Because after spending time with Bianca, he’d realized how he longed to share his life with someone he cared about. Waking up in the morning, eager to see that person. Finding out something exciting and anxiously seeking out that person to share the news.
And then there were Giselle and William. They were so in love. They practically glowed when they were in the vicinity of each other. That’s what he wanted for his life. Not a cold, heartless business deal—
“Come dance with me.”
Leo turned to find the radiant bride next to him. “I’m not much of a dancer.”
“We both know that’s not true.” She grasped his arm. “Come on.”
With this being the formal reception, the music was more sedate. It made dancing and talking much easier, which didn’t thrill Leo. His sister was good at reading his moods and he didn’t want to get into what was on his mind at the moment. This was her wedding. A time for celebration. Not a time to dissect his life.
“You look beautiful,” he said.
“Why thank you. You look pretty dashing yourself. Except for that frown on your face.”
“What frown?” He didn’t know he was frowning. He forced a smile to his lips. “Better?”
“You don’t have to put on a show for me.”
His muscles stiffened. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Yes, you do. Mother gave you a deadline to find a wife and the time is up.”
He stopped dancing and looked at his sister. “How do you know?”
She smiled and shrugged. “Mother isn’t the only one with spies.”
He shook his head. “You weren’t supposed to know. This is your big day and it isn’t your problem.”
They started to dance again. “But I want to help.”
“No one can help. At this point, I’m considering putting the names in a hat and pulling out one.”
Giselle arched a brow. “You’re joking, aren’t you?”
Part of him was, the other part was seriously considering the option. “How do you choose a spouse that you don’t care about?”
“Do you really need me to answer the question?” When he nodded, she said, “You don’t.”
“But I have to. I need a wife in order to become king. And I need to step into the role by the New Year. The nation is becoming restless.” His gaze searched hers. “Who do you think I should marry?”
“I think the answer is right in front of you. All you have to do is open your eyes.”
For a few minutes, they didn’t speak. He knew his sister was referring to Bianca. He’d thought of her too. But she didn’t fit into the mold of a princess. She was different from all the other prospective brides.
Still, he could see his future with Bianca. He could imagine waking up next to her each morning. He could see having a family with her—a happy family.
But he knew his mother would not approve. Not by a long shot.
“Stop fighting it,” Giselle said, drawing him from his thoughts. “You’ve fallen hard for her. Anyone can see it. Even Mother.”
“Bianca is so easy to get along with. Everyone loves her—except Mother.”
“Forget Mother for a second.” Giselle stopped dancing and stared at him. “Do you love Bianca? Really love her?”
“I do.” There was no hesitation. It was a fact that he hadn’t been willing to acknowledge until now.
“Then stop standing here. Go get her.”
That was easier said than done. He had no idea where she was and the reception was ending. But he would find her. He would tell her how he felt. And then he had to hope she felt the same way.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
THIS WAS IT.
The end.
Sadness assailed Bianca. It was the strangest reaction she’d ever had to the end of a wedding. Not just any wedding but a royal wedding that had received international attention. Her phone was ringing off the hook with people eager to have her plan their big days.
She should be thrilled. She should be out on the dance floor of the after-party celebrating, but instead she’d been busy ironing out small wrinkles in the background, from missing appetizers to a shortage of serving staff.
But now with the party in full swing and the prince’s favorite band playing, she spotted him smiling and chatting with his sister and a group of guests. That was all the thanks she needed—
“Miss Bartolini, I’d like to have a word.” The queen signaled for her to follow.
Once in the hallway, Bianca bowed her head. “Good evening, Your Majesty.”
“It was a lovely day. And that in large part was due to you.”
Bianca could hardly believe what she was hearing. The queen had just complimented her. After all the rows they’d had and how the queen was certain Bianca was going to make a disaster of everything.
“Thank you.” Bianca didn’t know what else to say.
“Perhaps my son should consider hiring you for his wedding.” Apparently, Bianca failed to keep the surprise from showing on her face as the queen continued. “So, he didn’t tell you that he will be announcing his engagement tomorrow. And his wedding will be later this year.”
Bianca struggled to speak. “That’s exciting news.”
Inside she felt anything but excited. She felt sad. She felt as though she were losing the most special person from her life—not that he was ever hers to start with. Just the thought of Leo with another woman filled her with jealousy. She quickly reined in her rising emotions.
“Very exciting. Everything is working out.” The queen beamed with happiness. “I’ve had my assistant forward you a bonus for your success tonight. And I know you must be anxious to get home to your villa so I’ve had my jet put on standby. It’s yours tonight or tomorrow.”
“Thank you. I really appreciate it.”
“I won’t keep you. Since this party isn’t really my style, I’m going to call it a night and let the young people live it up. Goodbye, Miss Bartolini.”
“Good night, ma’am.” Bianca bowed her head once more.
She watched as the queen made her way to the door. There was nothing left for Bianca to do. Sylvie was seeing to any lingering details.
The thought of flying home tonight was tempting. It would be nice to get back to the villa while she was still a Bartolini—
“Bianca! There you are.” Leo stepped out of the party, closing the door behind him. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”
“Sorry. There were a lot of things to do today.” Like saying goodbye to him. But she wasn’t ready to do it. Not yet.
“You did a positively fabulous job. Not even my mother could find anything to complain about.”
“I know. She gave me both a compliment and a bonus. Can you believe it?”
Leo’s brown eyes widened. “You really impressed her. I am not surprised. Everyone is calling it the perfect wedding. And it’s all thanks to you.”
She couldn’t put on this “nice” show any longer. She had to know if it was true. Was Leo getting married? “And I heard about your engagement.” Her voice wobbled. “Congratulations.”
Confusion clouded his eyes. “How did you hear—wait, my mother, right?”
She nodded. “She’s very excited.”
“I didn’t want you to find out this way.”
“What way? The fact that I thought what we shared meant something and all of this time you were planning to marry someone else—”
“Bianca, stop.” He reached out, gently grasping her upper arms. “It isn’t like that.”
She yanked free. Her gaze narrowed in on him. “How is it?”
“It’s you.”
“What’s me?”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “This isn’t how I meant for any of this to happen.”
“You aren’t maki
ng any sense. What about me?”
His gaze met hers. “It’s you I want to marry.”
She pressed a hand to her chest, feeling as though the air had been sucked from her lungs. “Marry me?”
Leo nodded.
She shook her head. This couldn’t be happening. Leo wanted to marry her but she was a wedding planner, not a fitting wife for the crown prince. She was a nobody, a commoner. The prince must marry someone of noble birth.
“No.” She took a step back. “You don’t mean this. It would be a mistake.”
“Bianca, I love you.”
She took another step away from him. Her heart was cracking and her vision blurred with unshed tears. “No, you don’t.”
He stepped up to her. His unwavering gaze met hers. “I don’t know where all of this doubt is coming from, but if you’re worried about my mother, don’t be. I’ll deal with her.”
“It’s not your mother.”
“Good. Then what is it?”
“Will you still feel the same way about me if the DNA results reveal that I’m not a Bartolini? What happens if I don’t know who my father is? For all I know, I could be the daughter of a criminal.” Her voice wobbled. She blinked repeatedly, struggling to keep her emotions at bay. “I can’t marry you with that hanging over our heads.”
Silence filled the air between them.
The silence was more painful than acknowledging that everything she thought she knew about herself might be wrong. Because Leo’s continued silence meant he agreed with her.
Unable to take the silence any longer, Bianca said, “My job is complete. Sylvie is inside and will oversee the cleanup. I need to go.”
The door to the party opened. The blast of music echoed through the hallway. Giselle beamed at them and then yelled over the music. “Come on guys. Let’s party.” She moved over and latched her arm with Leo’s. “I requested your favorite song.”
Giselle motioned for Bianca to join them before disappearing inside. Bianca moved toward the door but remained in the hallway. She couldn’t go back inside. She closed the door.
This was difficult enough. She just needed to get it over with. She needed to take the queen up on her offer and return to Tuscany as soon as possible.
Because if she loved Leo—and she did love him with all her heart—she would be on that plane tonight. Leo needed to live the life he was destined for—the throne that he always wanted. He deserved to have a wife by his side that the people looked up to and respected.
And it wasn’t her. She probably wasn’t even a Bartolini. If she were to marry Leo and the press got ahold of the story it would ruin Leo. She would do anything to protect him, including sacrificing her heart.
The acknowledgment hurt Bianca more than she knew possible. She didn’t fit in with her family. She didn’t fit in Patazonia. Where did she belong?
CHAPTER NINETEEN
HE’D MESSED UP.
Big time.
Leo had taken time to think about what Bianca had said to him instead of following his heart. In his defense, he never expected her to turn down his marriage proposal. But that was becoming a thing with Bianca—not reacting the way he expected.
By the time he’d gotten his head screwed on straight, Bianca had left the party. He’d quietly slipped away, eager to find her. He had to convince her that they belonged together. Maybe theirs wouldn’t be a fairy-tale marriage, but truth be told, he didn’t believe in fairy tales.
He wanted a relationship that was real—a relationship that was strong, reliable and enduring. He could have all of that with Bianca. He firmly believed it. In fact, he couldn’t imagine his life without her in it.
He demanded the keys to the SUV that his security detail had used to escort him to the reception. He was in no mood to be coddled by his team. He needed some space to himself. He tramped the accelerator. When he found the inside of the vehicle too constricting, he put down the windows and let the cool night air rush over his face as he raced back to the palace.
This can be fixed. It isn’t too late.
He kept repeating the mantra the whole way home. It was as if he said it enough, it would be so.
The SUV’s tires screeched to a halt in front of the palace. He raced inside. He could feel curious stares from the staff, wondering what had him in such a rush, but he didn’t have the patience or the inclination to explain.
He took the stairs two at a time. He racewalked down the hallway. He rapped his knuckles on Bianca’s door.
“Bianca?” He waited. No response. “Bianca, we need to talk.”
The door opened but it wasn’t Bianca on the other side. It was one of the staff.
“Where is Bianca?” he asked, not caring how anxious he might appear. He didn’t have time to worry about appearances.
The young woman looked confused. “Miss Bartolini isn’t here.”
“Do you know where she is?”
“She left.”
“Left?” That couldn’t be. “As in left the palace? To go back to the party?”
The young woman looked flustered. “I don’t know where she went. I was instructed to help her pack and then I started to straighten up. Was that a mistake?”
The mistake was all his. The weight of his error mounted with every passing moment.
Noticing the maid’s worried look, he said, “You’ve done nothing wrong. Continue what you were doing.”
He turned and strode away. She’d left already? The after-party hadn’t even wound down.
He wasn’t giving up yet. He could catch her at the airport. He’d do whatever it took.
Leo retraced his steps down the staircase, but at the bottom stood the queen. “Leopold, what is the meaning of this? You’re racing up the driveway, screeching tires and running through the palace as though it’s some sort of gymnasium.”
He descended the stairs. “It’s Bianca. I have to find her.”
The queen’s brows rose. “Is there a problem with the party?”
“No. It’s fine.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “There’s something I have to discuss with her.”
“Well, if that’s all, you’ll have to phone her because she’s already in the air. I gave her my personal jet to return home.”
“You did what?” He couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
The queen frowned at him. “Come with me.”
He followed her to her office, where most of the kingdom’s decisions were made. It was where his ancestors including his grandfather, father and eventually he would rule from. This seemed like a fitting place to have this life-altering conversation.
“I’ve chosen a wife,” he stated boldly. “If she’ll have me.”
His mother’s frown lifted into a smile. “Very good. And I take it you’d like Bianca to plan the wedding. I will admit that she did a pretty good job with your sister’s wedding, but you have to realize with you being in line for the crown, traditions must be strictly adhered to—”
“Mother, stop!”
She blinked as though surprised by his interruption. “Leopold, I’m not going to be as agreeable this time. Bianca cannot be your wedding planner.”
“You’re right. She’s going to be my bride.”
His mother’s penciled brows rose high on her forehead. “Leopold, if you’re trying to be funny—”
“I’m being perfectly serious. I want to marry Bianca. I want her to be my princess—”
“Stop! No.” The queen vehemently shook her head. “It’s not going to happen. I gave you a whole selection of very fine women to choose from. Just because you couldn’t find your version of the ideal woman—”
“But I did. Bianca is everything I’ve ever wanted and more.”
His mother shook her head again. “Leopold, you’re missing the fact that she doesn’t have noble blood. She isn’t f
rom a politically influential family. She brings nothing to the nation. She’s...she’s a wedding planner.”
“She’s the woman I love. And she loves me in spite of my faults—”
“Faults?” The queen’s eyes narrowed. “This woman has convinced you that you are full of faults?”
“No, Mother,” his voice filled with pent-up emotion. “You did that the day Father died.” His mother’s mouth opened but he didn’t give her a chance to speak as he kept going. “When he died, you looked at me like it was all my fault. And you’ve been blaming me ever since.”
“That’s not true.”
“It is true. Whether you admit it or not.”
The composed look on her face crumbled. In its place were deep worry lines that aged his mother. She sat down on the window seat as though her legs would no longer hold her up. “I had no idea that’s how you felt.”
“How could I not when you sent me out of the room after father died as though you couldn’t bear to look at me. And you made me promise not to tell anyone what had happened. Do you know what keeping that secret cost me? I couldn’t even talk to Giselle.”
For so long, he’d kept this torment of emotions locked up inside of him. But after confiding in Bianca, he realized the secret was destroying not only him but also his relationship with his family. He’d been distancing himself—avoiding conflicts. And it was no way to live life. It was no way to rule a country.
“But you told Bianca?” His mother’s troubled gaze searched his.
“I did. I trust her. And I don’t regret it.”
“And she convinced you that I blamed you for your father’s death?”
“On the contrary, she defended you.” His mother’s eyes widened. Maybe at last his mother would see that there was so much more to Bianca. “She suggested you might have been trying to protect me.”
“I was.” The queen’s voice was soft as though all of the fight had gone out of her. “Our enemies will use anything to hurt us, even twisting innocent facts into something sinister.”
The Prince and the Wedding Planner Page 16
