“It really is a whole different world,” Leo said, “and not just in the obvious ways. The trappings of extreme wealth, you expect. What trips you up are the subtle machinations.”
She laughed, but only because the phrase subtle machinations was so spot on and so not something she’d expect Leo to say. “I’m not sure they were so subtle in this case, but I know what you mean. They’re trying to marry him off to someone, and I think they viewed my presence as a threat.”
“Was it?”
“No,” she said quickly. “Of course not.”
Why, then, did that feel like a lie?
But that was ridiculous. In what universe was Dani’s presence in Max’s life a threat to his future? Honestly, she needed to get over herself.
“Unlike Max’s parents, the king doesn’t seem so bad anymore,” she said in an attempt to shift the subject. Leo had told her stories of his first visit to Eldovia, and when she’d met the king herself on her first visit, he had definitely been snooty. But he seemed to have mellowed.
“It’s Gabby, I think. He’s crazy about Gabby.”
“Don’t you think you should take some of the credit? You know, for raising the kid he’s crazy about? Not to mention making his daughter happy?”
“Nope. We coexist. As long as he’s decent to Marie, which he is, we’re all good.”
“So he’s fond of Gabby?”
“He treats her like a granddaughter. Spoils her rotten. She cracked his stone-cold heart. They write each other letters about books even though they live under the same—giant—roof. Benz loves her, too. I think that’s half the reason he and I have become friendly.” He snorted and rolled his eyes.
“Gabby lost her parents, and now she has all these new people who love her. I think it’s great.”
He grumbled. “Yeah, okay, it’s great.”
“You know what else is great?” She bumped her shoulder against his. “You’re getting married! I hope you don’t lose sight of that elemental fact among all this pomp.”
He was trying—and failing—not to grin.
“What are we talking about?” Imogen, the owner of the pub and a friend of Leo’s, asked as she came over to check on them.
“We’re talking about how Leo’s in looove.” Dani drew out the syllable and made a face at Leo.
“Oh my god, don’t we all know it.” Imogen rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. “God help us all until this wedding is over.”
“Are there lots of people in town for it?”
“They’re expecting a few hundred guests. And I’m full up.” Imogen pointed at the ceiling—she had guest rooms above the pub. “But if you mean tourism, or media, I don’t think there will be a lot of attention. Eldovia doesn’t really do tourism, other than of the skiing variety, and that’s not based out of here.”
“And there won’t be tabloids trying to get information?” Dani asked.
“No. The royal family doesn’t command that much attention. It’s not like the Brits, or even Monaco. The only one the tabloids seem to care about is Max von Hansburg.”
Right. “Leave it to you to choose the lowest-key monarchy to marry into,” Dani teased Leo.
“And thank god for it,” he said, raising his glass.
Imogen produced menus. “Are you staying for dinner?”
They did, and they lured Max and Marie down to join them. Marie wasn’t a celebrity in the way that Meghan Markle appearing at the local pub would be, but she did cause murmurs when she showed up. Imogen relocated them to what she called a snug, which seemed to be a huge wooden booth that had a door that closed.
The food was great, and the conversation was easy. After their plates were cleared, Leo scooted closer to Marie, and they started whispering, their heads together looking at something on a phone.
Which left Max, who was sitting across from Dani. They didn’t speak, just looked at each other and smiled. Like they had an inside joke. Like they both had a few screws loose. She didn’t even know, except that it felt impossible to stop smiling.
She’d missed Max these recent days. They’d seen each other only in passing, and though they’d been texting up a storm, it wasn’t the same. She had gotten used to the rhythms of him. Of banter and silence, of attention and retreat. In fact, attention and retreat pretty much summed up their entire relationship. Max could talk her ear off and make her never want to stop talking, but he could also create attic garrets and give her long stretches of time alone so she could work. She tried to tell herself that when she went back to New York, it would merely be a longer episode of retreat. She would see him again. Probably when he next decided to pop into town for a party—be it one of hers or one of his.
She didn’t like thinking about his parties, the places he picked up artists or met potential brides.
He tilted his head, and his smile changed. It didn’t go away, not entirely, but it grew kind of . . . wistful?
Damn, she was going to miss him.
“So how’s the online ‘dating’ going?” Leo asked, startling her. Dani withdrew her attention from Max—it was harder than it should have been—and turned to Leo. Apparently, the lovebirds were done with whatever it was they’d been whispering about.
“It’s on hold. I’ve decided to wait until I’m officially divorced.”
Leo frowned. “Why?”
She sighed. She didn’t really want to get into it.
“It’s okay if you aren’t ready,” Leo said.
Dani tamped down a flash of annoyance. Now they were going to have to talk about her too-high standards, or her uncharacteristic prudishness, or whatever spin Leo was going to put on it. She was going to have to trot out her line about how she was planning to jump the first man she laid eyes on after the divorce was final, ha ha ha.
“Honestly,” Max said brightly, “I have to endorse Daniela’s method—from experience, alas. Did I ever tell you about the time when I was at Cambridge and I developed a bit of rapport with one of the librarians there? Well. She was not quite divorced, and let me tell you, that was a mistake.”
Off he went with his story. He knew she didn’t want to talk about her dating life, or lack thereof, so he was distracting everyone. Drawing their attention with tales of his own misdeeds, just as he had done for his brother throughout their childhood.
It struck her as funny that Max knew the real reason she was hesitating on the online-dating front—fear of getting her heart broken again—and Leo, her supposed best friend, did not.
Chapter Seventeen
The morning of the wedding dawned clear and sunny. Dani had breakfast with Leo and Gabby, and they went on a long hike in the woods surrounding the castle. She had to hand it to Mr. Benz: he had everything planned and running so smoothly, there wasn’t anything to do besides show up for hair and makeup at one o’clock.
“I can’t believe you’re getting married,” Gabby exclaimed, stopping as they emerged from the woods and the palace came into view. It was an impressive structure to begin with, made of pale stone, studded with fairy-tale turrets, and perched on the snow-covered hill next to the village. But decked out as it was for the wedding, with gold banners flowing from nearly every window, it was breathtaking. “I can’t believe I live here.”