Gone is the warm, casual and easygoing man I fell in love with, the one who interacted so easily with my aunts and uncles, brushing off their never-ending curiosity about him with a joke and a smile. That man, my Damien, was normal whereas this Damien screams prestige, glamour and elegance. His smile slips once again and I feel his sadness in spite of all the distance between us.

Gabriel and I weave through the crowd, inching closer towards him. Gabe points out several people of the English aristocracy to me. Their names all whiz by me in a blur. All I can remember is the Earl of something and the Duchess of something else. And then he says, “And those are the royal princes with their wives chatting with Damien.”

My head snaps in their direction and I stare and stare at the next generation of the royal family. Goddamn and blast!

I’ve seen them on TV! Hell, I watched the live ceremony of both the princes get married and now, I’m here, attending the same event as them. Never in my dreams would I have imagined this scenario.

“He knows the princes?” I croak out. “Shoot! One of them is going to be the King at some point in his life.”

Gabe shrugs as if my shock is of no consequence. “Well, he attended school with the princes. One of them was in the same class with him.”

Shit! I’ve stepped in an alternate universe, one in which my husband knows the future freaking King of England!

“Do you like your new reality?’ Gabe quips.

“Un-bloody believable!”

My footsteps pause as I take in everything I am seeing and hearing. There’s so much of wealth and privilege in this room and I’m standing in it. I have designed some of the most lavish homes for so many affluent people, but nothing, nothing compares to the grandeur of Damien’s life. How did he manage to fit in with me? Our life in Mumbai is so opposite to all this, it’s like another side of a coin. Again, the question teases me as to why he chose to leave all this and live a simple life with me.

Gabe ushers me forward. As we near him, I finally see Damien’s mother, the Duchess, in all her regal glory. She’s slim and fair with hard eyes. Her black satin, short sleeve gown is mermaid style with a round and modest neckline. Her blonde hair is elegantly coiffed and knotted on the top of her head. A string of diamonds and pearls adorns her neck. Next to her Celia Parker looks decadent in a sky blue, wide neck fitted gown. My eyes bulge at the amount of her cleavage on display. I’m pretty sure her breasts will pop out if she bends.  Her neck and ears are also studded with diamonds.