How to Propose to a Princess

by Rebecca Winters

  “No,” Enzo conceded. “As you’ve discovered, Nicolo was always his own person.”

  The other man chuckled. “Just like your father. You have to understand that the king was a target for years. His evil cousin wanted the power. Word got out that your father had a mistress and a baby. For that reason, no one could know where you’d been put in hiding for fear of assassination. Not even the church in Turin or the Mother Superior ever knew they were housing the son of King Carlo.”

  This was all too much. “What about the queen?”

  “Incredibly the secret stayed intact from her. But now the prime minister of our government is calling for a new king. On one side, Giuseppe wants desperately to attain the throne and has been the root cause of the unrest. He’s super ambitious and doesn’t have the love of the country, but he commands his own army. The second your father’s funeral was over, I took the queen aside and told her you were alive.”

  Nico groaned. “I’m the love child she could never have. How she must despise me!” he bit out.

  “Not despise. Like everyone else, Liliane believed you’d died with your mother. To learn that there’s a part of him alive in you has come as a tremendous shock. Their inability to have children caused real trouble in their marriage. I’m sure her pain over his affair will continue to stay with her, but she believed in him and the monarchy.

  “The fact is, your father was well loved and she knows it. No matter her bitterness, if you—his son—are equal to the task and have his same remarkable genes, she’ll sense it after meeting you. If she thinks you could fill your father’s shoes after the parliament guides and helps you learn how to rule, her opinion will weigh heavily with them because she’s revered by most of the people too.”

  A strange sound escaped Nico’s throat. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know how she can she feel anything but the fiercest resentment of me. It wouldn’t surprise me if she wished I were dead.”

  “That’s for you to find out if you decide to meet her.”

  “Cara Dio! Did the queen know my mother?”

  “She met her once.”

  “I can’t imagine any good coming out of this.”

  “Would you rather I hadn’t contacted the duca? Do you wish you didn’t know anything?”

  His jaw hardened. “I don’t know if I have an answer to that question.”

  “Again, your frank honesty reminds me of your father. Will you do me the great honor of flying back to La Valazzura with me today, Your Highness? That’s who you are to me even though you’re still the uncrowned Prince. I’ve already arranged for your bodyguards.”

  Out of all the possibilities Nico had entertained when considering his origins, he could never have made up a scenario like this.

  “The royal jet is waiting at the airport in Turin. Every moment we hesitate, your father’s cousin is attempting to mount another coup that is gaining momentum. But the arrival of King Carlo’s son could change the tide.”

  “How can the queen possibly be okay with this?”

  The other man shook his head. “It’s important for you to know Carlo mourned the loss of his precious little dark-haired Massimo every day of his life. He was there at your birth and took you to his heart. If your father were alive, he would beg you to carry on his legacy. With training and advisers to help you, you’re the only man on earth who can.”

  Me? The illegitimate son? A doctor with no credentials to govern? A grieving queen who has been betrayed in the most cruel of ways?

  A shudder racked Nico’s body. How did all that work?

  “Since the duca has told me how you’ve longed to know your parents, then now’s the time for you to meet with the one person who knew your father far better than anyone besides me. If nothing comes from your visit and you wish to return to the life you’ve made, Liliane can at least answer the many questions you’ve had in your heart all these years.”

  Nico stopped pacing. Only four days ago he’d bared his soul to Fausta.

  Whatever happens, I’m on a journey that has to be taken alone. The day could come soon when I’ll have to leave Domodossola on a moment’s notice. Depending on the circumstances, I might never be back.

  * * *

  The three day visit to Ottavia in Rome accomplished one thing Fausta had needed to put one foot in front of the other again. Her aunt encouraged her to follow through with her idea to give computers to the orphanage. Doing something of worth for those children would force her to set aside her heartache over Nico for a little while.

  Fausta flew from Rome to Turin to meet with officials at church headquarters. They were delighted that Princess Rossiano from Domodossola wanted to donate such a gift to the Sant’Agate Orphanage and they talked with the Mother Superior to make the arrangements.

  After receiving the necessary permission, Fausta flew home to Domodossola to touch base with her contacts. The next day she drove to Mottalciata and booked a room at one of the village’s hotels. She knew she’d have to be there for quite a while.

  The Mother Superior couldn’t have been more excited. Since there was so little room at the orphanage, she had the desks with the computers and printers set up in the large common room. Five were placed at one end. Five others were put at the opposite end with the piano and toys in between.

  As soon as more electrical outlets had been installed, two men set the computers up with the software and they were in business. Since Fausta was computer savvy, she planned to stay in the village for as long as it took to work with each student. She wouldn’t leave until they were competent enough to have fun on them without help.

  When everything was ready, the Mother Superior took Fausta into the big dining room and introduced her. The children were finishing their dinner. They had no idea who she was or that she’d been the one responsible for the gifts. That was the way Fausta wanted it.

  The Mother Superior clapped her hands. “Children? I’d like you to meet Signorina Rossiano. She’s the person who is going to show you how to use the computers and printers that were donated to us.”

  The children shouted with excitement. They attended the local school during the school year and were dying to get their hands on them. Fausta remembered Nico telling her he’d have given anything to work on one.

  As she looked at each of the children, she could picture Nico, who’d spent ten years eating meals in this room, and felt a fierce tug on her heart. At the moment there were twenty-nine children from the ages of six to fourteen.

  “You’ll have to learn how to use them in shifts. Right now we’ll start with Emilio, Eva, Nicoletta, Paolo, Sergio, Remo, Teresa, Guido, Maria and Nicolo.”

  Just hearing that last name caused Fausta’s pulse to pick up speed.

  “Follow Signorina Rossiano to the common room. Once your turn is over, more of you will be called until everyone has had a chance before it’s bedtime.”

  Teaching the children how to work on the computer turned out to be pure joy for Fausta. She’d never had so much fun in her life.

  Since school was out for the summer, she was able to work with the children in shifts throughout the day. They were smart and caught on fast.

  * * *

  By the following Monday she realized it wouldn’t be long before they didn’t need her anymore. That put her in a panic. As long as she kept busy, she couldn’t agonize openly over Nico until she went to bed.

  Fausta decided that when she went back home in a few more days, she would do a fund-raiser to buy more computers and have them installed in other orphanages around Domodossola. Finally she had a cause of her own, separate from Lanza’s.

  The children’s hunger to learn the latest technology convinced her it was a worthy cause in many ways and would help her deal with her pain. But she’d never get over losing Nico. That wasn’t possible.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  AFTER NICO’S TRIP to La Valazzura
, he returned to Domodossola the next Monday morning and drove straight to his office. But this time he was the one who had a contingent of bodyguards from La Valazzura following him.

  The dozens of messages both on his phone and email account would have to wait. Several were from Felipe and Dr. Silvio. None of them were from Fausta of course.

  After working through a full day’s schedule of patients, he hurried over to the pediatric ward to find her. Fausta had been burdened with his personal pain and had felt it. He wanted her to know her prayer for him had been answered. His long search to find his parents had been miraculously realized.

  If she’d already gone home from the hospital, he’d drive to the palace and wait for as long as it would take to see her. He’d been reborn into a new world he had no affinity for. There was only one person he wanted to talk to about the tumult going on inside him and he needed her.

  He stopped at the nursing station. “Where can I find Princess Fausta?”

  The nurse looked up. “She’s not here. Last Monday Signorina Vitale told us that the princess now has a royal commitment that prevents her from doing any more volunteer work for the hospital for an indefinite period. It’s a shame because she’s the children’s favorite person.”

  That was Nico’s fault. Feeling as if he’d been stabbed, he thanked her and left the hospital. En route to pick up a quick meal he phoned Fausta, but could get only her voice mail. After asking her to call him back immediately, he drove home and went to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. He might be up all night waiting to hear from her and needed fortification. Maybe he’d done too much damage and no amount of persuasion would get her to call him.

  Before he’d left the baroque palace in Azzura, he’d made a solemn promise to the prime minister and Basil. In one month’s time he’d tell them if he wanted to try and fill his father’s shoes. But it all depended on the queen. She had yet to consider if she could accept him, let alone back him.

  Until he heard from Liliane, Nico needed the next thirty days to do the most serious soul-searching of his life. But he couldn’t do any of it without talking to Fausta.

  A few minutes after nine his phone rang. He grabbed it. When he saw who was calling, he almost had a heart attack before clicking on. “Fausta?”

  “Nico? What kind of emergency would require you to talk to me when we said our goodbyes over a week ago?”

  “Something earthshaking. I tried to find you on the pediatric ward and was told you weren’t there. You should know that the nurse said they’re all in mourning you can’t come in to volunteer for a while. You were their favorite.”

  “That’s very kind of her.”

  “Because it was the truth! Are you still in Rome?”

  After a silence she said, “No. Why do you ask?”

  “Because I have to see you in person. When will you be back at the palace?”

  “Not for a while.”

  He took a quick breath. “Where are you?”

  “Mottalciata.”

  He rubbed the back of his neck. “What are you doing there?” As if he didn’t know.

  “I’ve been here for close to a week doing business with the orphanage.”

  No doubt having computers installed. She’d said she planned to make it a priority. He stifled a moan. “Where are you staying?”

  “At a hotel in the village.”

  “Which one of the two?”

  “Nico—”

  “It doesn’t matter. I’ll find you because I’m coming right now.” He hung up and flew out of his apartment after throwing a few necessities into a bag.

  Two hours later he drove by the first hotel, trailed by his bodyguards. He saw several cars parked outside. Because one was unmarked, it had to be her bodyguard. He jumped out and hurried inside to the front desk.

  But before he could ask the man who’d just come out to the counter to ring her room, Fausta emerged from the staircase, her golden hair flouncing. She had to have been watching for him. With a face and body like hers, she was so gorgeous it took his breath away. She’d dressed in beige pleated pants and a tan colored crew neck top with short sleeves.

  “I don’t care if it’s close to midnight.” He spoke first. “I need to talk to you. We can go out to my car or up to your room. The choice is yours.”

  She rubbed her hands over womanly hips in what he perceived was a nervous reaction. “Follow me.”

  On the way up to the second floor, he had to stop himself from reaching out to pull her against him. Her room was the second one on the right, adequately furnished with a TV. If the owner downstairs had any idea who she was...

  “Sit down, Nico.” She indicated one of the chairs at the table before she sat on the other one and crossed one elegant leg over the other. Her suitcase lay open at the end of her bed. Through the bathroom door he could see a robe hanging. The room smelled faintly of her flowery fragrance.

  “You look wonderful,” he murmured.

  “So do you. When I heard this was an emergency, I figured you couldn’t have driven here if you were incapacitated. Since I’ve worked with children all day and am exhausted, why don’t you tell me why you drove here so I can go to bed? I don’t think the hotel is full in case you need a room.”

  “Fausta—I received a call from Enzo. He demanded I cancel the appointments with my patients and come to the castello. I couldn’t imagine what he wanted, particularly when he insisted it wasn’t for medical reasons. When I arrived there the next morning, I found him with a visitor who’d come from La Valazzura to see him.”

  Her blue eyes flickered. “That’s interesting. Papa wanted to fly there for the funeral of King Carlo, a ruler he admired who died recently, but the doctor wouldn’t okay it.”

  Nico couldn’t help but wonder if that admiration would influence Fausta’s father for good when the truth came out about him. “I’m sorry he didn’t get the opportunity.” I’m sorry I didn’t either.

  She eyed him steadily. “You haven’t told me about your emergency yet.”

  “The man who visited Enzo was Basil Bruno, the head of the secret service for King Carlo and Queen Liliane.”

  Her eyebrows furrowed in a gentle frown. “What did he want with Duca Frascatti?”

  “He knew Enzo was my mentor.”

  Fausta sat straighter. “Why did that matter to him?”

  This was it. His heart pounded extra hard. “It was Signor Bruno who placed me in the Santa’Agate Orphanage when I was two.”

  A cry escaped her lips.

  “My legal name is Massimo. During the beginning of their civil war, I was taken to safety and am the only living son of King Carlo Umberto Fernando di Savoia.”

  The world stood still for a minute.

  “Nico—” Her gasp filled the room.

  “For the last week I’ve been in La Valazzura learning as much about the lives of my parents and my heritage as I could absorb before flying back. You were the one person I wanted to see, but you weren’t at the hospital. I never meant to hurt you. It killed me to learn you’d stopped volunteering because of me.”

  “None of that matters.” She wiped her wet face with the backs of her hands. “Nothing is as important as knowing that in the last week you’ve found your life! You have answers to all your questions. There couldn’t be a greater gift! You’re the son of King Carlo? How absolutely fantastic. Who would have imagined?”

  “Certainly not Angelo.”

  “No,” she said with a laugh as more tears escaped her lashes.

  “Especially when he learns I’m the illegitimate son.”

  The smile slowly faded from her face. “What do you mean?”

  “My father betrayed the queen during a bad time in their marriage. They could never have children. He had an affair with my mamma, who was a commoner. Her name was Nedda Corelli.”

  “Oh, n
o,” she half groaned. “Did you spend time with her?”

  “That would have been impossible. She was killed during the war that swept the country. To preserve my life, I was taken to the orphanage in secret by Signor Bruno.”

  Fausta got up from the chair and came to kneel in front of him. “I’m crushed you never did get to meet either parent.” She grasped his hands, lifting those iridescent blue eyes to him. “Do you wish you’d never found out about your life?”

  After a long pause he said, “Basil asked me the same question. I told him I didn’t know how to answer him. I still don’t.”

  She let go of his hands and got up to sit on the side of the bed. “That’s because you’re grieving over the parents you never got to know.”

  “It’s more than that, Fausta. Every time Queen Liliane looks at me, she’s torn apart all over again, hating the horrible truth that her husband had carried on an affair with my mother. I’m the son who should have been Liliane’s. It’s a monstrous scenario.”

  “I agree,” Fausta said in a quiet voice, “and I can’t imagine her pain or yours. But if you will look beyond it for a moment, you now know who you are and where you came from. You don’t have to go through the rest of your life wondering and waiting.”

  He stared into her eyes. She was making sense. “That’s true.”

  “After I flew to Rome to be with my zia Ottavia, I unloaded on her. As we talked, I began to realize it was selfish of me to be hurt by your decision that we end our relationship. All these years you’ve been on a journey that needed to be taken alone. I understand that better now. I’ll admit I didn’t like it, but I refused to wallow in my pain and decided to concentrate on helping the orphanage.”

  There was no one like Fausta. “So you don’t mind my trying to reach you tonight?”

  Her chest rose and fell visibly. “I would never have forgiven you if you hadn’t.” The fierceness of her tone convinced him she’d meant it. “What’s going to happen now?”