He didn't know which designer Catherine had chosen to provide the deceptively simple white evening gown she'd worn, but felt certain it was one from Eastern Novigradia. They'd stood on one of the large balconies off her office with the palace photographer snapping away. Unseen heaters kept it warm enough that no one felt the chill.
After a simple dinner, by palace standards, with their families, Catherine made the announcement that they'd be living in the cottage for the time being.
Her parents started to protest, but with only two days between the decision and the wedding, there hadn't been much time to discuss living arrangements. Jake hadn't even been over to look at it yet, though Catherine assured him she'd sent someone to make certain it was clean and ready for them to occupy.
As they walked through the garden, he realized the heaters no longer made certain his wife wouldn't shiver.
"Hold on." He stopped suddenly and took his suit jacket off, putting it around her shoulders. "That should keep you at least a little warmer."
"Thank you." She pulled it more tightly around her, holdingit closed with one hand. "We need to go right at the next path, then left at the one after."
Jake rested his hand on her back and stayed as close as reasonably possible as they walked. Would it help keep her a little warmer with him closer to her?
A few minutes later, they reached the steps leading to the stone cottage.
"Our things should have been brought over and put away," Catherine told him as they climbed the stairs. "Your things would have been brought straight here, and they started moving some of mine earlier today. The rest will be either be moved in the next few days or be left in another part of the palace. I don't need a bunch of ball gowns or tiaras over here," she finished with a shrug as she used her palm print to open the door.
"Security insisted," she explained. "Despite the natural protections, the door is never to be left unlocked and can only be opened by one of us and security. Even my father can't override it without Richard Hopkins, head of security also on board with him doing so."
Jake didn't know what he'd expected from an ancient stone cottage, but the warm, inviting atmosphere wasn't it. A brisk fire warmed a living area with overstuffed couches and chairs, comfortable blankets and quilts, in colors that were both modern and cozy at the same time.
"This is nice," he told her. "Not at all what I expected."
"They redecorated it a couple of years ago," Catherine explained. "The furniture was supplemented a little bit since we made the decision."
"Who usually lives here?" He helped her with his jacket, setting it over the back of one of the chairs.
"No one. It's been used for VIP guests for as long as I can remember. I think a Dowager Queen lived here at one point a long time ago." She rested one hand on a side tableand reached down to take off one of her heels. Once they both dangled from her fingers, she breathed a sigh of relief. "I hate these things."
Jake stopped himself before asking why she wore them if she hated them. He suspected that answer was the same as for many things in her life - because it was expected. He'd seen her in trainers several times before, so it had to be situational.
"Come on." She started to cross the room. "I'll show you around."
It couldn't be that hard to find his way through the cottage - not if it only held a few rooms.
"I think it used to be more rooms," she told him over her shoulder. "When they remodeled and updated a while ago, they reduced the number of rooms but made them bigger, closer to today's standards for comfort. I guarantee they didn't have running water when it was built, much less a steam shower and garden tub in a bathroom or a large walk-in closet."
He chuckled. "I agree with you."
She pointed out the half bathroom, kitchen, and study, then turned into what had to be the bedroom.
"The fireplace is technically see through, but both sides are able to be blocked off so it's only open on one side." She dropped her shoes by the door and walked to stand in front of the fire, holding her hands out to warm them. "I understand why the floors are the way they are," she went on. "But this one is so cold sometimes."
"Is it original or redone to look like the original?" He studied the stone as he waited for an answer. From his own observation, he suspected it was original.
"I'm not sure, but I know they didn't redo it when they worked on it last." Catherine turned away from the fire and took a few steps until she stood on a plush rug of some kind. "I know it will be nice in the summer, but right now, it's a bit much."
In order to fully commiserate with her, Jake sat in a chairand took off his shoes and socks. When he stepped on the stone, he winced and jumped back to the rug. "Warmth is not something stone is good for." Now that he knew what to expect, he decided to brave it. In front of the fireplace the stone did reflect the heat from the fire itself, so it wasn't nearly as bad. He needed to find out about the other ways the small building was heated.
When he turned around, Catherine had disappeared, but the door on the other side of the room was now closed. She must have gone to change out of her gown and into something more comfortable. She'd mentioned her desire to do so as they walked from her office to the smallest of the banquet rooms.
He settled into the chair and stared at the dancing orange flames. It was their wedding evening.
Now what?
When Catherine emergedfrom the bathroom, now dressed in comfortable pajamas, she found Jacob sitting in one of the bedroom chairs with his bare feet propped up on an ottoman as he stared into the fireplace.
"You're welcome to change if you'd like."
