“Your parents, actually. At the meeting we had earlier they were happy for us to be married.”
Her heart pounded as if to suffocate her. “And you accepted?” Her throat tightened around the words making her voice sound odd and raspy.
“They offered me a deal and I said obviously you would have to agree first. In fact, I wasn’t going to ask you tonight but thinking about it, I believe we could make a go of being married, don’t you? You want me physically, I know you do Lara, and in time, you could learn to care for me.”
Jack groaned inwardly. Damn it. He was making a mess of this. He had only meant to tell her about the possibility of investing money into Challoner and that he was considering it. And what did he do? Blurt out a marriage proposal.
But, he wanted her—how he wanted her. She had become an obsession. His magnificent obsession. Holding her in his arms a moment ago, so wanton, so passionate, had sealed his fate and he’d made his decision.
Yeah, he would give their majesties the money but he didn’t want any title and as part of the deal, he would lay down some rules of his own to protect Lara. He would take her to Australia to live with him in Port Margaret away from all this royal hype. She was unhappy here, as she had tearfully explained. As for producing an heir, that wouldn’t be a problem. He could hardly wait to make Lara his wife in every sense.
“What sort of deal?”
He should have been quicker at hearing the suspicion in her voice and seeing the doubt in her eyes. He could see she was lining up for a major rejection of him. What an assumption he had made in thinking she would leap at the chance of being his wife. What arrogance on his part. He had misread her completely and was treading on very dangerous ground.
“You know Challoner’s economy is suffering at the present time,” he began.
“I’m aware we could do better but we aren’t a poor country by any means.”
“If you would let me finish, Lara. Your parents asked me to invest some funds into Challoner’s treasury.”
“How much?”
“Half a billion dollars.”
“What?” Lara looked thunderstruck. “Well, well,” she gasped. “What was the rest of the deal, Jack? That for your money you would get a royal bride thrown in for good measure? To make it a little more attractive?” Her green eyes sparked with fire as she glared at him.
“That’s about right. Lara, I’m so sorry if this is a shock to you but they want to hold a royal wedding here in Challoner, which they say will lift the tourism markets. Believe me I’m just as surprised as you.” Jack hesitated then continued, “They even mentioned they hoped we would eventually have a baby who will be heir to the throne, if Carl doesn’t get married and have children.”
“What was your reply?”
He hesitated. He could see she was holding on to her temper with difficulty. He gave a shrug of his shoulders. He was in the thick of it now, he might as well finish it. “I asked what would happen if you refused to marry me and your parents said it was your duty to obey their wishes.”
She moved away from him and stood in front of the fire. Suddenly it was very important to Jack that she accept his proposal because she wanted to marry him, not because her parents said so. She turned and he could see her face had paled as she pointed an accusing finger at him.
“I am not some slave from an eastern harem you can barter over. My parents have betrayed me with their scheming behind my back and I, unknowingly, have played into their hands by delivering their savior right to their doorstep. They may be willing to sell me in return for your filthy blood money but I refuse to be bought, even for the sake of my country. You are a common man after all and if you think you can buy your way into the noblest royal house in Europe, think again, Jack Lucas. I absolutely refuse to marry you.”
She stood tall and magnificent, her head thrown back in defiance. He knew he was in for the toughest fight of his life but, he’d never been one to be beaten—at anything.
“Lara, deny me all you wish. But I want you as my wife.” He moved toward her and she stood her ground, remaining motionless. “And I always get what I want,” he whispered, as he caressed her cheek with a gentle finger.
Eight
“I have brought your breakfast, Your Highness. It’s stopped snowing and the sun is out. You’ll be able to show your Mr. Lucas our beautiful city today.”
Lara groaned as she struggled up from the soft pillows, keeping her eyes shut as Greta pulled the curtains to flood the room with light. “What time is it, Greta?”
“It’s ten o’clock. You’ve had a good sleep and should have recovered from your jet lag,” the maid said, making small clicking noises under her breath as she straightened the bed and plumped up the pillows behind Lara’s tousled head. She placed the breakfast tray over Lara’s knees and proceeded to pour her coffee.
If she only knew. It wasn’t the jet lag that had caused her to sleep in, but the hours of tossing and turning as she went over and over in her mind what Jack had said. How could he and her parents have discussed and planned her future in this way? How could they possibly imagine she could be bought?
I don’t really know who is to blame. My mother and father for setting Jack up and taking advantage of his wealth or Jack, for daring to think I would meekly agree to marry him. At first when he’d mentioned getting married, I was so happy. I thought it was because he loved me. But, it was all part of their deal—their precious business deal. Jack wants me so my family can open doors for him into the European business community.
She pushed her tangled hair from her eyes. That was the puzzlement. Jack, her fisherman she knew from their island, couldn’t have cared less but, this Jack was new to her—this top businessman was different. She was sure he would use all the contacts he’d make through his royal marriage to further his wealth. This was the reason he was willing to negotiate with her parents. It had to be.
“Drink your coffee while it’s hot, Lara.” Greta gently chastised as she bustled around the room placing Lara’s clothes in readiness for the day ahead.
“Do you know if Mr. Lucas is awake, Greta?”
“Heavens, yes. Rudolf told me he was up hours ago and at the moment is meeting with the king and the finance minister over something or other.”
Lara took a sip of coffee. So Jack had ignored her refusal of marriage and was continuing to discuss matters with the king. She carefully replaced the cup in the saucer and wondered what to do. She would need to talk to her mother and explain she had turned down Jack’s proposal.
“Greta, do you know if the queen has any engagements today?”
“Well, there is the official dinner this evening to welcome Prince Michael, plus your two great aunts from Lichtenstein will be there. You will need to pick out a dress to wear. I’m not sure about the queen’s engagements, but tomorrow morning you have meetings with your personal secretary and press officer. In the afternoon, I have arranged for your hairdresser and manicurist to be here at four o’clock to prepare you for the ball.”
She tried to control the sensation of panic as she listened to Greta. She should be used to having her days and evenings organized but after the relative freedom of Australia, this was going to be hard to take. Greta patted Lara’s hand as if she understood Lara’s anxiety. She was lucky to have someone like Greta who really cared for her. She had been her nanny from when Lara was a small child and then, as she had grown into a young woman, Greta had stayed on in the royal household as Lara’s personal maid. There had always been great affection between them and she considered confiding in Greta about this latest turn of events.
“Your bath is ready. I’ll leave you for now.”
“Thank you, Greta. I appreciate everything you do for me.”
“I’m glad to have you home.” The older woman returned Lara’s smile as she closed the bedroom door.
She finished her toast and coffee and then with a glint of determination in her eyes picked up the phone and rang the queen’s apartments.<
br />
“Did you sleep well?” Her mother answered immediately.
“Yes, thank you.”
“It’s so wonderful to have you home. We must make time for a catch up. Did Jack dine with you last night?”
The question was casual but she knew her mother was probing. “No, but he did ask me to marry him.” Nothing like getting to the point, she decided, deliberately hardening her heart.
“Oh, darling. I’m happy for you both. It’s so wise of you, particularly if there’s a baby on the way.”
“Mummy, I refused Jack’s proposal.”
“What? My dear child, how could you do such a thing? The man is going to invest millions of dollars into our country and you refuse him?”
“Exactly.” She gripped the receiver to stop her hand from shaking. “I would have preferred to discuss this with you face-to-face but it appears you and my father decided to plan my life behind my back so…”
“Lara, that’s enough. You don’t understand how important this arrangement is. Besides, I’m not blind. I can see you’re attracted to Jack and I understand. He is a very attractive man. After all, you’ve been intimate with him so it’s not as if you would be marrying a stranger.” Francesca’s voice took on a persuasive tone.
Placing one hand to her burning face, Lara swallowed as she gathered herself to continue. She couldn’t believe she was having this extraordinary conversation with her mother. She had always been a dutiful daughter and naively obeyed her parents with her one act of defiance when she insisted on attending school in Australia. And she would never have won that battle if Carl hadn’t supported her, demanding his royal parents allow Lara to be part of her modern generation. She loved her brother dearly and had always been grateful to him for taking her side on the issue.
“I’m not going to change my mind.”
There was a pause and she waited knowing her mother wouldn’t give in. “We’ll see, dear. Now, it’s a lovely day and I think we should treat our guest to a tour. I have arranged for the three of us to go on a sleigh ride through the parks, and I would like you to be ready at two o’clock.”
Tempted to refuse, she found herself agreeing instead. Jack was here as a royal visitor so she would need to be polite to him, particularly as he wouldn’t be here at all if it wasn’t for her.
“Is Jack still with the king?”
“Yes. They’re going to have lunch together. And, Lara, I don’t wish to discuss this matter in front of him until we have sorted something out. Is that understood?”
“Yes.”
“But the subject is by no means closed. You have to consider marriage in the very near future so it might as well be to a wealthy man like Jack.”
“There are plenty of rich men around, Mummy. Why don’t you put me on EBay and see how much you can get for a real live princess?” Lara’s tone was cutting. Since when had her mother become so hard and so desperate to arrange her daughter’s marriage?
“Don’t be cynical. It doesn’t suit you. Yes, there are wealthy men around and if you don’t agree to this arrangement with Jack your father and I will be obliged to choose another husband for you.”
Click. Her mother had rung off. Lara looked around her room fighting the panic rising in her. Was this how the rest of her life would be? To be prodded and pulled to do other peoples’ bidding. She needed someone to talk to—Jade or Kate, her best friends.
She checked the time on her bedside clock. They were both in Australia and it was getting late there. Still… She rang Jade’s cell and received a voice mail message. Then a disembodied voice on Kate’s cell said her phone was either switched off or out of range. Disheartened, she replaced the receiver. She just couldn’t win.
~ * ~
By the time two o’clock arrived, she had talked herself into a different frame of mind. She had decided that none of the present situation was anyone’s fault and to be petulant wasn’t going to do her, Jack or her parents any good.
After all, this whole thing had been caused by a domino effect. If she hadn’t met Jack and he hadn’t been wealthy and her country in trouble, then her parents wouldn’t have considered him for her husband. Regretfully, he wouldn’t even have been invited here as the royal guest but could possibly have been sent to prison instead. Because she had refused his proposal, her parents would now seek another suitable husband for her. Well, that was too bad. She wasn’t ready to marry anyone unless they loved her, really loved her for herself. Not for her position and to take advantage of her family and not because they wanted to own her, like a prized possession.
“And certainly not because they want to use my body to satisfy their physical needs, Jack Lucas,” she whispered, stepping down the remaining stairs and walking toward the main entrance of the palace.
She was worried about the financial difficulties of her country and would ask her father to explain this to her when she could get some time with him. She didn’t understand how a huge debt could place the royal family in such a position. Surely, Challoner’s government, not her parents, was responsible for sorting this out?
“There you are, Lara. She looks lovely, doesn’t she, Jack?”
Lara smiled at him determined to put the marriage proposal episode behind her. “Thank you. Hello, Jack. Have you had a good meeting with my father?”
He looked very handsome in a thick, warm coat and on his head wore a Russian-style hat. Obviously, Rudolf had wanted to make sure he didn’t get cold and had provided him with appropriate clothing. Lara once again wore her white fake fur coat and matching hat, which she pulled over her hair.
“I had a good meeting and an extremely pleasant lunch with his majesty,” he replied and she could tell he had no intention of giving anything away.
“Jack, you sit next to Lara and face forward so you can see the beautiful sights of Challoner.”
Francesca was in her top organizing form, and Lara found herself sitting in the horse-drawn sleigh with Jack at her side as the driver tucked a warm rug over their knees. Francesca had arranged for Hubert, the royal estate manager and expert historian on Challoner, to accompany them and he and the queen sat facing the other two.
“This is fantastic and what beautiful horses,” Jack remarked.
Lara smiled at Jack’s pleasure as the two magnificent thoroughbreds, encouraged by their driver, moved forward easily pulling the giant sleigh across the snow.
He was right, she thought an hour later as the horses turned toward the palace on the return journey. She had forgotten how lovely her home was. It was a glorious blue and golden day with the sun shining brilliantly on a fairyland of beauty. The ride had taken them through the palace grounds and then into the royal parks. Every tree dazzled under their ethereal mantles of snow.
When they had left the palace grounds, they had been joined by a land rover carrying four plain-clothed policemen who provided the necessary protection and escorted them through the old part of the city. Throughout the ride, Hubert had pointed out the historical features of interest to Jack who, in return, had asked many questions. Francesca was at her most charming and continued to make a huge fuss of Jack.
For Lara it had been a ride of exquisite torture. She was aware of the slightest movement Jack made. His hands chopping the air as he emphasized a point in his conversation with Francesca, the perfection of his profile as he half turned to her, the occasional pressure and warmth of his thigh against hers and most of all, this inane desire she had to fling herself into his arms and have him hold and protect her and love her. Why then was she being so stubborn when it would have been much easier to accept his proposal? Then everyone would be happy. But, what about a year from now, or five years? They could end up hating each other.
As they turned into the palace grounds on their return, Jack took advantage of Francesca’s distraction as she discussed some estate matters with Hubert.
He leaned toward her and whispered, “I’ve been trying to grab the opportunity of telling you how beautiful you look.”
She desperately wanted to stay calm but the color rose beneath her skin at his compliment. “Thank you,” she said, lowering her head.
“You’re like a fairy tale princess set against the backdrop of her magical palace.”
She daren’t look up, knowing her emotions would be reflected in her eyes.
“Thank you again, but I’m still not going to marry you,” she said quietly, glad that at last she was in control and could talk calmly about his proposal, while on the previous night she had lost it completely.
“I don’t know why you’re flirting with me,” she added, glancing across at Francesca who was still deeply immersed in her conversation with Hubert.
“I won’t rest until I have you in my bed, Lara. You started this little game and the more elusive you are, the more determined I am to have you. Whether that involves marriage or not, I really don’t care.”
She did look at him this time. She couldn’t help it. Was he teasing her? Sure enough, his eyes were alight with devilment as he flashed a cheeky grin. Not to be out done, she murmured, “You could have had me. I was all yours without you giving up your precious freedom to marry me. But, you’ve left it too late. Although my parents have betrayed me by trying to sell me off, I can cope with their attitude. While I may not agree, I understand why they’re doing it. But you, Jack, you want to marry me for all the wrong reasons.”
“What are the two of you whispering about?”
“Lara was saying she would like to sit next to me at dinner, ma’am,” he replied, digging her in the ribs.
Expelling a deep breath into the cold air, she retaliated. “I was actually saying you will want me to sit next to Prince Michael and Jack will need to sit between my great aunts.” She turned to Jack and gave a dazzling smile. “You’ll love the aunts. They are both over eighty and quite eccentric. Unfortunately, their English isn’t too good but they adore handsome young men. They will positively drool over you.”
He returned her smile and touched her nose with one gloved finger. “Touché, princess,” he said, and once again her heart beat crazily as his eyes flirted with her.
Falling For Jack Page 11
