𝐷𝑎𝑟𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑡𝑜𝑛. ʙʀɪᴛɪsʜ ʀᴏʏᴀʟ ғᴀᴍɪʟʏ

33 ♔♕ 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀

𝚍𝚎𝚌𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛 𝟸𝟶𝟷𝟷

"So," Alex's hand wrapped around Bella's as they walked through the gardens at Raby, both of them wrapped up tightly to fight away the cold, "when are we going to tell people?"

"Tell people what?" She replied with a grin, fully aware of what he meant but not sure herself of what she wanted the answer to be.

"Don't be coy Bell," he smirked back, watching with a smile as the grin grew on her face, "you know."

"I know..." she sighed, "it's just, people make it complicated... I like it how it is now, you and me, in our own little bubble."

"But that bubble has to pop if we ever want to get anywhere, you know," he pulled her in close, wrapping an arm around her, "move in... get even more dogs than we have now," she laughed at that, glancing to their four dogs that were running around, "get married... have babies,"

Her smile grew even more at that, "oh yeah?"

"Yeah, lots and lots of babies."

"Okay but how many are we talking here because you know that I'm the one that's actually got to push them out right?"

Alex just chuckled at her in reply, giving her shoulder a squeeze to dispel any worries, "we'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Bella just hummed at that, not quite satisfied with his answer, "but," he continued, "to get there we have to tell people... soon."

"Your sisters know." She added, hopeful that would be enough to make him happy.

"My sisters are gossips, they've known every single fact about me my whole life... my sisters knowing is not an achievement."

Frowning Bella kicked a stone, watching it tumble away she desperately thought of other people who probably knew they were together, "your mum!" She answered finally, "I bet your mum knows, you said she'd stopped asking you who it was you brought here when they were in London."

"Of course mum knows," Alex answered with a chuckle, "who do you think my sisters got their talents from? She won't have told my dad though, what about him?"

"A possibility," Bella conceded, "but would he be able to not tell Anne? And he'll start seeing granny soon to plan Ascot... I think we should maybe wait till after."

"Why do you not want any of your family to know?"

"Because..." she began, trying to arrange her thoughts in her head so that they actually came out coherently and in a way that wouldn't make Alex upset.

It was nothing to do with him, of course it wasn't. He was perfect. If maybe slightly concerning with the amount of times he said lots before babies but still, perfect. It was her. It would always be her now.

"Because, you know what they're like... one wiff of a boyfriend and before you know it we're sat in front of ten people telling us what it us we can and can't do, where we should go, what we should do, do we leak things to the press, be seen together or no wait, isn't it better to stay private, no this, no that, no -"

"Woah, woah, woah..." Alex pulled her to a stop, placing his hands on her shoulders in a desperate attempt to make her stop and breathe, "It's okay," he pulled her into a hug, glad to feel her relaxing as he held her, "it's okay."

"I just," Bella pulled away, looking up at him with those big blue eyes that made him want to give her the world, "I just don't want to ruin this... and, and I've seen how people react, I want this to work so much Alex, I don't want my family and the rest of the bloody circus that comes along with it to ruin this."