Chapter Twenty-five: Marriage Without Passion
"Aren't you happy? Isn't Jamil fabulous? You ought to be over the moon, Mary. Just over the moon!" Queen Jane was in such good spirits that she actually did a twirl around the room.
"I guess I feel sort of overwhelmed." Mary secretly felt that there must be something wrong with her. Why wasn't she more excited about her upcoming marriage?
"Well, don't worry about finding the right gown, or selecting your bridesmaids, or arranging every last item in your trousseau. I've got you covered! The first round of fittings is scheduled for this afternoon, and we're both in for a very long day. Just put yourself in my hands, Mary, and you'll be married before you know it!"
The Tudor princess gazed intently at her beautiful blonde stepmother, her cloudy blue eyes full of uncertainty. "Can two people be happy if they don't . . . if they're not . . . I mean, is it possible to have a succesful marriage without passion?"
"Darling, a successful marriage is made up of many ingredients. And it's possible to find one's passion in many different ways!" Queen Jane smiled at her stepdaughter's troubled countenance. "Now do try to relax, Mary. Jamil Khan is handsome and very rich. He's mad about you, and he's also completely loyal to the royal family. I'm certain he'll do anything to please you!"
Mary tried to relax, but she felt tense and nervous all afternoon. Trying on one gown after another, putting on a cheerful face and jumping through hoops to please her eager stepmother, the young royal battled her secret fears, and her guilt over marrying a rich and clever and absolutely fabulous young man she didn't love. Well, that wasn't quite true. She did love Jamil Khan as a friend.
But only as a friend!
"Well, that's a wrap I think. Shall we call it a day, ladies?" Queen Jane was yawning while the dressmakers finished up, wrapping the final gown and carefully folding it away. Fatigue was written on the faces of every woman in the boutique. It had been a long day!
"Are we going back to the palace now?" Mary was yawning too, as though her stepmother had just pushed a button to remind her how late it was. And how tired everyone suddenly felt!
"No, we both need to unwind a little before we face your father," Queen Jane teased, joking about all the money they'd just spent. Her cheeky laugh made Mary sigh as she sank into her cushioned seat in the royal limousine. What right did she have to run up a fortune in bills for a wedding to a man she just didn't love?
"Now we don't have time for a full workout," the queen said crisply, giving orders to the smartly uniformed female attendants inside the gold and marble lobby of the exclusive London spa. "But my stepdaughter has been working hard and wishes to relax. I think the new girl will do quite nicely."
Mary didn't understand all that talk about the new girl. She was leaning up against a marble column in the lobby, rubbing her eyes and feeling entirely forgotten as the charming young queen made small talk with the staff. Mary wasn't in the mood for small talk. After the day she'd had, she felt a massage was the perfect escape from her royal duties. She just needed something to take her mind off the marriage, and all her worries and responsibilities.
"A bit of a long day, was it?" The girl rubbing her shoulders seemed capable enough, but a bit forward and rather cheeky.
"Mm." Mary hadn't caught the girl's name. She'd been resting, dozing face-down on the cushioned table when the cheerful new masseuse came in and began briskly massaging her tired muscles with quick and lively strokes.
"All tired out, my lovely lady? Someone's been working too hard!" The girl's hands were quick to probe and quick to soothe, making Mary's aches and pains melt away as if by magic. Then the hands turned her over on the table, and a new rhythm began. The warm waves of pleasure made Mary sigh, and she suddenly realized that the new girl was no longer giving her a massage. She was making love to Mary, fulfilling her every need, just as Maxie had.
"What's the matter, darling? Don't you like what you see?" Queen Jane asked, nudging her companion. "Please remember that Mary is very precious to me. I'm letting you in on her little secret only so you won't be too demanding on the wedding night." The queen spoke in a whisper, though there was no need for caution. The two of them were secluded behind a one way mirror, one that gave them a full view of all that took place within the dimly lit massage chamber.
Jamil Khan looked on in disgust, hating the decadence of the English royal family. He made a secret vow that all of them would pay. Mary would pay when she became his wife.