Alex put down the letter. ‘‘She signs it ‘Most Sincerely, Grandma Beulah Whitaker.’ Oh, and she would like a picture of the four princesses sent to her if we have time.’’
There was a moment of silence, then everyone started talking at once. It had taken Alex a few minutes to gather her own composure after absorbing the news, so she understood her sisters’ confusion and questions.
‘‘Do you think it’s really possible that James is alive?’’ Katherine asked.
Elizabeth shook her head. ‘‘It’s been what, twenty-nine years? Could he have survived all that time and we never knew?’’
‘‘Let’s go to America and find him,’’ Serena said with a broad grin. ‘‘I’ll go. I can be ready to leave this afternoon.’’
Alex glared at her baby sister. There was no way she would trust that wild young woman alone in a foreign land. Given Serena’s determination to find romantic adventure, she would forget about looking for James and set about getting herself in trouble as quickly as possible.
‘‘First things first,’’ Alex said calmly. ‘‘Do you all agree with my decision to keep this from our parents? I don’t want to get their hopes up only to dash them again, but I would like to hear what you three think.’’
Katherine leaned toward her. Her gray eyes darkened with sadness. ‘‘None of us was born when they lost James, but I can imagine their pain. Mother hasn’t spoken about it much, but when she does mention those days after James was kidnapped, she always cries. They have both worked very hard to bring prosperity to Wynborough. As they prepare for the twentieth anniversary of Father’s coronation next year, they should be happy. Telling them about this letter will only distract them.’’
Elizabeth, normally a close and loving confidant for Alex, looked distracted. In the past couple of months, things had changed for the sister closest to her in age. Unfortunately Alex hadn’t figured out what, and Elizabeth resisted all her gentle questions.
Elizabeth focused on the issue at hand long enough to nod her agreement. ‘‘Katherine’s right. I don’t think either of them want to go through that pain again. We should investigate this ourselves.’’
Alex glanced at Laura. Her social secretary raised her hands. ‘‘I’m just the hired help. I’d prefer not to vote.’’
‘‘You’re more than that,’’ Serena said, giving Laura a quick hug. ‘‘You’re practically one of the family.’’ She grinned at Alex. ‘‘I say we find him ourselves and present him as a gift to Mother and Father. Their lost son returns home after twenty-nine years. Everyone will be so thrilled that there’s finally an heir.’’
Alex stiffened slightly at the words, then tried not to notice as everyone’s attention shifted to her. She knew what her sisters were thinking. That as the oldest, she’d taken on most of the responsibilities of heir. She worked hard and frequently traveled abroad to represent her country. But Wynborough law stated that the heir must be a son. While there had been some discussion about parliament changing the law, to date nothing had been done. After all, King Phillip was still in the prime of his life. There was no concern about the monarchy. But it left Alex in the awkward position of being a potential heir-in-waiting without knowing if that was going to happen.
That’s not important, she told herself, and firmly pushed those thoughts away. Right now she and her sisters had to concentrate on their brother. If James was still alive, how were they to find him?
‘‘Obviously we have to go to America,’’ Alex said. ‘‘That’s where the kidnapping occurred.’’
‘‘I could arrange a publicity tour,’’ Laura said. ‘‘There has been talk of bringing worldwide attention to King Phillip’s years as a successful monarch. If all four of you were willing to travel to the States, you could quietly inquire about your brother while promoting Wynborough and the king.’’
‘‘Of course we’ll go,’’ Serena said. ‘‘At leastIwill.’’
‘‘No one’s in doubt about that,’’ Alex said dryly. She glanced at Katherine and Elizabeth. ‘‘Is this all right with you two?’’
They both nodded. ‘‘I could use a change of scenery,’’ Elizabeth said.
Again Alex wondered what had happened to make her sister so quiet these days. But if Elizabeth didn’t want to talk, nothing was going to make her.
Alex opened the file next to her plate. ‘‘I think the best plan would be to start the investigation at the scene of the crime. James was kidnapped from the family home in Aspen, Colorado. While the place hasn’t been used in years, I checked and it has been maintained by caretakers. They could have it ready for us in two days—so that will be our base of operation. Laura will put together a publicity schedule that leaves us plenty of time to search. In fact, I intend to go to Arizona to talk with ‘Grandma Beulah’ as soon as we arrive in the States.’’
Katherine leaned forward. Like all the sisters, her hair was a variation on the theme of red. She had thick chestnut hair and wide gray eyes. Sensible as always, she asked, ‘‘How on earth are we going to get our parents to agree to this? They’ve never wanted us to visit America before. Do you really think they’ll let all four of us go there?’’
‘‘Let me handle that,’’ Alex said. ‘‘Laura and I will come up with something. You just get ready to leave.’’
Serena bounced to her feet. ‘‘I’m going to Disneyland.’’
‘‘Not if any of us can help it,’’ Elizabeth murmured under her breath as she stood up.
‘‘Okay, then New York or California or Las Vegas.’’
Alex drew in a deep breath and told herself to remain calm. Serena was a handful and she was going to require around-the-clock watching. ‘‘Make a note,’’ she told Laura as they left the small dining room. ‘‘Put extra security on Serena.’’
‘‘Gabriel Morgan’s our man,’’ Laura said. ‘‘Plus, he’s American, so he’ll be most at home.’’
‘‘Good. The last thing we need is a wild princess on the loose.’’
‘‘What about Elizabeth and Katherine? Or for that matter, you?’’
