“Go. I’ll see you later.” Sam made shooing motions toward the door. “And I won’t tell David you think he’s hot.”

It wasn’t very ladylike, but I shot her the bird. If there was one thing I had learned about Sam and Jess over the last year, it was that they loved to see me squirm.

“Love you too,” she hollered after me as I pushed through the door. I just laughed. My brother had done well for himself.

FOUR

PICKING UP THE flowers, I frowned. They were the wrong color. Again. Selene had even taken pictures to the florist to show them what we were looking for and they still used the wrong flowers.

“Was there a problem getting the ones the duchess requested?” I looked at the woman across the counter from me.

“We couldn’t order enough and thought this would be a good alternative.” She twisted the paper in her hands.

“You’ve had the flower order for months.” I smiled. Mother had taught me you could get away with a lot more by smiling when you said it, and this woman was already a nervous wreck.

“Yes, ma’am. But there was a problem with the delivery truck and the shipment arrived in poor condition. We were able to receive these on short notice.”

“Ah.” I nodded my head like I wasn’t frustrated. “Well, in that case, they will work just fine.” It wasn’t that I was mad. I just wanted everything to be perfect. The last thing I wanted was for Sam to see her flowers and be upset that they weren’t what she picked out.

The rest of the appointment went well. The centerpieces were being made and stored in one of the large walk-in refrigerators. Food was being prepared and the bakers had begun working on the cake and cupcakes. I shook my head as I looked at the cupcakes that covered a worktable. Alex and Sam hadn’t been able to decide on a cake flavor, so had opted for several different types of cupcakes. It had actually been an ingenious idea, because it meant we could also make separate trays for guests with food allergies.

“The tailor delivered the dresses last night.” Selene looked at her clipboard as we walked through the palace. I had tried to get her to use a tablet, but she didn’t care for electronics. Of course, she was older than my mother, so it shouldn’t surprise me.

“Were there any problems?”

“No. Everything was as it should be.” She marked something on her papers before pointing at the main entrance. “Chadwick has requested that we have an extra guard at the front gate. He’s worried about the guests’ arrival.”

“I think Alex already took care of that. Would you double-check for me?”

“Of course.” The scribble of her pencil made me smile. Selene had been with me from the time I was old enough to start attending official functions—before my father had passed away.

One of Selene’s junior secretaries stopped me with a folder of papers. I flipped through them quickly. Tabitha was a small, petite woman, and while she was thorough, something about her screamed power hungry. It was in the little things, the sharp look in her eyes, the constant volunteering, the way she tried to fit into my schedule. Selene felt that she would make a good replacement for her one day, but I had serious doubts.

“The list is fine, except for this name.” I tapped the name of a reporter from America. “He ran a very unflattering piece on the duchess a couple of months ago and I’m not going to let him rip apart their wedding day just for kicks.”

“Yes, ma’am. I’ll make a note of it.” Tabitha bobbed her head and hurried on down the hallway in a different direction.

“It seems like most everything has been taken care of,” I said.

“You’ve done an excellent job of seeing to everything.” Selene smiled at me.

“Oh! What about the ring bearer and flower girl? Did their gifts come in? Sam wants to give them to the children at the rehearsal dinner.” I flipped through my e-mail on my phone, looking for a confirmation of delivery.

“They are wrapped and in the duchess’s room.”

Samantha hardly ever used her room at the palace. If she was staying overnight you would find her in Alex’s room, even if he wasn’t. I’d say it was disgusting the way they loved each other, but to be honest that would just be jealousy talking. I wanted something like what they had but knew better than to think it would really happen to me.

“Excellent. She will be able to use her room? We haven’t put everything on the bed, right?” Sam might not agree with me, but she wasn’t spending the night with Alex right before they got married. I’d sleep in front of her door if I had to. I wanted him to see her walking down the aisle in her wedding gown and feel the full impact. Most people didn’t find true love; they had been lucky. Far luckier than I was likely to be. I’d never be able to trust that someone wanted me for me, not just what I could get them.

“Of course not. She will be able to get in her own bed.” Selene cracked a smile. “If you can keep her there.” The staff at the palace thought it was funny that Sam snuck into Alex’s room and vice versa. Eventually it became a loud secret. No one openly talked about it, but they all knew. Now Sam didn’t even try to hide it. She just came and went as she wanted, though the palace’s official stance was that they had separate rooms when the media asked.

“I’ve already bought the super glue and extra door lock.” I laughed. Sam had given me an evil look when I told her she had to stay in her room the night before the wedding. I knew it was an old tradition, but it was something we had upheld in our family. Plus, I was a romantic. They’d thank me later.