He winced at her unease.
Her forest-green below-the-knee fitted dress had a deep slash from her collarbone to the centre seam, and her hand rose to touch the exposed pale skin of her breastbone.
Her dress was perfect. She was perfect. With her irresistible wide smile and rose blushed cheeks she was what every royal bride was supposed to be.
The only problem was that she was a reluctant bride, only going through with a marriage of convenience in a selfless act of friendship.
Kara’s description of her relationship with Nick Green had knocked him for six. He gritted his teeth, once again seething that he hadn’t taken the time to unearth why he had never taken to Nick. Instead he had shrugged off that instinct that said there was something insidious about him and had put it down to him just being protective of Kara. He had tried to be chilled about their relationship, pleased for her, when in fact his skin had crawled at the thought of them being together.
But the truth of Nick’s controlling personality wasn’t the only reason he was so thrown—in Kara revealing the truth, for the first time it had dawned on him that Kara might want greater intimacy between them. What he had thought would be a simple marriage of convenience hadn’t allowed for the needs and vulnerabilities that came with any relationship. What if Kara continued to confide in him and expected in return an emotional intimacy he wasn’t capable of giving? Just because she had never looked for it as a friend didn’t mean that would continue when they were husband and wife.
Michael would have freaked to see his little sister put in this position. Guilt and unease twisted inside him—he knew what he was asking of Kara, the huge sacrifices she was having to make in order to help him to the throne. Dio, he hated having to ask for her support—it was selfish, and it felt as though his world order was turned upside down. It was his role in their relationship to be the supporter, the one in control. He didn’t want to be dependent on anyone, even Kara. He liked to be autonomous and detached from others. Emotional intimacy terrified him. It was the reason why all of his past relationships had ended. He had always backed away from letting anyone too close. He could never deal with the pain of losing someone he loved again.
Behind him his father called out, ‘Maria, I told you not to delay us.’
While the rest of the room, including Kara, was startled at his father’s barked reprimand, his aunt gave him one of her serene smiles and, ushering Kara into the room, said, ‘The media can wait. Kara and I had some important matters to talk over, including selecting a dress created by a Monrosa designer for the engagement photos.
‘What do you think, Edwin? Doesn’t Kara look beautiful?’ Not waiting, thankfully, for him to answer, his aunt spoke to her husband, Johan. ‘Do you remember just how excited we were when we announced our engagement?’ Looking back towards Kara and then him, she clapped her hands in excitement. ‘Enjoy every moment of this very special time in your lives.’
His aunt, who knew nothing about the truth as to why they were marrying, waited for a response. Only his father, brothers and Kara’s parents knew the true reason for their marriage. The fewer people who knew the truth, the better. Struggling to find an appropriate response, he obviously hesitated too long in giving a reaction because his aunt’s expression shifted to one of confusion.
Before he had an opportunity to speak his father barked, ‘We have much more important matters that need to be taken care of other than worrying about dresses.’
Kara stepped forwards with a conciliatory smile and addressed his father. ‘I apologise for the delay, but I do agree with Princess Maria. My choice of dress will send out an important signal of my support for Monrosa.’ She tilted her chin. ‘It’s inevitable, given the speed and nature of our engagement, that things will not always go according to plan one hundred per cent of the time, but I’m sure Your Highness will take that into consideration.’
His father reddened, not used to being challenged, even in such a polite way.
Edwin bit back a smile, proud of Kara’s defiance.
Ever so subtly all of the others present in the room slipped to stand behind his father. Only he and Victor remained in the no-man’s-land between Kara and his father.
Raúl, Director of Royal Communications, stepped forward and addressed His Highness with a pained expression. ‘Sir, the press are waiting.’
His father eyed Raúl with exasperation and growled, ‘Well, what are you waiting for? Go out there and start proceedings.’
Raúl nodded, squared his shoulders. About to leave the room, he doubled back and whispered, ‘Miss Duffy, please try to remember your answers from our rehearsal this morning.’ Turning to regard Edwin, who had moved over to stand next to her, Raúl added, ‘I would suggest His Royal Highness is the one who answers any unrehearsed questions that might arise.’
Kara gave Raúl an uncertain smile. Her job required her to speak in public frequently, but Edwin knew it was her least favourite part of her role and one she was over-conscious and overly self-critical of. The last thing she needed now was somebody doubting her ability.
Edwin cleared his throat and stepped closer to Raúl. ‘Miss Duffy is more than capable of answering any questions that might arise.’ Edwin tried to eyeball Raúl but the other man’s eyes shifted relentlessly in every direction but his. Biting back the temptation to sigh, Edwin added, ‘I want some time with Kara alone before we speak to the media. Wait here for another ten minutes before you go out. We will be in the music room and will join you from there.’
Raúl, with a pained expression, peered back towards his father, who was now puce in the face.
‘What’s the delay now? Edwin, I command you to stop delaying proceedings.’
Edwin turned and approached his father. Those surrounding him remained where they were. A silence fell on the room. Edwin tilted his head and eyed each and every advisor one by one. They all understood he wanted to speak to his father in private. Was this their way of showing where their loyalty lay? Their concerns about his succession? Had he a rebellion on his hands? Seconds passed. He stood his ground. His father went to speak. Edwin shot him a look of warning. This was his battle. Eventually, no doubt realising that Edwin was prepared to wait for the rest of the day for them to retreat, the advisors slowly peeled away towards the back of the room. Edwin could only hope this was the start of the royal court accepting his authority.
Lowering his head, he addressed his father. ‘Apart from a brief meeting earlier, I’ve spent no time alone with Kara since she arrived from London this morning. We need time to speak. I ask you to respect that.’
His father gestured out towards the courtyard. ‘The media are waiting and we have important state matters to discuss. You can talk to Salma later.’
Edwin let out an impatient breath. ‘You know damn well her name is Kara. And I don’t care that you think I should have married someone with better connections and background. We are marrying because you have left me with no other option. But I will not cause any harm or distress to my bride.’ As he held his father’s gaze, years of frustration with his father’s belligerence and uninterest in his family spilled out. ‘Kara will soon be part of this family and, whether you like it or not, from now on we’re going to act like one—this family has been dysfunctional for far too long. You are to respect Kara and her position. Never force me into a position where I have to choose between her and the crown.’
Whipping around, he guided Kara out of the room, a hand to her back, the need to protect her, to make sure she was okay, thudding through him like some primal beat.
Beneath his hand, her hips swayed as her high heels hit the marble floor of the anteroom. ‘What did you say to your father? He looked even more hacked off than usual.’
She didn’t know of his father’s unhappiness at his choice of bride and he wanted to keep it that way. ‘I apologise for his foul mood. He’s anxious about tomorrow.’
‘At times.’
‘I hope you’ll instil a more positive atmosphere when you are in charge.’
‘I aim to,’ he hit her with a teasing smile, ‘but then, you did say that my father and I are alike, so maybe I’ll end up just as grumpy as him.’
‘Not under my watch you won’t.’
He laughed at her warning but there was something in her expression that had him realise that not only would she have his back in her role as his consort, but she would also push him to do the right thing, even if it was not what he always wanted to do. He wasn’t quite sure whether to be comforted or alarmed by that.
Moving into the music room, he led her towards the terraced doors, where they were able to watch the media unobserved, thanks to the immense size of the Fountain of Bulls at the centre of the courtyard.
She sighed on spotting the assembled media, a hand unconsciously kneading the side of her neck. She was nervous.
‘We’ll be okay.’
She turned and studied him. ‘Will we?’
His gaze shifted back to the media, remembering the morning after his mother’s death. He had joined his father out in the courtyard for his address to the world’s media. He had been bewildered and scared, barely able to comprehend that his mother was dead. He had pleaded with his father not to make him accompany him, but his response had been a brief lecture on his duty to the crown and country. To this day he could still feel the force of his need for his mother in that moment, for her words of encouragement and the hug she would give him whenever he had to perform a public duty.
Living your life so publicly was grindingly tough.
‘I’ll protect you from the media.’
Her hand dropped from her throat to hang by her side. ‘It’s not the media I’m worried about. It’s us.’
Where had that come from?
‘What do you mean?’
‘For the past few days my calls to my local taxi company have lasted longer than our telephone conversations.’
‘As I explained, I’ve been tied up with legal issues around the succession, and Aunt Maria has been tying me up in knots with her elaborate ideas for the wedding.’
Her pink-glossed mouth flatlined. ‘Not the wedding, our wedding—we should be planning it together.’
‘I didn’t want to bother you with the details. I knew you’d be busy with your own work.’
That earned him a disbelieving look.
‘This may only be a short-term marriage but I want an equal say.’
‘Of course you’ll have an equal say.’
‘So why are you shutting me out?’ she asked.
‘I’m not shutting you out.’ He wasn’t, was he? Okay, so maybe he had been distracted in their phone calls over the past few days, but in his defence he was snowed under with things to organise...and there was also the small fact that he wasn’t sure how to negotiate their new relationship as an engaged couple.
She raised an unconvinced eyebrow and turned to stare back out towards the media.
He ran a hand along his jaw and grimaced. ‘The media will expect us to kiss.’
Her head whipped around.
Her eyes a startled blue, a blush crept up her throat and onto her cheeks.
He should reach out for her, draw her into a hug, tell her everything would be okay...but would it? No matter how much he would like to deny it, them kissing, the physical intimacy of it, was about to shift their relationship from straightforward friendship to a whole lot more complicated.
Kara kneaded her exposed collarbone. ‘You don’t have to kiss me if you don’t want to.’
‘I don’t have a problem kissing you.’
She gave a tiny snort. ‘Are you sure? You certainly don’t sound too enthusiastic.’
‘I don’t want to put you in any situation you are uncomfortable with.’ Despite himself he couldn’t stop staring at Kara’s mouth, the cupid’s bow shape of her lips.
What would it be like to kiss her?
He arched his neck, a much too pleasant physical sensation trickling through his body.
Dios! What was he thinking?
She backed away from him, her expression flustered. ‘I’m sure we can handle a quick chaste kiss.’
‘Who said anything about it being chaste?’
She eyed him warily for a moment but then with a laugh, obviously deciding he was teasing her, she added, ‘You’re all talk—knowing how you like to keep your interactions with the media as brief as is humanly possible, I bet it will be a quick peck.’
‘Is that a challenge?’
‘No! Just an educated guess. Anyway, based on how badly I fumbled my answers when I had a practice run of questions with Raúl earlier, maybe us kissing will be a whole lot safer than having to answer questions. I have the real potential of putting my foot in it—you know how much I can prattle on when I’m nervous.’
‘Be yourself. I don’t want you to ever change or feel the pressure to change. You’re perfect as you are.’
She gave him an uncertain smile. Dio! That had come out all wrong. It sounded like an intimate, flirtatious compliment when it should have been just a statement of fact.
She turned her head to gaze around the room, taking in the antique musical instruments including a pianoforte and harp. ‘I can’t imagine myself roaming around here dressed in my pyjamas, eating a bowl of cereal any morning.’
‘In our apartments you can do what you want.’ He paused, and before he could stop himself he added, ‘You can even roam around naked if it takes your fancy.’
Where the hell had that come from?
He raked a hand through his hair. Not only was he staring at her mouth in a whole new and inappropriate way, but now he was also inviting her to roam about their apartment naked. What was the matter with him?
She stared at him with her mouth open, but then rolled her eyes. ‘I’d just put you off your breakfast.’
‘Well, it’d certainly brighten up my day.’
Kara laughed but then, sobering, asked, ‘What’s going on? Are you trying to flirt with me in case I’m having second thoughts and might back out?’
Was she actually serious? ‘Please tell me that you don’t believe I could be so manipulative.’ Pausing, he added, ‘Are you having second thoughts?’
‘No, but stop acting so weird. It’s freaking me out. It’s the kind of trick Nick would have tried on. I want to marry you. And how can I possibly not go ahead at this stage anyway, knowing I’d break your aunt’s heart if I did? I had thought when she said she wanted to speak to me that it might turn out all Shakespearian and she’d try to persuade me not to marry you in a bid to gain the throne herself, but the complete opposite was true.’
Shaking his head at her vivid imagination, he pointed out, ‘There are two important facts you need to know about my aunt—firstly, she hates public life and much prefers to spend her time attending to her gardens on her estate in the north of the island. And secondly, she is an incurable romantic. Planning a wedding is her idea of heaven. I haven’t seen her so enthusiastic about anything in a very long time.’
‘So I gathered. She also mentioned that your father’s planning on moving to the north of the island also after he abdicates. Are you happy about that?’
That was a good question. ‘I’ll be able to stamp my authority more easily...’
She regarded him and then softly asked, ‘But you’d like him to stay here?’
Was he naïve to think he would be able to drag his family back together? ‘I know he might be a nightmare to have around but I want us to be a family, work together as a team.’ There was a softness, a tender understanding in her eyes. She understood what it was like
to have a family blown apart. ‘It’s what my mother would have wanted.’
Kara nodded and then, leaning against the terrace door, turning her back on what was going on outside, she studied him, her gaze drifting down over his navy suit. Nodding to his gold and purple tie, she said, ‘The royal colours for the occasion.’ Reaching out, she adjusted his tie a fraction. ‘You’re looking very handsome today. Your mother would be very proud of the man you have become.’
He swallowed at her words. Dio, he could only hope his mother would be proud of the man he was. When she had been alive he had always tried to make her proud and in death that hadn’t changed. He wanted to emulate her care for Monrosa and its people. He wanted to keep her alive by his actions.
Out in the courtyard, Raúl hurried towards the media. No doubt under orders from his father to get the proceedings over and done with so that they could continue focusing on all of the issues arising from the impending abdication. ‘The announcement is about to get underway.’
Twisting around, Kara watched Raúl. Her hand rubbed against her throat. Her fingernails were painted in a pale pink shade, the sapphire engagement ring he had presented to her earlier shimmering on her finger and disconcerting him with its unfamiliarity. With a wistful smile she said, ‘I’m so glad you’re going to try to get your family to be closer.’
With a sigh he pulled her in to him. As ever she held herself rigidly. ‘I’m sorry your parents wouldn’t be here today.’ They had invited Kara’s parents to be present at the announcement but both had declined, unhappy that Kara had agreed to a marriage of convenience.
She tilted her head so that her forehead rested lightly against his chest, the movement telling him everything he needed to know as to just how disappointed she was, and against her hair he whispered, ‘I’ll be your family now.’
She pulled back, her eyes glistening with tears. He touched his finger against her cheek, his heart pounding in his chest, emotion catching in his throat, at just how much he really meant those words.
But then with a shake of her head Kara pulled back. ‘Please don’t say things like that, not when this isn’t a real marriage.’
Best Friend to Princess Bride Page 5
