The only thing missing was falling in love, but given how well everything else was turning out she believed it would happen. She would fall in love with Enrique and he with her. The same way her parents had fallen in love after their arranged marriage.
It was all going to work out. “I know it will.”
“Know what will?” a male voice asked from the shadows.
Jules jumped. “Who’s there?”
“I didn’t mean to startle you.”
She squinted. She couldn’t see anyone, but recognized the voice. “Alejandro.”
He ascended the staircase leading to the terrace where she stood. “Good evening, Julianna.”
Her heart lurched. She fought against the burst of attraction making her mouth go dry. It wasn’t easy.
The stubble on his face made him look so much like a sexy pirate. She could easily imagine him standing behind the wheel of a sailing ship trying to capture a vessel full of gold or pretty wenches.
He’d removed his jacket, tie and cummerbund. The neck of his dress shirt was unbuttoned, the tails hung out of the trousers and his sleeves were rolled up. The high rollers decked out in the finest menswear on the Côte d’Azur had nothing on Alejandro. Even with his bare feet.
“How long have you been lurking in the shadows?” she asked.
He moved gracefully like a dancer or a world-class athlete. “Long enough to hear you laughing.”
Heat enflamed her cheeks. “If I’d known you were there…”
Alejandro crossed the terrace to stand next to her. “No need to apologize for being happy.”
Maybe not for him. But happy wasn’t an emotion Jules was used to experiencing let alone expressing. Sharing that moment embarrassed her. Still she owed him for what he’d said at dinner about sailing and the wedding. But one was more important than the other. “Thank you for suggesting a short engagement.”
“Afraid you’ll change your mind?” he asked.
“Worried Enrique will.”
“Not going to happen.”
Jules wished she shared Alejandro’s confidence. “I’ve heard that before.”
“He’d be a fool, a complete idiot, if he didn’t marry you.”
His compliment made her feel warm all over. His opinion shouldn’t matter, but for some reason it did. “Well, intelligence has never been a requirement to be a crown prince.”
The deep, rich sound of his laughter seeped into her and raised her temperature ten degrees. “You’re a contradiction, Julianna.”
“How so?”
“Your dress and demeanor present the image of a proper, dutiful princess, who dots her I’s and crosses her T’s. Yet you show glimpses…”
No one had ever looked beneath the surface or beyond the label of dutiful princess. She wouldn’t have expected Alejandro to, either. Full of curiosity, she leaned toward him. “Of what?”
“Of being a not-so-perfect princess.”
It was her turn to laugh. That wasn’t who she was. Oh, well… Perhaps Enrique would recognize the real her. “You’re reading too much into my words and deeds. Women are second-class citizens in Aliestle. We must obey the men in our lives or deal with the consequences. Duty becomes our way of life. But that doesn’t mean we don’t have the same hopes and dreams, the same sense of humor, as women in more contemporary lands such as this island.”
“As I said, a contradiction.”
She eyed him warily. “Thank you, I think.”
“It’s a compliment.” He glanced back toward the sitting room. “Your groom has returned.”
Jules looked behind her to see Enrique holding a brandy and talking with the others.
“I should leave you.” Alejandro took a step toward the staircase. “I don’t want my brother to think I’m trying to steal his princess bride.”
Would Alejandro do that? Her pulse skittered thinking he might.
Stop. Now. She couldn’t allow herself to be carried away with girlish fantasies. She raised her chin. “Enrique wouldn’t think—”
“Yes, he would.”
“Have you stolen his girlfriends in the past?”
His eyes raked over her. “No, we have different taste in women.”
Alejandro’s stark appraisal should have made her feel uncomfortable, but he also made her feel sexy, a way she’d never felt before. She wet her lips. “Would your being the black sheep and all the gossip have something to do with Enrique feeling this way?”
Alejandro grinned wryly. “Possibly.”
“So the rumors and stories are true.”
“Some are,” he admitted. “Others are exaggerations.”
He was a gorgeous prince. That often led people to act out of…“I’m sure a few tales are due to jealousy.”
He eyed her curiously. “Has this happened to you?”
“Oh, no. I’m about as proper a princess as you’ll find.”
“Proper with obvious skills of manipulation.”
“Proper with practiced social skills and manners that help others get along.”
“Yet you downplay your intelligence by saying your knowledge about international trade is nothing but a hobby.”
His perceptiveness made her feel like a mouse caught in a trap. He might be a black sheep and prefer to go barefoot, but he was sharp. She’d have to watch herself. “Education opportunities for females in my country exist, but are limited. Women are allowed to hold only certain jobs. We must work within the system. I’ve been more fortunate than others and able to use my time traveling abroad to…expand my knowledge base. But the last thing my country wants is their princess spouting off how smart she thinks she is.”
Laughter lit Alejandro’s eyes and made her temperature rise ten degrees. “You’ll be good for Enrique. Keep him on his toes. But he won’t mind.”
“I hope not. What about you?” Jules liked the easy banter between them. Earlier when she’d arrived, she thought Alejandro didn’t like her. “Will you mind not being second in line for the throne after Enrique and I have children?”
He glanced inside once again. “I can honestly say the more children you and my brother are blessed with, the happier I’ll be. I’ve been hoping to be made an uncle for years.”
His words sounded genuine. She ignored her disappointment that he wouldn’t want her himself. That was stupid. Her father would never approve of a man like Alejandro, and she needed to be a queen to best help Brandt and Aliestle. “That’s sweet of you.”
“The kitten is sweet. I’m not.” He took two steps down the stairs. “Enrique’s on his way out here. That’s my cue to fade back into the shadows.”
Alejandro’s cryptic words intrigued her. “Do you usually hang out in the shadows?”
“Yes, I do.”
She watched him disappear into the night.
Behind her, footsteps sounded against the terrace’s tile floor. A familiar scent of aftershave enveloped her. She didn’t like the fragrance. Still better than the alternative, she reminded herself.
Jules leaned forward over the railing, but couldn’t see Alejandro. “I hope your call went well.
“It did.” Enrique stood next to her. “But you needn’t worry about state business. The wedding should be your focus.”
“I’ve been thinking about our wedding.” She wondered if Alejandro was listening from below. Not that she minded if he eavesdropped. A part of her wished he was here with her instead of his brother. “And children, too.”
“We are of like minds.” Enrique placed his hand over hers. His skin was warm and soft. His nails neatly trimmed. Not the hands of a sailor or gardener. “Heirs would please my father.”
“Mine, too.” Her duty was to extend the bloodline. But Jules also wanted babies of her own. She remembered helping the nurses with each of her brothers. She wanted to be more involved with raising her children than her stepmother.
Enrique’s eyes darkened. “Once we are married we shouldn’t waste any time starting a family.”
His sug
gestive tone made her shiver. Not a surprising reaction given she’d never discussed sex with any of her matches before. Offspring had always been assumed. “I would like a big family. At least four children.”
He tucked her hair behind her ears. “I hope they all look like you.”
His compliment was nice, but the words didn’t make her feel warm and fuzzy the way Alejandro’s had. “Thank you.”
“My brother will be pleased to know you want so many children,” Enrique said. “He can’t wait to fall lower in the line of succession. I believe if he could give away or relinquish his title he would without a second thought.”
“I can’t imagine anyone wanting to do that,” she admitted. “But Alejandro does have his boats.”
She envied his ability to follow his dreams.
“Nothing matters but those damn boats. Sailing has consumed him. He works as a manual laborer, a commoner, refusing to take advantage of the free publicity being a royal engaged in business always brings.”
Enrique’s critical tone didn’t surprise Jules. The two brothers seemed to always be going at each other. But sometimes that might keep them from seeing a situation more clearly. “If Alejandro wins the Med Cup, he’ll earn respect. New customers.”
“He won’t win with a new design,” Enrique said. “Competition is fierce. The best crews are going to be on well-known, tested designs. Too bad my brother is too stubborn to use the same boat as last year. But he always wants something newer, better. That’s one reason I doubt he’ll ever marry. He upgrades the women in his life like they were cars.”
The picture Enrique painted of his younger brother was not flattering. Jules wondered if this was one of the stories Alejandro had mentioned. The two brothers needed to get along better. That gave her an idea.
“Sail his other boat for him,” she said. “The one he sailed last year.”
“I haven’t raced since my duties became expanded. State business takes up the majority of my time.”
His curt tone rebuked her. “It was only a suggestion.”
“Racing in open water isn’t without risks.”
“I’ve never sailed in the ocean.” Just dreamed about it.
“Your father told me he’s forbidden you to sail on the sea. That’s why I didn’t accept Alejandro’s invitation to go sailing.”
“You and Brandt can go.”
“Not without you,” Enrique said, and she appreciated his courtesy. “Your father mentioned your mother’s accident. So tragic.”
Jules knew information would be exchanged during the marriage negotiations, but she’d never been privy to it. “My mother’s death was an accident, a freak occurrence.”
“No matter the circumstances.” Enrique’s voice softened. “Your father said he was deeply affected by the loss.”
“I’ve been told he changed after she died. He loved my mother very much.”
“He loves you, too.”
Hearing the words from someone outside her family made Jules feel as if all the sacrifices she’d made to live up to the expectations of her father, family and country had been worth it. Her tongue felt thick, heavy, so she nodded.
“A lesser man might not have recovered from such a tragedy,” Enrique continued.
She appreciated the admiration in his words. “My father is a king. He is a strong man. He mourned my mother’s death, but he remarried less than a year later. He needed a male heir. I was a young child who needed a mother.”
“Understandable.”
Jules wondered if that meant Enrique would do the same should she die. Probably. “La Isla de la Aurora seems more progressive than Aliestle.”
“It is, though we are a little old-fashioned about a few things,” Enrique said. “Do not worry. I intend to make sure you like it here, Julianna.
His words fed her growing hopes. She gathered her courage. “My father said you would decide whether I could sail on the ocean after we are married. You told Alejandro we couldn’t sail right now. Does that mean you’ve given some thought to my sailing after our wedding?”
“Your father also discussed this with me. I’ve already made my decision.”
Her heart raced. She held her breath.
Please, oh, please. Say yes.
Enrique squeezed her hand again. “Sailing on the sea is too dangerous.”
Jules felt as if someone had wrapped a line around her heart and pulled hard. She had to make him understand, to see how important this was to her. “I am a careful sailor. I would never take undue risks.”
“You are on the ocean. Weather can change. No one, not even the best sailors in the world, can remove all the risk.”
She understood that. She wasn’t a complete idiot.
Desperate to make this work she sought another test. “Sailing is a pleasurable leisure activity. Something we could do together in our free time.”
“I don’t have a lot of free time.”
“It wouldn’t have to be that often. Only once in a while.”
“We may have just met, but I must admit I understand your father’s concerns.” Enrique spoke to her as if she were a child. “You are to be the mother of my children, my wife, my queen. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you as it did your mother.”
Disappointment settled in the center of Jules’s chest, but she didn’t allow her shoulders to slump. Being here was still better than Aliestle. “So I’m only allowed to sail on lakes and rivers?”
“I’ve seen what sailing has done to my brother. The sport killed your mother. Once we are married, I do not want you to sail again.”
The air rushed from Jules lungs. Tears stung her eyes. She clutched the railing. “But I’ve always been able to sail. Just not on the ocean.”
“That was your father’s decision. This is mine.”
No! Her chest tightened. This was so much worse than she imagined. It wasn’t only the sailing. The tone of Enrique’s voice told her she would be exchanging her controlling father for a controlling husband. Her freedom would be curtailed here, too.
“Don’t look so disappointed,” Enrique chided. “This isn’t personal. I’m not trying to be cruel.”
“What are you trying to do then?”
“Be honest and help you,” he said. “It’s time for you to grow up and put childish things aside, Julianna. You may believe sailing is good for you, but it’s been brought to my attention that sailing brings out a wilder side in you.”
She drew back. “What have I done?”
“Kissed Prince Niko.”
“One kiss. We were engaged at the time.”
“There have been other reports,” Enrique said calmly, as if they were discussing business and not her life. “Such a pursuit is inappropriate for a future queen. You must embrace the bigger duty you’ll now have.”
Jules forced herself to breathe. Carving a new life for herself and helping Aliestle would be an uphill battle. She would be constrained here on the island, too. “What is to be my role here? My bigger duty?”
“You are to be my wife. You will provide me with heirs.”
Both of those things she’d known about. Accepted. But she doubted that was all Enrique would want from her. “And?”
“You will be a conventional princess and queen the people can respect. It’s in your best interest to do what I say and not bring any embarrassment to our name.”
Her best interest? What about their best interest? Enrique seemed to want to tell her what to do, not have a real relationship with her. How could love grow out of that?
Emotion clogged her throat.
What was she going to do?
Returning to Aliestle in disgrace and marrying a nobleman would be the worst choice for her, Brandt, her country and her future children. Doing something more drastic didn’t appeal to her, either.
Other women might run away. But if she turned her back on her responsibilities she would be exiled. Her father would keep her brothers from seeing her. Not only that, her father would also d
enounce her. Conditions would worsen for the women in her country. She couldn’t give up on everything she’d sacrificed her whole life for and her family.
That left one choice—going through with the wedding. Her stomach churned.
Think of the bigger picture, the future, others.
Jules would be able to help Brandt and Aliestle. Her children would have a better life and more choices on the island. Those things would make up for everything she was giving up. In time, Jules would see she made the right decision.
But right now, it still…hurt.
In an apartment on the ground floor, Alejandro tried to relax. But being back at the palace made him antsy. So did something else. Someone else…
Julianna.
Maybe she wasn’t as bad as he originally thought. She seemed different tonight, warmer and more genuine. But if that were the case, he couldn’t understand her icy facade earlier.
Not that he should be thinking about his brother’s fiancée at all.
Alejandro sat on the floor and used a laser pointer to play with the kitten. This was the same room he’d had as a teenager, though the furniture had been replaced, the floors refinished and the walls painted. The decor wasn’t the only change. Back when he’d been a teenager, a guard had always been stationed outside the back door that led to the beach path to keep him from running away. Not that a guard had been able to stop him. At least his father hadn’t posted anyone there tonight.
The kitten sprinted across the hardwood floor after the red dot, pawing and pouncing until he plopped onto a hand-woven rug and purred. His eyes closed.
As Alejandro moved from the floor to a chair, a flash of blue passed outside the window. The same blue as Julianna’s gown.
He stood to get a better look.
Silky fabric and blond hair billowed behind her as she hurried down the path leading to the beach, making her look almost ethereal with the starry night sky as her backdrop.
Not his type, Alejandro reminded himself.
He glanced at the clock. Eleven o’clock. A little late to go beachcombing. Not that what she did was any of his business.
But no one seemed to be with her. Not Enrique. Not her bodyguard.
The Princess Bride Page 36
