Chapter 25

The rain started falling as Danielle looked out of the window of her bedroom at the Winter Palace.

There was too much that happened tonight, too much she didn't understand. How could he even think that Ennis and I going together? Couldn't he see that the Prince was way too old for her? How could he even consider the fact that she'd want anyone else but him? And how the heck did he know about Geoffrey? That was five years ago and Geoffrey was…

Her thoughts were broken by the constant bickering of Jackie and Renee. She was screaming at the top of her lungs about the arrangement of her and Prince Ennis. This was an outrage. How could the two of them conspire something of this nature?

And what was Danielle doing outside running around with a commoner when she should be helping her with this party thing. She was even considering canceling it now that Rupert had run off with her niece. And what was going on with Margo anyway; first fooling around with Rupert and then marrying that little mama's boy, Jerrold? What the hell was going on here? Who was this party for anyway; certainly not for Renee and Ennis. She certainly didn't intend to rule on the other side of the universe just because Jackie, Danielle and that wacky Palace Director Philip Duval set this whole thing up. No marriage and no engagement. What were they thinking about anyway? If there was a key to either Danielle's or Jackie's room, she would have locked both of them in and left them there to rot, for all she cared.

Jackie tried to say something, but Renee cut her off. She needed to get out, she screamed and the next thing she heard was footsteps running across the hall and a door slamming.

Danielle smiled through her tears. She looked out at the rain and stared wished she was somewhere else. All she could think about was being with Henry and how perfect they were for each other. There was no one else but him, no one else anywhere. She had to find him and she had to do it now.

She tiptoed over to the bedroom door, opened it just a crack and peeked out, looking from right to left down the long hallway. Everything was quiet; she couldn't hear the screaming anymore. She had no comprehension of how long had she been staring out at the rain; it felt as if she had been locked up in there, imprisoned by Renee and her little schemes to banish her from Haven. Now she crept a little downstairs to see if she could hear any sound at all, but she hadn't heard a thing. She didn't want to move further down, she was afraid of finding something or seeing something she didn't want to see. With a little smile she turned to walk back up, when she heard a knock at the front door. Danielle was in two minds about answering it, when the door opened and she saw Ennis and Philip enter the palace calling out Renee's name. Confused a bit, she tiptoed down further and heard a car starting outside. She heard scuffling and the two men shouting, then the opening and slamming of the door. Danielle hesitated, waiting to see what would happen next, but there was no sound at all, nothing.

Everything was eerily silent.

She smiled a bit she would make her escape, but this time through another secret passage. It was not known to anyone, not even to Jackie. It was from her room and it led straight to an underground passageway which eventually led to the street. She would find Henry at any cost and explain what this whole thing was about. And then she would run away with or without him.

*******************

Henry was sulking. He was staring out at the rain on the front porch of the beach house sipping a cup of some hot mulled apple cider. He was trying to remember when he brought Nicole, no Danielle, here. Was it only four days ago? Seemed longer than that; seemed so long ago now. So much had happened in that short period of time. She was a princess, wasn't she? And he was a count. Well, at least that's what Geoffrey had told him.

Geoffrey, he thought as he brought the mug up to his lips. He said he was his cousin, but whose son was he? He shook his head to try and clear it, but it just became more and more confusing. Maybe there were some records somewhere he could look up, but where would he start? Was this guy for real or just a figment of his imagination? He couldn't have dreamed it all up now could he? But if he had been real than why….

"I'm Uncle Geoffrey's first born, Henry," a voice called out behind him, as if he had read his mind. "I'm Geoffrey Duval Jr. There was George, Geoffrey, Chandler and the youngest of us is Philip. Philip and I were very close before the accident."

Henry turned to face Geoff, his mug still in his hand. He looked the same as he did yesterday: a slightly pudgy, middle aged man in his late forties. He had the all the classic Duval features: brown eyes and jet black hair tied in a queue, graying slightly around the temples. His eyes widened and his mouth fell open. He hadn't recognized him until now, this very minute.

Henry dropped his mug on the floor, spilling the amber liquid. The mug had broken into four big pieces.

"Careful," Geoffrey said, "that will stain the floor. Good thing it's wood, then."

Henry shook his head and pointed his finger straight at him. His eyebrows knit together in shock and confusion.

"You," he whispered. "You're…"

"Not the Palace Director anymore? Yes, well, I'm sorry for that little deception, but I had to find some way to tell you. After my first heart attack at the early age of forty three, I retired my post. Doc told me to take it easy, told me too much stress and that the job wasn't meant for me, so Phil took over. He always wanted it anyway. So I'm settled in a lovely country home, just outside of Haven and doing a little writing. Nothing published yet, mind you, just some remembrances."

Henry nodded his head. "What are you doing here then and how the hell did you get in?"

Geoffrey smiled. "You could refer to it as unfinished business. I promised Chand that I get this right between you and the princess. As to how I got in, I know where you keep the key."

"My father," Henry whispered and lowered his head. "Francis Chandler Duval."

"He always hated Francis. He went by F. Chandler Duval his whole life."

Henry looked up and watched Geoff closely. "What are you, my fairy godmother or something or are you just following me around?"

"You should be so lucky," Geoffrey said. "I'm here to do a job and I'm going to finish it. Just think of me as a friendly reminder that you and Danielle belong together. You two fit like a hand inside a glove. You were meant for each other. You know that as well as I do. You are in love with the girl, aren't you?"

"Of course I am, but she lied to me, Geoff. How can you trust someone when they lie to you?"

"Did she have a choice? You were calling her a silly little brat." Geoff folded his arms against his chest. "And why should she tell you who she really was anyway? She wanted to test you, Henry. She wanted to see if you loved her for who she really was. You of all people should realize that."

"So she played games with me?"

Now Geoff shook his head. "It wasn't games, Henry. You didn't recognize her and she was thrilled to have someone she could trust and love. Don't you understand that or are you so stubborn that you refuse to see how much the two of you need each other."

"Besides all that," Geoff continued, "don't you want to find out what that medallion means; the one that you found lying on the ground a week ago?"

Henry smiled. The charm, he'd almost forgotten. He dug deep in his pocket. It was still there. He pulled it free and stared at it, turning it over and over in his hand. He read the inscription again as if by some miracle, it had changed, but it hadn't.

From one of your many admirers.

Without looking back, Henry pocketed the charm and bolted for the door. Geoff was right. He was going to clear this little puzzle up once and for all.

"Hey, aren't you going to clean up this mess?" Geoff called out, but it was too late. With a little smile on his face, he bent to clean up the shards of pottery that lay on the living room floor.