“Selene!” I gasped. “We didn’t—I mean I wanted—it didn’t happen. Nothing happened.”
“Catherine.” There was that sharp mother tone again. I quieted instantly. No matter how old you were, it triggered something inside you that made you put your hands in your lap and look at the other person expectantly. “It doesn’t matter. No, that’s not true. If you’re saying what I think you’re saying then I think even more of your new friend. But what I said stands; be careful.”
“Yes, ma’am.” I took a deep breath. “Have fun. Don’t be reckless. Wear party clothes.”
Selene reached over and pretended to slap my knee, much the way she had when I was younger and refused to cross my legs. “Stop that. Have fun. Don’t overthink it. You loosened up a lot today. It’s good.”
“So, if I loosen up some more can we maybe cut some more appointments?” I wiggled my eyebrows.
“I think I’ve reached my quota of rule breaking for the day.” She sat back and picked up her clipboard.
“Well, a girl can dream.”
She shook her head but didn’t look back up at me. “You should be dreaming up things to say to Lady Nancy. She’s going to try to rope you into her charity auction again.”
“If I give her any more heirlooms my mother will skin me.” I sighed.
“You know that’s not what she wants,” Selene tsked.
“You just told me to live a little. If I donate any more of my time, I’m going to need a clone to brush my teeth and shower.” I sighed as I flipped through the e-mails on my phone. “You and I both know she just wants me to work with her oldest son.”
“Phillip wouldn’t be a terrible choice.”
“You say that like it’s the fifteen hundreds and I have to marry to support my family in some way.” I ground my teeth. “If I ever get married it will be for love. Something of my own—something that belongs to no one but me and the other person, but most of all not to the crown.” I frowned. “I give enough of myself as it is.”
“I only meant that Phillip is a very nice young man.” Selene rubbed at her chest briefly.
“He is nice. And boring.” I frowned. “Indigestion, again?”
“Yes.” She took a shallow breath and made an uncomfortable face. “It’s been bothering me all day, but don’t worry. I’m fine and won’t slow us down.”
I watched her without responding. I’d known Selene my entire life. She was the type of person who worked from home while sick with the flu, even though she should be sleeping. She never stopped.
“Maybe we should cancel today and head back,” I offered. “You don’t look like you feel well.” In fact she looked pale. As I watched, her clipboard fell from her fingers to the floor of the car and she slumped against the door, her eyes rolling backward. “Selene!”
I undid my safety belt and pushed her into a lying position. “Mark! We need to get to a hospital!” I pounded on the glass between the front and back. He rolled it down even as he accelerated.
“Are you hurt, ma’am?” His voice was calm, but nothing rattled Mark. That’s why he was my escort wherever we went.
“Something is wrong with Selene.” My fingers felt along her neck in an attempt to find a pulse. Panic gripped me as I cursed not having better medical knowledge. It felt like hours passed before I was able to find the thready beat of her heart under my touch. Her pulse was there, but it wasn’t good. She murmured something unintelligible to me, but I couldn’t figure out what it was. “I think she’s had a heart attack.”
“Yes, ma’am.” I could hear him talking into his communication device, letting the security guards in the next vehicle know what was happening. “Princess, do you want me to stop and let Jameson help? He was an EMT in the military.”
“No! Keep going.” My hands shook as I touched her face. Selene was like my mother in more ways than I cared to count. To see her so ill was killing me. “Put him on speaker in the car. Let me talk to him.”
“Yes, ma’am.” It only took a few pushes of buttons on his steering wheel before Jameson was piped in over the speakers.
“Your Highness, is she responsive?”
“She’s mumbling, but it’s incoherent. What do I do?” I could hear the panic in my voice, so I took a deep breath. Freaking out was not going to help Selene.
“There is a medical pack in the front seat. Mark, pass it back to Catherine, please.” Jameson’s voice stayed even, as if he was reciting instructions to a practice class. “Catherine, can you get her to take an aspirin?”
“Not sure, but I’ll try.” Taking the bag I dumped the contents on the floor and grabbed the small bottle of pills. I popped the lid and dumped two pills into my palm before grabbing my bottle of water.
I twisted the lid off and held the pills up to Selene’s mouth. “Open up. You have to take these.”
Selene shook her head, but I wasn’t about to back down. “Now! You’ll do it right now even if I have to pry your mouth open.”
“Annoying.” Selene’s voice was thick, but there was no denying the word.
“Yeah, I am.” I pushed the pills between her lips and held the bottle up for her to drink.
“Did she take it?” Jameson asked.
“Yes.”