She walked over to him and put her hand on his arm. “Let’s not think about what might’ve happened. Let’s focus on what we need to do now.”
His phone beeped and he slid it out of his pocket. “The full press corps is now camped outside.”
“Oh, God.” She sat down again. “It’s that bad already?”
“They started assembling when the first round of press releases went out, and they’re still gaining steam. The nightly newscasts will be full of this.”
She took a deep breath. “It’s okay. We can handle this. We knew this was coming.”
His hand came to rest on her shoulder and he gave it a squeeze. “Yes, we did. There’s something I’ve been thinking about, and I’d like you to keep an open mind.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Okay.”
“I think we should do an interview together.”
“An interview? To the same press that’s about to eat us alive?”
“Yes, the very same. Just us, not Liliana. The press need to learn to respect our boundaries, especially where children are concerned.”
“We couldn’t possibly. You’ve made it seem like we’re an established couple again. If we talked on camera, everyone would see we’re not.”
A scary air filled the room. “We’re not a couple?”
She shook her head. “Not like that. I mean, we’re not established. We’re still basically new. There’s a lot we need to work out. The public would see that.”
He ran a hand through his hair. “You’re right. However, I’m not saying we go on camera today. Or even tomorrow. We need time to let the furor die down a little, and I want Liliana to be comfortable here before we do anything public.”
She relaxed a little. “Okay. Yes, in the future, I might agree to that.”
“Good. If we went on camera now, people would think we were just trying to turn their attentions from the potential dock strike, and I don’t want you or Liliana accused of being a distraction.”
“A dock strike?”
“I’m sorry. I haven’t had a chance to tell you.” He sat down and spent a few minutes explaining the situation.
“And you’re really going to meet some people on the docks tonight? How will you get away without the press following?”
“There are secret ways out of the castle. The hidden passages I showed you are just the tip of the iceberg. They run all through the castle, some even leading to exits nearby. However, even if they didn’t see us leave, they would see us when we got back, so there’s no point to leaving secretly. The press can follow us to the dock if they want to.
“Look, I wouldn’t take this meeting if I didn’t think it was important.”
“Of course it’s important. I trust your judgement.”
His body jerked, but she continued.
“I just don’t have a good feeling about it.” She was worried, but couldn’t bring herself to tell him she was.
“Neither do I, come to that.” He turned to her, and cupped her face. “You trust me?”
She sucked in a breath. Did she? She’d said it, but had she meant it? “I…yes. Yes, I suppose I do.”
His hands tightened, one delving into her hair. “Lily.”
His phone buzzed and he cursed. “I’m sorry. If things weren’t so crazy today, I’d turn it off.”
She was still breathless when she spoke. “It’s all right. I understand.”
He rested his forehead against hers. “You’re important, and you deserve my full attention. I’m sorry I’m not able to give it to you. This won’t always be the case but, unfortunately, it will be the case more often than you’d like.”
“Oh. Well, thank you for telling me.”
He squeezed her hand, then turned his attention to the phone. “Damn it.”
“What’s the matter?”
“My parents and sisters have arrived early apparently.”
She felt as though her heart stopped, then frantically started again. Oh God. Oh God.
“Here?” she croaked. “Already? I thought you said they might arrive early, but I didn’t know that meant right now.”
He frowned and put his phone away, then cupped her face again. “It will be all right. They won’t be cruel to you; I won’t let them.”
Maybe, maybe not. If he knew it all, would he still believe that?
Her voice was high-pitched and painstakingly obvious. “I’m fine.”
“You’re not. Tell my what’s wrong.”
She shook her head. His family. His parents. The king and queen. She knew this day was coming. Had known it since she’d finally gotten permission to see Lorenzo, to reach out to him.
God, what if what she and Lorenzo were building – fragile as it was – toppled over completely? What would she do? What about Liliana?
He shook her slightly. “What’s wrong, Lily? Tell me.”
She swallowed and took a deep breath. “Nothing. I’m just tired.”
“You’re not tired. You think I don’t recognize anxiety when I see it? I’ve seen it in the mirror often enough to know. Do you feel up to meeting my family right now?”
No! She instantly shook her head.
“What about at dinner tonight?”
No! She took another deep breath. She’d have to face this eventually. She’d known it. If she wanted her and Lorenzo’s relationship to grow, she had to grow up and face this.
“Tonight?” he asked again.
She bit her lip, and nodded. “Okay.”
“I see it won’t be, but I’ll make it so.” He leaned forward and kissed her forehead, then nose, then brushed her lips with his.
“You’ll walk in on my arms, both you and Liliana. Wear something a little dressy to dinner, and make sure Liliana’s wearing the same. Will you be able to make do, since some of your things are still packed?”
No! “I can handle it,” she lied; she couldn’t handle any of this, but she’d find something to wear.
“Good. Do you need help with Liliana? I’d like to help, if you don’t mind.”
Liliana. Focus on Liliana. “Of course you can help.”
Why wouldn’t her heart stop beating so furiously? “I’ll, er, take care of her bath when she wakes up and start getting her dressed, and you can help with some of her accessories and things. I’ll lay them all out for you to make it easier.”
Easy. Was anything about this situation easy?
“Will she be comfortable with me? I don’t want her to feel uneasy.”
God, Lorenzo. He was such a good father. She’d always known he would be. If only they hadn’t lost these years.
If only.
If only.
She cupped his cheeks, and his hands covered hers. “I know that it’s only been one day, but she’s already accepted you. Some children are like that, and Liliana’s one of them. She knows I trust you.”
“But you don’t trust me. At least, you didn’t admit it until today.”
“I wasn’t sure if I trusted you with me, but I trusted you with her.” When he’d promised not to take Liliana away from her, no matter what, she’d decided to trust him with their child. She realized that’s when she had started trusting him with her heart, too.
She only hoped he never went back on his promise.
“Lily.”
“Why are you so nervous about meeting my family?”
“Who wouldn’t be nervous about meeting…”
Her boyfriend’s family? The family of her child’s father? The family of her long-lost love? What the hell did she call Lorenzo?
“…er, your family?”
“Lily.”
“Not to mention your parents are a king and queen. Who wouldn’t be nervous about meeting a king and queen?”
“Lily.”
She couldn’t stop babbling. “I mean, I know I wasn’t born Vallerian and, technically, I’m not officially Vallerian. I mean, I’ve started my citizenship paperwork. I started that after Liliana was born here, to ensure she would be raised he
re and not deported simply because I wasn’t a citizen–”
He gripped her shoulders. “Lily, for fuck’s sake.”
She sucked in a breath. “I’m fine. It’s fine.”
“It’s fucking not. Why won’t you talk to me?”
“Another time, please?” she begged. “We can talk more another time.”
He looked at her for a few moments, then nodded. He must have realized she was barely hanging on by a thread. “All right. Do you need anyone to help you get dressed?”
She’d never had anyone to help her with such things, not even at her parent’s house. “No, I can manage.”
“All right. I’m going to greet my family, but then I’ll be in my room in case you do need help. I’ll come to you and Liliana in about three hours.”
“Okay.”
“Everything will be fine, Lily.”
“Okay.”
“I promise.”
“Okay.”
The corner of his mouth tipped up. “You owe me a kiss, you know.”
“What?”
“I won the bet. The movers? They packed everything up in under two hours.”
She’d completely forgotten about it. “What? You’ve already kissed me, though.”
“Not for that. You wouldn’t renege on a bet, would you?”
What was he talking about? She couldn’t focus. “What?”
He kissed her lips softly, just a brush of heat. “There. Debt paid. Now, remember what I said, Lily: I promise I’ll make everything okay.”
She vaguely nodded and he left.
Lily sat still, unable to move. In a few short hours, it would all be over, one way or another. She could do this.
Focus. Liliana. She’d start by waking Liliana.
She rose and walked through Lorenzo’s rooms, then stopped dead in the doorway to the main hall. Lorenzo was quietly shutting Liliana’s door and didn’t notice her watching him.
He’d stopped to see his little girl. He loved Liliana, that was easy to see.
But would he love Lily if he found out what his family had done? Would he blame her? Or would he choose her and Liliana over his family?
He was a prince; of course, he wouldn’t choose her. No one had before. Why would now be any different?
He would choose Liliana, though. She’d be happy being a princess, but Lily didn’t think she could give up her baby. It was all she’d had for so long, and she wouldn’t let anyone take her away. Though Lorenzo had said he wouldn’t do it, when push came to shove, would he hold to his promise?
Maybe she should just take Liliana and run for it. They’d have to leave most everything behind, but she could rebuild their lives. She’d done it before, after all. She had some jewelry she could still pawn. It was her ‘rainy day’ jewelry, and it seemed to be pouring now. They’d have to leave Valleria, go somewhere far away. Where, she didn’t know.
She didn’t know where she belonged.
Fear and an overwhelming need to cut and run overtook her, and she ran to Liliana’s door. She caught sight of the agent in the hall, his brows now furrowed. She stopped dead again, her hand on the door handle.
“Is everything all right, Ms. Brionne?”
She swallowed. “Yes.” She cleared her throat. “I…thought I heard a noise from her room. I’ll just go check on her.” She fled to the safety of her daughter’s bedroom. Once inside, a wave of nausea rolled through her and she doubled over against her daughter’s door.
She looked over and saw her baby tucked into the center of the bed. Since Liliana usually moved around while she slept, she was sure Lorenzo had rearranged her.
Tears welled in her eyes and she staggered to a chair in the corner of the room. She collapsed into it and wrapped her arms around her. Her body bucked with sobs and she forced herself to be quiet; she didn’t want to wake Liliana.
So, leaving wasn’t an option. She’d have to get past the guards and Lorenzo. Not to mention all the press swarming the castle. She could have used the secret passageways, but she was afraid of getting lost within the castle walls. She wouldn’t know which passage to take or how to get out, and she couldn’t take that risk with Liliana in tow.
She’d just have to hope that, even if his family didn’t welcome her, they’d accept her as Liliana’s mother.
She took a deep breath, her body still trembling with fear and tension.
She took another deep breath.
And another.
And another.
Deep breath in.
Deep breath out.
In.
Out.
Chapter Eleven
Lorenzo made a quick stop to Liliana’s room. She was still sleeping, but was twisted in the covers, with one foot over the side of the bed. He frowned and wondered if the bed was too high, or if they should fence her in with pillows. He didn’t want her to fall off the side and get hurt. He rearranged her leg and moved her towards the center, and managed not to wake her. He fixed the covers, and put some extra pillows around the edge. He gave her a soft kiss, then left to meet his family.
He knew the family dinner would be coming. He’d expected it, and them, and all that came with it. Though he had expected it tomorrow.
He called the housekeeper on his way downstairs, informing her of the newcomers. He usually gave his rooms, which were the largest in the castle, to his parents, but he didn’t want to confuse Liliana. His parents would just have to settle for staying in the other Royal Wing along with the rest of his family.
His feet faltered as he caught sight of his father. He was better, much better than he had been, but still not the man he was. They all wondered if he would be that man again, at least physically. Only time would tell.
Mentally, he’d never left. Lorenzo had recognized the signs of depression in his father after he’d returned home from the hospital and, thankfully, those signs were rare now. However, Lorenzo still kept an eye out; he knew only too well how quickly depression could turn.
“Papa. Mama.” They turned at Lorenzo’s voice and the happiness he’d hoped to see on their faces was absent; it was like a punch in the gut. He’d hoped they’d be happy for a new grandchild, even if they couldn’t be happy for him. Given Lily’s reaction to meeting his family so soon, he wondered again if his parents had pushed Lily away from him.
He gave his father a hug and a kiss on each cheek, then greeted his mother the same way. His greeted his sisters next – Cat, Carolina, and even Sarah, who usually resided in Rome as Valleria’s ambassador to Italy. Following them were the women his brothers loved: Grace, Marcello’s fiancée and Cat’s longtime friend, and Charlotte or Charlie as she preferred, Nate’s love.
He led them into a large sitting room, calling for coffee again. How many cups had he had already? Too many to keep count, was all he could think.
His brothers and Rebecca entered the room. Eddie moved to greet his parents, then settled next to Cat. Marcello did the same with Grace, and Nate did the same with Charlie. Alex and Rebecca greeted everyone last.
“So, where is she?” Cat said, clapping her hands together. “Where’s my new niece?”
“And where is her mother?” his father asked.
Lorenzo’s back went stiff, and he crossed his arms over his chest. “Liliana is taking a nap. Her mother, Cecilia or Lily as I call her, is resting before dinner. As they moved in this morning, they’re very tired.”
His father quirked one eyebrow. “Does she know we’ve arrived?”
“Yes, she does, but she’ll meet all of you formally tonight.”
His mother kept an even gaze on him. “We are her king and queen. She should greet us the first time we enter your home. If any of the press find out about this, she’ll have to answer for it tomorrow.”
Lorenzo managed to keep his anger in check. Barely. “The press won’t know unless you tell them. Need I remind you that I’m your son, the one who loves both Lily and Liliana, and I’ll do what I need to do in order to protect them? This castle,
by the way, is their home now, too. You’ll treat them with respect, or you won’t see them at all.”
“Lorenzo,” his father warned.
“No, Papa. I’m very happy to see you, Mama, and everyone, but my priorities have changed. You’re a father; I thought you, of all people, would understand that.”
“He’s right,” Eddie’s said. “I’m not a father, but I know what it’s like to live without one.” Eddie’s parents had been killed when he’d been only fifteen, leaving him to care for his two younger sisters. “Having helped raise first my sisters, and now my nieces, I can understand what a father goes through without being one. Lorenzo’s priorities have shifted. More than that, you’d expect them to shift. Yet, now you’re chastising him because they have?”
Another punch to the gut. This time, however, Lorenzo didn’t feel the disappointment of his parents, he felt the support of his friend and almost brother.
“You’re absolutely right, Edward.” His father turned back to Lorenzo. “My son, you know this was – is – a shock, but it’s not an unhappy one. Surely, you know we would never hurt our grandchild, and we certainly don’t mean any ill will towards her mother.”
These were his parents. He’d believed them in the past with other things, but he had trouble believing them now. “Lily. Her name is Lily. Or Cecilia, if you prefer.”
“Cecilia, then. We would like to meet her.”
“You will. Tonight.”
“Lorenzo–”
Lorenzo slashed a hand through the air. “No, absolutely not. This will be Liliana’s first time meeting most of you. She’ll be overwhelmed enough, and I won’t have her or Lily upset. This is their home now, and they should feel safe and protected.”
“My son, we wouldn’t harm them.”
“Of course you wouldn’t, not physically. You might emotionally, however, even unintentionally.”
His mother’s nostrils flared. “Did Cecilia say something about us?”
Lorenzo narrowed his eyes. “What could she possibly tell me about you or Papa?”
His mother pursed her lips.
“Will you be civil to Lily tonight?”
Lorenzo & Lily (Royals of Valleria #8) Page 16
