Chapter 12
She looked at him and without another word pulled open the top of the small black velvet box. She pulled it out and stared at the solitaire diamond surrounded by two sapphire baguettes.
"Oh, Henry, it's beautiful," she said, turning it over in her hand.
He smiled, then took her hand in his and placed the ring on her finger. "I was hoping that you'd like it."
Smiling, she brought her hand up to her eyes and admired it. Then, just as quickly as it showed up, the smile disappeared. She looked at Henry.
"I can't accept this, Henry," she said. "It wouldn't be right. You see, I.."
Henry smiled and took her hand in his. "Not now, Nicole. I understand that you're surprised and that you'll need time to think about this, but.."
Danielle sighed and shook her head. "You don't get it, do you Henry," she said, looking at him. "Didn't you see that crowd earlier tonight at the Winter Palace? You know why they were following me around like that?"
Henry frowned and just looked at her. "Crowd? Was there a crowd?"
Danielle looked surprised. "Didn't you see all those people waiting for me when we opened the door? Didn't you see them whispering? Didn't you hear what they called me?"
Henry shook his head. "Of course they'd be staring at you, Nicole. They've probably have seen you coming and going from the other Winter Palace and they are wondering just what you are doing at the hall with me..."
"Haven't you ever seen Princess Danielle?" she asked him, a little surprised at herself for cutting him off. "Haven't you ever seen her on tv?"
Henry shook his head. "I'll have to admit that I don't watch too much television. I tend to immerse myself in my work. I have a lot of planning to do, Nicole. I don't have the time to sit there and gawk at a tiny screen. And now with this Christmas thing coming up, I have been doubly busy trying to please that silly stuck up person that you just mentioned and make sure everything is in the right place.."
"Wait," Danielle said, "hold it. Silly stuck up person?"
Henry nodded. "Yeah, the Princess. I've heard loads about her, Nicole, I don't need to see what she looks like."
Danielle frowned and folded her arms across her chest. "Really?" she spat. "And what ridiculous things have you heard about her?"
Henry smiled. "Listen, maybe I shouldn't have said anything. I realize that you work for her and that I have no right to..."
"No, Henry, you don't have any right to say anything about anyone until you get to know them better. You shouldn't make any assumptions about anybody." She looked at her watch. It was nearly midnight.
"Look, I obviously made a big mistake in coming here and I really have to get going." Danielle didn't waste anymore time. She picked up her coat and draped it over her arm.
"My stepmother will be looking for me," she said absentmindedly and walked towards the door. "It's a nice place you got here, Henry. Maybe sometime you'll invite me back under different circumstances. "
And with that she opened up t he door.
"Nicole," he called out to her, running after her out into the hallway. "Nicole, wait. You're still wearing my..."
But the hallway was empty and she was long gone.
She looked at him and without another word pulled open the top of the small black velvet box. She pulled it out and stared at the solitaire diamond surrounded by two sapphire baguettes.
"Oh, Henry, it's beautiful," she said, turning it over in her hand.
He smiled, then took her hand in his and placed the ring on her finger. "I was hoping that you'd like it."
Smiling, she brought her hand up to her eyes and admired it. Then, just as quickly as it showed up, the smile disappeared. She looked at Henry.
"I can't accept this, Henry," she said. "It wouldn't be right. You see, I.."
Henry smiled and took her hand in his. "Not now, Nicole. I understand that you're surprised and that you'll need time to think about this, but.."
Danielle sighed and shook her head. "You don't get it, do you Henry," she said, looking at him. "Didn't you see that crowd earlier tonight at the Winter Palace? You know why they were following me around like that?"
Henry frowned and just looked at her. "Crowd? Was there a crowd?"
Danielle looked surprised. "Didn't you see all those people waiting for me when we opened the door? Didn't you see them whispering? Didn't you hear what they called me?"
Henry shook his head. "Of course they'd be staring at you, Nicole. They've probably have seen you coming and going from the other Winter Palace and they are wondering just what you are doing at the hall with me..."
"Haven't you ever seen Princess Danielle?" she asked him, a little surprised at herself for cutting him off. "Haven't you ever seen her on tv?"
Henry shook his head. "I'll have to admit that I don't watch too much television. I tend to immerse myself in my work. I have a lot of planning to do, Nicole. I don't have the time to sit there and gawk at a tiny screen. And now with this Christmas thing coming up, I have been doubly busy trying to please that silly stuck up person that you just mentioned and make sure everything is in the right place.."
"Wait," Danielle said, "hold it. Silly stuck up person?"
Henry nodded. "Yeah, the Princess. I've heard loads about her, Nicole, I don't need to see what she looks like."
Danielle frowned and folded her arms across her chest. "Really?" she spat. "And what ridiculous things have you heard about her?"
Henry smiled. "Listen, maybe I shouldn't have said anything. I realize that you work for her and that I have no right to..."
"No, Henry, you don't have any right to say anything about anyone until you get to know them better. You shouldn't make any assumptions about anybody." She looked at her watch. It was nearly midnight.
"Look, I obviously made a big mistake in coming here and I really have to get going." Danielle didn't waste anymore time. She picked up her coat and draped it over her arm.
"My stepmother will be looking for me," she said absentmindedly and walked towards the door. "It's a nice place you got here, Henry. Maybe sometime you'll invite me back under different circumstances. "
And with that she opened up t he door.
"Nicole," he called out to her, running after her out into the hallway. "Nicole, wait. You're still wearing my..."
But the hallway was empty and she was long gone.