A/N; FINALLY made it! Sorry about the delay but things got complicated for a little while... another story complete but I've got plans for another one ASAP
Thank you to all my readers and reviewers- you all rock!
The Princess Diaries doesn't belong to me
"Well, what do you think?" Joseph heard ten minutes later as he gazed out the window into the gardens illuminated not only by the lights installed in the garden itself, but also by the lights from the palace- it was a lovely sight and the in-garden lights had been one of Rupert's better ideas and it was an excellent idea from a security view point, not that he had to worry about that anymore...
At the sound of his wife's voice, however, he turned away from the window and felt his jaw drop seconds later as he drank in Clarisse's appearance.
With some assistance from Mia, he had definitely selected the correct dress- it suited her to a T -and the jewellery he had given her only enhanced not only the dress but her blue eyes and fair complexion.
"Do...do you think it suits me?" Clarisse asked, uncertainty in her voice, a moment later when it was clear that Joseph was having trouble responding.
"I think... it looks absolutely perfect..." he finally said, swallowing hard before walking over to kiss her lightly on the cheek, not wanting to destroy the artistry of her make up that she had obviously spent much of the last ten minutes working on. "You look beautiful, my dear... not that you always don't look lovely to me."
"Except in the mornings, when I'm just getting up? No makeup, no jewellery and my hair askew?" she teased.
"Even then, you still look beautiful," he said softly, reaching over and caressing her cheek, the gesture making her blush. "No matter what."
"You're just biased," she pretended to bluster, knowing that they had to be downstairs to meet the others but not wanting the moment to end... for once, she wished that they had the evening to themselves... but it was only a momentary whim, as this was the first birthday in a long time when her remaining family was together.
"Of course... always," he said lightly before he kissed her hand and then slipped it through his arm.
"We had better go downstairs otherwise Mia is going to wonder where we are!"
"Do you think she would send someone up to find us?"
"Maybe..." he teased as they made their way to the door, although he knew that she wouldn't- she, Pierre, Charlotte and Nicholas were all waiting downstairs, Pierre and Mia waiting outside the ballroom while everyone else waited inside. He only hoped that Clarisse would be genuinely surprised and not figure anything out before the doors were opened.
"Penny for your thoughts?" she teased as they strolled down the empty hallway towards the stairs.
"Hmmm?"
"You seem rather distracted...I thought I was meant to be the centre of attention today?" she pouted playfully and he turned to her with a twinkle in his eyes.
"Believe me, you still very much are the centre of attention... just wait until after dinner..." he trailed off suggestively and she blushed deeply again, a condition she remained in until they descended the stairs and met Pierre and Mia at the doors of the ballroom, a state of affairs that confused Clarisse.
"I thought... I thought we were having dinner in the dining room?" she waved vaguely in the direction of said room and Mia beamed.
"We thought it would be different if we had it here in the ballroom..."
"For eight of us?" Clarisse sounded surprised before she began to wonder... had they planned something more? Mia was merely grinning, Pierre looked unperturbed and Joseph's expression unreadable (as he always was when he was hidng something) but Clarisse knew that they wouldn't have been able to plan anything right under her nose...
"The others are waiting inside for us, so let's go," Mia said enthusiastically as she opened one of the doors and stepped aside to let Clarisse in, the other three exchanging a grin between them behind her back...
There was a moment's silence in the dark room and Clarisse was again confused... what was going on... before
"SURPRISE!" came from all corners of the room as the lights flashed on and Clarisse found herself surrounded by sixty of her closest friends, some of whom she hadn't seen in years... and even Helene Palimore and her husband were there, she realized as she scanned the room briefly.
"I... I..." she stammered, momentarily speechless as tears filled her eyes- they HAD done it- before she turned to see Mia, Pierre and Joseph all grinning broadly at her. "You didn't... you didn't!"
"We did, Grandmother dearest, and I'm so glad that it's a surprise... Happy birthday, again," she murmured as she swooped in to kiss her stunned grandmother on the cheek before disappearing into the crowd.
"You deserve it, Mama... happy birthday," Pierre whispered as he followed suit.
"You know how well I can keep a secret, darling," Joseph said casually before added, in a low voice: "It was very hard at times, I can tell you!"
After she had finally recovered and caught her breath, she moved into the crowd to greet her guests but when she felt Joseph slipping away, giving her the opportunity to speak to her friends without him, she turned and slipped her arm through his again, pulling him close to her.
"I know what you're trying to do, but there are quite a few people who haven't met you officially... and, as my husband, you are my escort," she gave him a coy smile and he pretended to look disgruntled, although he couldn't feel any more proud that he was able to be his wife's escort on her special day- it had been a day and an occasion that he had been waiting years for.
0
Clarisse's head was swimming as the evening progressed and she reunited with more and more of her friends, some of whom she hadn't seen in years. When she came around to Helene Palimore, Helene admitted that she had been in on the ruse before adding, hastily, that she had wanted to see Clarisse nevertheless.
"We barely had time to see each other when you were Queen, but now that you're retired, I hope that we can have more lunch dates like that."
"I would love to...and I know you would have wanted to see me anyway..."
Charlotte had been a little nervous when she had finally come across Clarisse, but Clarisse had only laughed and hugged her happily.
"It must have been hard to keep it a secret from me!" she teased.
"A little...particularly when you wanted to see that paperwork that day Mia was still horseriding.
"That's right, you did seem a little nervous, but I forgive you anyway," she said with a broad grin.
After she had finally caught up with all of her friends- and there were already promises of continuing contact after the party- Clarisse stood a little aside from the rest of the party and observed everyone, pleased that they were all having a good time and she was only a little surprised that she too was enjoying herself although, she had to admit to herself, she had been half serious to Mia only days earlier when she had wished that she had allowed the young woman to plan a party...
Over the years, her birthday had been celebrated every year with, it seemed, everyone she ever knew, but this year had been so much more special and the party was definitely more select and private than previous parties- Pierre, Mia, Joseph and Charlotte had done a good job.
"Why are you standing here, by yourself?" came Joseph's voice from beside her before an arm wound around her waist. "I would have thought you would have still been surrounded by your friends."
"I've greeted them all and I'm so happy to see them all... I wish there was more time to catch up with them all..."
"I imagine that most of them are going to insist that contact is kept from now on?"
"Yes... and it has been wonderful to see them all again... thank you so much..." she looked at him with unusually bright eyes and he smiled.
"Isn't it just as well that Mia and Pierre didn't take no for an answer?"
"Yes, and I'm thoroughly glad that they did that...and I'm glad that you and Charlotte helped them out."
"You're not angry that we did this?"
"Why would I be angry?" Clarisse's eyes widened in surprise. "I LOVE that you all thought enough of me to do this...and keep it a secret!"
"Why wouldn't we think enough of you NOT to do this?"
"I don't know..."she lowered her eyes for a moment. "I guess this feeling of inadequacy is a legacy from Rupert."
"Well, I'm definitely looking forward to getting rid of that feeling... you are beautiful, charming, intelligent, sexy...and you definitely deserved this party!"
Before she could respond, however, there was the sound of a clinking glass and they looked towards the middle of the room where Pierre and Mia were standing, grinning and indicating that she should join them, which she did, with Joseph.
"It's hardly orthodox for everyone to give speeches, but on this occasion...Pierre and I both figured we will give one each... All I really want to say to Grandma is... thank you for believing in me and never giving up on me, even when things seemed bad for both of us...and I wish you all the happiness in the world in your retirement, which I'm sure you will have in abundance with Joe."
After she toasted Clarisse with her glass, everyone following suit, Pierre stepped forward, looking nervous but proud.
"It has been a long time since I've made a speech, although most of you will know that I do make sermons, but I want to simply say to my mother: Happy Birthday. I know life hasn't been easy for you, especially for the past couple of years, but I have always wanted the best for you and I know Joseph will always been the best for you. I am also glad that I'm finally back in Genovia... I know I didn't seem to be fazed whenever I saw you, but I am glad to be home and I'm glad that I'm back in your life... thank you for never giving up on me... I love you..." he finished in a whisper and Clarisse didn't hesitate to walk forward and embrace him in her arms, murmuring:
"You will always be my first born son and I will NEVER close my arms, heart or life to you... I love you too."
There was a pause afterwards as mother and son pulled themselves together and then Pierre joined Mia on the sidelines before Joseph stepped forward.
"As Clarisse's husband, there's probably nothing I could say that most of you wouldn't know or suspect from either this evening or from the past, but all I can say is that I love Clarisse more than anything and I know that I'm going to try to the best of my ability to ensure that our life together is going to be the best time of our lives... Happy birthday, my love- I'm sorry we had to keep it a secret from you, but seeing your face tonight has been more than worth the secrecy... To Clarisse!"
"To Clarisse!" the rest of the group echoed and they all toasted a blushing Clarisse with their champagne glasses.
Once the cake was cut, again with Clarisse being the centre of attention, Joseph, Pierre and Mia looking on, the music began and Joseph didn't hesitate to sweep her into his arms and onto the dance floor.
"Thank you for this evening... I have had the most wonderful time."
"I'm glad- we were all rather worried that we were pushing your boundaries..."
"Nonsense, it was something you should have done and I'm glad you did it...I'm just curious about one thing- how you managed to keep it from me."
"Believe me, it was difficult to keep it from you... especially for Charlotte...but we somehow managed- and you having lunch with Helene today was a blessing as we were wondering how we could set up the ballroom for the party...But we all can't believe that we managed to get this planned and executed without any awareness from you."
"Actually, darling, there's something I have to tell you..." Clarisse lowered her eyes for a moment.
"Oh?"
"Well... I knew all about this party for a while."
"WHAT?!" he wasn't completely shocked- he should have known that she would have suspected something and worked it out.
"Well, I suspected something after that dinner where you, Charlotte and Mia were huddled together... remember, the one where Mia suggested a party and I declined?"
"Of course."
"Well, knowing Mia as well as I do and knowing how tenacious she is, just like her father, I suspected that she let go far too easily, so I kept my eyes out for any suspicious behaviour- and, believe me, I did see some suspicious behaviour- Charlotte, Mia and Pierre...and then, Olivia accidentally let it slip two weeks ago."
"Why didn't you say anything?"
"Why would I?" she looked at him tenderly. "If you were all willing to go to so much trouble to give me a surprise birthday party, why would I crush all your spirits by announcing that I knew all about it?"
"So you knew when you told Mia that you wouldn't have minded a surprise party a couple of days ago?"
"Yes... I just couldn't resist... But I didn't realize how many people you invited, and how far back into my past that you had gone to find my dearest friends... even then, I wouldn't have said anything because what you all have done... it just shows how much you care, how much you all love me."
"Of course we all care and love you... and we wanted to do this for you... I should have known that you would suspect something."
"I need to ask you to do something for me."
"Anything, birthday girl!"
"Shhhh..." she hushed him, looking around with red cheeks. "Anyway, I don't want you to tell Mia, Pierre or Charlotte that I suspected or knew about tonight... I didn't want to tell you but I suspect you would have figured it out eventually."
"Yes I would have... but no, I won't tell the others...I just want to know that you're enjoying yourself tonight."
"I am," she gave him a wide smile. "I've enjoyed every part of this evening."
"Don't forget, there is still more to come afterwards..."
"Really?" she pretended to look innocent.
"Really," he gave her a significal look before he smiling lovingly at her. "Happy birthday, my darling."
"Thank you... I love you."
"I love you too..."