The Head That Wears the Crown by Mariah Stewart

Author:Mariah Stewart [Stewart, Mariah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Montlake
Published: 2023-10-09T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty

How to describe what awaited us in Beauchesne? If I said everything but a marching band, would you get the picture? It was like the Mummers Parade on New Year’s Day in Philly—without the Mummers. People actually lined the city streets to see our car arrive. Since there were five of us Max had arranged for a limo, so the ride got a little hairy on those tight mountain turns. The windows were tinted dark, but Ralphie—ever the ham—rolled down the one closest to him so he could wave to the crowd. His smiling face appeared on the front page of the city’s only newspaper, and I swear he’d frame it and hang it on the wall if I let him. He was hoping someone would leak it to People magazine so everyone—meaning the girls from school—would see it. Eventually that did happen, and I’d never seen him so happy.

There was the drive through the castle gates and the kids and my sisters trying to take it all in at once, as I had done. Then the entry into the castle, where once again the staff lined up to greet us. But this time around, there were familiar faces in the crowd, and I greeted those I remembered and introduced myself to the ones I hadn’t met, then I introduced my sisters and kids to everyone. There were a few curtsies here and there, but I was going to leave that conversation to Claudette. I couldn’t help but notice there seemed to be more people gathered in the reception area than last time. Just like I couldn’t help but notice the stars in my children’s eyes.

Claudette was, as always, in control. She’d had our things taken to our rooms as they arrived. She’d made sure our rooms were all in the same hall so I could be close to my kids and my sisters. There was dinner in one of the smallish dining rooms, and while I remember thinking how delicious everything was, I was so jet-lagged and there was so much chatter, by the time our entrées were served, my head was spinning like one of my mom’s old 45s. Shortly after dinner, I said good night to both kids in their rooms and I went to bed. I think the deliberations of the past month had taken a toll on me, and now that I’d made a decision and was actually here, in the castle, with my family, I just wanted to sleep.

Early the next morning, there was banging on my door. I wondered why Hans or Sebastian or whomever was on duty in the hallway was permitting it. Finally the door opened just a crack.

“Mom?”

“Yes, Juliette?” I sighed.

“Are you up?”

“I am now. Come on in.”

Jules flitted into the room, already dressed in jeans and a nice top. She flopped onto the bed next to me.

“Mom, pinch me.”

I gave her a tiny tweak.

“We’re really here,” she said, wide-eyed. “We slept all night in a castle.”

“We are and we did.

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