Chapter 11

Jordan had been busy since she returned to Cordova from the royal palace. She spent time each day with Duke Harrison learning more about the court and the protocol there. While the Duke still wore a perpetual frown on his face, he had stopped berating her every time they met together. Jordan figured it had a lot to do with seeing that the Prince himself was indeed interested in her.

She knew she’d impressed Harrison too. The fact that she knew many of the things he thought she needed to learn, such as which fork to use with each course, and the proper placement of an entire formal dinner set, had surprised him. She also quickly learned, thanks to the flash cards he’d made her, who each member of the Royal Council was and which area they were in charge of. She asked him to expand that list for her, to include their families. So that by the next official outing of the season, she’d know the men and their families and could talk to them with knowledge about their interests.

What Harrison or Stephano didn’t know was she called her father and got the name of a historian who could help her learn more about each area of Phildonia. Jordan spent hours reading over the reports from the older woman, who sent her the histories and concerns of each duchy. She was surprised to find that while the Birkshire Duchy was very prosperous; they had recently been living as if they were as broke as her own benefactors. She wondered what the Duke was doing with the money that he suddenly wasn’t spending on his and his daughter’s comforts. She thought she might get word to the Dowager Queen so her spies could figure out what he was up to.

The rest of her time, Jordan spent learning about Cordova and preparing for the next court outing. She took Brutta and walked around the various villages and cities. She learned that the people of the Duchy loved Duke Harrison and Baron Stephano. They knew their Duke was in financial trouble, but over and over, she heard them talk about how that wasn’t the boys’ fault but their father’s. They were all confident that Harrison would turn things around and the Duchy would once again become prosperous. It shocked her to learn that before their father’s death, Harrison had been as carefree and fun loving as Stephano.

Today Jordan had decided she needed to go to an upscale boutique and put together a wardrobe for the week in Valaria and see if she could find a gown she liked for the ball that would close up the festivities there. She put Brutta on his leash and had the driver take her into the city of Cordova. She entered the shop and was struck by how inclusive the place was. There were obviously gowns and clothes for the Nobility. There was also an equal amount of clothing that would fit in with those that couldn’t afford thousands of dollars for an outfit. She’d barely been inside long enough to notice all that when she was approached by a woman that looked a little like Harrison and Stephano. “Hello, welcome to my shop, Lady Jordan.”

“This is your boutique?”

“It is. Not all of us nobles get to stay at home and live off the taxes and fees of the people we serve. Not that Harrison or Stephano get to do that either. They both work very hard to keep our Duchy relevant and our people happy.”

“I’m sorry, you know me and I believe that you’re Harrison and Stephano’s kin because the family resemblance is very strong.”

The woman smiled. “I’m their sister, Serafina. It’s nice to meet you and now I understand why my little brother was so excited to bring you here, as well as what my older brother’s problem is with you. You’re gorgeous.”

Jordan blushed at the shopkeeper’s praise. “Thank you. I don’t understand though, why would that cause the Duke to have a problem with me?”

The woman looked around to make sure no one else was in the shop. “Harrison is very uncomfortable around beautiful women. While he is all confident and sophisticated as the Duke of Cordova, he is all fumbling and awkward around attractive females. When something makes him uncomfortable he has a tendency to default to displeasure. Something he learned from our father.”

Jordan nodded. “That explains a lot. I don’t think I’m all that, but it is good to know why he disliked me on sight.”

Serafina laughed. “Oh, that wasn’t the only reason. He wants to save the family himself. That Stephano may have found the key to doing so grates on him. Add to that you are intelligent, sassy and speak your mind, that would drive him completely nuts.”

Jordan laughed. “Yes, I think that is a good indication of what’s been going on since I got here.”

Serafina smiled. “Well, I’ve been meaning to come and visit you, but the word is that you’ve had several visitors that I think might be more interesting than the sister of your sponsors. Word is a certain Royal has come calling more than once.”

Jordan blushed. She hated that her fair skin and blonde hair made her embarrassment clear on her face. “The rumors may have been slightly more juicy than the reality. While Prince Owen came to visit once, the other visits have all been from his sister Princess Jaqueline.”

Serafina smiled at her. “And yet the Princess comes to see you. That in itself is a statement. While young and in her first season, she isn’t known for making friends easily. That she seems as taken by you as our Crown Prince is; well that’s telling.”

Jordan smiled. “I like her. She’s young but has a good head on her shoulders.”

“I agree, but then I’ve watched her grow up from the little girl that the Prince and Crown Prince both doted on.” The woman smiled. “Now tell me how I can help you today? Obviously, you didn’t come to gossip with me.”

Jordan laughed. “No, however, getting to meet the Cordova’s sister is a plus. I actually came here to do some shopping for the Valaria week of the season.”

“The Annual Polo Match to raise funds for the Veteran’s Relief Fund. We must make sure we dress you to impress. That is one of King William’s favorite charities. He is their patron, well them and the Nautical Historical Society. He’s their patron too. Their week comes later in the season with the regatta. But both are important to him.”

Jordan nodded. “I knew he was involved with both charities. I’m also not his favorite person right now. So, I need to be sure and look on point the entire week. I’m sure I’ll have more interactions with His Majesty, and he will look for any flaw he can find.”

Serafina nodded. “Then let us pick out the perfect ensembles for the week, shall we? The only thing I might not help you with is the ballgown. I don’t have any exclusive designer gowns. The designer and seamstress I normally have on staff is on maternity leave with twins.”

Jordan smiled. “Good reason to be out, but it will make it hard for you to make much money this season.”

Serafina waved away like it was nothing. “I make little on designer gowns. My clientele are mostly lesser nobles like myself, or commoners. It’s why I try to keep some high-end fashions and some reasonable fashions too.”

Jordan thought about that as they were looking through the top fashions that Serafina offered and putting together a wardrobe for the following weekend for her. She just needed to figure out what to do about exclusive gowns. Then it hit her. Jennifer said she wasn’t working right now. She’d been so wrapped up in getting to Phildonia and Owen she’d missed her friend’s employment status. She’d follow up on that once she got back to the manor house.

As Serafina totalled up her purchases, she looked at Jordan and asked. “So did my brothers inform you that the last event of the season besides the final ball is the one Cordova hosts?”

Jordan felt her heart race at the thought that she was required to be hostess of the entire nobility for a week. “No, they may have neglected to mention it.”

“That’s what I was afraid of. Normally it fell upon me, but they probably didn’t even think about it. Because of my marriage and opening this shop, I won’t be there to do it. I bet they haven’t shown you the fort or told you what our event is either. Have they?”

Jordan shook her head. “No, what’s the fort?”

“The fort is our other holding that is part of the titled land of the Cordovan duchy. You would probably consider it a small castle. It’s called the fort because it was the original manor house and overlooks the cove. The Cordovan duchy hosts the Nobility for the King’s Regatta and the Regatta ball. Our primary industries are sea related. Shipbuilders and the fishing industry. We had to close the fort except for the week of the Regatta.”

“You mean I’m supposed to plan and oversee the whole Regatta?”

“Oh, no! I’m sorry if I gave that impression. The King has the Regatta itself under his control. You are the hostess for the Royal family and noble’s court. They all come and stay at the fort for the week. You and my brother are responsible for the opening banquet, putting up the Royal family and all the Dukes and their families at the fort. Then the Regatta Banquet the night before the races that raise funds for the Nautical Heritage Preservation society. As well as a beach party on the afternoon of the Regatta. Then the Regatta ball. Which is usually the final one of the season before the extra one this year. Which, of course, will be at the palace where Prince Owen will announce his choice for a bride.”

“So I’m responsible for housing and hosting the entire royal court for the week, along with two banquets, a party on the beach, and a ball?”

“Yes, and not to make things worse on you; but I doubt Harrison has thought about it or us not having the staff to pull it off. I’m not sure he has the funds for even one event, let alone all of them.”

Jordan wanted to cry, but this was part of it, wasn’t it? A Queen would rise above the situation and look for a solution. “So what you’re saying is I need to get your brothers to show me the fort, plan to have it cleaned, staffed and ready for occupancy in nine more weeks and do it all on a shoestring budget.”

“Yes, I believe that’s what I’m saying. Seems impossible, doesn’t it?”

Jordan smiled as her brain started working on the problems. “Well, like Alice said in Through the Looking Glass. ‘I often think of six impossible things before breakfast. What’s a few more before dinner? At least I have a few weeks to pull off these impossible things.”

Serafina laughed out loud. “Now I see why you frustrate Harrison so badly and why Stephano knew to bring you home. You’re a dreamer, Jordan Sparks, and not just any dreamer. You are one that will conquer her dreams and make them reality.”

Jordan looked at her new friend and stated in all seriousness. “Serafina, my stepmother is fond of saying ‘if you don’t reach for the stars you’ll never dance amongst them.’ It’s another way of saying if you don’t try, you can’t ever succeed. Yes, you risk failing, but if you don’t try, you’ve failed already. Now if you will excuse me, I have to see if I can do six impossible things before fall. It’s not just enough to think of them.”

As she was heading back to the manor, she called and convinced her friend Jennifer to pack up and come be her exclusive fashion designer for the next eight weeks. Then she needed to place a call to the best charity and social event planner she knew; her stepmother, Tricia. Thankfully, they got along and it excited Tricia to try her hand at planning a week long Royal event. She convinced Jordan’s father to let her spend the next three months in Cordova with his daughter and Bufford even agreed to let Jordan use his hospitality training team to come train her a courteous staff that would exceed any Royal expectations. The one thing Clairemont Resorts and hotels never allowed was incompetent service staff.

As Tricia prepared for the Royal court’s arrival at the Regatta, Jordan and the Cordova brothers set off to Valaria for the season’s events. Just like would happen at the fort in eight weeks, there was to be a welcome banquet on Monday night, followed by a week of visiting the sites and a midweek trip to a couple of the charity sites. Then on Saturday afternoon there would be the polo match with all the proceeds going to the Veterans Relief Fund followed by a winners banquet with the winning team and all the Royal court. Then the Valarian Ball, where again the main reason this season would be to give Prince Owen time with those Ladies trying to become his bride.

***

Something was very wrong. Normally when Owen arrived at the Valarian Manor, he felt at home, but today, even as he came up the drive, everything felt wrong. There were new banners flying over the front of the manor. The crest of Valaria looked wrong. For all of Owen’s life, they had looked the same. He knew that in the twenty years since his mother died; They had replaced the banners with new ones several times. After all, the weather alone, not to mention time, would have faded them and worn them out, but they’d always looked the same. Not this time. The crest had slight changes in it. Others wouldn’t have noticed, but this was the duchy he was part of, and he knew. He exited the car to see a pinched face woman with a severe bun on top of her head of gray hair waiting at the door, instead of the smiling face of his Head Butler Giuseppe. The woman gave a small perfunctory curtsy. “Welcome to Valaria, Your Highness.”

“Who are you, and where is Giuseppe Mancini?”

The woman’s face drained of what little color there was. “I am Belladonna Pugliesi, Her Grace’s stewardess of the House.”

Owen’s face turned thunderous. “You are the stewardess of the House? Where is my estate steward, Giuseppe Mancini?”

The woman swallowed and shook. “Are you speaking of the man I replaced? Her Grace retired him several weeks ago.”

“You keep talking about Her Grace; who is that? Who hired you?”

The older woman swallowed and glanced around. “The Duchess of Valaria, hired me, Your Highness.”

“That is impossible, Mrs..., I’m sorry, your name again?”

“Pugliesi, Your Highness, Belladonna Pugliesi and I can assure you Her Grace hired me shortly after arriving here from Birkshire.”

“Lady Portia hired you?”

“Yes, sire, that is what I’ve been saying.”

Owen shook his head. “No, it isn’t. You’ve been saying the Duchess of Valaria hired you. Since I am the Duke of Valaria and I am unmarried and there hasn’t been a Duchess of Valaria for twenty years, it is impossible that one has hired you.”

Before the woman could answer, Owen asked another question. “Has his Majesty arrived yet?”

“Yes, your Highness, he is in his suite.”

“Then let us get to the bottom of all this, shall we? Mrs. Pugliesi, come with me.”

Owen started moving into the house and up to the top floor of the Manor. He noticed he didn’t recognize most of the household staff and he stopped when he was passing the formal parlor. Someone completely refurnished the room with modern furniture. “Where is my furniture?”

The woman behind him blanched even whiter and shook. “I don’t know how to answer you without angering you further, Your Highness. I was ordered to replace it with this furniture.”

Owen looked at the trembling woman. “You are not in trouble, Mrs. Pugliesi. I’m guessing you were going to tell me Her Grace ordered the changes.”

“Yes, Sire.”

Owen nodded. “And what happened to the Valaria family heirlooms and antiques that were in this room?”

The woman blushed. “I had no reason to doubt what I was told, Your Highness. However, everyone knows that this was your mother’s Duchy, and I assumed that the pieces I was ordered to get rid of belonged to her family. I had them stored in a climate controlled facility in town. Nothing that was removed furniture wise has been destroyed or sold.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Pugliesi. I appreciate that. Where did you work before here?”

“I’ve worked for the Berkshires for the last five years, sir, at their country estate. Thankfully, both the Duke and his daughter prefer their city estate and I was not tasked with dealing with them regularly. However, I went through a lot of staff as Lady Portia often fired in the city and demanded I send her replacements.”

“I see. I am going to see my father now. Will you please gather for me the records of all staff changes, purchases in the weeks since Lady Berkshire arrived using Valarian accounts, and all the plans and preparations for this week’s events? I’ll meet you back here in half an hour to take account of what has been done to my estate in my absence.”