A Royal Christmas Proposal

Ericka could have cried at his question. If only she knew how extensive his hearing loss was. Even the doctors had told her the measurement for his hearing disorder could change. “Profound. He’s been awake most of the night.”

Mr. Walker nodded. “I’ll check the house. I’ll have to test the alarm system some time. You let me know when I can do that without startling him.”

If only he could startle Leo, Ericka thought. If only she could make a sound that would startle him. Ericka stared after Mr. Walker, hating him and liking him at the same time. What could he possibly know about having a child with special needs? Nothing, she suspected. His life had probably been perfect. No troubles. No trials.

Leo’s future was full of trials. She stiffened her back. She needed to cushion her child in his infancy and make him strong for his future years. Her job was to provide the perfect amount of support and hope. Whatever that was.

A flash of fur passed between them.

Mr. Walker frowned. “Was that a cat?”

“Yes. The doctor said Leo would benefit from a pet.”

He frowned in confusion. “A cat? Don’t they sleep twenty-three out of twenty-four hours a day?”

“Sam is awake much more than that, plus he watches after Leo.”

“You mean, he stalks your baby,” Mr. Walker said.

She blinked. “He does no such thing. Sam protects Leo. He’s probably studying you right now to make sure you won’t hurt the baby.”

Mr. Walker lifted a dark eyebrow. “This is one more challenge for implementing a sound security system.”

She lifted her head. “Sam stays. We brought him back from Texas. My brother insisted he was neutered before we arrived. Stefan doesn’t want any more potent cats on the island. He’s afraid Chantaine will end up with too many cats.”

“Understandable,” Mr. Walker said. “Practical.”

“Mr. Walker, you need to understand that you’re dealing with a very human element. My son. I know that the people of Chantaine don’t hold a grudge against me. They’re delighted I have returned.”

“But there could be one person who’s not delighted,” he said. “And I’m here to protect you from that person.”

Ericka stared into his dark eyes and knew he would protect her from anything. She held his gaze for a long moment and saw a flash of tenderness. It surprised her. How could a man who appeared so hard be kind?

If he couldn’t be kind to her son, she had no use for him. If he couldn’t tolerate her cat, he would be dismissed.

* * *

Treat Walker looked into Princess Fredericka’s disapproving blue eyes. He’d read her file. She’d been known as the teenage wild-child beauty. She’d even made a few trips to rehab before she’d gotten herself straightened out and married a French film director.

Although the princess had returned to Chantaine frequently for public and family events, she’d seemed to prefer life out of the limelight. With the exception of red carpet appearances with her husband, Fredericka had focused more of her time on studies in fine arts.

When her husband fell for a younger actress, Fredericka’s life began to fall apart. The combination of the scandal and her pregnancy had been overwhelming, so she’d disappeared to live in Texas with her older sister during her pregnancy.

At first glance, she looked a little too perfect. With her aristocratic bone structure, she could have modeled for a Renaissance sculptor. Although she was trying to hold him in cool contempt, he glimpsed humanity and a little bit of fear in her eyes, a hint of purple shadows that showed she wasn’t sleeping well.

Taking care of an infant with serious hearing loss could be hard on anyone, especially since she appeared to be trying to do most of it on her own. “Your son,” he said. “He’s lucky you have the resources to give him the best help he needs. Not everyone can get their child the right kind of help.”

Her eyebrows knitted slightly. “Money can’t solve everything. The choices may be difficult,” she said before she turned away from him.

* * *

Ericka spent the day juggling caring for Leo and planning her work schedule. Since the nanny had gone to market, Ericka carried Leo in a cloth baby carrier against her chest as she talked on the phone. Leo quickly drifted off to sleep and Ericka answered a few calls. When he began to drool against her collar, she suspected he was ready for genuine nap in his crib. Just as she pulled him from the cloth carrier and set him in his crib, he let out a squeak of protest.

Wincing, Ericka immediately placed her hand over his tummy. Her sister had taught her this trick. Leo didn’t like the abruptness of being detached after being held. A little more of a human connection seemed to soothe him and he gave a little snorty baby sigh. Ericka held her hand on him for several more moments, staring at his rosy, plump cheeks and dark eyelashes against his perfect skin. Pride and love welled up inside her. He was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen in her life.

Carefully backing away, Ericka turned around and pulled the door partway closed behind her. Then she walked straight into a wall. Or, it felt like a wall until it swore under its breath. Her heart hammering in panic, she opened her mouth to scream at the same time she looked up into the hard face of Mr. Walker.

She slumped in relief and he immediately clasped her arms as if he thought she were going to faint. The notion annoyed her, “Remove your hands from me,” she said in the icy tone she’d learned from one of her governesses.

He immediately released her and she stumbled backward, glaring at me. “I thought you had left to get an alarm system. What are you doing here now? And why didn’t you knock?”

“First, since I’m your security detail, I’m like a member of the family. I don’t have to knock,” he said.

“Oh, yes, you do,” she said. “You’re not family. You’re staff. All staff knocks before entering.”

“Plus I didn’t want to wake your baby if he was sleeping,” he continued.

She opened her mouth then closed it, feeling as if someone had let the air out of her balloon. “Well,” she said, desperate to establish some boundaries with this man who seemed to take up entirely too much space. “You shouldn’t come up behind me like that and startle me. There’s no excuse for that.”

“I was examining the hallway for the best alarm system.”

He was so implacable, she thought, her irritation growing. “I’m not sure this is going to work,” she said, and walked past him. “My nanny and I are working perfectly well together. Your presence is disruptive.”

“Give me a couple days,” he said. “You’ll barely notice I’m around.”

That did it, she thought. Mr. Walker was going back to the States. She would talk with Stefan that afternoon.

Except Stefan wasn’t picking up his private cell phone, and his assistant said he was indisposed. Stalling tactics. Ericka recognized them because he’d used them before on rare occasions when he wanted things his way. She considered calling Stefan’s wife, Eve, but with two young children and another on the way, Eve had her hands full. Besides, this was between her and Stefan.

Ericka made another call. “Bernard, this is Ericka again. How are you?”

“Quite well, Your Highness.”

“I realize Stefan is quite busy today,” she said.

“Yes, yes, he is,” Bernard said.

“Lots of activity in his palace office,” she said.

“It’s often busy in the Prince’s office. As you know, he works hard for the people of Chantaine.”

“Of course he does. Since he is at the Palace office today, I’ll just scoot over for a quick visit. I promise it won’t take more than a moment or two. Ciao,” she said.

“But, but, but—”

Ericka disconnected the call and smiled grimly to herself. Two could play this little game. Stefan would be hard-pressed to avoid her if she was standing outside his office.

Ericka found Nanny Marley taking a well-earned break reading in the sunroom. “Marley, I need to make a quick trip to the palace. I won’t be gone long.”