Free The Princess by Lori Wick Page B

sincerely.
    “That’s fine. I understand.”
    Feeling a bit thwarted as Shelby seemed on the verge of relaxing, Nikolai saw that he had no choice. He wished her a good day and went to take his call. By the time he finished, she was gone. The temptation to let her live her life so he could continue to cherish his memories of Yvette was very strong, but he’d already made that mistake and wasn’t going to do it again. He didn’t see Shelby again that day but prayed off and on until bedtime about the next opportunity to speak with her.

    “Do you still drive yourself?” Lenore asked.
    “Yes. I drove myself today.”
    “But you don’t have to?” Deb checked with her.
    “No. I can ask to be taken in the day limo.”
    “You make it sound like the limousines are different at night,” commented Grace.
    “They are,” Shelby answered, not minding the questions from the five women in her Bible study group. She was closer to these women than just about any others she could name and had not the slightest qualm in answering their naturally curious questions. Other than Lenore, she was seeing them for the first time since she was married.
    “If I have to go out in the evening,” Shelby explained, “I’m taken in a regular limo—big, black, and very formal. The day limo is actually a nice car, no dark windows or glass divider.”
    “And how does it feel?”
    “A little funny at times, but the staff is so kind.”
    “And the prince?” Natty asked in her quiet way. “Is he kind too?”
    “I think so,” Shelby answered, being very honest with them. “I know it isn’t easy for him, but just this morning we talked for a while. We haven’t really had that much time together. You can pray for me about the relationship.”
    “Like we’ve done anything else for the past six weeks,” Deb said with her classic sarcasm. She could always make Shelby laugh.
    “Okay, okay.” Shelby’s hands went in the air. “Enough about me. How’s chemo, Natty?”
    “It was better this week. I know the Lord is always with me—I never doubt that—but there are times when
I’m
more mindful of Him. This week was like that. I was even able to tell the chemo tech a little about my faith.”
    “That’s great,” Connie spoke up. “I was at the hospital on Thursday about ten, and they told me I’d just missed you.”
    Shelby listened to the women talk, amazed at the friends they had become. She hadn’t seen it coming, but the woman who had originally led the study had become pregnant and very sick. She’d met Shelby at the hospital and instantly thought of her. That had been more than two years earlier. Shelby had been meeting with the women weekly ever since. They had studied Romans, 1 and 2 Peter, and Hebrews. They were now tackling 1, 2, and 3 John.
    The women studied for the next 40 minutes and took some time for prayer requests before Shelby headed on her way. Both Deb and Lenore had had a few more questions for her, and Shelby left with a small shake of her head and a huge smile on her face. She was in her car and halfway back to the palace before she wondered if she would ever know Nikolai well enough to invite him to meet the ladies. If their questions were any indication, they would thoroughly enjoy it. Right now the thought of asking him caused Shelby’s face to heat. Without a bit of hesitation, she pushed the thought far to the back of her mind.

Six
    In town for the first weekend in much too long, the prince stood at the back of the church on Sunday morning, determined not to sit down until he found his wife. Murdock told him that the car had brought her here, and he was going to find her. He had checked with his parents but was told that she never sat with them. Nikolai began to grow anxious. He was not a small man, and to wander around when most people were sitting was starting to draw stares.
    A moment later he noticed a man signing to someone near the front of the sanctuary on the right-hand side and suddenly