Chapter 4

Jordan had a rough couple of days after the beach party. Her father had noticed it when she’d gone to dinner with him and her stepmother. “What’s going on with you, Sweetheart?”

She tried to smile. “It’s nothing, Daddy. Just a bit of a broken heart.”

“Who broke your heart? Do I need to go dig a hole in the oil field?”

She tried to smile. “No Daddy, I did it myself. I committed the cardinal sin and fell in love with a client.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad. You could pursue a relationship with a client; it’s not like you have to keep working.”

She shook her head and wiped a tear. “It’s complicated.”

Her stepmother Tricia shook her head. “We’re family. Why don’t you tell us about it and see if we can help uncomplicate it?”

Jordan sighed. “I’ll tell you, but honestly Tricia, I’m not sure anyone can help me with this.”

So she laid out what had happened and who she’d fallen in love with. She told them how he’d offered to bring her home with him, but how she couldn’t do that knowing there was no future for them.

“Why wouldn’t there be a future for you, sweetie? You may not be part of their royal court, but if the Prince brought you, then you’d have a leg up on any of them. It’s not like you wouldn’t fit in. I’d wager with your trust fund, you could outshine any of them. Most nobles in small countries like Phildonia are living on credit, anyway.”

“I couldn’t watch him choose someone else, Daddy. It would just prolong the pain I’m feeling right now.”

“What makes you think he’d choose someone else? He asked you to come, which meant he wanted the chance to choose you.”

“He’s the Crown Prince. The woman he chooses will become Queen one day and not that far in the future, according to him. I wouldn’t be the best choice.”

“Thunderation and Balderdash! You’d make a great Queen. I’ve met a few, and I’d say you’d do better than most of the ones I’ve met. I happen to know King William and Queen Dianna of Phildonia, and they have nothing on you. From what I’ve seen, the biggest job of the Queen is to bear heirs and oversee the noble women at court. As well as support a few charities and be a role model. You could do all that with ease. Your work in the hotel industry for my company gave you skills in diplomacy and press management. You are kind, caring, and nurturing.

“You know what I think? I think you were scared that you’d not keep that Prince’s attention next to all those Nobles. But it seems to me he had all but already made up his mind. He just needed you to be there so he could make his declaration when the time came.”

Jordan jumped to her feet, tears running down her face. “Well, it’s too late now, isn’t it? He’s gone home, and I don’t have any way of contacting him.”

Her Dad smiled and wrapped his arms around her like she was still his little cowgirl. “That’s not necessarily true. I could probably get us an invitation to that opening ball. After all, King William is quite eager to get me to agree to open a resort on their coast and a luxury hotel in several other provinces.”

“Yes, but then I’d just be the commoner who chased the prince from America and wrangled an invitation to the ball. Not the kind of impression I’d like to make on the King or Queen.”

“Well, if you change your mind, let me know. I think love is worth any risk.”

Tricia nodded her head. “Look at us. If your father hadn’t risked his pride, and a possible harassment suit, we’d have never married. I wouldn’t have made the first move on my boss. But he asked, and I said yes. We’ve been living our happy ever after since and will continue for years to come.”

“I don’t know,” Jordan said. “I think I missed my chance and forcing another one seems wrong.”

Her father shook his head. “Well, if you change your mind, you just let us know. Tricia will take you shopping, and I’ll get you set up over there in a manor that would put those nobles to shame. Nothing’s too good for my baby girl, even a Crown Prince.”

“I think I need a change. I’m going to resign from my job at the Clairemont. Maybe do some retail therapy for a while.”

Her father nodded. “I’ll take care of the position at the hotel. You just concentrate on you.”

“No Daddy, I need to do this myself. You can’t keep offering to sweep in and fix everything. I need people to realize that while I may be your daughter, I learned this company myself and moved up on my own merit.”

“That’s fine, but at least let me turn your Royal card on and give you access to your trust fund. Then you have it if you need it. No matter what you do.”

“If it will make you feel better, then go ahead. I know you have the card here, so call the Bank of Dubai and get it turned on. I’m not saying I’ll use it, but if there’s an emergency, I’ll have it.”

Her father slapped the table. “That’s what I’ve been saying since you turned twenty-one. Getting you to take your money is harder than pulling teeth from an alligator, sweetheart. Thank you for agreeing this time.”

So for the first time in her life, Jordan had done something just for her and taken her father’s jet and flown to Los Angeles with her stepmother and they’d spent two days shopping on Rodeo Drive. She now had an entire wardrobe of the most up-to-date fashions and more red soled shoes than any one woman should have.

Today she was going into the hotel for her exit interview. She’d capitulated and allowed her father to call the General Manager and let him know she’d be in to do an exit but wasn’t returning to work. Donning a new designer business suit and a pair of Christian Louboutin flats, she made her way for her final goodbye. She didn’t know what she was going to do next, but she couldn’t go back to that hotel every day and have to see the place she lost her heart to a true-life Prince Charming.

She pulled up and handed the keys to her Jag to the valet. “Hey Jimmy, I won’t be here long, so put it in the guest lot. Doing my exit interview today.”

Jimmy frowned. “You leaving us, Miss Sparks?”

“I’m afraid I am. Time to move on and seek a new path in life.”

“Well, I, for one, will miss seeing your smiling face around here.”

She gave the older gentleman a quick hug. “I’ll miss you as well.”

She stepped into the lobby and almost ran into a guest. When she looked up to apologize, she was shocked. “Stephano? What are you doing here? I thought you guys left Sunday.”

Stephano smiled and nodded. “The rest of them did. I stayed to have time to talk to you. They just told me you weren’t working here anymore, and I didn’t know what I was going to do.”

“Well, I don’t. I’m here for my exit interview, actually.”

“I really need to speak to you. Would you meet me when you’re done?”

“Is everything okay with Owen?”

“Not really. Can we talk when you’re done with your interview?”

“Sure, I have nothing else going on. Shouldn’t take more than an hour.”

“Prefect. I’m in room 1023. Just have them ring me when you’re done.”

“Alright. I’ll see you shortly.”

Jordan continued to the business offices and was soon sitting with the General Manager and the head of Human Resources. She quickly explained that she had been perfectly happy in her job but had been offered a unique opportunity. Something better suited for her degrees. She was told by both of them they would miss her and that they would be happy to give her a glowing reference if needed. After thanking them, she surrendered her employee badge and master key card, obtained her exit paperwork, and proceeded to the front desk. She asked the desk clerk to ring room 1023 and let the guest know his party was waiting for him, then she took a seat in the lobby. In just a few minutes, Stephano Cordova stood in front of her. “Why don’t we find a quiet place to talk? I have a lot to say, and most of it shouldn’t be overheard.”

“Well, why don’t I drive us to my apartment? It’s not a noble manor house, but it’s comfortable and private and I could order us a pizza if you’d like.”

“I love pizza, and your place sounds perfect.”

Together they left the hotel and when Jimmy brought her car around. She gave the older man another hug and then slipped into her car and headed home. “Tell me Owen is okay. Is he sick? Did something happen on the way home?”

“Physically he’s fine Jordan, stop worrying. But he’s one of my best friends, and I can tell he’s not himself. He hasn’t been since we got back to the hotel on Sunday.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.”

“Are you? Sorry I mean. After all, from what he told us, he asked you to come home with him and you turned him down.”

“I did.” Jordan nodded and then swallowed the lump in her throat. “I’m not sure it was the right thing to do; but I thought it was at the time.”

Stephano stared at her and they parked at her apartment complex. “Well, this is home.” She got out, and he followed her. Once they were inside her apartment and sitting at the counter between her kitchen and dining room, Stephano asked the question he’d waited days to ask her. “If you were given another chance to spend the social season as part of the royal court, would you?”

She looked at him and swallowed a drink from the glass of wine she’d poured them both when they sat down. “Is this a hypothetical question, Stephano?”

Stephano shook his head. “No. It’s a real question with a real invite attached.”

“Owen asked you to stay and ask me again?”

“No, Owen doesn’t know why I stayed. I told him that my brother had some business he’d asked me to attend to before returning to Phildonia. I promised Owen I’d be back in time for the season’s opening Masquerade. This offer is from the Duke of Cordova and myself. The Duke is my brother.”

“I’m not sure I understand.”

“Owen explained what is happening regarding his life this season?”

She nodded. “You mean that he has to choose a wife?”

“Yes, each Duchy has the right to present one young lady to the court as their choice for the Prince’s hand. Unfortunately, our house has no noble young woman of marriageable age. However, I saw the way you conducted yourself last weekend. You didn’t seem to be after Owen for his money or title. You seemed to genuinely enjoy spending time with him. It was obvious to all of us he was enamored with you.

“I told my brother that and he said that The House of Cordova would be willing to sponsor you to the court for the season. Making you an honorary member of our duchy and house, giving you the title of Lady Jordan of Cordova. You would attend the social season events as our representative, giving you a chance to see if there really is something between you and Prince Owen.”

Jordan wanted to jump up and hug the guy sitting across from her, but she stopped herself. Because anything that sounded too good to be true usually was. “What’s in it for you and your brother?”

Stephano smiled. “That’s what I like about you Jordan, you’re smart. For me, it’s mostly because I saw how my friend Owen was around you. I’ve never seen him like that with a woman, never. But that isn’t the reason my brother offered. There are some advantages to the house whose Lady is picked as Owen’s princess. Prestige, of course, having a member of your Duchy become the Crown Princess and then next Queen of Phildonia. That would help bolster a house’s reputation and lead to lucrative opportunities that might not otherwise be available.”

“Does your brother need a boost to his reputation?”

Stephano blushed. “His personally? No. The Duchy’s? Yes. Let’s just say my father wasn’t the best manager of the resources at his disposal. While my brother has done everything he can in the last five years since my father passed on, we are barely scraping by. I was told to inform you if you accept our offer, all we can really offer you is the title and introduction at court. We can’t help with outfitting you for the required events. And there are lots of them.

“Six major ones, but several smaller ones as well. It wouldn’t do for you to be seen in the same outfits at any two events, even if they are similar functions. For example, there is the Royal Regatta that you would be required to take part in. Followed by a beach party, but you shouldn’t wear the same outfit for the race and the party. Each major event ends in a ball and you can’t wear the same gown to each ball. Not if you want to be taken seriously by the King, Queen and Royal Council. And you need to be taken seriously by them as well.”

Jordan frowned. “Why? I mean, I can understand the King and Queen as Owen’s parents. But you make it sound like more than that.”

Stephano nodded. “Because it is more than that. By law, not only must Owen make a choice of a bride. The King and Queen separately must approve that choice as well as the council. If two of the other three parties agree, Owen’s choice can become his fiancée. So you have to win them over, as well as have that connection to Owen.

“Between you and me, if it was just up to Owen, then I’m pretty sure you could show up in rags and he’d choose you. But the court is not as accepting. While we will sponsor you, that you are not a Phildonian will be held against you. The fact that you aren’t noble born will be as well. If you held a title in another kingdom, that might help, but there are no guarantees that it would.”

“So what you’re telling me is that I’m the underdog in this contest to become Owen’s fiancee?”

“Yes, honestly, it will be a long shot. However, you impressed me and begrudgingly the other nobles with us last weekend, and we could all see how smitten the Prince was. While you’re a long shot, I think you have what it takes to win the prize. That is, if you’re willing to give it a try.”

Jordan bit her lip and thought about what her stepmother had said about taking a chance. While Jordan had refused to allow her father to buy her a second chance, here fate had dropped one right in her lap. One that, while putting a target on her back, didn’t put as much of one as if Prince Owen himself had brought her into the court. “You said I’ll have to outfit myself, and I’m willing to do that and can do that. But will you and your brother help me with everything else? Making sure I know what I need to do and not do to make a good impression and survive what I’m sure will be a cutthroat competition?”

“I can assure you we need you to win as much as you want to win. We will help every way we can.”

Jordan smiled. “Then I say: When do we leave? When is this masquerade you mentioned?”