat. Although she had on the dress, which fit just fine, her face looked a bit red and splotchy, and Kat was glaring at her image in the mirror.
“Look,” Kat exclaimed. “I used that skincare junk like you said, and my face looks terrible!”
Meredith stepped closer to examine her. “It doesn’t look like a reaction. Do you think you scrubbed too hard?”
“I don’t know. But I don’t want to go down looking like a beet head.”
“Let me help.” Taking a tube of concealer, she turned Kat away from the mirror and dabbed a few dots of it onto Kat’s face, gently working it in to make the redness fade. She turned her around. “How about that?”
“How did you do that?” Kat leaned into the mirror.
“I’ll show you how tomorrow.” Meredith picked up the tube of peachy lipstick.
“Just a little of this now.” She applied it then showed Kat how to press her lips to blend it in.
Next, she used the big powder brush to apply just a trace of peachy blush to the top of Kat’s cheeks, followed by just a faint touch of brown mascara. “Voila!”
“Wow, Meri, I almost look pretty.”
“You do look pretty, Kat. You’re getting prettier every day.” She tapped her own chest. “But remember true beauty starts inside of you.”
Kat stared at her image with fascination then turned to Meredith and hugged her. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, sweetie.” Meredith picked up the brush and began to tame the curls. “We don’t have time to do much with your hair, but it looks fine for tonight.” She set down the brush. “But remember our deal, you need to go show yourself to your father and get his approval.”
“Will you talk to him first?” Kat asked. “Like you promised you would before?”
“That’s a good idea.” Meredith nodded. “Wait until I call for you.”
Mishka and Spencer were waiting in the living room, looking like a princely pair of gentlemen. “Are the ladies ready?” Spencer frowned at her. “Is that what you’re wearing?”
“She’s not going, Papa.”
“Not going?” Spencer’s brow creased. “A boycott?”
Meredith laughed. “Not at all. I’m not invited. I plan to enjoy a quiet evening on my own right here.”
“Lucky you.”
“That’s what I said, Papa.”
“But I need to explain something about Kat.” She quickly told him about the makeup. “It was the only way I could get her to put on a formal dress. I used a light touch. In fact, if I hadn’t mentioned it, you probably wouldn’t have noticed. But I told her we had to have your permission first.”
“I see.” He looked worried. “Kat wearing makeup…makes me feel rather old.”
“She’s going to be thirteen next month,” she reminded him. “You need to let her grow up. Hopefully, with grace.”
“All right then. Where is the princess?”
“I’ll get her.” She hurried to Kat’s room, and soon Kat was standing before her father.
“Why, Kat, you look beautiful.” He made a low whistle. “I’ll have to start carrying a club to ward off the young men.”
“Oh, Papa!” She grinned. “So the makeup is okay?”
“I think it’s just fine. I can’t even tell you’re wearing any.”
Kat beamed at Meredith. “Meri did it for me.”
“Well, let’s not keep the queen waiting.” He glanced at Meredith. “Enjoy your quiet evening.”
“Don’t worry, I will.” She walked them to the door, admiring how well they all looked together.
She hoped the queen would think so too. As she closed the door, she felt a tiny bit left out but then reminded herself of the stressful evening she was avoiding, flopping onto the sofa with a relieved sigh.
Still, she was curious. What went on at a formal dinner? Who was down there to make the extra trouble worthwhile? A dignitary from another country perhaps? It would be interesting to be a fly on the wall. Even so, as she kicked off her shoes, she decided she was just as glad not to be there.