by Holly Rayner
Poor Matteo had been born into a life he didn’t choose. In fact, Ashley had learned in her time there that there was so much Matteo had been made to do, simply because of where he was born. She knew that many people wouldn’t feel that kind of sympathy for a very rich and powerful man, but Matteo had been born into a confined life, and Ashley could tell that for such a free spirit, that was hard on him.
“You’re doing great,” she whispered.
He glanced down at her with a lifted brow.
“At what?” he asked.
“I don’t know, but you looked like you needed a pep talk just now.”
He grinned down at her then and reached for her hand under the table.
“I think I might be done with talking for the time being,” he said, scooting back and standing, his hand still holding hers.
“What would you say to a dance, instead?”
Chapter 18
Matteo
Matteo felt like a fool. Here he was with Ashley, a woman he had come to know and care so deeply about, and he was completely tongue-tied. The moment he saw her in that gown, it was as though he was a schoolboy, afraid to talk to the prettiest girl in class.
But this was no schoolyard.
All around them his world glittered and gleamed as it always had, and yet it paled in comparison to Ashley. As she stared up at him, her hand resting in his, he watched as a small blush appeared on her cheeks, illuminating her beauty even more.
“I…I would love that, but…” she said, hesitating.
He helped her stand, though she still didn’t make a move toward the dance floor.
“I don’t know how to dance. Not properly,” she said, her blush growing deeper.
He gripped her hand and twirled her toward him, and she circled right into the cradle of his arms.
“I’m an excellent teacher,” he murmured against her ear.
He felt her shiver and began to feel more like himself. Matteo stepped back, keeping hold of her hand as he led the way to the dance floor, which would remain empty until he initiated the first dance, as was custom. He stepped toward the center of the floor as the quintet struck up a waltz, and he arranged Ashley’s hands in the proper place for a dance.
“Now, follow my lead. Trust in the pressure of my hand and my step,” he said.
“Okay. But if I trip and ruin the dinner…”
He shook his head, bemused.
“You are incapable of ruining anything, Ashley.”
Her lip twitched at that comment.
“Now that’s just a little too generous,” she said.
“Never,” he said, and with that, he took the first step forward, and she followed his lead.
It took a few circles around the floor before Ashley developed the confidence to match his rhythm. After a moment, she laughed.
“I can’t believe I’m doing this!” she said, her expression one of utter delight.
Matteo was warm all over. He loved making Ashley smile. He loved everything about her. In that moment, Matteo realized that it was more than the things he loved about her, though. He had fallen head over heels in love with her. Everything she was, everything she did brought him more joy than he’d ever experienced in his life. She was everything to him, and he never wanted to let her go.
“And who do we have the pleasure of seeing here?” an older man with thin gray hair danced alongside them—one of his cabinet members. Matteo nodded to the man and introduced him to Ashley.
“This is Ashley Bedford, of the United States,” Matteo said.
A furry eyebrow lifted as the man nodded in Ashley’s direction.
“America, eh? What brings you to Golina, miss?”
Ah, already trying to dig into the royal business. They really never took a break, did they?
Ashley glanced up at Matteo, clearly unsure of how to answer, when they were interrupted by Silvio, of all people.
“Your Majesty. There is a matter I would like to discuss with you,” Silvio said.
His stance forced Matteo to stop dancing, and he stood with Ashley in his arms as he glared down his father’s advisor.
His advisor. Why was that so hard for him to remember?
“As you can see, we’re in the middle of an event, Silvio. Surely this can wait until tomorrow,” Matteo said, uncaring how cold he sounded.
The more Silvio involved himself with Ashley and David, the more Matteo wanted to simply relieve the man of his duties altogether, but there was a fealty to his father that he somehow couldn’t shake. In spite of everything his father had done to make his life miserable, he was a good king and a good leader. Matteo had to believe that was due to selecting wise counsel.
Right?
Silvio’s gaze was hard and did not waver as he answered.
“I’m afraid not,” Silvio said. “I must insist that you come with me at once, before it is too late.”
That caught Matteo’s attention. Had something terrible happened in Golina that he needed to deal with? What if tragedy had befallen someone? He remembered the phone calls he had ignored when his father had taken ill. Every moment he delayed could have devastating consequences.
Matteo glanced down at Ashley.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m sure I’ll only be a moment.”
She nodded and gestured toward their table.
“No worries. I can talk fashion with Carlotta and Gio until you get back.”
He captured her chin between his finger and thumb and couldn’t resist caressing the edge of her face, capturing her beauty in his mind’s eye forever. Then he nodded and followed Silvio, who had turned to walk out without addressing anyone else at all.
Silvio wasn’t exactly an expert in politeness, was he?
Matteo followed him until Silvio opened the door to a side room and stepped inside. Once Matteo also stepped in, he closed the door behind him, not noticing when it didn’t fully shut.
“What is it? What has happened that is so terribly urgent?” he asked, fearing the worst.
Silvio turned, his dark eyes penetrating as he glowered at Matteo. The impertinence of the man honestly knew no bounds, but Matteo could hardly think on that when he was getting more and more worried about the welfare of whoever might be in danger.
“Your Majesty,” Silvio began, his tone grave. “I have done my best to hold my tongue this past week while you dillydally about with the American and her son, but I will no longer keep my feelings to myself.”
Matteo’s stomach lurched as if he’d been punched. This wasn’t an emergency at all. This was about David, again!
Matteo scowled.
“I hardly think you’ve kept your feelings a secret, Silvio.”
“You are a fool if you think for one moment that those two will ever be happy here,” Silvio said.
“You’re wrong.”
“I am not. The people may accept them as guests in your home, perhaps friends that you know from your college days when you toured the States, but there is no way they will ever accept him as the heir to the throne. His very existence is a scandal waiting to happen! An American, placed on the Golinian throne…it’s not to be borne!”
Matteo’s eyes were like ice as he stared down his trusty advisor. The man who had gotten him out of so many scrapes, so many jail cells after a wild night on the town. This man had been there to bail him out of trouble more times than Matteo could count, but in this moment, he was ready to fire him and dismiss him from the grounds.
“The boy is a Golinian citizen, and I’d appreciate it if you treat him as such,” Matteo said, desperately trying to keep his temper in check.
“Oh really? What’s on his passport?” Silvio countered.
Matteo had no response to that. As far as the world was concerned, David was an American boy from Virginia, with an American accent and no knowledge of the Golina dialect.
But he knew better, and that was all that mattered.
“You are talking about my son, Silvio. It doesn’t matter whe
re he has spent the last five years. He’s my son!”
“Yes, and you weren’t supposed to know that! I worked so hard to convince your father to send him away, to keep him hidden from you and everyone else so that you could both live the rest of your lives in peace. Now you’ve brought him back here to ruin all of that, and for what? You are not cut out to be a father!”
Silvio’s words sliced through Matteo like a poison-tipped knife, seeping into his skin and making him sick as he realized exactly what had just been said.
“You. You were the one that convinced my father to hide my son from me?”
Silvio took a step back at Matteo’s tone, and Matteo moved forward, not allowing the man to cower away from what he had done.
“All this time I have blamed my father for his decision to hide David away, and you were the reason he did! What kind of advisor are you?”
“One that is always looking out for the throne!” Silvio shot back. “I protect you even when you won’t protect yourself. I have been the one saving you time and time again so that you wouldn’t embarrass the family permanently. This was one step too far—a bastard child!”
“David is my son! Mine! It is entirely up to me what happens to him, and I won’t let you or anyone else stand in the way. I will raise him right here so that you can watch, the whole world can watch me prove you wrong, and there is nothing you can say or do that will change my mind!”
Matteo was yelling. He knew he shouldn’t be, but his rage had boiled completely over. When he heard a gasp behind him, he was practically seeing red as he turned and saw Ashley’s face in the doorway, devastation etched into her features.
No.
Before he had a chance to say a word, she turned away and disappeared.
How could this situation get any worse? Clearly she’d just overheard the entire conversation, and interpreted his words to mean that he would be taking David and raising the boy himself. What had he just done?
He turned to Silvio.
“I’ll deal with you later,” he growled.
Before Silvio had a chance to respond, Matteo was out the door, but Ashley was nowhere to be seen. He stalked down the hallway and headed in the direction of the ballroom. The party was still in full swing, and all around him curious stares followed in his wake as he whisked through the crowd, his eyes searching for a crimson gown and honey-colored hair.
Where could she have gone?
“Matteo? What’s wrong?”
Carlotta appeared beside him, and he tensed as she laid a cautious hand on his arm.
“Have you seen Ashley?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Not since I saw you two dancing a little bit ago. What’s happened? Is she in trouble?”
“No, I just need to find her,” he said.
“We can help,” Carlotta offered.
Matteo shook his head as he moved along, realizing that she hadn’t returned to the ball, at least.
“No. I’ll search on my own. This is a personal matter.”
“Okay,” Carlotta said, clearly unconvinced.
He didn’t look back as he left the ballroom and walked out into the moonlit courtyard. The cool air certainly helped clear his mind, and he considered calling her name as he searched, but he wondered if that would just make her run away faster.
What a mess he had made.
He could blame Silvio. That would be the easy thing to do. In the end, he knew that he truly only had himself to blame. Matteo knew firsthand the strong sting of regret, and the sensation throbbed in his bones as he desperately sought out the one person in the world who could understand his love for his child.
Of course. David.
Matteo turned about-face and headed back into the palace, skirting the ballroom and heading toward the end of the building where Ashley and David were staying. When he reached the door, he considered knocking, but he couldn’t bring himself to this time. He had to see Ashley. He had to explain.
He opened the door and rushed inside.
“Ashley?” he asked.
Mrs. Lioni glanced up from a book she was reading in the sitting area. When she saw who walked in, she stood and gave a respectful bow.
“Your Majesty. What brings you in here? Has the ball ended early?”
“No,” he said curtly. “Have you seen Ashley?”
Mrs. Lioni shook her head.
“She hasn’t been back here. I wasn’t expecting either of you for a while.”
Just then, David walked out of his room.
“Matteo? What are you doing here? Where’s my mom?”
Matteo stared at the precious boy, his hair tousled from lying down, his little toes poking out from his pajama bottoms. He nodded to Mrs. Lioni, who sat back down and opened her book once more, and he walked over to David. He knelt down to meet the boy at his level.
“I think she was just taking a little break from the party,” Matteo said.
“Is she okay?” David asked.
Matteo nodded.
“Oh yes. She’s fine. I just wanted to come check on you,” he said, not wanting to worry the boy. He forced himself to calm down as he stood and gestured back toward David’s room.
“Why don’t you head back to bed? Your mother will be here when you wake up.”
“My mom always tucks me in and tells me a story,” David said, his voice a tad wobbly. It was enough to crack Matteo’s heart.
“Well, would it be okay if I try?” he said.
After a moment, David nodded, and together they walked back into his room, where David scooted beneath the blankets. Matteo tucked some of the bedding beneath him.
“There, nice and snug,” Matteo said.
“Story,” David reminded him.
“Ah, yes. Well. Once upon a time, there was a young princeling who lived in a beautiful palace. One day the little prince was stolen and taken away.”
“Why was he taken?” David asked with a yawn.
“Well, there was an evil toad that wanted him out of the palace,” Matteo said. “And so the boy grew up in a cozy cottage far away, never knowing that he was really a prince.”
“A cottage sounds okay,” David said.
“Yes, it was very lovely,” Matteo said. “But one day, the prince was found by his father, the king, who brought him back home, and they lived happily ever after.”
“What about the boy’s mom?” David said.
“Oh, she came too. And the three of them had a very happy life together. You see, the princeling was so dear to her that she knew she could never live without him, and so she joined them at the palace so they could be together.”
“Did the king fall in love with her?” David said, his eyes closing as he asked his questions.
Matteo stared out into the dark room.
“Deeply,” he whispered.
A swish of fabric caught his attention, and when he turned, Ashley stood in the doorway with tears in her eyes. He stood and approached her, hoping that she wouldn’t take that moment to run away again. He knew that at some point she would make it back here, with David.
When he reached her, his heart broke another time at the heartache in her eyes.
“Please, let me explain,” he said.
Chapter 19
Ashley
Ashley considered for a moment whether or not to slap Matteo in his handsome face, take her son, and go home. The thought of it hurt more than she could bear. She stepped back out of the room and gestured for him to follow.
Together they walked out into the main living area of her suite. Mrs. Lioni sat quietly reading her book, but Ashley didn’t want the nanny to overhear anything they discussed, not knowing how much the woman was aware of in the first place. Ashley headed in the direction of the balcony, sliding open a glass door and stepping out.
The cool air made her shiver, but she wrapped her arms around her middle and turned to face Matteo, uncaring about her own discomfort. There were more important things to be addressed now.
She w
aited until Matteo closed the door behind him and turned to face her head-on.
“Tell me your true intentions,” Ashley said, annoyed when her voice caught a little in her throat.
Matteo put his hands up and took a step toward her, but when she stepped away from him, he stopped.
“I’m sorry that you had to hear that argument,” he said. “It was not my intention.”
“I’m asking you what your intentions are, not what they aren’t. Did you bring us here simply to dazzle us with your wealth and status so you could pull rank in your own country and steal my son?”
Matteo’s shoulders slumped. It was a reaction she wasn’t expecting, but she held firm in her question. She had to look out for David first, always.
“Do you really think so little of me?” he whispered.
Those words cut straight through her heart, but she kept her arms around her middle and stared hard at him, seeking the truth.
“That’s not an answer.”
“The answer is no, of course not,” Matteo said. “I can see how my statement could be misconstrued or misunderstood. I was angry with Silvio. Ashley, if you’d heard what he said—”
“And what did he say, that would make you shout for all to hear that you’ll be raising your son here, where he belongs?”
Matteo ran a hand over his eyes. He stood near a table with two chairs, and he collapsed into one, turning Ashley’s ire into worry. She strode past him and sat across the table, fighting the urge to reach out and touch him. She’d never seen such sorrow in his eyes. When he looked up, she could almost swear he was fighting back tears.
“What did he say, Matteo?” she whispered.
“He said…” Matteo began, then cleared his throat. “He said that he was the one who convinced my father to give David away in secret. He said that no matter what I think, the boy would never be accepted among my people, that he would be a scandal and a stain on the family legacy. He said that I should have left well enough alone instead of involving you both in this, which will inevitably lead to misery for all involved.”
