Playing the Royal Game

‘No,’ Allegra attempted. ‘That’s my husband’s job!’

But Belinda just laughed; she just stood there and laughed. ‘You!’ She laughed even louder. ‘You really don’t get it, do you? The people might think they like you now, but Alex knows it won’t last. Just look at you, Allegra, you’re nothing. Your family are nothing to him. And sooner or later they’ll be nothing to the people—just a rather embarrassing thorn.’

Allegra stood there, trying to bite back her fury, trying to remember the Allegra of old who could think of a smart retort, the Allegra who was Bobby Jackson’s daughter, who would turn around and just give her a black eye.

‘The people won’t blame him a bit for the way he carries on.’ It was unfortunate that at that moment Chantelle chose to wander out of a side door and go through her handbag, coughing a bit, before lighting up a cigarette. ‘Now, Anna...’ Belinda gave a slightly wistful sigh. ‘Anna has class—well, she did, till she met with Jacksons. With Anna, he’d at least have had to show discretion. You lot will take any crumbs.’

‘All right, love.’ Bobby came over. ‘Where is that man of yours?’

‘Here I am.’ Alex walked over.

‘About time.’ The king huffed and joined them, as Alex gave Allegra a brief kiss on the cheek, but it was only for show, that much she knew.

‘Where were you?’

He frowned down, for never had he had to explain himself before and he certainly wasn’t about to start now. Here was hardly the best place to tell his bride of tomorrow that he had spent some time with his ex-fiancée—and certainly not with her in this fragile state. He could see she was shaking, and he didn’t like the other changes either: her fringe was long gone now, tucked behind her ear; he could see her clavicles poking out of her chest. He hated what his family had done—what he had allowed.

‘I had things to sort out. Come on.’ He took her by the elbow and they took their positions at the altar for the rehearsal. He could feel her jangling with nerves. He should never have left her alone to deal with this. He had thought he was doing her a favour, giving her a break before they were forced into the union       she didn’t want, but instead he’d exposed her.

‘What things?’ Allegra asked. He heard the sharp T at the end of her ‘what’ and he wanted her back, he wanted Allegra Jackson back.

‘At this point, you will join hands...’ the priest said.

‘What things?’ she asked again.

‘It is not your concern.’

‘It is when you...’ And what was the point—what was the point of challenging him? Was this to be her life? To wait in the shadows, to lie in bed and wonder where he was, that he could be so blatant, so dismissive. She loved Izzy, loved her sister so very much, but she loved herself too.

Had to love herself more. She couldn’t do this.

‘There will be a hymn...’ the priest droned on.

‘No.’ Her voice was soft, so soft that no one noticed, and she said it again.

‘No.’ The chatter stopped and she looked to her grim fiancé, smelt a perfume that was not hers in the air between them, and her voice was firm when next it came.

‘I can’t marry you.’

She fled from the church, poured herself into a car and begged the shocked driver to move on.

‘Nerves.’ Bobby grinned, instantly moving to put everyone at ease.

‘It’s nerves,’ said the king.

‘I’m not sure...’ Angel had seen the agony on her sister’s face as she had fled from the church and she looked to Izzy. ‘Shall I go and talk to her?’

‘I will,’ Bobby said.

‘Maybe it will come better from a woman,’ Chantelle offered, because the last thing she wanted was Allegra turning this down. She had her outfit sorted and she liked being related to royalty. ‘Julie?’

Except Alex had already left the church.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

‘YOU couldn’t even last till the wedding!’ She opened her hotel door and met him with her rage.

‘What are you talking about?’