After arranging her hair back in a simple low chignon with three pins, she put on her makeup, slipped on matching yellow shoes and started out of the bedroom. But she only made it to the hallway with her bone-colored handbag when her landline rang. Presuming it was her father calling to see how she was doing, she walked into the den to pick up and say hello.
“Signorina Loretto? This is Marcello. You are wanted in the king’s drawing room. Are you ready?”
Her hand gripped the receiver tighter. It sounded urgent. During the night she’d worried about this meeting. It was only natural Michelina’s mother would want to meet the woman who would be giving birth to her grandchild. But something about the look in Vincenzo’s eyes had given her a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.
“Yes. I’ll be right there.”
“Then I’ll inform His Highness, and meet you in the main corridor.”
“Thank you.”
Because of Vincenzo, Abby was familiar with every part of the palace except the royal apartments. He’d taken her to the main drawing room, where the king met with heads of state, several times. Vincenzo had gotten a kick out of watching her reaction as he related stories about foreign dignitaries that weren’t public knowledge.
But her smile faded as she made her way across the magnificent edifice to meet Michelina’s mother. She knew the queen was grieving. Marcello met her in the main hallway. “Follow me.”
They went down the hall past frescoes and paintings, to another section where they turned a corner. She spied the country’s flag draped outside an ornate pair of floor-to-ceiling doors. Marcello knocked on one of the panels and was told to enter. He opened the door, indicating she should go in.
The tall vaulted ceiling of the room was a living museum to the history of Arancia, and had known centuries of French and Italian rulers. But Abby’s gaze fell on Vincenzo, who was wearing a somber midnight-blue suit. Opposite him sat Michelina’s stylish sixty-five-year-old mother, who was brunette like her late daughter. She’d dressed in black, with a matching cloche hat, and sat on one of the brocade chairs.
“Come all the way in, Signorina Loretto. I’d like you to meet my mother-in-law, Her Majesty the Queen of Gemelli.” Abby knew Gemelli—another citrus-producing country—was an island kingdom off the eastern coast of Sicily, facing the Ionian Sea.
She moved toward them and curtsied the way she’d been taught as a child after coming to the palace. “Your Majesty. It’s a great honor, but my heart has been bleeding for you and the prince. I cared for your daughter very much.”
The matriarch’s eyes were a darker brown than Michelina’s, more snapping. She gave what passed for a nod before Vincenzo told Abby to be seated on the love seat on the other side of the coffee table. Once she was comfortable, he said, “If you recall, Michelina and I flew to Gemelli so she could tell the queen we were pregnant.”
“Yes.”
“To my surprise, the unexpected nature of our news came as a great shock to my mother-in-law, since my wife hadn’t informed her of our decision to use a surrogate.”
What?
“You mean your daughter never told you what she and the prince were contemplating?”
“No,” came the answer through wooden lips.
Aghast, Abby averted her eyes, not knowing what to think. “I’m so sorry, Your Majesty.”
“We’re all sorry, because the queen and Michelina argued,” Vincenzo explained. “Unfortunately before they could talk again, the accident happened. The queen would like to take this opportunity to hear from the woman who has dared to go against nature to perform a service for which she gets nothing in return.”
CHAPTER THREE
ABBY REELED.
For Vincenzo to put it so bluntly meant he and his mother-in-law had exchanged harsh if not painfully bitter words. But he was a realist and had decided the only thing to do was meet this situation head-on. He expected Abby to handle it because of their long-standing friendship over the years.
“You haven’t answered my question, Signorina Loretto.”
At the queen’s staccato voice, Abby struggled to catch her breath and remain calm. No wonder she’d felt tension from him last night when he’d brought up this morning’s meeting. Michelina’s omission when it came to her mother had put a pall over an event that was helping Vincenzo to get up in the morning.
He was counting on Abby being able to deal with his mother-in-law. She refused to let him down even if it killed her. More time passed while she formulated what to say before focusing on the queen.
“If I had a daughter who came to me in the same situation, I would ask her exactly the same question. In my case, I’ve done it for one reason only. Perhaps you didn’t know that the prince rescued me from certain death when I was seventeen. I lost my mother in that same sailboat accident. Before I was swept to shore by the wind, I’d lost consciousness.
“When the prince found me, I was close to death but didn’t know it.” Abby’s eyes glazed over with unshed tears. “If you could have heard the way my father wept after he discovered I’d been found and brought back to the living, you would realize what a miracle had happened that day, all because of the prince’s quick thinking and intervention.
“From that time on, my father and I have felt the deepest gratitude to the prince. Over the years I’ve pondered many times how to pay the prince back for preventing what could have been an all-out catastrophe for my father.”
The lines on the queen’s face deepened, revealing her sorrow. Whether she was too immersed in her own grief to hear what Abby was saying, Abby didn’t know.
“The prince and princess were the perfect couple,” Abby continued. “When I heard that the princess had had a third miscarriage, it wounded me for their sake. They deserved happiness. Before Christmas I learned through my father that Dr. DeLuca had suggested a way for them to achieve their dream of a family.”
Abby fought to prevent tears from falling. “After years of wishing there was something I could do, I realized that if I could qualify as a candidate, I could carry their child for them. You’ll never know the joy it gave me at the thought of doing something so special for them. When I told my father what I wanted to do, he was surprised at first, and yet he supported my decision, too, otherwise he would never have approved.”
She took a shuddering breath. “That’s the reason I’m doing this. A life for a life. What I’m going to get out of this is pure happiness to see the baby the prince and princess fought so hard for. When the doctor puts the baby in the prince’s arms, Michelina will live on in their child, and the child will forever be a part of King Guilio and his wife, and a part of you and your husband, Your Majesty.”
The queen’s hands trembled on the arms of the chair. “You have no comprehension of what it’s like to be a mother. How old are you?”
“I’m twenty-eight and it’s true I’ve never been married or had a child. But I won’t be its mother in the way you mean. I’m only supplying a safe haven for the baby until it’s born. Yes, I’ll go through the aches and pains of pregnancy, but I view this as a sacred trust.”
Her features hardened. “You call this sacred?”
“I do. During my screening process, I met a dozen different parents and their surrogates who’d gone through the experience and now have beautiful children. They were all overjoyed and agreed it’s a special partnership between them and God.”
For the first time, the queen looked away.
“The prince is a full partner in this. He and the princess discussed it many times. He knows what she wanted and I’ll cooperate in every way. If you have suggestions, I’ll welcome them with all my heart.”
Quiet reigned.
Realizing there was nothing more to say, Abby glanced at Vincenzo, waiting for him to dismiss her.
He read her mind with ease. “I
’m aware the limo is waiting to drive you to your office.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
At those words Michelina’s mother lifted her head. “You intend to work?” She sounded shocked.
“I do. I am passionate about my career as an attorney. After the delivery, I will have my own life to lead and need to continue planning for it.”
Vincenzo leaned forward. “She’ll stop work when the time is right.”
“Where will you live after the baby’s born?” The pointed question told Abby exactly where the queen’s thoughts had gone.
Nowhere near the prince.
She couldn’t blame the older woman for that. How could Michelina’s mother not suspect the worst? Her fears preyed on Abby’s guilt, which was deepening because she’d found herself missing Vincenzo more than she should have while he’d been away. He shouldn’t have been on her mind so much, but she couldn’t seem to turn off her thoughts. Not when the baby growing inside her was a constant reminder of him.
For weeks now she’d played games of what if? during the night when she couldn’t sleep. What if the baby were hers and Vincenzo’s? What would he or she look like? Where would they create a nursery in the palace? When would they go shopping for a crib and all the things necessary? She wanted to make a special baby quilt and start a scrapbook.
But then she’d break out in a cold sweat of guilt and sit up in the bed, berating herself for having any of these thoughts. Michelina’s death might have changed everything, but this royal baby still wasn’t Abby’s!
How could she even entertain such thoughts when Michelina had trusted her so implicitly? It was such a betrayal of the trust and regard the two women had for each other. They’d made a contract as binding as a blood oath. The second the baby was born, her job as surrogate would no longer be required and she’d return to her old life.
But Abby was aghast to discover that Michelina’s death had thrown her into an abyss of fresh guilt. She needed to talk to the psychologist about finding strategies to cope with this new situation or go crazy.
Queen Bianca had asked her a question and was waiting for an answer.
“I plan to buy my own home in another part of the city in the same building as a friend of mine. My contract with the prince and princess includes living at the palace, and that ends the moment the baby is delivered.”
Vincenzo’s eyes narrowed on her face. “What friend?”
That was probably the only thing about her plans the three of them hadn’t discussed over the last few months.
“You’ve heard me speak of Carolena Baretti and know she’s my best friend, who works at the same law firm with me. We went through law school together at the University of Arancia before taking the bar.”
If a woman could look gutted, the queen did. “This whole situation is unnatural.”
“Not unnatural, Your Majesty, just different. Your daughter wanted a baby badly enough to think it all through and agree to it. I hope the day will come when you’re reconciled to that decision.”
“That day will never come,” the older woman declared in an imperious voice. “I was thrilled each time she informed me she was pregnant and I suffered with her through each miscarriage. But I will never view surrogacy as ethically acceptable.”
“But it’s a gestational surrogacy,” Abby argued quietly. “Dr. DeLuca says that several thousand women around the globe are gestational surrogates and it’s becoming preferable to going with traditional surrogacy, because it ensures the genetic link to both parents. Think how many lives can be changed. Surely you can see what a miracle it is.”
“Nevertheless, it’s outside tradition. It interferes with a natural process in violation of God’s will.”
“Then how do you explain this world that God created, and all the new technology that helps people like your daughter and Vincenzo realize their dream to have a family?”
“It doesn’t need an explanation. It’s a form of adultery, because you are the third party outside their marriage. Some people regard that it could result in incest of a sort.”
Tortured by her words, Abby exchanged an agonized glance with Vincenzo. “What do you mean?”
“As the priest reminded me, their child might one day marry another of your children. While there would be no genetic relationship, the two children would be siblings, after a fashion.”
Naturally Abby hoped to marry one day and have children of her own, but never in a million years would she have jumped to such an improbable conclusion. By now Vincenzo’s features had turned to granite.
“There’s also the question of whether or not you’ll be entitled to an inheritance and are actually out for one.”
Abby was stunned. “When the prince saved my life, he gave me an inheritance more precious than anything earthly. If any money is involved, it’s the one hundred and fifty thousand dollars or more the prince has paid the doctors and the hospital for this procedure to be done.” She could feel herself getting worked up, but she couldn’t stop.
“I’ve been given all the compensation I could ever wish for by being allowed to live here in the palace, where my every want and need is taken care of. I’m so sorry this situation has caused you so much grief. I can see you two need to discuss this further, alone. I must leave for the office.”
Abby eyed the prince, silently asking him to please help her to go before the queen grew any more upset. He got the message and stood to his full imposing height, signaling she could stand.
“Thank you for joining us,” he murmured. “Whatever my mother-in-law’s reaction, it’s too late for talk because you’re pregnant with Michelina’s and my child. Let’s say no more. I promise that when the queen is presented with her first grandchild, she’ll forget all these concerns.”
The queen flashed him a look of disdain that wounded Abby. She couldn’t walk out of here with everything so ugly and not say a few last words.
“It’s been my privilege to meet you, Your Majesty. Michelina used to talk about you all the time. She loved you very much and was looking forward to you helping her through these coming months. I hope you know that. If you ever want to talk to me again, please call me. I don’t have a mother anymore and would like to hear any advice you have to help me get through this.”
It was getting harder and harder to clap with one hand and the prince knew it.
“Again, let me say how sorry I am about your loss. She was so lovely and accomplished. I have two of her watercolors hanging on the wall of my apartment. Everyone will miss her terribly, especially this baby.
“But thankfully it will have its grandmother to tell him or her all the things only you know about their mother.”
The queen stared at Abby through dim eyes.
Abby could feel her pain. “Goodbye for now.” She curtsied once more. Her gaze clung to Vincenzo’s for a few seconds before she turned on her low-heeled sandals and left the room. The limo would be waiting for her. Though she wanted to run, she forced herself to stay in control so she wouldn’t fall and do something to hurt herself.
The queen had put Abby on trial. No wonder Vincenzo’s wife had been frightened to approach her mother with such an unconventional idea. Only now was Abby beginning to understand how desperate and courageous Michelina had been to consider allowing a third party to enter into the most intimate aspect of all their lives. Facing the queen had to be one of the worst moments Abby had ever known.
But this had to be an even more nightmarish experience for Vincenzo. Here he was trying to deal with his wife’s death while at the same time having to defend the decision he and Michelina had made to use a surrogate. He had to be suffering guilt of his own.
Abby blamed no one for this, but she felt Vincenzo’s pain. How he was going to get through this latest crisis, she couldn’t imagine. Probably by working. That was how she planned t
o survive.
* * *
Twenty minutes later Abby entered the neoclassical building that housed her law firm and walked straight back to Carolena’s office. Her friend was a patent attorney and had become as close to Abby as a sister. Unfortunately she was at court, so they’d have to talk later.
Both Carolena and Abby had been hired by the well-known Arancian law firm after they’d graduated. Abby had been thrilled when they’d both been taken on a year ago. She had planned for this career from her junior-high days, and had been hired not only for her specialty in international trade law, but because she was conversant in French, English, Italian and Mentonasc.
Since the Mentonasc dialect—somewhere between Nicard and a dialect of Ligurian, a Gallo-Romance language spoken in Northern Italy—was currently spoken by about 10 percent of the population living in Arancia and its border areas, it gave her an edge over other applicants for the position, which required her particular linguistic expertise.
Abby’s parents had cleverly directed her studies from a very young age. Thanks to them her abilities had taken her to the head of the class. However, this morning Abby’s mind wasn’t on her latest cases.
She felt disturbed by the revelation that Michelina had kept her mother in the dark about one of the most important events in her life. Abby had done her research. Since the death of King Gregorio, Queen Bianca become the ruler of Gemelli and was known to be rigid and difficult. Abby had felt her disapproval and didn’t envy Vincenzo’s task of winning his mother-in-law over.
Hopefully something Abby had said would sink in and soften her heart. At the moment, Abby’s own heart was breaking for all of them.
* * *
Six hours later, Abby finished dictating some memos to Bernardo and left the building for the limo. But when she walked outside, she noticed the palace secret service cars had parked both in front of and behind the limo. One of the security men got out of the front and opened the rear door for her. What was going on?
Expecting the Prince's Baby (Harlequin RomancePrinces of Europe) Page 3
