Demetrios shook his head. ‘Shauna, you really do need an education in the ways of the moneyed classes.’ Then he caught sight of someone and steered her in their direction.
‘How about this couple?’ he said, indicating a very striking pair standing under one of the glittering chandeliers beside a long window.
‘They … oh, my.’ Her mouth dropped open in a gasp. ‘It’s them, her. The princess.’ Desperate not to be caught staring, Shauna ducked her head and tried to peep surreptitiously at the royal pair. The princess was resplendent, it was the only word for it, in a purple taffeta dress, her signature blonde hair in an elegant chignon and her favourite pearls at her neck. She was chatting with easy charm to an uncomfortable-looking woman who kept fidgeting with her skirts and nodded a lot. Shauna could imagine how she felt. It must be daunting coming to face to face with a movie legend who was also royalty and an international icon.
‘Shall we?’ Before she realized what he was doing, Demetrios had cupped her elbow and was guiding her towards the royal couple.
Prince Rainier looked up and smiled in recognition.
‘Monsieur Theodosis, what a pleasure to see you.’
‘Sir, may I present Miss Shauna O’Brien.’
‘Enchanted.’ The prince nodded and gave her a smile.
Overcome with shyness, Shauna gulped and smiled back. Fortunately, her mother’s voice in her head, chiding Shauna, where are your manners?, came to her rescue. ‘Pleased to meet you, Your Highness, you have a very lovely ho— palace.’
‘Thank you.’ His eyes twinkled. ‘The family has been here rather a long time. Over nine hundred years. We’ve accumulated quite a lot of treasures over the years.’
‘Haven’t we just,’ the princess joined in. ‘And I can tell you, when I first came here, I was terrified I might break something very valuable.’ Her face, though heavier now than in her acting days, creased into a smile that still possessed the same luminous quality that had been her hallmark.
‘Oh, I can imagine,’ said Shauna, her shyness and awe vanishing thanks to the princess’s friendly demeanour. ‘Some of the furniture looks quite fragile. I’d be scared to sit on it.’
Princess Grace let out a peal of laughter. ‘Exactly. Poor Rainier. I was extremely nervous.’ She patted his arm. ‘All this history and protocol. But one learns with experience. I’m quite old now.’ Her eyes sparkled with laughter. ‘But experience and age bring wonderful insight, as you will learn one day.’
Shauna could only nod, committing the words to memory, determined she would never forget them.
‘Please do give our best regards to your father, Mr Theodosis. And lovely to meet you, Miss O’Brien. Enjoy the party. You’ll find the chairs are quite sturdy, but terribly uncomfortable.’
Shauna stared after the royals as they moved away, still dazed that the princess had noted her name.
‘Regular people really, aren’t they?’ said Demetrios quietly as the royal couple were swallowed up in the crowd.
‘They were much more friendly than I expected. I thought they’d be quite formal and stuffy. She was … she was lovely.’
‘And so are you.’ Demetrios smiled down at her. ‘I think you charmed them because you weren’t trying too hard. A rare thing in this world.’ He held out his arm. ‘Shall we fight our way through this melee and find some food?’
‘Do you think they’ll have caviar?’ she joked. ‘Now that I’ve tried champagne, I feel I ought to try caviar as well.’
‘If they don’t, I’ll order some in.’ Shauna realized when he said this that he wasn’t joking.
It turned out there was caviar, along with smoked salmon and fresh anchovies and foie gras – which she really didn’t like – and super-thin slices of cured ham, delicate slivers of Swiss cheese, tiny meringues, miniature roulades of sponge and raspberry, miniature lemon tarts …
Demetrios encouraged her to sample everything, which she did eagerly, and he laughed at her as she tried not to stuff her face, though it was hard to resist the delicious array of new delicacies to try.
‘Are we starving you on the ship?’ he joked.
‘Not at all, Chantelle is a wonderful chef. But I’ve never eaten anything this good – or expensive!’
‘I’m very glad I brought you with me this evening.’
‘So am I,’ she said, and she meant it. It was a lot more fun and less restricted by protocol than she’d thought it would be.
A band started up in the elaborate ballroom and Shauna thought she recognized the tune: ‘You’re Sensational’ from High Society.
‘I love this one,’ she said.
‘Then let’s dance.’
‘I’m not sure I can. Can you?’
‘Of course, I have been trained for every social situation.’ He grinned.
‘I can dance a little.’
‘Then let’s take to the floor.’ He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him, holding her close as he smoothly glided across the dancefloor, one hand around her waist and the other holding her hand as they swayed to the music.
‘You’re quite the dancer!’ Shauna told him.
‘You’re not too bad yourself.’
‘You’re doing a good job for both of us. I hardly have to do anything.’
They were so close now, and he was leaning towards her so that, although he was a few inches taller than she was, their cheeks were touching. It occurred to her that he would barely have to move an inch to kiss her, and for a crazy second Shauna wondered what he would do if she kissed him instead. But before she could act on the urge, someone tapped her on the shoulder and she almost gasped to see Princess Grace and her dancing partner, a handsome young man.
‘You two look sensational together, quite the glamorous couple!’ she purred. ‘Demetrios, where did you find this adorable girl?’
She winked at Shauna, still swaying in time to the music. ‘I always make sure the orchestra plays this, but Rainier will never dance with me as he’s still sore about Frank Sinatra.’
Shauna couldn’t tell if she was serious. She noticed that the princess’s dance partner looked as starstruck as she felt.
‘You might want to hang on to this young lady, Demetrios, she’s a one-off,’ Princess Grace added with a smile, and in a flash she was gone, chattering away to her young companion as they danced.
Demetrios turned to Shauna and grinned mischievously. ‘She’s right, you know: we do look good together.’
‘Now I know you’re teasing.’
Demetrios’s smiled faded. ‘I never tease, not when it matters.’
Shauna didn’t know what to say to this, and for a moment they stood together, everything else fading away into the background. His eyes were studying her so intently it was as if he was looking deep inside her, and again she felt the urge to reach out and draw him towards her. Before the impulse could get the better of her, the band stopped playing and she realized they were back where they started. Demetrios smoothly retrieved their champagne glasses from the balustrade, handed one to her and then lifted his own in a toast. ‘To a night of surprises, Beauty.’
She raised her glass in response, but somehow knew the spell had been broken and the magic dispelled. They drifted back into the main hall, where Demetrios was stopped several times, usually by older couples who knew his parents or business associates of the family firm. None of them paid much attention to Shauna; it was as if she were merely an accessory. This didn’t trouble her, because the conversation invariably turned to people she’d never heard of and she had nothing to contribute. So she smiled a lot, nodded even more, and although she had little to add to the general small talk, she was quite happy soaking up the atmosphere, watching the other women and compiling a mental inventory of their dresses. There was so much to see and observe that she wasn’t at all bored, but she could tell that Demetrios was wearying of the frequent enquiries about his parents’ health, his company’s interests and what he thought of the latest takeovers and mergers in the shi
pping industry.
They had just been introduced to a tall blond Englishman called Richard, and were both listening with polite interest as he told them in great detail about the recording studio he was building in his Cotswold manor house, when Shauna registered a sudden change in Demetrios’s expression. She followed his gaze, which had fallen upon a strikingly beautiful woman who was wearing an incredible low-cut white gown that left little to the imagination. She locked eyes with Demetrios, and then her steely glare swept over Shauna. There was a flash of annoyance before the woman composed herself.
Demetrios touched the small of Shauna’s back. ‘Shauna, Richard, please excuse me for a moment.’
He walked over to the woman and as he kissed her on both cheeks, the woman’s eyes flickered over to Shauna. She then leaned in, whispering in his ear, and Demetrios whispered something in reply, but the woman did not appear pleased. As Richard carried on chattering, oblivious to Shauna’s lack of interest in the club he was thinking of buying in London, Demetrios and the woman pulled away from the small circle of people she was with and began talking animatedly to each other. Again the woman looked at Shauna, this time with undisguised animosity and, a moment later Demetrios returned with her by his side.
‘Richard, Shauna, this is Sofía Constantis, a dear friend of my family.’
Shauna immediately recognized the name of the woman that Normandie had accused Demetrios of sleeping with. She smiled and extended her hand. ‘Hello, Sofía. Nice to meet you.’
The woman’s eyes narrowed; she pointedly kept her own hand by her side, and made no attempt to return the smile. Instead, she turned to Demetrios and demanded, ‘Where did you find this one? She looks and sounds like an Irish peasant.’
For a second, Shauna was bewildered. Why had this woman picked her out for a fight? Richard, clearly embarrassed by the outburst, coughed politely and excused himself. Shauna briefly considered doing the same, but then she heard father’s voice urging her: Never let anyone tell you you’re not good enough, Shauna O’Brien. Always hold your head high.
Before she knew where the words came from, they were out of her mouth: ‘Oh, I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else. The O’Briens are descended from a long line of Irish kings – but I don’t suppose you’d know that, not being royalty yourself.’
Demetrios let out a snort that he covered with a cough. There was a glint of laughter in his eyes and she could see he was working hard at suppressing a smirk.
‘Yes,’ he said, composing himself and turning to Sofía. ‘Shauna here is doing an excellent job of representing her country.’ Casting an apologetic look at Shauna, he asked her to excuse him for a moment, then he took Sofía’s elbow and said, ‘Come, Sofía, I believe Prince Albert wants to hear all about your recent trip to New York …’ and they set off for the other side of the room where the son of Rainier and Grace was chatting with his guests, Sofía turning one last time to shoot her a look of pure venom.
Shauna felt like a bird that had been singled out as prey by a rather vicious cat. She wondered what she had done to warrant such treatment. Though she tried to shake it off and focus on her grand surroundings once more, her feathers were ruffled all the same. Was this what it would be like to live in Demetrios’s world? An endless round of parties, batting away pampered and demanding hordes of women? No wonder he wanted a break from it all.
It seemed he was living up to his playboy reputation, in some respects at least. But she couldn’t stop thinking about the hardworking and serious side he’d revealed to her: the young man trying so hard to live up to his family’s expectations. Which one of these was the real Demetrios?
She sighed and drained her champagne glass. Barely a second later a waiter in a crisp white jacket and bow tie appeared, raising a bottle to fill it again. She placed her hand over the top of the glass as she had seen other guests do, to indicate that she didn’t want any more.
There was no way she would ever get to know the real Demetrios. It had occurred to her in the last hour that the reason few of Demetrios’s acquaintances paid any attention to her was because they were used to him having a different escort on his arm each time they saw him. The realization brought with it a welcome dose of common sense. She might be inexperienced and somewhat gauche, but she wasn’t stupid. This evening Demetrios had enjoyed the novelty of playing Pygmalion, casting her as his Eliza Doolittle, but as soon as the next group of his rich friends arrived he would lose interest. She’d been no more than a brief diversion so far as he was concerned.
Tomorrow they would be leaving Monaco to begin their voyage. In a few weeks she would be flying back to England to resume her education. The memories of tonight would fade and seem like a distant dream, something to tell the grandchildren: her night with the handsome playboy and the fairy-tale princess.
They left the party soon after. Demetrios said little while they were in the car, but when they arrived back at the marina he asked the driver to drop them off so they could walk the rest of the way.
As they made their way along the harbourside, he told her, ‘I would like to apologize for Sofía’s rudeness, it was inexcusable.’
Shauna thought it sounded as though apologizing for Sofía’s rudeness was a regular occurrence. ‘Who is she?’
‘A close family friend. Her father is my family’s closest competitor in business, so he is both a friend and a rival of my father. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, isn’t that what they say?’
‘Sounds serious.’
‘Yes and no. Sofía … Well, let’s just say she embodies the qualities of both friend and enemy. She loves me and she hates me, probably in equal measure. My father and mother would have me marry her and put an end to her indecision.’
Shauna felt a jolt pass through her. ‘And will you do what your parents would have you do?’
‘When I marry, it will be for love. But enough of me. Tell me, has this night lived up to your expectations?’
‘Oh, yes.’ She gave him a dazzling smile. ‘I met Grace Kelly, what could be better than that?’
‘I am glad we made one of your dreams come true.’
Shauna couldn’t help the thought that there was one more thing that would make her night complete.
He looked at his watch. ‘Do you know, it is midnight already.’
‘Just like Cinderella – the only thing missing is a glass slipper.’
‘And a kiss from a prince?’
‘Now that would be a fantasy. Remember, no fraternizing,’ Shauna laughed.
He laughed too, but reached out and took her hand. ‘I think you played your part very well tonight, Beauty. I was impressed.’
Shauna felt a tingle as he touched her and didn’t pull away. Maybe the champagne really has gone to my head, she told herself. ‘I loved every minute of it. Apart from Sofía, everyone was utterly charming. It was wonderful to be someone else for a night.’
‘She is jealous.’
‘Why would she be jealous of me?’
‘You really have no idea? She is angry because you are with me. And she knows I wouldn’t take just anyone along to the Grimaldi palace. You are special, Shauna. I thought tonight was just …’ He trailed off and took a step closer to her. This time she moved towards him too and looked once more into his hazel eyes flecked with gold.
‘Perhaps we should put the final touch on our evening,’ he whispered, waiting as if to give her the chance to say no, but she was mesmerized by the way his eyes seemed to drink her in.
‘Yes, perhaps we should,’ she breathed, proud of her unexpected boldness.
Slowly, he slipped an arm around her waist and drew her closer, his gaze never leaving hers.
She thought that he must be able to hear the thudding of her heart as he lowered his lips to hers. The first gentle touch surprised and delighted her as, satin soft, his mouth glided over hers, barely there but sending a delicious shock wave through her.
His hand slid up her back, pressing her to him. She
felt a growing sense of urgency and kissed him back. Beneath her fingers she could feel the warm skin of his neck. The warm night air wrapped around them, bringing the scent of the sea and the faint chimes of the halyards clinking on the sailing boats in the harbour.
Eventually, he pulled away, ‘Our night together now has everything. Tomorrow it is back to reality for both of us, but at least we will both have a little dream to keep in our hearts. You can be my Cinderella, and I …’
She touched his lips with her fingers. ‘Don’t say any more. It’s perfect as it is. Goodnight, Demetrios.’
Shauna slipped off her gold sandals and skipped up the gangway feeling the slight rock of the boat as she stepped aboard. It had been a magical evening, a glimpse of another life, but now she was back with a very gentle landing rather than a bump, and for that she was very grateful.
The yacht was silent with no one to see her clutching the gold sandals and lifting her skirts as she padded down the stairs praying that she wouldn’t meet anyone. After she’d peeled off the beautiful silk dress, she lay back on her bunk with a dreamy smile on her face, wondering if this was this how Cinderella had felt after the ball.
Chapter 8
It felt as if they were setting off on a big adventure when the yacht finally nosed out of its berth accompanied by the Port Hercules harbour pilots in their zippy little speedboats, buzzing around like small aquatic flies. Excitement thrummed through her veins in tandem with the low throb of the engines as Shauna stood on the starboard side of the boat ready to haul in her assigned fender. She was doubling as a deckhand and in her smart uniform she couldn’t help feeling rather important as a crowd gathered to watch the St Helena’s departure.
As soon as the harbour pilots buzzed off, abandoning the St Helena to the open sea, the crew dispersed to their usual rostered jobs. There was no sign of Demetrios and she couldn’t decide whether that was a good or a bad thing. Last night at the Grimaldi palace had been heavenly, a glimpse into another world which she knew she might never see again, but it had strengthened her resolve that one day she would be somebody.
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