Leanne Banks - A Princess Under The Mistletoe

Her heart wrenching at the realization of what would be required of both her sister and herself, Sasha slipped her hand through her sister’s. “We will do what we must, but what do we do about our brother, Alex?”

Ericka looked at Paul Hamburg expectantly.

“We’ll make inquiries, but we must tread carefully with the princesses staying in Chantaine. We don’t want to arouse suspicion,” he said.

“But we have contacts who have contacts,” Ericka said.

Paul sighed. “Yes, we do.”

“Then, although I know that you don’t take orders from me, I hope you will give this your best discreet effort.”

“I will,” he said.

“Thank you,” she said before turning back to the sisters. “Now let me tell you about Chantaine.”

Despite the grim situation, Princess Ericka regaled Sasha and Tabitha with tales of Chantaine’s beauty, temperate climate, numerous beaches and kind citizens. Sasha began to relax a tiny bit, or perhaps she’d been tense for so long that her body couldn’t maintain the adrenaline rush any longer.

“This is a delicate subject, but as I said, you will need to use other identities. Have you thought about what names you’d like to use during your stay here?”

Tabitha tossed her long, dark hair. “I was thinking Gypsy Rose,” she said.

Sasha rolled her eyes. “We’ve already discussed this. We need names that won’t draw attention.”

Tabitha lifted a dark eyebrow and shot her a look of challenge. “All right, Miss Sensible. What have you chosen?”

“Sara,” Sasha said. “Sara Smith. I chose a first name with the same letter as my real name, and one that sounds similar, so I’ll have a better chance of answering to it. Can you top that for ordinary?”

Tabitha sets her lips in a pout that had been known to make a hundred men race to do her bidding. Sasha could tell that she’d hit on Tabitha’s competitive streak by the glint in her sister’s eye.

“I don’t suppose I could get away with Jane Doe,” Tabitha said. “Isn’t that what an American would choose?”

Princess Ericka chuckled. “I think not. Let’s go with Martin for your last name. It’s a common name in Chantaine and Europe.”

Tabitha sighed. “Then I suppose I’ll have to go with Jane Martin if I’m going to beat Sasha at her game.” She cleared her throat. “Oh, I’m sorry. I meant to say Sara.”

Chapter One

One year later...

From the porch, Sara heard the sound of screaming. If she hadn’t known better, she might have assumed the sound wasn’t human. The sound of scrambling footsteps followed and the door opened.

A tall, rumpled-looking man stared at her as he held a screaming red-faced baby, and a young boy seemed to be attached to his leg.

“Are you Sara?” he asked, out of breath. “Sara Smith. The palace sent you?”

“Yes,” she said.

He looked her up and down. “Thank you for coming,” he said over the cries of the baby in his arms. “No offense, but you look terribly young. Are you old enough to be a nanny?”

Sara had scrubbed her face clean of cosmetics with the exception of lip gloss. All part of her temporary new role. She certainly didn’t need to wear the heavy stage makeup required of a concert pianist. “I’ll take that as a compliment,” she said. “I’m twenty-seven.”

“Oh,” he said, surprise crossing his features. “I never would have guessed.” The baby let out another howl. “We’re having a rough day, so if you want to give them juice and cookies to calm them down, that’s fine.”

He dragged his foot, with the attached child down the hallway. “This is Sam,” he said, nodding toward the boy.

“Hello, Sam,” Sara said tentatively. Although she’d known the family she was going to be working with was still reeling from a loss, this wasn’t exactly what she’d envisioned.

“And I’m holding Adelaide,” the man said. “As you can see, she’s a handful.”

“Yes,” Sara said. “Mr. Sinclair?”

“Oh,” he said, shaking his head. “Call me Gavin. You may be calling me some other names as the day wears on,” he said with a crooked smile on his face.

She met his gaze for a long moment and saw a combination of weariness and determined humor in his chocolate-brown eyes. He wasn’t conventionally handsome. Sara had met much more smoothly handsome men in her life. His rough strong features might have put her off, but his dark eyebrows and hard jaw were offset by that crooked smile and eyes that crinkled with humor even as his daughter shrieked directly into his ear.

He looked at Adelaide and stroked her cheek. “Sweetheart, you’re going to be fine.” He glanced at Sara. “She’s been cranky lately. I don’t know what’s bothering her. Drooling up a storm, nose running, but no fever. Maybe a midmorning nap will help. Let me show you where everything is,” he said. He held out his hand to Sam. “Help me out, bud. Let’s show the pretty lady around.”

Sam reluctantly detached himself from Gavin’s leg and held Gavin’s hand with both of his while Gavin explained the layout of the house, which, in addition to the master bedroom, contained a small nursery in the back, a laundry room and two additional small bedrooms, one filled with the little boy’s books and toys. The other was positioned between the nursery and what she assumed was Sam’s room.“This is your bedroom. I hope you don’t mind sharing a bathroom with Sam,” Gavin said.

“Not at all,” she said, appreciating the way the morning sun shone through the window. The room was small and decorated with neutral quality linens, and it felt cozy. The whole house felt safe. A trickle of relief slid through her. This could work, she thought.

Gavin continued down the hall and waved his hand toward another bedroom containing a desk and computer along with exercise equipment. “Here’s the master. As you can tell, I’ve been trying to work some at home, but I haven’t been all that successful.” Adelaide had quieted and was letting out little moans.

Gavin turned again toward her. “You’ve seen the small formal parlor. We’re using the den as a playroom. Lots of toys and books, movies and favorite television shows. Feel free to use whatever you need.”

An old upright piano against the far wall immediately grabbed Sara’s attention. She gasped in delight. It was all she could do not to race over and feel the keys beneath her fingers. “You have a piano.”

Gavin nodded. “You play?”

In concert halls all over the world , she thought, rubbing her hands together. But not very much lately. She shrugged. “A little.”

“I can’t promise it’s been tuned recently,” he warned. “The piano hasn’t been a priority.”

“Of course,” she said, putting her hands behind her to hide her eagerness. Bless Princess Ericka. She had promised to try to provide a piano for her.

“Feel free to play whenever you want,” he said. “I hate to dump all this on you and leave so quickly, but I’ve got to get the palace construction schedule back on target. There’s a cell phone for your use on the kitchen counter and a pad of paper with all the contact numbers, including emergency numbers, you may need. Hopefully you won’t need the emergency numbers, but with young children, you never know.” He paused and glanced first at Adelaide as she rubbed her eyes, and then he glanced down at Sam.

Gavin sighed, and the sweet sadness in all three faces clutched at Sara’s heart.

“Are you sure you’re ready for this? I don’t know what you’ve been told, but we’ve been having a rough time lately.”

“I’ve been briefed,” she assured him. Determination coursed through her. She’d been put here for a reason. She would help this family find happiness and security again. It was her destiny. “I’m quite ready to care for your children. Now, move along to the palace. I’m sure they’re waiting for you.” She opened her arms to take Adelaide.