Stand By Me Darling
Chapter 357: Is He Going To Propose?

Chapter 357: Is He Going To Propose?

Talia was stunned for a moment, but then she gathered herself. It is not like Lambert to leave her out in an abandoned place when there are dangers lurking around her.

There should be more to it, considering today is the reunion and I asked him to find me a way to attend the reunion!

"Iris!"

Talia turned with a smile at the direction of the source of that deep baritone voice she loved the most in this world.

"Fred!"

She was stunned to see the man standing with his long coat bellowing in the wind and a bright smile. She ran and hugged him around his neck and placed a kiss on his lips.

"You said you’re busy and we cannot attend the reunion. How are you here?"

She held him closer and she was hanging from his shoulders. Arthur hugged her around her waist and didn’t let her get down.

Arthur was exhausted working for more than eighteen hours each day the past month. But he felt like all his tiredness leaving him as he took in the refreshing scent of the woman hanging on his shoulders.

Ah... every time I surprise her, she makes me so happy with her reaction!

"Your brother helped me sneak in. Shall we?"

Arthur let her down and held out his hand.

"Yes," Talia held his hand with a grin in her face. "By the way, he’s not my brother." She didn’t forget to clarify.

As they walked some distance, there was a helicopter and with Arthur, Talia hopped in.

---

In the office of King Louis...

"So they have crossed the border." Louis placed the receiver of the phone back. The border patrol informed the helicopter was allowed safe passage through the border. The courtiers didn’t like the idea of letting her leave Rosandale often and he had to sneak her out. He looked at Lambert carelessly flipping through the document he gave him. "What do you think of her plan?"

"She actually wants us to start a competing business against the Duke of Trenton to buy wool? She actually found a way to bypass the law stating that the Duke owns the lands of his Duchy with another law stating the Crown owns all the land of the kingdom? Is that it?" Lambert didn’t understand it quite well as it contained a lot of legal jargon.

"It is more complicated than that. She is actually eliminating the Duke as the middle-man between the sheep farmers and the wool buyers, by starting a new business under the crown to buy wool." Louis explained.

"Wait... we members of the Royal family cannot run private businesses, right?" Lambert was confused. But they can ’invest’ in companies if they don’t own the controlling stocks. The Royal family does have a separate set of rules from others.

"Under the Crown, Lambert," Louis shook his head in disappointment. "It means we are nationalising the Wool trading of Trenton. It’s shameful you still don’t understand the laws of the land while Talia came up with such a detailed plan when she is not educated in our laws like you."

"Oh?" Lambert nodded. "That makes sense. But it should be-"

Lambert was about to say it was Lady Celine who might have had a good understanding of the law and not Talia, but then he refrained from saying it loud since he knew his brother would then scold him for not having useful friends around him.

Ugh! I hate that she always has an upper hand over me! But she is worthy of the praise she gets!

"If this is approved, it would greatly benefit the people who do sheep husbandry since they will get proper returns for their products. But wouldn’t this anger the Duke? It would greatly affect his pockets." Lambert pondered.

"Yes, but he still has those Gentleman’s Clubs he owns all over the world. Their value is because it is run by an actual Duke serving a Monarch. So he’d be careful not to be rash in case he loses his title." Louis rubbed his forehead.

That MaryAnn has found a way to thwart the plans the Dowager has to give the Duchy of Trenton to her. If they nationalise the wool trade and touch the Duke’s pocket, he’d become more careful to not lose his title and his clubs where he gets the majority of the income. Even the Dowager cannot interfere then.

"It is her plan. So why am I asked to tour there? I don’t want to take credit for her plans."

"Maybe she didn’t want a target behind her back," Louis smiled half-heartedly.

"She’s not someone who shies away from-"

"Why do you think she wanted it to be you, Berty?" Louis fixed his gaze on Lambert.

Lambert shuddered seeing his brother’s gaze. His lion-like eyes were filled with anger and disappointment.

Oh no! Did he hear about the plans of my possible abdication?

"Did she tell you?" Lambert gulped cursing Talia in his heart.

How dare she lie to me?

"I heard you passed on a promotion in ranks in the military to someone else? Are you really planning on abdication?" Louis’ face became stiffer.

"You’re angry," Lambert got up. He was actually scared. He has never seen his brother this angry. If Talia hit him for this, his brother might kill him.

"Yes, I am very angry. You’re my only brother, Berty. How dare you do this to me?" Louis banged the table.

He was about to speak more, but then he fisted and released his hands to compose himself. Their great grandma told him to make a decision as Lambert’s big brother and not as The King. She spoke of the regrets she had about the decision she made as the Queen Consort about her daughter and how she regretted it. She didn’t want him to regret his decision in the future too.

As a King he wanted to force Lambert to stay by his side. But as a brother, he wanted his brother’s happiness even if he wants to leave his side.

"That woman was trembling as she told me your plans. I don’t know if you are serious or not, but I wish you think this through. Do you want to take such a decision really? If you leave, your children will have no Royal titles even though they’d be my nieces and nephews. You’ll not receive the grant and I don’t know the money I give you personally will be enough to run your household. You’ll be stripped off all your military titles and will become a jobless commoner; a mocking piece in the high society.

All for what? A woman who is not even willing to date you? Think this through. She promised me she had no intentions of getting together with you and asked me to keep tabs on you to keep you from betraying the family."

"Jolene met with you?" Lambert was surprised. He thought it was Talia who tattled, but it seems like it was Jolene.

So I have no chance?

---

"You don’t seem to be enjoying the party so much," Arthur walked to Talia burying her face in the chocolate tarts in the buffet.

The noisy chatters around her in the big indoor auditorium of their school didn’t seem like it would faze her.

As expected, with the security officers around, no one dared to come closer to her and even though she tried to join in the conversation of others, she seemed uninterested.

"They only talk about how much they earn or their designation, the properties they own and the people they date or married with. It seems like a brag-fest and not a reunion.

"Oh dear, what did you expect?" Arthur wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer.

"I thought they’d talk about the memories from school days." Talia pouted.

When they walked in hand in hand, she expected some of them coming to her and saying they had always thought Fred and she would end up together. But no one did and that made her sad. No one talked to her freely either.

Arthur bowed his head to control his laughter. "You should stop getting close with old people. Only old people talk about their past. People our age attend reunions to brag about their success in life and to find partners. Maybe you should tell them how you became a Princess. I bet your story would be much more entertaining."

"Ha ha... but not as interesting as yours!" Talia rolled her eyes. This guy is still teasing her. "By the by, why isn’t Jordan here?"

"I don’t know." Talia could see Arthur’s smile disappearing at the mention of Jordan. "Let’s sneak to the attic later, when I give the signal." He whispered in her ears and Talia got excited as her heart skipped a beat.

Is he going to propose?

Seeing a woman approaching Talia, Arthur stepped back from Talia and walked to the open bar.

At first, Talia couldn’t recognise the woman, but after striking a conversation with her, Talia remembered that she was the ’friend’ of Sophia during school days.