From Doctor To Princess?: From Doctor to Princess? / The Doctor's Cinderella

* * *

Nell had waited for Hugo in his apartment. She’d made a cup of coffee, leaving it untouched while it had gone cold, and then emptied and washed the cup. Then she’d retreated to her own apartment, leaving the connecting door wide open, and switched the television on, hoping it might drown out the clamour of her own thoughts.

This was wrong. She’d been unable to say conclusively that she was entirely blameless in the business with Martin, but Hugo was different. No part of this was his fault, and yet in defending her he was the one who would feel humiliated.

Nell thought for a long time. When he came back, she’d put a stop to all this.

She heard the front door of his apartment close quietly, and hurried to the connecting door, stopping short at the threshold. When Hugo walked into the sitting room and saw her, he smiled.

Nell imagined that this was the smile he reserved for the most formal of occasions, devoid of any emotion other than the one he wanted to project. ‘It’s done, Nell. I’m going to...get some rest now.’

Normally she would have applauded the sentiment. Now, keeping Hugo awake until he’d told her exactly what had been done, and how it could be unravelled, seemed far more important.

‘What’s done?’

‘Our press officer has stopped the story. We’ve promised a press release on another matter during the next twenty-four hours.’

Things had moved faster than Nell had thought they might. But it still wasn’t irrevocable. ‘We can undo it then. I can find another way.’

He paused for a moment, just long enough for Nell to wonder whether he was reconsidering. But he was just choosing his words. ‘As I said, Nell, this is my battle too, and you don’t have to find another way.’

This was too much. Standing, yards away from each other, trading appropriate conversation. They should be past this by now, but somehow Martin had inveigled his way in between them, and Hugo no longer felt comfortable with the relationship they’d started to build.

It was obvious that Hugo wasn’t going to ask her into the apartment, but she couldn’t say what she wanted to say from the doorway. Nell took the initiative, walking over to the sofa and sitting down.

‘What did your mother mean by the Royal Agreement?’ Hugo had dismissed the idea quickly, but maybe this was an alternative.

He shook his head. ‘It doesn’t apply here. When my parents were first married, they were keen to bring up their family without the constant press attention that my father had when he was young. They made an agreement with the press, and until I was eighteen, the only news stories published about me were official press releases from the palace.’

Nell frowned. That didn’t seem to apply, but Queen Margaux had obviously thought it did. ‘There’s something you’re not telling me.’

‘My mother showed a great deal of foresight in negotiating certain extensions to that protection. My grandmother was allowed privacy during her final illness. And an engaged couple can expect the same privacy.’

An engaged couple?

What was the Queen thinking? Nell swallowed down her own objections to the plan, because it was something, anything, that would provide an alternative to what Hugo was planning to do now.

‘So your mother’s suggesting that...if we got engaged then there would be no difficulty in stopping this and other stories about us.’

‘Yes, that’s exactly what she’s suggesting. But I won’t put you through that...’

‘You make it sound as if you’re committing me to the palace dungeons. It’s not as bad as that, is it?’

The flicker of a smile crossed his face. ‘No. Not quite.’

‘Well, can’t we consider it? I don’t have to actually marry you, do I?’

‘No, you don’t. We’d have to make a show of being together for a few months, but after that we’d break the engagement off quietly... But look, Nell, your career is at stake here. There’s no point in saving it, only to have it ruined by being engaged to me.’

He had a point. Leaving her job and getting engaged to a prince might not look great on her CV, but it wouldn’t be as disastrous as having Martin’s story in the papers, and it wouldn’t hurt Hugo as much as his current plan would.

‘I don’t have to spend all my time just pretending to be engaged, do I? I could do some work with your charity, if that’s okay with you.’ He shook his head and Nell puffed out a breath. ‘This isn’t doing my ego any good, Hugo. Is it that bad to have to pretend you’re engaged to me?’

He laughed suddenly, all his reserve dissolving in his smile. ‘I’d be very honoured to be engaged to you. Even if I was just pretending.’

‘Then stop this nonsense about having to release the private details about your surgery. It’s not necessary, we can find another way.’

* * *

Nell had started to boss him around again and his resolve to keep her at a distance had melted. But at least she didn’t seem so beaten and dejected as she had when she’d recounted how she’d been treated by her last boss.

He’d begged her not to go through with this, and had told her that it was no sacrifice to allow his own medical details to be released to the papers instead, but she’d seen straight through him. So he’d called his mother, hoping that she might regret her mention of the Agreement, and talk some sense into Nell.

Fat chance. His mother had made a comment to the effect that she wished he’d make up his mind, and had gone on to embrace the idea. She appeared at the door of his apartment within minutes, and it seemed that she saw eye to eye with Nell over this compromise solution.

The details were worked out over a glass of wine. Nell insisted on giving up her employment, which seemed only sensible to Hugo. He insisted on her being involved with his work for the clinic as much as possible, so she’d at least have something to show on her CV later on. Even if that hadn’t worked out so well with his real engagement to Anna, it seemed that it could at least be accomplished in the context of a fake engagement.

‘This will work well, Hugo. You’re obviously already good friends.’ His mother’s habit of not leaving before she’d made some private comment about the situation could be trying, even if it did usually elicit her real thoughts.

‘We’re...’ Hugo shrugged. ‘Good friends doesn’t happen in the space of four days.’ Even if it did feel as if he’d known Nell for much, much longer than that.

‘You want to protect her. She wants to protect you.’ His mother turned on her heel, leaving Hugo to think about the implications of her statement.

He was too tired to think about anything very much. Nell cleared away the glasses, and thankfully skipped any examination of the healing incision on his chest. Perhaps she knew that the intimacy would be too much for him to bear tonight, when he was fighting to remain detached, now that they were alone.

He slept deeply, not remembering his dreams. In the morning, a package sent from his mother set the seal on the agreement that had been made last night, which was itself the stuff of crazy dreams.

He tore open the package and, looking inside, found a short handwritten note from his mother.

Treat her with the greatest respect, Hugo.

Right. He didn’t need to be told. He reached into the envelope again, finding a bundle of tissue paper wrappings and another note. He looked at both briefly, before putting them in his pocket.

CHAPTER EIGHT

NELL HEARD THE knock on the connecting door between their apartments, just as she was putting the last of her clothes into her suitcase. When she answered it, Hugo was looking rested, which was a great deal more than she felt.

‘You’ve had breakfast?’ He grinned at her and she felt her stomach lurch. That would have been entirely appropriate if the engagement they were planning wasn’t all a fabrication.

‘No, I’ve been packing my bags. I was going to get that done first.’ They’d agreed last night that it would be best for them both to leave the palace. Hugo’s house in the country had no staff and was small enough that Ted and his team could maintain close security.

‘Would you like to join me, then?’

She nodded. ‘Yes. That would be nice, thank you. Just toast...’

An awkward silence accompanied the arrival of the tray from the kitchen, and Hugo motioned towards the balcony table, indicating that the tray should be set down there. Nell sat down, reaching for the coffee and pouring it.

‘You still want to go through with it?’ He didn’t need to say what.

‘Yes, I do. I’m even more sure this morning.’

He nodded, taking a tissue paper package from his pocket, undoing it and laying four rings in a line on the table. ‘These are my mother’s. She’d like you to have something nice to wear.’

In Nell’s book, something nice didn’t necessarily have to cost as much as the average house. ‘They’re real?’

‘Yes, of course they are.’

‘I can’t wear any of these, Hugo, they must be worth... I can’t even think how much they might be worth. Can’t I wear a fake?’

He shook his head. ‘No fakes, Nell, please. This engagement may not be real, but I want to say to you now that my promise to protect you is. I believe that you want to protect me, too.’

It wasn’t the proposal that every girl dreamed of. But suddenly Nell felt that there was something real about this. Hugo was a better man than she’d thought he was, not just a spoiled prince who could destroy her if he wanted, the way that Martin had tried to.

‘I will protect you, Hugo. I promise you that.’

He nodded. ‘Then I’d like it if you would choose whichever ring you like the best.’

That sounded like something she could put her heart into. She looked at the rings, not daring to touch any of them. One had a massive ruby at the centre, and it looked far too opulent. The other three were all large diamonds.

‘That one...’ She pointed awkwardly to a diamond solitaire that flashed blue-white in the morning sunshine.

‘That’s a very good choice. It’s the best stone.’

Nell went to protest that the only thing she’d seen was that it was the smallest stone, and he silenced her with a laugh. Picking up the ring, he held it out towards her. ‘Will you wear it now?’

‘The announcement hasn’t gone out yet. I shouldn’t wear it until tomorrow, should I?’

‘We’ve made a promise. I’d like it if you would wear the ring now, because that’s what it is to us. You can wear it on your right hand until tomorrow.’

Still he wouldn’t touch her. It was as if this new arrangement had blotted out any possibility of an innocent touch, and anything physical was now laden with some kind of meaning. Nell reached out, putting her hand in his.

‘Then...would it be appropriate for you to put it on for me, please?’

‘I think that would be entirely appropriate.’ His voice sounded inappropriately husky, and Nell avoided his gaze. Looking into his eyes wasn’t necessary.

She felt him slip the ring onto her finger, twisting it a quarter turn to get it past the knuckle. ‘It looks nice.’

Nice was a bit of an understatement. It looked amazing, and far too good for Nell.

‘It’s beautiful. I’ll take care of it and return it to your mother in good condition.’

He wrapped the remaining three rings in the crumpled tissue paper, and then put them back into his pocket, withdrawing a piece of folded notepaper. He handed it to Nell and got to his feet. ‘I’ll leave you to read that.’

Nell read the note. Queen Margaux would be most grateful if she could accept whichever ring she and Hugo chose, as a gift. It would be a symbol of gratitude and of enduring friendship between them.

Nell put the letter down on the table. It was too generous, and she’d have to ask Hugo if there was some way she could express her gratitude to his mother, whilst refusing the gift. She had the feeling that wearing it after the arrangement was over wasn’t going to be a particularly comfortable option.

But while she had it on her finger, she’d do her best for Hugo. She’d take care of him, and help him raise the money he needed for the clinic. That was a promise.

* * *

Hugo was aware that this arrangement had to be treated with the utmost delicacy. He must show how much he valued Nell as a friend. Slipping into anything more would be horribly easy, and something that he had promised himself he wouldn’t do.

All the same, their departure from the palace seemed like the start of something new and exciting. With the top of his convertible rolled back, and Nell at the wheel, it felt as if he was making an escape with a beautiful woman at his side. Who knew what might happen when they were finally alone, away from the bustle of the palace?

Ted’s voice from the back seat jerked him back into reality. ‘Left-hand side...’

Nell obligingly swerved to the left of the palace driveway, and came to a halt, waiting for the palace guard to open the gates.

‘Thanks. I nearly forgot.’

She waved to the guard, the ring flashing bright on her finger. Then she turned out of the gates into the anonymity of the busy city on a warm summer’s morning.

* * *

Their destination was only half an hour’s drive away, which was about as far as anyone could go from the capital of Montarino and still remain within its borders. There was no suburban sprawl, just a sudden change from houses to open countryside. And the countryside in Montarino was beautiful.

Hugo directed Nell through rolling hills and around the edge of a wide, blue lake. Another mile and they reached a high wall, built of weathered bricks, driving the length of it until they reached an archway, protected by a heavy wooden gate.

The gate swung open and Ted got out of the car, speaking briefly to the man who had opened it. He waved the car through, and Nell drew up outside the house. It was small by the standards of the palace, built in stone and shaded by trees. A small garden at the side was overlooked by arches, the weathered stone now housing state-of-the-art single sheets of glass.

‘It’s lovely. This has been in your family for a long time?’

Hugo quirked his lips downwards, shaking his head. ‘No. I bought this place with my doctor’s salary. Since I have almost everything else provided for me, it seemed like a good idea to have my own bolthole.’

Nell wondered what it must be like to have to take your own independence that seriously. She took it for granted that everything she had was the product of her own work, but Hugo seemed to need to make a distinction between what he’d been given and what he’d earned.

Inside, the house was light, airy and simple. None of the folderols of the palace, just plain furniture in neutral colours, exposed wooden beams and a utilitarian kitchen. Upstairs, there were three bedrooms, one of which was clearly Hugo’s. He directed her towards a second, which commanded stunning views of the hills stretching off into the distance.

‘I suppose I’ll have to keep away from the windows when the news breaks.’ Nell wasn’t exactly sure what to expect.

‘Not really. Because of the Agreement, the paparazzi won’t be able to sell any pictures they take, so it’s not worth their time. And Ted’s team will make sure that no one disturbs us here.’

‘You usually have this much security?’ Nell had counted four men outside.

‘No, it’s usually just Ted, and he generally doesn’t have all that much to do. He stays in the guest house at the back.’

Nell walked over to the window, looking out. Beyond the garden, and shielded by trees, was a small cottage, nestling against the perimeter wall.

‘It all sounds reassuringly normal.’

‘Not quite. But we try to make it so.’ Hugo was watching her speculatively. ‘There is one thing I want to ask you.’

‘What’s that?’

‘Nadine, the little girl in the brochure, wearing a pink dress. I told you she’d had an operation recently...’

‘Yes, I remember.’

‘Dr Bertrand, the head of department, is the only one there who knows that I’ve been ill—everyone else thinks I’m taking a leave of absence for fundraising. He told me that he’d have me removed by security if I went in to see Nadine earlier than seven days after my own operation.’

Nell grinned. ‘He sounds like a good man...’

‘He’s a very good man. You’d like him.’

‘And since this is the seventh day, you’d like to go and see Nadine.’

‘It would be best to go today. After the news of our engagement breaks, my turning up on the ward might cause a bit of a stir.’

‘Where is the hospital?’

‘On this side of the city, so it’ll only take twenty minutes to get there. I’m feeling better every day, and I’d really like to see Nadine.’

If this was normal, then it was a new normal that Nell hadn’t experienced before. Hugo asking her whether or not he could do something. ‘It sounds like a lovely idea. May I come along? I’d like to see the hospital.’

Hugo smiled. As time went on that smile was surfacing more and more, and it convinced Nell that everything was going to be all right. ‘I was hoping you might. You’ll have to drive.’

CHAPTER NINE

NO ONE SEEMED to notice Hugo’s presence as they walked through the reception area at the hospital. He exchanged smiles with the receptionist at the main desk, who waved him through in much the same way as she probably would have done with anyone else she knew. Here, Hugo appeared to shed the mantle of royalty.

He led her through a maze of corridors, mysterious box in hand, and a high-speed lift took them to the seventh floor. Hugo punched a code into a keypad at the entrance to one of the wards and the doors opened automatically, allowing them through.

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