Afterthought by M J Marlow (red white royal blue .txt) 📖

door and the young woman blushed and curtsied. She saw the three women and two large men following the princess and she was awestruck. “Children,” Sister Constantia, who proved to be a tall willowy woman with a square jaw and light brown hair and eyes; smiled as Evangeline appeared. “Let us welcome the princess and her ladies properly.” The children bowed and curtsied to her and the sisters and Evangeline was enchanted. These were the same orphans she had seen when she was being held prisoner by the carnival. She curtsied back to them and the children giggled and smiled. She sat down on a bench and let them come to her with their questions and touches. For several moments, she let them chatter away. Their excitement was quite heady, she thought as the nuns finally got the children to settle down in front of her. “I am told you are having a fundraiser soon,” Evangeline said to them. “Can you tell me what you will be doing?” The children shouted out answers and she nodded and looked serious. “I adore Gilbert and Sullivan. My cousins and I used to put on our own amateur theatricals of the operettas. Perhaps you would allow me to help?” “That would be more than we could expect, Your Highness,” Sister Constantia protested. “Nonsense,” Evangeline replied. “I would be honored to play a small part in your fundraiser.” She had an idea. “My brother also sings. Have you learned only the one operetta?” She smiled as they told her what they had been doing. “Then may I make a suggestion?” she asked them. The children nodded and even Sister Constantia was enthralled. “You write out your favorite songs from that operetta and who you would like singing them. My brother and I will each do a solo and a piece with you children.” “Will you wear your crown, Princess?” one of the little girls, Marie, asked. “And a long gown?” “If you wish it,” Evangeline smiled gently; “my brother and I will dress in our court costume.” The children were ecstatic. “And,” she continued; “we will hold the fundraiser at the gallery of a very dear friend of mine, Monsieur Otto.” She looked at Sister Constantia and saw the relief in her eyes. “If this is acceptable with you, Sister? I do not want you altering your plans if you have them already set.” “Your suggestions will work quite well, Your Highness,” Constantia replied. “The only requirement we have is that the fundraiser be held in the early afternoon. We can’t keep the children up late.” “Of course not,” Evangeline nodded and looked at the children. “I have an early bedtime myself,” she assured them. “My father does not think a sixteen-year-old should be up later than eleven.” She saw the shock on the nuns’ faces. They had thought she was much older and she was amused. “Is my age a problem, sisters?” They assured her that it was not. So for the rest of the afternoon, Evangeline and the children worked on the musical pieces they would do. She delighted them by showing that she could play the music on the piano. She had Marcel take notes on what they would require for the gallery once he had called Maximilian and been assured that he would assist with the fundraiser on the afternoon in question. The children insisted that she and Sebastian should have thrones on the stage and she hadn’t the heart to refuse them. When she finally left, she had lost her heart completely to the orphans and their loving attendants. “I have fallen in love,” Evangeline sighed when they walked back into the castle to get ready for dinner. She saw her father freeze in shock as he heard her as he came out of the Study. She giggled as he opened his mouth to demand what she was talking about. “With forty of the most delightful children I have ever met in my life.” She went over to kiss him on the cheek. “Father, really! I’m only sixteen. I’m far too young to lose my heart to anyone just now.” She went up the stairs to her room, humming ‘Poor Wand’ring One’ as she went. There was a box sitting in the center of her bed. Evangeline opened it and saw the single red rose inside of it with a spray of baby’s breath and ferns. She backed away from it, shaking her head. How had he gotten it into her apartments? Someone clamped their hand over her mouth and pulled her into the closet. Their other hand moved under her blouse and she felt fingers tracing the tattoo. “You grow lovelier with every passing day, my pretty princess,” Edward whispered into her ear as she struggled to free herself. “You continue helping those dear little orphans,” he laughed as he ran his tongue along her cheek and heard her whimper. “They will make excellent hostages if you ever refuse to do as I ask.” He laughed as she fainted and carried her over to the bed. He put her down gently and took the rose with him in the box. Stefano was just coming up the stairs. “Your daughter has just gone down for a nap, my lord,” Edward said with Petrie’s voice. He handed him the box. “She found this on her bed and gave it to me to bring to you.” He hid his pleasure as Stefano’s eyes blazed with rage at reading the card. He turned on his heel, cursing in Italian and ran to his Study to call Emilio. The two weeks passed swiftly as Evangeline rehearsed with the children at the Orphanage. Edward continued borrowing guards’ faces to plant his little ‘gifts’ where she would find them first and he was quite pleased with how nervous and edgy she became. Aileen’s appearances were only making it worse for the girl. He watched her struggling to remain strong and he was quite impressed with her will power. He would have a true challenge on his hands when he finally took her. He was looking forward to it. Marcel put out a press release and the limited tickets sold out swiftly. Evangeline entered the gallery on the afternoon of the fundraiser with her brother as her escort. He had flown back from Vienna especially for this event and knew next to nothing about it except that they were to dress in full court regalia as requested by the children and be familiar with the songs from the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta The Pirates of Penzance. The security team was heavier than usual because of this and she knew she would see at least one of them in sight at every moment during the course of the afternoon. It made her feel secure and smothered at the same time, but it was the one condition her father had put on this outing and she had agreed. They approached Max and Elinor and Evangeline felt the shiver course up her spine as the woman smiled in her direction. “Princess Evangeline. Prince Sebastian,” Max smiled and embraced them both. “I was just assuring Lenore that you would make an appearance. She did not believe me.” “How could we not come,” Sebastian asked. “My sister arranged this exhibit to benefit the orphanage. She actually broke down and is allowing the sale of her ‘doodles’ to raise money for those needy children.” He looked at Elinor. “You obviously deal with lesser nobility; we Roza pride ourselves on honoring our commitments.” Elinor hid her anger and annoyance. How dare this royal brat talk down to her! She was going to enjoy seeing his life end at the hands of his sister once she had finished programming the princess. Looking at the girl now only made her much more eager to get her hands on the girl. She was too innocent, too pure, to be believed. Evangeline needed to learn the world was not a safe place for little princesses. “Sebastian,” Evangeline chided her brother. “There is no reason to be rude. I am certain Madame Otto meant no disrespect or criticism.” She smiled at the woman and watched the mask drop in place. Elinor was all warmth and light. “Has Sister Constantia arrived yet with the children?” “This way, Princess,” Max smiled and showed her to the area set aside for the small stage. She and Sebastian took the thrones that the children had insisted be put on display as the nun played the Roza anthem and sat down. Max turned with a flourish, his cape sweeping out dramatically to the delight of the orphans. “Ladies and Gentlemen. I present to you the hostess for this event, Princess Evangeline Roza, and her brother, Prince Sebastian Roza.” Eva blinked as the flashes went off and she smiled as she approached the children. They all curtsied and bowed to her and Sebastian and she crouched down to embrace them each in turn or shake the hands of the older boys. They were far more impressed with Sebastian in his dress uniform. The little girls gravitated to her with her tiara and silk gown. She let them stroke it; not minding in the least as they left wrinkles or smudges. This was their event, not hers; and she wanted them to enjoy every moment of it. She went to the microphone and smiled as the children and guests applauded. “I would like to welcome you all to this event,” she said softly as she looked out over the crowd; “meant to benefit a charity that is dear to my heart, the Holy Rosary Orphanage. Please spend some time getting to know each of these dear children. They are worth your time and attention.” She smiled over at Sebastian. “The sisters have been introducing the children to Gilbert and Sullivan so my brother and I, and some of the children themselves, will be entertaining you with pieces from one of their operettas.” She almost giggled as she saw the shock on Sebastian’s face before he controlled himself. “Pierre?” One of the older boys stepped forward and bowed to her gallantly. “What is the first selection?” The boy stepped up to a crystal bowl filled with slips of paper and drew one out. He brought it to her and handed it over. She curtsied to him and smiled. “Thank you, kind sir.” “It is my honor, Your Highness,” the boy said gallantly and bowed again. “Our first piece shall be,” Eva read the slip and blushed, “Maybel’s opening song from The Pirates of Penzance. The children have asked that I sing this piece.” She turned to the nun at the piano and nodded. She loved Gilbert and Sullivan. The Sterling family children had spent hours putting on their own versions of the beloved operettas and she knew most of the pieces by heart. She sung ‘Poor Wand’ring One’ without a slip and blushed as the guests burst into cheers and applause. “Thank you. Marie?” A dark-eyed girl stepped forward and selected a slip. She curtsied quite prettily and Eva returned it. “Prince Sebastian will sing ‘I Am A Pirate King’ with the children.” She saw Sebastian’s look. “I did not make these selections, dear brother. The children did.” “Then I would be a poor Roza indeed to deny the ‘children’,” he looked at his little sister sharply as she stifled a giggle, “their entertainment. But,” he said as Eva turned to sit, “you are to play for me.” Evangeline could not refuse. She took the nun’s place at the piano and scanned the music. Then she waited for his nod. She launched into the piece with great feeling and was enchanted as Sebastian not only sung the piece; but acted out the role with every ounce of his considerable charm and talent. She could see that every woman in the gallery was in love with her handsome brother after that performance. The afternoon only got better