Charlotte expected Priya to leap in and help her, but instead, her friend shook her head gravely. “I know a thing or two about family obligations where marriage is concerned,” Priya said, taking Charlotte’s arm and steering her out of the retiring room and down the hall toward the library. “Those sorts of obligations are difficult indeed to break or to get around.”
“Difficult, yes, but not impossible,” Charlotte insisted.
Priya glanced sideways at her. “You may have to prepare yourself for Petrus bowing to family pressures and marrying the woman his family has chosen for him.”
Charlotte let out a small huff of annoyance. “I will not,” she said. “Petrus is mine. Besides, something isn’t right on Lady Jenny’s end. I do not think she truly wishes to marry Petrus either. And yet, she confided in me that she does not want to return to Sweden. Only, her father has issued an ultimatum to her that if she is not engaged by Christmas, he will take her home by New Year’s.”
Priya frowned and hummed. “It is a muddle indeed,” she said. They were right at the doorway to the library, so not much more could be said, but Priya turned to her and asked, “What are you planning to do to resolve the situation?”
“I do not know,” Charlotte sighed. “You must help me keep watch for anything that might help.”
“You know I will do anything to help you, dearest,” Priya said with a smile.
The two of them entered the library arm in arm, ready to solve everything.
But the problem seemed too slippery for either of them to get a grasp on as the family gathered in the sitting area to one side of the Christmas tree so that Princess Elna, the oldest of the king and queen’s daughters, could explain the rules of Huckle Buckle Beanstalk.
“This is the Huckle Buckle,” Princess Elna said, holding up a small bit of ivory carved into the shape of an old Chinese man.
Charlotte and Priya took their places with the rest of the Rathborne-Paxton family, who listened closely to the instructions. Petrus moved subtly to stand by Charlotte’s side. He looked at her with a question in his eyes, but Charlotte smiled at him to let him know all was well.
“Of course, any small object can be the Huckle Buckle,” Princess Elna went on, “but this figurine has been in the family for generations, so we use this. If you play this game at home, you may use whatever object you like.”
Charlotte nodded at the explanation, but her attention was on Lady Jenny, who stood between Prince Oskar and Princess Luna, her head downcast.
“To start with, I will hide the Huckle Buckle somewhere in the room,” Princess Elna went on. “Somewhere in plain sight. Once I announce that the Huckle Buckle has been hidden, everyone will search for it. Without the use of hands, of course, since the object will be visible without having to remove anything. When you see it, shout out ‘Huckle Buckle Beanstalk!’, but do not retrieve the Huckle Buckle or point out to everyone where it is.”
“The game works even better if you wait a few seconds before shouting so as to deflect from where you might have spotted the Huckle Buckle,” Prince Lars said, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
Charlotte broke into a smile. She’d played games like that before, and yes, it was always more fun if one tried to pretend they’d seen the hidden object somewhere other than where they’d actually spotted it.
“I will start the hiding while the rest of you cover your eyes and count to twenty-five for the day of Christmas,” Princess Elna said. “Are you ready?”
Everyone turned away or buried their faces in their hands or in the crooks of their arms. The entire assemblage began counting in unison.
As they did, Charlotte heard the shuffle of Princess Elna rushing away to hide the Huckle Buckle. Also, while everyone’s eyes were closed and they were distracted with counting, Charlotte felt Petrus’s hand slide against the small of her back. She tried her best not to giggle or squirm as Petrus teased her by walking his fingers up her spine, but it was a nearly impossible feat.
“Twenty-three, twenty-four, twenty-five!”
They all finished counting in unison and opened their eyes. Immediately, everyone moved from where they were and began searching for the Huckle Buckle.
Charlotte was more interested in searching for a way to engage Lady Jenny in the fun so that she might figure out what the full picture of what had the poor woman in such distress. With a quick glance to Petrus, she tip-toed closer to Lady Jenny’s side.
But before she could reach the woman to suggest that the two of them search together, Prince Oskar touched a hand to the small of Lady Jenny’s back and gestured toward Petrus with his other arm.
“Perhaps you and Prince Petrus should search together, Lady Jenny,” he suggested.
Charlotte’s eyes widened in alarm, and she turned to Petrus to ask what she should do. Helping Lady Jenny was one thing, but it would help no one to encourage Lady Jenny all the way into Petrus’s arms.
But it was already too late.
“I, er, yes,” Lady Jenny said. She glanced toward Oskar with a dutiful but sad nod, then crossed the room to stand by Petrus. “I will search with you.”
Charlotte frowned. “I didn’t think the game was played in pairs,” she muttered, a little surprised that those words ended up spoken aloud.
“We play however the rules tell us to play, Miss Sloane,” Oskar said in a near whisper as he stepped past her, searching around the room. “We do not choose the rules.”
He didn’t sound happy about it. Not at all.