‘I certainly can’t predict what you find appropriate, Mother,’ Alex replied.
Mr Vega cut in. ‘If it is what they want, then it is entirely appropriate.’
‘It is what I want, Mother,’ Prince Alex said.
All eyes were on the Queen.
Ivy gulped. Is this going to turn into a separationist argument?
The Countess came to the rescue.
‘Of course, Prince Alex,’ she said. ‘Olivia would be delighted to be presented with you, as your new friend.’
‘Yes,’ Olivia said quickly, and Ivy could see her take a breath. That was just the right thing for the Countess to say. ‘Yes, of course. As your new friend.’
Alex beamed and the Queen nodded.
‘How lovely,’ she said, but there wasn’t any hint of warmth in her eyes.
Ivy saw a look on her father’s face, astonishment that the Countess seemed happy for Olivia and Alex to spend time together. Maybe he was finally starting to see that his parents had changed.
Just then, Tessa came back into the room, carrying a tray with a pot and cups. ‘Tea, Your Majesty?’
The Queen turned her face away, not even bothering to reply. Tessa hesitated there for a moment, unsure what to do.
Alex was still glaring at his mother. ‘I’ll pour my own tea.’ He took the tray from a horrified-looking Tessa and turned his back on her.
How can these people be so rude? Ivy thought. Olivia, too, looked surprised at the behaviour of the Queen and her son. Refusing to let Tessa pour his tea. Just because Tessa works in the house doesn’t make them any better than her.
It was all bubbling up inside Ivy and she couldn’t stop herself. ‘How can you –’ she began to say. But she caught herself in time. Don’t ruin things. She quickly turned to Olivia. ‘How do you get those bows so straight, Olivia?’
Tessa practically fled as Alex poured his tea and the conversation turned to different methods of tying the ribbons.
Ivy wanted to march right out of the room, pack up her suitcase and go back home. She missed Brendan. She wished she could be back at home, in Franklin Grove, where she belonged.
But I’m not going home yet. I am going to do something! Ivy thought. I’ll stop the way they’re treating Tessa.
Olivia’s brain was on the verge of exploding. Ivy had been pacing ever since they’d returned to their bedroom.
‘Why did he have to ask you in front of his mom?’ Ivy was ranting. ‘And they were so rude to Tessa!’ She was stomping and throwing her hands around. ‘What if he really does like you?’ She turned and advanced on Olivia. ‘It is the Valentine’s Day ball, Olivia.’
‘OK, OK!’ Olivia cried. Anything to make her sister stop. ‘It’s all really complicated.’
There was a knock on the door.
‘Girls?’ called Mr Vega.
Olivia shot Ivy a panicked look. ‘Oh gosh, I hope he didn’t hear any of that.’ She was getting closer to her biological father, but she didn’t want him knowing all about her crazy love life.
‘Come in,’ Ivy called back.
Mr Vega poked his head inside the room. ‘I just wanted to check on you. Your grandmother mentioned that you had a disagreement last night?’
Olivia was relieved to see that he didn’t seem to have heard anything. She nodded and motioned for him to come in. ‘Yes, we’re fine.’ She looked over at her sister, who looked a little guilty. ‘It was just a misunderstanding.’
‘No big deal,’ Ivy said, as he sat down on the chair at her dressing table.
‘That’s good to hear,’ Mr Vega replied. ‘These things happen – and will probably happen again – so I’m glad you can talk through it.’
Olivia realised the same thing could apply to him.
‘What about you?’ she asked gently.
Mr Vega blinked.
‘I mean, how is it being back?’ Olivia had felt the terrible tension in the parlour earlier and hoped that maybe the Countess had done enough to prove that she was trying to make up for the past.
‘Some things are like I remember and some things are not,’ he replied. ‘But I am glad you are both getting along with the family.’
That didn’t really answer my question, Olivia thought.
Mr Vega stood up. ‘Well, tonight should be something special. Your grandmother always goes to great lengths for this ball – I loved it at your age. Everyone will be there, including Georgia’s camera crew.’
As he left, Olivia felt her stomach tighten. A camera crew, Mr Vega had said. That means photographic evidence of me walking into a ball with a handsome young man that isn’t Jackson.
‘Ivy, what am I going to do about Alex?’ Olivia asked. ‘Is it too late to tell him about my boyfriend? I don’t want to hurt his feelings.’ Olivia took a deep breath. ‘I don’t want to lose Jackson. Whatever that text meant, I’d like to talk it out with him.’
‘I don’t know, sis,’ Ivy replied.
There was another knock at the door.
‘Who is it?’ Ivy asked.
‘It’s me,’ called Tessa. ‘I . . . have a present.’
‘A present?’ Olivia pulled open the door.
‘It’s for you.’ Tessa held out a big flat box wrapped in bright red Valentine’s Day paper.
‘Me?’ Olivia squeaked.
‘It’s just arrived,’ Tessa explained.
Olivia took the box and put it on the dressing table.
Tessa curtsied and said, ‘If you need any help getting ready for the ball, I’m pretty good with hair.’
‘Thanks, Tessa,’ Ivy replied. ‘We can all get ready in here together.’
Tessa blushed. ‘Um, well, I won’t need to get ready, as such.’
Olivia realised what she was saying, but Ivy didn’t. ‘What do you mean?’
‘Servants are on duty at the ball,’ Tessa explained, ‘so we wear uniform.’
Ivy crossed her arms. ‘I am so totally done with all this snobbery.’
‘Tessa, why do you stay if people are rude to you?’ Olivia asked.
‘Oh no, they aren’t rude. I love working for your grandparents, and Horatio is a big teddy bear.’ Tessa sighed. ‘It’s just the Queen. She . . . doesn’t like me much.’
‘She is outright rude to you.’ Ivy had a determined look in her eye. ‘And now I learn you don’t even get to celebrate like everyone else at the ball.’