Page 68 of Expecting Royal Twins!
“No, you are not. Do not do this. There will be consequences.”
“You’re overreacting.” Izzy thought about Princess Diana, who had been known as the People’s Princess. Diana hadn’t been given that title by sitting around and waiting for others to take charge. “I know what I’m doing.”
He pressed his lips together.
Annoyance flared. “Would you please stop with that royal stiff upper lip thing you always do?”
His eyes darkened. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
As Izzy hurried past the float with the dancers, she tucked her gloves into a pocket on her jacket.
An official fell into step with her. “How may I be of assistance, Your Royal Highness?”
“I’m going to see if I can fix the truck.”
The man gasped. “We need a mechanic, ma’am.”
Izzy raised her chin. “I am a mechanic.”
And a damn good one, she thought.
The hood of the truck was already opened. Several people stood there contemplating the inner working of the vehicle.
“The engine didn’t die,” the truck driver said, scratching his balding head. “But the truck won’t move.”
“Excuse me,” Izzy said, nudging her way through several festively clad dancers.
The group parted for her like the Red Sea. The scent of motor oil from the engine smelled better than perfume, but the truck had to be older than her. She climbed on the grill to look inside. It even had a carburetor. She checked the hoses and the fan belt. Grease dirtied her hands. One of her fingernails chipped. For the truck to just stop moving, something must have broken or come undone. And that was when she saw it. “A-ha. A broken throttle linkage to the carburetor.”
Izzy sensed rather than felt Niko move right behind her.
He whispered, “Let someone else fix it.”
“I know how to do it.” She looked at those standing around. No one was smiling. “I need a pair of glasses. Sunglasses would work, too. Wire rimmed ones would probably be easiest. I promise to replace them.”
One of the officials stepped forward. Disapproval filled his eyes, but he handed her a pair of glasses.
“Thank you.” Izzy broke off one of the earpieces. She threaded the piece through the linkage and twisted the ends together. She lowered the hood and stepped out of the way. “That should do it.”
The truck driver shifted into gear. The truck rolled forward. “It worked.”
The crowd was so quiet. No one cheered or waved flags. The people stared with a look of shock and disappointment in their eyes. She didn’t understand. The parade could continue, but the only ones smiling at her were the children.
There will be consequences.
An old man shook his head. Two men frowned. A group of women whispered and motioned to her.
Izzy hurried back to the carriage and climbed aboard. She brushed her dirty hands together, wishing for a wet wipe. Grease stained her skirt.
A crisp white handkerchief appeared at the end of Niko’s extended arm. His tight jaw and narrowed lips told her he wasn’t happy. He could join the club.
Izzy took it and wiped her hands. “I don’t see why everyone is so upset.”
The carriage lurched forward.
“People came expecting to see a princess, someone special not like themselves.” Niko snatched the handkerchief from her and wiped her chin. “But instead they see a woman who doesn’t care enough to keep her clothes clean for them. Your hands are dirty. Your fingernails chipped. They feel cheated and disrespected.”
Heat burned her cheeks. “I wanted to win the people over by helping.”
“You could have accomplished that by walking out to the crowd and visiting with them while the truck was repaired. You could have told someone what to fix instead of insisting you do it yourself.”
Humiliation flowed through her veins. She glanced down at her still dirty hands and put on her gloves. “You never told me.”
“You never gave me a chance, but can you honestly say you would have listened to me?”
She stiffened with shame, but she continued to wave and smile at the villagers along the parade route. The people, however, didn’t return the gesture. “This is who I am,” she said quietly.
