“Instead of a big wedding in the cathedral in front of your countrymen, we married quietly without anyone knowing. Her world has spun out of control. In her mind I’m a terrible person and the cause of her pain.
“You need to spend time with her and listen to her fears. She didn’t know you and I have had a long history. It has shaken her. If she understood more, she’d see why we wanted to get married immediately.
“Help her understand that you’d like to be able to concentrate on the threat to your country if you’re going to make a real difference. Let her see that you would like the woman you married and trust to run the daily affairs while you deal with the criminal elements. She has no idea how much I’d love to help you in any way I can. For both our sakes, please go to her tonight and explain. I’m begging you.”
At first she didn’t think she was getting through to him. But he eventually got up from the bed and started to get dressed. “I’ll go, but I might not be back until morning. Besides talking to her, I’ve got phone calls to make. Don’t wait up for me. I’m so sorry, Donetta.”
“Don’t worry about me, darling. You’re the only person in the world who can fix this.”
“I intend to,” he ground out. “She had no right to hurt you this way. You’re my wife!” he exploded in a savage voice.
“I’m not the one hurt,” she cried even though she was dying inside. But for the first time since she’d flown in to Vallefiore, he wasn’t listening. In the next breath he left the bedroom without holding or kissing her first. For him to do that revealed the depth of his torment.
No sooner had he gone than the landline phone rang. Donetta threw on her robe and rushed over to pick it up. “This is Donetta.”
“Oh, Donetta. It’s Lia. I’m so glad you answered. Are you alone?”
“Yes. Enrico has gone to talk to your mother.”
“That’s good, because I need to talk to you. Can I come to your apartment? I should be there in five minutes.”
“Of course. I’ll be right here waiting.”
Donetta hung up and paced the living room floor until she heard a knock on the outer door.
“Come in, Lia.”
“Forgive me for barging in, but I can’t keep this to myself.” Enrico’s sister hurried inside and sat down on one of the couches, patting a spot so Donetta would sit by her.
“What’s wrong?”
“I overheard my mother talking to our cabinet leader, Leopold, earlier in the small salon. She’s talking about having your marriage annulled because it wasn’t legal under our constitution. I don’t know if she can really do that, but she’s going to try to influence them. Out of respect for our father, they’ll probably listen to her. If that doesn’t work, then she wants Leo to begin divorce proceedings for the two of you.”
Donetta got up from the couch. “Enrico warned me she wouldn’t want our marriage, but I never dreamed it could get this bad.”
“Mamma has surprised me, too. I heard her say it’s not too late because she knows Valentina will still marry him if he can be free. Since the whole world doesn’t know about it yet, she’s hoping your marriage can be undone and go away. But it has to happen right away.”
“Oh, Lia. I don’t know what to do.”
“I wish I knew how to help you and my mother. I’m sure she’s talking about a divorce with Enrico right now in the salon. I’ve never seen her in such a rage. This is so awful, because I think you and Enrico are perfect for each other.”
Donetta’s heart warmed to her new sister-in-law. “Thank you for saying that and defending us.” She leaned over to give her a hug. “I owe you a debt of gratitude for everything, especially for that wedding dress and all the lovely things that went with it. You’re wonderful.”
“So are you. Enrico has never been so happy. I wish there were something I could do to calm my mother, but she’s not listening to reason right now and Papà’s fall didn’t help.”
“I agree she has more on her plate than a human should have to handle. I know deep down she’s a wonderful person or she wouldn’t have such marvelous children like Enrico and you girls. You don’t know how much I appreciate your coming here to warn me. When Enrico comes back, I’ll be prepared.”
Lia nodded. “I’d better leave so he doesn’t find me here.”
“He said he’d probably be gone all night.” Donetta followed her to the door. “We’ll stay in close touch. Thank you again for being such a good friend to us.”
After another hug, Lia hurried off. Donetta watched until she disappeared, but she couldn’t stand to wait for Enrico. With no time to spare she left the apartment and hurried through the palace to the salon to find her husband. But as she approached the door, she heard his mother’s voice. “It’s better that she leave the country, Enrico. You shouldn’t have married her in the first place.”
Pierced to the heart with pain, that was all Donetta needed to hear. Once alone in the apartment again, she knew what she had to do. She refused to stand in Enrico’s way. He must go on to be king. The country needed him. Though she would have loved to get behind him and manage by his side, it was better that he get the chance to rule, even if it meant she couldn’t remain his wife.
Her beloved husband needed help. The one path open to her was to leave the country and give him the chance to handle this desperate situation without her. It was the only way he could take on the throne.
When she found her phone, she called the pilot of the Rossiano royal jet. Donetta asked him to fly to Vallefiore ASAP. She would be waiting on the tarmac.
At three in the morning, she slipped out of the apartment with her two suitcases, praying Enrico wouldn’t catch her in the act of fleeing. The palace guard saw her leave in the taxi she’d called for. But she knew that by the time he would have reported her actions and someone tracked down Enrico to tell him, she’d be on her way to Domodossola.
So far, so good, she thought as she boarded the jet and they took off. She sat there during the flight absolutely devastated for Enrico and the trouble his mother was creating. In hindsight she realized that what he’d wanted just wasn’t possible. His mother had lived a lifetime with her own set of principles and couldn’t change now.
Donetta refused to hold him or his kingdom back by her selfishness. She wouldn’t fight a divorce. All she could do was return home and help her own family.
Oh, Enrico... I love you so much.
An hour and a half later the plane landed. Enrico hadn’t phoned her yet. Maybe he still hadn’t heard that she’d left the palace. Hoping that he didn’t have to cope with that worry yet, she undid her seat belt and phoned Fausta.
“You’ve left Enrico?” Fausta sounded aghast.
“It’s not what you think. Can you come for me in the limo so we can talk?” It was six in the morning. “I don’t dare phone the parents. They need their sleep.” The last thing she wanted to do was bring them more grief, but under the circumstances she was afraid it was going to be inevitable.
“I agree. I’ll be there within half an hour.”
“Bless you.”
CHAPTER TEN
AFTER LEAVING HIS parents’ apartment, Enrico raced to his in the other part of the palace. He needed to talk to Donetta. On his way, he got a phone call from his cousin. He clicked on, trying to keep his emotions under control after the long, disturbing talk with his mother and Leopold.
“Giovanni? I presume you know everything.”
“I’m afraid I know more than you do.”
“What do you mean?”
“The guard outside the entrance to your wing of the palace phoned to let me know Donetta left the palace in the middle of the night in a taxi.”
No! His body broke out in a cold sweat.
“Her bodyguards followed her to the airport and confirmed she flew out on the royal jet from Domodossola. I contacted their country
’s police to put a bodyguard on her the moment she landed. A few minutes ago they confirmed that she had arrived and was picked up by Princess Fausta, who also has security.”
Enrico reeled. That was all he needed to hear. “Thank you for all you’ve done. I should never have left her while I tried to talk sense to Leopold and Mamma. It accomplished nothing.”
“Hold on. I’m coming to your apartment now so we can talk without anyone listening in on our phone conversation.”
By the time his cousin burst into the apartment, Enrico was in agony. The two stared at each other.
“I should never have told Donetta she could share the throne with me, Giovanni. After what I learned tonight, Leo said that the leaders of the cabinet would give me a no-confidence vote if I had her rule with me. It could be the end of my rule, too, and throw our country into utter chaos.”
“You’ll have to listen to them, Enrico. Our country needs you at the helm. The problem is, they’re not ready for a modern world.”
“Apparently not. It isn’t as if I’d proposed changing the rules of succession!”
“The problem is, no wife of a sovereign of Vallefiore has ever shared the throne. It’s never been done.”
“Then something needs to change, Giovanni. We no longer live in the age of dinosaurs.”
“Not changing the rules has kept the monarchy strong.”
“So strong that the cabinet’s rejection and Mamma’s have done irreparable personal damage to my wife. Mamma’s insisting on a divorce, which is out of the question. Donetta married me after I made her the promise that she would rule as queen in her own right.
“It’s something she’s wanted all her life. I thought I could make her dream a reality. As your informant once told you, Donetta stayed single all these years because she wanted to change the laws of Domodossola and be queen.
“When she realized she could never do away with the rules of succession in her country, she grabbed the chance I offered her. I believed I could work a miracle. Donetta trusted me enough that she walked out on Arnaud because of what I could do for her.
“I have to be honest with myself. It may have not been a lie, but my marriage proposal was made on shaky ground and now I’m paying for it. But I’m not about to lose her, because I love her too much. I told Mamma I would never divorce her.”
“How can I help?”
“Giovanni, will you fly to Domodossola right now in the jet and bring her back? I know how her mind works. She’ll tell me she’ll agree to a divorce. Say whatever you have to in order to bring her back with you.”
“I’m on my way, but don’t you want to go?”
“I can’t if I’m going to get everything ready in time. I’ve made plans that I pray will convince her I can’t live without her. When you reach the airport, drive her as far as the road leading down to the waterfall where we had our honeymoon.”
“Good news, cousin. The tent is still there, being guarded. I haven’t had time to see about dismantling it yet. Now I’m glad I haven’t.”
“That makes two of us. I’ll be there waiting.”
“Now you’re talking.”
“When this is over, I’m going to repay you for being the best friend a man could ever hope to have and give you the long vacation you deserve and anything else your heart desires.”
* * *
When the limo reached the palace, Fausta asked the driver to take her around to the side entrance closest to her apartment. Donetta hurried inside with her and they closeted themselves in her bedroom. Before long their parents would hear that Donetta had arrived, but for the time being they were free to talk.
She checked her phone. By now Enrico had to know she’d flown here, but he hadn’t phoned or texted her yet. Still, it was early in the day. All she could do was hope that by her leaving Vallefiore, he’d be free to do what he had to do as crown prince.
“Sit down and talk to me, Donetta. Was it really so terrible with his mother?”
“You can’t imagine. She was unfriendly the first time I was introduced to her at the concorso. It grew worse from that time on. After Lia told me about his talk with her last night, I had to leave.
“I was afraid that the very sight of me was too much for his mother to handle. She was taken by surprise from the very beginning. I love Enrico so terribly and can’t bear it that I’ve come between them.”
“From what you’ve told me, she was already upset because he never wanted to marry Valentina.”
“The whole thing’s a nightmare, Fausta. I’ll give him a divorce if that’s what is needed.” While Donetta stood there with tears gushing down her cheeks, her cell phone rang. “Maybe that’s Enrico—”
She pulled it out of her purse and checked the caller ID. “It’s Giovanni. At least he’s calling me.”
Fausta watched her as she answered. “Put it on speaker.”
Donetta nodded. “Giovanni?”
“Can you talk?” He sounded so anxious her heart plunged to the floor.
“Yes! I guess you know I just arrived here in Domodossola. My sister Fausta is with me. Is Enrico all right? I love him so much and have been hoping, waiting for him to call.”
She heard him expel a deep sigh. “I have a better idea. I’m on my way in the jet right now to bring you back on Enrico’s orders. Then you can talk to him yourself. Be at the airport in an hour.”
“But Giovanni—”
“There’s no time to talk.”
She heard the click and looked at Fausta.
Her sister was smiling. “You ran out on your husband and it didn’t fix anything. Now he’s searching for you. If I were you, I’d take a quick shower, grab a bite to eat and let me drive you back to the airport with your bags.”
“I’m frightened, Fausta.”
“Have a little faith, sister. I’m afraid if you don’t show up with Giovanni, your husband will send reinforcements and it could get uglier than even you dreamed.”
* * *
Enrico checked his watch. Eleven o’clock in the morning. He’d arrived at the camp behind the guys who’d trailed the horses and would take care of them. He waited on his stallion for the sight of Giovanni’s car on the mountain road.
Donetta’s saddled mare stood next to them with the reins in Enrico’s hands. After Donetta arrived, they would ride down to the camp together. It would give him the chance he needed to tell her he would choose her above his kingdom. She was all he wanted.
Earlier this morning, with the help of his sisters, he’d prevailed on his mother to accept his marriage to Donetta, but there’d be no more talk of her ruling equally with him. In his heart Enrico planned that one day he could give Donetta the prize she’d always hoped for. That time would come.
His heart leaped when he saw the blue car round the bend. Giovanni pulled up to the side of the road where Enrico was waiting. Donetta got out of the car. The first thing he saw were those shimmering light green eyes clapped on him in stunned surprise.
“I don’t blame you for wanting to run away, amata. Thank heaven you came back.” He waved to Giovanni, who reciprocated before returning to the city. “Mahbouba is waiting for you.”
“I can’t believe you’re here. Giovanni was so mysterious about where we were going.”
“My cousin was only carrying out my wishes. I couldn’t believe it when you weren’t in our apartment earlier, but all our troubles are over now. Let’s ride.”
Enrico watched her mount with a grace that was thrilling to watch. They started to make their way through the trees. “Tell me something, bellissima. Why didn’t you wait for me?”
His question stunned her. “Surely you must know! I wanted to ease the tension with your mother and decided that getting away from the palace was the only thing to do. I’ve come between you and her in the most terrible way possible and thought it best to give you the spac
e to work things out with her.”
A groan came out of him. “Lia told me what she told you. Don’t you know I couldn’t handle it if you ever left me?”
“But your mother despises me.”
“My mother isn’t your problem, Donetta. Our marriage is all we need to worry about.”
She gripped the reins so tight it hurt her hand. “That’s not true. She’s been hurt so badly it’s killing me.”
“I think we’re talking at cross-purposes here.”
Donetta frowned. “I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
“Answer me one question. Why did you marry me?”
“Do you really have to ask me that?” she cried.
“Just tell me.”
“Because I loved you from the moment we met years ago. When you told me you were planning to get married, too, and then admitted that I was the woman, I almost died from happiness.”
“So it didn’t have anything to do with my telling you that I would make you queen in your own right after we were married?”
What? “Of course it didn’t! I wanted to be your wife, period! That’s the only reason I flew here the next day! Why would you say such a thing?”
“Because a friend of Giovanni’s, who happens to be friend of your sister Fausta’s, told him that you never intended to marry. He said it was because you wanted to be queen of Domodossola one day and didn’t want a husband.”
Donetta let out a cry. “It wouldn’t have been Mia Giancarlo, would it?”
“She’s the one. After I saw you in Madrid, I told my cousin I was in love with you and wanted to marry you. He told me I was out of luck. He said that the only reason you were still single was because you wanted to be queen in your own right. You didn’t want a husband. When I heard that, I loved you so much I didn’t let that stop me and I vowed to find a way to get you to marry me.”
The Prince's Forbidden Bride (The Princess Brides Book 2) Page 13
