The Prince's Secret Baby

by Jennifer Lewis

  “What were you doing in there in the first place?” asked Darias gruffly.

  Beatriz shrugged. “Oh, it was right before the coronation. I think I was just making sure it was set up to receive guests after Emma moved out.”

  “Surely the servants could have taken care of that,” continued Darias.

  Serena noticed a willowy blonde woman next to him, eyes growing wider with every word in the exchange between Darias and Beatriz. Was she Darias’s wife, Emma?

  “Aren’t you going to ask what I found up there?” Beatriz stood, arms coolly crossed over her chest.

  “I think I know what you found,” said the tall blonde, her voice quiet.

  “I bet you do. And since it’s common knowledge now that my brother paid you to marry him—for one year—it will come as no surprise to anyone here that there was a contract detailing the particulars of the arrangement. That’s what I found on top of the armoire.”

  The blonde woman turned pale.

  “The year isn’t up yet.” Beatriz looked at Emma and Darius.

  Darias put his arm around Emma’s waist. “Emma and I have long since moved past that. My urgent need to find a wife in time for the coronation proved to be the best thing that ever happened to me.” He turned and kissed her on the cheek. Not a quick peck intended to show fake affection, but a slow, tender, gentle kiss, that caused a blush to spread over Emma’s cheek and a tiny smile to lift her mouth. Suddenly they both seemed to glow.

  Serena’s heart squeezed. That’s what love looks like. Beatriz had just lobbed a thunderbolt at them, and they stood and quietly weathered the storm together.

  “It was my fault it was up there.” Emma no longer looked pale. “I should never have brought it here with me. I’m not even sure why I did. And when I moved into Darias’s bedroom after the wedding I forgot it was up there. Then a coronation guest moved into the room and I wasn’t able to retrieve it. When I finally found the time to sneak back in there, it was gone.” She blinked. “I’m glad it was you who found it, Beatriz. I was worried it might get leaked to the press.”

  “I’m the very soul of discretion.” Beatriz smiled coolly. Serena couldn’t figure out what was going on with her. Why had she just brought this up?

  Then it dawned on her. She’s trying to deflect attention from herself.

  What was Beatriz up to? Serena resolved to be very wary around her. And not leave any contracts lying around. Or, in her case, any copies of What to Expect When You’re Expecting or her phone with its text exchanges with Sandro.

  Her hand flew to her pocket, and she heaved a silent sigh that her phone was right there at her hip, not left in the bedroom where anyone might find it.

  “All right, everyone,” Lina spoke in a commanding voice. “Let’s go in to dinner.” She led the way from the sitting room into a grand dining room, where the long, oval table was set as if for a royal banquet.

  Each setting had three delicate crystal glasses, three knives, three forks and two different spoons.

  Uh-oh. Once again she wished she’d taken that etiquette course her dad had suggested when she was in high school. She’d laughed and said that no one cared about that kind of thing anymore. Clearly she was wrong.

  She resolved to quietly observe and follow someone else’s lead.

  Lina pointed out a place for her to sit, and she lowered herself gingerly onto the delicate, upholstered chair. Sandro sat next to her on one side, Emma on the other. Emma leaned in and introduced herself quietly. Serena smiled and did the same, since no one had thought to introduce them. For an instant Serena was tempted to joke about following her lead with the confusing place setting—since she knew that Emma had been an ordinary American girl like herself just a few months ago—then she remembered that Emma was now queen here in Altaleone and decided to err on the side of caution.

  “White or red?” asked a waiter, brandishing two bottles of wine. “Uh, neither, thanks,” Serena blustered. “I’ll stick with water.” She hoped that wouldn’t make anyone suspicious. If pressed she’d just say she didn’t drink. Hopefully they wouldn’t find her video series on wine tastings from two years ago.

  They started with a hot dark red soup that soon revealed itself to be beetroot. It was surprisingly delicious and perfect for the winter weather. That took care of the soup spoon. Then a tiny pastry thing arrived with a curl of mystery vegetables on it. She followed Emma’s lead and ate it with a small fork. The main course was some kind of bird—not chicken or turkey, so maybe duck?—served with au gratin potatoes and a diced root vegetable that she didn’t recognize.

  Lina guided the conversation carefully, making sure everyone was included and steering clear of the pressing question of what had happened to the bodies of her husband and his mother, recently excised from the royal graveyard.

  “Serena, what do you do?” asked Lina.

  This was never a terribly easy question to answer. People over fifty or so—which she guessed Lina must be—didn’t always know what a blogger was, and almost none of them—at least in her parents’ circles—had heard of vlogging. “I’m a writer.” At least everyone knew what that was. “I was just on a tour promoting my book.” She smiled. That even sounded pleasantly respectable.

  But she regretted it an instant later when Beatriz lifted her glass and peered at her. “What is your book about?”

  She’d forgotten that part. Serena gulped. “It’s about dating, sort of.”

  “You do a lot of that, do you?” Beatriz regarded her coolly.

  “Oh, no. It’s really about waiting for the right person to come along.” She hoped and prayed she wouldn’t have to go into detail about her failed relationship—whose few highlights were described in great detail in the book.

  “The right person…” Beatriz cocked her head. “Someone like a prince, for example?”

  “Beatriz!” Lina scolded her. “What’s gotten into you?”

  Beatriz sipped her water. “Just asking, that’s all.”

  Serena’s face was blazing. Once again she hoped it didn’t show.

  “I’m sure it’s a book about waiting for a man who will love you in the way you deserve,” said Lina warmly. “Not someone who has a certain title or bank account.”

  “Exactly,” exclaimed Serena with relief. “It’s really about not settling for someone for the wrong reasons and about being patient enough to figure out who is right for you. We’re all in such a rush to do everything these days.” She was no exception. Looking back she could see she’d rushed Howard into things he wasn’t ready for.

  “Serena has an audience of devoted followers who hang on her every word,” said Sandro proudly. “She posted a video from her room before she came down.”

  Lina looked surprised. “From inside the palace?”

  “Is there a problem?” asked Sandro.

  Lina hesitated for a second. “I suppose not. We’re just usually so paranoid about keeping the media out of our private lives.”

  “She’s not the media.” Sandro turned to her. “Are you?”

  He seemed to need some reassurance. Was she? Probably the answer was yes, in a lot of ways. Oh, dear. “I respect your privacy completely.” The words sounded stiff and formal. Maybe it would be better if she didn’t make more videos here. The sinister text she’d received popped into her head.

  I see you are inside the palace. Good for you.

  No doubt it would be better if people didn’t know exactly where she was and who she was with.

  A uniformed older man entered the room. Serena recognized him as the one who’d greeted them at the front door. “Madam, we have a visitor.”

  “Now? Who is it?”

  “Your sister.”

  Lina’s face went pale. “Oh. Wonderful. Do show her in.” Her words sounded flat. As soon as he’d turned, she made a face at Darias. “As if things weren’t bad enough.”

  “You don’t have to invite her in, Mama,” he said, very low.

  “But I do. Imagine the sc
andal if I didn’t,” she whispered. “The paparazzi would eat it up.” Darias and Sandro nodded slowly in rueful agreement.

  Serena was surprised by how much they’d already revealed about their private lives in front of a virtual stranger—her. Maybe they trusted her implicitly because Sandro did. Or maybe they simply didn’t consider her important enough to worry about.

  Sandro leaned into Serena and whispered, “Brace yourself.”

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  All heads turned to the doorway, where a tall, thin blonde woman made her appearance. “Darling!” She zeroed in on Lina and rushed toward her. “I came as soon as I heard.”

  Lina frowned. “Heard what?”

  “About the bodies being dug up! Why would anyone do such a terrible thing?” She rushed to Lina’s side and threw her arms awkwardly around her sister, who stood there stiffly, looking confused and alarmed.

  “But I don’t understand. The story hasn’t been in the press.”

  Liesel seemed to freeze for a moment, arms around her sister. “A little bird told me.”

  “Who?” The question shot from Lina’s mouth.

  Liesel pulled back, a fake smile plastered to her chiseled aristocratic features. “I’d never tell my sources. I’m only looking out for you.”

  Lina blinked, obviously thinking. Darias and Sandro exchanged glances. Serena busied herself with a sip of water.

  “Well, I’m fine, under the circumstances,” Lina said stiffly. “But since you seem to know more than you should I think you should speak to Gibran immediately.”

  Liesel blinked. “I’d be delighted to speak to Gibran. I’m rather surprised he’s allowed this to happen under his watch.”

  “Perhaps he’s offering the perpetrators an opportunity to incriminate themselves,” said Darias slowly.

  “That hardly seems appropriate where my dear brother-in-law’s body is concerned.” Liesel finally noticed Serena. She stopped speaking and stared for a moment, then turned back to Lina. “Am I too late for dinner?”

  “Yes, I’m afraid so. Allow me to introduced Serena Raines. It’s her first visit to Altaleone.”

  Liesel barely acknowledged her before launching into a litany of complaints about her airline journey. Serena decided that Liesel was just as awful as Sandro had described her. But no one’s family was perfect. His mom and his brother Darias seemed very nice.

  “I think we should get out while the getting is good and take Lucky outside,” murmured Sandro in her ear.

  “Good idea. But this time I’m wearing a coat.” She rose from the table with relief, glad to be out of the pressure cooker environment.

  “You handled that very well,” said Sandro quietly, as they climbed the stairs.

  “Handled what?” Did he think she’d never eaten a formal dinner before? She was ready to be offended.

  “My crazy family. I don’t know what’s eating my sister Beatriz. She’s not usually like that. Something’s got her back up.”

  “I can imagine that everyone is pretty tense under the circumstances. Your mom is lovely.”

  “Yes, she is.” He smiled. “I knew you’d like her. And that she’d like you.”

  They retrieved Lucky from his crate, and Sandro put his leash on and picked him up. It touched her to see how sweet he was with Lucky, even letting him lick his face enthusiastically.

  They donned their coats and boots downstairs, and instead of going into the courtyard again, this time they went out another door onto a large lawn. The air was cold and crisp and a huge silver moon illuminated the snowy landscape. The palace loomed behind them, big windows glowing golden in the darkness. Tall evergreen trees stood around them like giant sentries.

  “I’m sorry you’ve been plunged into the midst of all this drama. I was truly hoping we’d have a few days of peace and quiet.” The moon illuminated his contrite expression.

  “Don’t worry about it.” She watched Lucky nose around in the snow. “I just hope I’m not in the way.”

  “Absolutely not. I want you to get to know my family.”

  His words touched her. Was he still thinking that he might pursue a relationship with her? If so his persistence was endearing. She couldn’t imagine how the royal crew would react to the news that she was already pregnant with his baby. Beatriz would suspect she’d done it on purpose to trap Sandro into marriage.

  “I’m glad I’ve met them. I don’t know what I was expecting, really, but they seem like any other family—just more…royal.”

  “My dad was the fun one. He always got everyone laughing. It’s strange and different since he’s been gone. My mom is holding up well, considering, but I’m sure she misses him terribly. At least she has Beatriz here to keep her company.”

  “And a small staff of fifty or so,” teased Serena.

  “True.” He chuckled. “But employees are never the same as family or friends.” He frowned. “Maybe Beatriz is feeling hemmed in by being needed so much.”

  “Could be.”

  “Perhaps I should encourage her and my mom to take a trip somewhere. They could visit my sister Callista in Paris or my sister Cosima in Los Angeles.”

  “She might not be ready for that yet. People need time to grieve. My grandmother took nearly five years after my grandfather’s death before she would even agree to have a birthday party for herself.”

  “I’m not that great at being patient. I always want to fix things.”

  “I can tell.” Lucky had done his business on the sparkling white ground. “We forgot to bring a bag to clean up after him.”

  “Don’t worry about that. We don’t want to put anyone out of a job. It’s not easy keeping such a large staff busy now the palace isn’t filled with Dad’s hunting parties. They’re all worried about layoffs, especially since Darias went to live in the castle in town, which is a lot smaller and doesn’t need a full staff.”

  They started to walk back inside. She was impressed and maybe even a little surprised that Sandro hadn’t tried to pull any moves on her out in the darkness. Maybe the situation with the bodies had banished thoughts of romance from his mind.

  A tiny pinch of sadness plucked at her heart. It would have been so nice to spend two or three days in his beautiful, remote Roman villa in the mountains. But nothing in her life was going smoothly lately, so she just had to keep rolling with the punches.

  Back inside the palace the others were gathered around a piano in a big drawing room. Beatriz played a complicated classical piece while Liesel exclaimed over her talent. Sandro guided Serena over to Emma, then, much to her consternation, nodded for Darias to follow him out of the room and disappeared, taking Lucky with him.

  Serena smiled nervously at Emma. Emma smiled warmly and beckoned her through an alcove into an adjoining room. “It’s all a bit overwhelming at first, isn’t it?” she said, after they sat down on a plush sofa.

  “I’ve never seen that many spoons and forks on a table in my life.”

  “I had no idea what to do when I first got here. Beatriz took me through everything step by step. She’s a bit prickly at first—she’s naturally quite shy and doesn’t have the best social skills—but she was a great help to me.”

  Serena was burning to ask how she came to sign a contract to marry Darias but didn’t dare.

  “I had a second job as a gallery assistant at the New York gallery that represents Darias’s painting. It was all Sandro’s idea for him to ask me to be his wife for a year. I’d never even spoken to him before.”

  Serena laughed with relief—Emma had answered her question without her even asking it. “That sounds like something Sandro might come up with.”

  “He must care a lot about you if he brought you here to meet his family.”

  Serena paused. “I wasn’t really supposed to come here. We were headed for a quiet interlude at his house in the country. He knew he had to come here when he heard what happened.”

  “Oh.” Emma’s smooth brow wrinkled a little. “Well, I can tell he ca
res about you from the way he looks at you.”

  “He’s a very nice guy.” Maybe he looked at everyone that way. Emma might not even know him that well since she’d only been in the family a few months and Sandro lived in New York most of the time. “I suspect he’s a bit of a ladies’ man.”

  “I suppose these handsome princes always are, aren’t they?” Emma smiled. “But I think they get tired of women flocking around them for the wrong reasons. They can tell when someone cares about who they are as a person rather than how big their castle is.”

  Serena felt like a fraud. Emma had no idea that she and Sandro had only spent a couple of days together in total. She probably assumed they were in a real relationship. Emma must have felt that way herself once. “It’s intimidating, having so many people around. How long did it take you to get used to it?”

  Emma laughed. “I’m still not used to it. Thankfully, we don’t need a big staff at the castle. It weirds me out that so many people need to know about everything I do. Right now I can’t even go out for a pastry without alerting security. I can’t wait until they catch the murderers and we can settle into some semblance of normality. Darias said it was never like this when he was a kid. He and his brothers and sisters used to run around the village like ordinary kids. I want our children to grow up like that.”

  Serena could almost feel the baby in her belly. Her child would be a member of this family—Emma’s niece or nephew. “This does seem like it would be a nice place to grow up. Very sheltered.”

  “And totally different from my upbringing.” Emma sighed. “My dad was a rocker with a drug problem, and my parents never married. It’s kind of scary that my idea of what a normal family is supposed to be like comes from TV.”

  Serena laughed. “I come from a very traditional family—my dad is a pastor and my mom stayed home while we were little except for teaching piano and organ lessons.”