That should have made her happy. God knew it made him happy to see he could resist her. She should be happy, too. Instead, she was distant.
He left her after lunch and spent four grueling hours in parliament. Tired and somewhat disgusted, he returned to his palace apartment to find Sally and Joshua, the clothier, sitting on one sofa with Ginny alone on the sofa across from them. Though Sally was frustrated, Joshua looked to be the picture of patience as he ran down the benefits of a list of designers.
Ginny frowned. “I know what I like. I know what I look good in. It just seems so sterile to be picking a gown this way. I always imagined myself trying things on.”
Joshua smiled patiently. “Most women would kill for the chance to choose a designer to make a unique gown.”
Ginny only sighed and glanced at the photo array of designers and their creations.
Sally shook her head. “What difference does it make? For Pete’s sake. This wedding is just for show. It’s not real. The gown doesn’t have to reflect you. It just has to be beautiful. Something fit for a princess.”
Ginny finally noticed Dom standing in the foyer by the door, but she quickly looked away. Still, he’d seen the naked misery in her eyes.
She straightened her shoulders, as if seeing him reminded her of her duty to him, and she pointed at one of the photo arrays. “This one. I’d like this designer.”
Sally sighed with relief and rose. “We’ll contact him.”
Joshua rose, too. He bowed. “I am at your service.”
Sally said, “Good because she still has a wardrobe to choose. Two pair of jeans and a green dress with cardigan won’t be enough clothes for two days let alone over two years.”
Joshua on her heels, Sally headed for the white double doors. “You’ll be required to meet with Joshua again tomorrow afternoon, Ginny.”
“That’s Ms. Jones,” Dominic said, suddenly annoyed. “She may not be a princess yet. But she will be. And when she is she will be your boss.”
Sally quietly gasped and stepped back, but she quickly recovered. Bowing to Dominic, she said, “Yes, Your Majesty.”
Joshua all but quivered with fear. New to the palace, because the king and the two princes rarely required help in choosing suits or having them made, he glanced from Dom to Sally, wide-eyed.
Sally opened the door and left. Joshua scampered after her.
Ginny blew her breath out on a long sigh. “You shouldn’t have yelled at her. It wasn’t her fault that I’m having trouble choosing. And our time is running out. She’s right to be annoyed with me.”
He walked to the bar and poured himself a Scotch. “Oh, sweetie. You have so much to learn about being a princess.”
“I’m not going to be vapid and spoiled.”
“Of course, you’re not. But you can’t let staff belittle you.”
“As I said, she was right to be annoyed with me.”
“Again. No. You are the member of the royal family here. If you want to take until the day before the wedding to choose your dress, that’s what you do. Then they scramble.”
She laughed.
He sat beside her on the sofa. “So, are you really happy with the designer you chose?”
She shrugged. “He’s as good as any.”
He caught her chin and nudged her to face him. “As good as any isn’t good enough. I want you to be happy the day you get married. It may not be forever, but it’s your first wedding.”
“That’s what I keep thinking.”
“So what would you do if you were getting married for keeps?”
“I’d have a lot of pink roses.”
“What else?”
“My two friends would be bridesmaids.”
“You can have that.” He sipped his Scotch. “What else?”
“I don’t know. I always imagined my mom and me picking things out.” She peeked up at him. “She has great taste.”
He laughed. “Really?”
“Well, actually, we have about the same taste. But picking a gown is just something a girl wants to do with her mom. You know. Second opinion and all that.” She took a deep breath, blew it out, then looked Dom in the eye. “My picture is going to go around the world. I’d like for it to be a good one.”
He nodded. “That’s something I’m so accustomed to I forget that others aren’t.” He rose from the sofa. “I have a dinner meeting tonight that’s going to segue into a bigger meeting with several members of parliament. Why don’t you call your friends on Skype and invite them to be your bridesmaids?”
She looked up at him, her eyes round and blue and honest. She was one of the most naturally beautiful women he’d ever met. She was also being a much better sport about this marriage than a lot of women would be. She hadn’t asked for anything. She just did as she was told. And if she didn’t talk to him, maybe that was his fault? He’d told her not to expect a long, happy marriage. If she held herself back, maybe that’s what she felt she needed to do.