Alice Windsor | BRF Story

15.

Clare Hall, Dorset

September 2012

Seven months after their wedding and Edward couldn't stop wondering how much could a relationship change in such a short period of time. When Edward met his now wife not even two years before he imagined how a life with her could come as a distraction from the fact that he couldn't have Alice by his side; it came almost as a breeze of fresh air since Anastacia knew so little about the world Edward had been born into. But, in the blink of an eye, it seemed like everything changed. The twenty-year-old woman Edward had married transformed into a twenty-one-year-old who could only think about how she could be the centre of the aristocratic world she was now part of. 

And like Anastacia had seemed like a breeze of fresh air when they first met, now a life with Alice seemed perfect when compared to the life he was leading now. Anastacia had become increasingly obsessed with her curtsy title and being the highest lady in the room; she didn't allow anyone "below" her to call her by her name, the only exception being her mother, who didn't seam all that surprised by her daughter's newfound attitude towards her new husband's aristocratic life. And after seeing Alice once again at that gala the previous month Edward's mind was always bringing him back to the life he had envisioned for himself and Alice many years ago, when they were still dating.

But it seemed like his life liked to surprise him by doing a plot twist out of nowhere, and it shouldn't have been a surprise to Edward when his father announced during breakfast that "Her Royal Highness Princess Alice of Wales is coming to spend a few weeks with us". It really shouldn't have, but nonetheless Edward was frantic, trying to hide his anxious feeling as his father explained how everything had come about. Edward's ex girlfriend would be arriving the next morning and would be staying at the Prince of Wales' Suite, which meant Anastacia would have to take all of her stuff she was storing there and into another room. 

"Why can't she stay in some other room? Or better yet, some place else." 

That was the phrase that had brought hellfire to their first meal of the day, one that wasn't going away so easily. His father was screaming bloody murder for the next half hour, unable to contain his anger at his daughter-in-law's comment. Edward wasn't the happiest with Anastacia at that moment, but his attention was more focused on imagining what would happen when he finally saw Alice once again and how he would make her tell him what was bothering her. 

That afternoon was hell for Edward. Not only his wife didn't stop complaining as the housekeeper and butler took all of her things away from the Suite, but she was extremely irritated her husband wasn't doing anything to help her change her father-in-law's decision. Edward wouldn't move a finger to try and change his father's mind, mostly because he knew his father better than Anastacia, and he knew that the Duke of Suffolk much preferred Princess Alice to Anastacia, Marchioness of Dorset. And Edward honestly believed it would be good for Anastacia's ego to have someone, a woman, who ranked higher than her in the packing order, spending a few days at the Duke's residence.

The future Duke of Suffolk was up early the next morning, going out for a run, to try and outrun the dream he had just had with Alice, before he got ready and sat down to have breakfast with his father and wife. His father was happier than his usual self, which made a smile appear on Edward's face.  Anastacia, on the other hand, was wearing her usual grumpy expression when something she didn't like was about to happen. But not even his grumpy wife could take away the happiness Edward was feeling, and he felt like a child in a candy shop as they all waited outside the Hall for the imminent arrival of the Princess. 

Two black cars came to a stop in front of the old estate and before the driver could come out and  open Alice's door the Duke of Suffolk strode to the car and opened it himself. From the driver's seat Alice hops out, looking casual after almost two hours of driving through the countryside. She immediately hugs the Duke of Suffolk who seemed just as happy to see the princess than she had been when she accepted the invitation to spend her birthday with the Harcourt-Greys. 

"Alice, you don't know how happy I am to see you." 

"The same happiness I'm feeling right now, Hugh. It's truly wonderful to see you." There was a genuine smile in Alice's face, although her eyes were covered by the dark sunglasses. 

The Princess and the Duke of Suffolk seemed to enjoying each others company so much that they didn't even notice when Anastacia made her way to the car and stopped beside her father-in-law, putting her left hand on the Duke's shoulder, her engagement ring sparkling under the sun. 

"Lily." 

Alice's nose scrunched up as she winced when her family nickname came out of the mouth of Edward's wife. Anastacia knew she didn't have the right to call Alice by that nickname, and still she called her anyways. But Edward didn't need to worry for long because Alice was a grown woman who would not be intimidated by someone who couldn't respect her boundaries. 

"How nice to see you again, Anastacia. However, I would like to be called by my title, if you wouldn't mind. After all I don't have a close enough relationship with you for you to call me by my nickname or even name." 

Anastacia was left with her mouth open as the Duke gently took her hand off his shoulder, offering his elbow to Princess Alice so they could make their way inside the house; and as they passed Edward, the future Duke bowed his head and was greeted with a sincere smile from his princess. His wife, on the other hand, seemed to be getting redder by the second. 

But Edward didn't want his wife ruining his day after it had barely begun, so he simply nodded his head in disagreement and walked inside the house, closing the big wooden doors behind him. Maybe he had been rude with his wife, especially by closing the doors before she had made her way inside, but he truly wanted to enjoy the joys that that day had brought him.