‘I wasn’t intending to,’ Aurora explained as Antonietta let them into the cottage, ‘but Nico has a friend in residence over at the hotel. They are having lunch so I thought Gabe and I could come and see you. I’ll join them for coffee afterwards and then we’ll head over to my parents’.’ She gave a dramatic eye-roll.
‘How are they?’
‘Still demanding that Nico gives my idle brother work. I have said no, but Nico has backed down. He’s going to tell him this afternoon he’s got him a role. God help us,’ she muttered. ‘He didn’t even move the logs from Geo’s house when there were those wildfires.’ Geo was Nico’s late father. ‘Instead he left it to me.’
‘That was a long time ago,’ Antonietta pointed out.
‘And he has grown fatter and lazier since. Honestly, families are—’ She stopped herself. ‘Sorry. That was insensitive of me.’
‘It’s fine.’
‘Has there been any progress?’
Antonietta gave a non-committal shrug. No, there had been no progress with her family—if anything, they seemed to be going backwards. But there had been progress in her life. She was making friends—real ones—and she was putting down roots too.
And as for Rafe...
That felt like progress too, because even if they could go nowhere he had taught her so much about herself.
‘I’ve brought your Christmas present,’ Aurora declared. ‘I’ll put it under your tree. No peeking...’ she said, and then looked at the little lounge, which was pretty much exactly as she had left it some weeks ago. ‘No tree!’
‘There’s only me here.’
‘But you love Christmas! Here,’ Aurora said, and handed her a parcel—only Antonietta had nothing to give her surprise guest in return.
‘I did have yours...’ Antonietta blushed. ‘Then I borrowed it. I have to get another.’
‘Well, hurry up.’ Aurora smiled. ‘It is only a few days till Christmas.’ She looked over at her great friend and gave a quizzical frown. ‘Since when do you wear red lipstick?’
‘Who said I got you red lipstick?’ Antonietta attempted, but Aurora knew her too well.
‘You always do,’ Aurora answered. ‘Even when you were in France, and we were barely in touch, you sent the same present each year. So how come you borrowed it?’
‘I just decided to give it a try.’ Antonietta shrugged. ‘You’ve been nagging me to wear make-up for years.’
‘With no luck, though!’ Aurora’s shrewd eyes narrowed. ‘What’s going on?’
‘Nothing,’ Antonietta said, and set about filling the coffee pot, even though Aurora said she didn’t want one.
‘Just water for me. Antonietta...is everything okay? You seem on edge.’
‘Of course.’
Antonietta knew she was holding back, but though she wanted to confide, in this case she felt she could not. Aurora might be her best friend, but her husband was Nico—the owner of the Old Monastery. He wouldn’t appreciate a maid fraternising with a guest.
Still, she was saved from explaining her sudden need for lipstick by the sight of little Gabe, tottering around the table on unsteady legs.
‘You didn’t tell me he was almost walking!’
‘Watch this,’ Aurora said, and held out her arms to Gabe. ‘Show Antonietta what you can do!’
Antonietta held her breath as Gabe turned from the table and took two tottering steps unaided, and then fell into his mamma’s arms.
‘Oh, look at you!’ Antonietta beamed and clapped her hands. ‘He’s adorable.’
‘He is,’ Aurora agreed. ‘And he knows it. Though he’s in for a big shock when his little sister comes along...’
It took a second for the news to sink in. ‘You’re expecting?’
‘Yes! Although only you are allowed to know for now! We’re thrilled,’ she added. ‘I know it means we’ll have two under two, but we want them to be close...’
It was wonderful news. This time last year Aurora had been pregnant and practically homeless. Now she was deliriously happy and with another new baby on the way!
‘I feel sick this time, though,’ Aurora admitted.
‘Then what are you doing in a helicopter?’
‘Flying is fine—it is food that upsets me. That is why I decided not to join Nico for lunch. I don’t think me vomiting in front of the Crown Prince of Tulano would go down too well.’
It was the second big piece of news in as many minutes—not that Aurora could know the effect her throwaway comment had had.
‘Crown Prince...?’
The smile Antonietta had been wearing slipped from her face, and as her legs turned to water she reached for the couch and sat down. On some level she had always known, but on hearing Aurora confirm it Antonietta crumpled and buried her face in her hands.
‘Whatever’s wrong?’ Aurora said. ‘Antonietta, what did I say...?’ She came and put her arm around her friend’s shoulder. ‘Tell me.’
‘I can’t.’
‘Is it Rafe?’ Aurora asked—because she had seen her friend pale when she had mentioned his title. When Antonietta neither confirmed nor denied it, Aurora pushed for more. ‘Has he been causing problems for you?’
‘Problems?’ Antonietta frowned. ‘No...no.’
‘You don’t have to put up with it just because you are staff...’
‘No, Aurora.’ Her friend was on the wrong track. ‘The only problem is how much I like him.’
She felt the hand on her shoulder tense and wondered if she had been wise to say anything. But apart from being the boss’s wife Aurora was also her best friend, and in truth she desperately needed her trusted advice.
‘I really like him,’ Antonietta admitted.
‘You’ve never said that about anyone before.’
‘I’ve never felt like this before. Rafe took me out for dinner last night and it was absolute bliss. I wore the red silk dress that you made for me and I knew happiness, Aurora. He was wonderful to me.’
She saw the doubt in her friend’s eyes. The same doubt Antonietta had seen there when she’d insisted her family would forgive her.
‘He really was...’ she said.
‘You’re in over your head, Antonietta.’
‘I know that,’ Antonietta said. ‘I already knew that even before I found out he was royal.’
‘He has the most terrible reputation with women.’ Aurora was both abrupt and upfront. ‘Rafe makes Nico look tame, and I don’t even know half of what Nico got up to before we were married.’ She was genuinely concerned. ‘Antonietta, don’t let him use you.’
‘Used was how I felt with Sylvester,’ Antonietta admitted. ‘I’ve never felt that way for a moment with Rafe.’
‘Listen to me,’ Aurora urged. ‘Crown Prince Rafael is his father’s son—everybody says so. You must have heard all the scandals attached to the King of Tulano?’
Antonietta had. Oh, they weren’t sitting there at the forefront of her mind, but there were little memories of her mother tutting over a magazine. And there had been some scandalous articles she’d read laboriously when she’d been trying to improve her vocabulary in France.
‘Rafe is exactly the same.’
‘Rafe isn’t married.’
‘That doesn’t give him free rein! He is irredeemable, Antonietta, and a complete rake. You must have looked him up?’
‘No! I make up my own mind about people,’ Antonietta said rather piously, and then stepped down from her high horse and admitted the truth. ‘I’ve tried to look him up, but I can’t get on the Internet here and I daren’t risk it at work.’
‘Well, don’t bother—just heed my advice and stay well away from him,’ Aurora warned, and then she looked at Antonietta’s pale cheeks. ‘Or am I right in guessing it’s too late for that and he didn’t just take you for dinner?’
Antonietta said nothing.
‘Oh, Antonietta...’
It wasn’t the best catch-up with her friend. Antonietta had wanted advice—only not the advice she had got.
And although Aurora wanted to be delighted for her friend, who had tucked herself away for far too long, she could not bring herself to it.
‘I have to go over there now,’ she said, picking up Gabe’s little jacket. ‘I’ll try not to kill Rafe when I see him.’
‘Please don’t say anything,’ Antonietta begged.
‘Of course I won’t.’
‘Why don’t you leave Gabe with me?’ Antonietta offered. ‘I can give him his birthday present...’
‘You’re sure?’ Aurora checked. ‘He’s due for his afternoon sleep and it would be so much easier.’
‘Of course I’m sure.’
‘I’ll leave my phone too,’ Aurora said. ‘It’s got a good signal.’
Antonietta frowned, wondering for a moment why Aurora would leave her phone here when she was heading out, but then realised she was being given an opportunity to look Rafe up.
‘That won’t be necessary,’ she said, but Aurora was blowing kisses to Gabe as she headed off for coffee with her husband and Rafe...
* * *
Rafe had found, during a long and luxurious lunch, that he’d had to keep pulling his focus back to the conversation with Nico. His mind had kept drifting to last night. Or rather it had kept honing in on tonight, and seeing Antonietta again.
All thoughts of checking out had gone and, knowing that she was on a half-day, he had decided that he would not wait until evening. If he walked Nico to his helicopter he could make a diversion to the cottage unnoticed...
‘Ah, here is Aurora now,’ Nico said, and both men stood as she approached the table.
As Rafe greeted her with the familiar kiss to the cheek, it was confirmed that she and Antonietta really were chalk and cheese. A person had to dig deep to get so much as a glimpse of Antonietta’s thoughts, whereas Aurora wore her heart on her sleeve.
‘Rafe,’ she said as they greeted each other.
And, though it wasn’t quite the Sicilian kiss of death, he could feel Aurora’s wrath and suspicion even as they brushed cheeks, and was certain that she knew what had transpired last night.
‘It is lovely to see you again,’ Rafe said.
‘Likewise.’ Aurora gave a tight smile.
‘Is Gabe with Antonietta?’ Nico checked.
‘Naturally,’ Aurora said. ‘Why wouldn’t I leave him with my dearest friend? She is his godmother, after all.’ She looked over to Rafe. ‘I consider Antonietta family.’
‘Of course...’ Nico frowned, with no idea of what Aurora was alluding to.
Rafe knew, and he could feel Aurora’s contempt when she addressed him.
‘I was sorry to hear of your accident, though clearly you are feeling much better.’
‘Much,’ Rafe agreed. ‘And I was just telling Nico how much I’ve enjoyed my stay here.’
‘Any time,’ Nico said. ‘You are always welcome here, and I shall always do my best to ensure that your time in Silibri goes unreported. Consider the August Suite your bolthole.’
‘I am sure,’ Aurora said, ‘that Rafe will soon grow bored with all Silibri has to offer.’
He could feel her animosity, and in truth it was merited. Rafe knew that he had earned his poor reputation with women. And he knew, too, that his time had run out and very soon he would have to settle down.
Nico’s suggestion that he use Silibri as a bolthole had rattled Rafe—because it appealed. He sat making polite small talk with his hosts as visions of regular returns to Silibri scrolled in his mind.
And then he shocked himself by imagining how much nicer this gathering would be if Antonietta had joined them.
Rafe had always enjoyed Nico’s company, although it had taken a new direction since his friend had settled down, and now took the form of tame lunches rather than parties aboard Rafe’s yacht.
But to say there could be no future for himself and Antonietta was the understatement of the century.
Well, no tangible future, anyway.
She could be vetted, of course, and liaisons arranged beyond the reach of a camera lens. But Rafe knew even at this early stage that Antonietta deserved far more than that.
‘We should get going,’ Nico said now, but as farewells were exchanged, Aurora took another shot.
‘So you will be going home for Christmas?’ she checked. ‘Or, given how well you have recovered, perhaps sooner?’
Rafe heard the veiled threat and was about to make a smart reply—for he did not appreciate being told what to do by anyone, let alone a newly married friend’s wife. Except her concern was merited. And in truth he was grateful that Antonietta had Aurora on her side.
‘There is a lot to take into consideration before I leave.’ Rafe met her gaze, and with solemn eyes told her he had heard her concerns. ‘Believe me, I am giving it much thought.’
So much thought that instead of strolling across the grounds to wave them off, and ‘dropping in’ on Antonietta, Rafe resisted the pull and headed back to his suite.
The thought of being with Antonietta appealed way more than it should. But he was a prince who needed no distractions, and it was time to pull back.
* * *
For Antonietta, the conclusion was the same.
She had spent an adorable hour playing with Gabe and the little wooden train. He was an absolutely beautiful baby, with dark curls and big brown eyes, and just the distraction she needed for a confused and troubled heart.
Aurora’s phone, resting on the table, had called to her, but Antonietta had resisted.
‘Look,’ she’d said, waving the train again. But after an hour it had become clear, even though Gabe took it, that all he wanted to do was sleep. Eventually Gabe had thrown the toy down, and Antonietta had only been able to smile, because he’d reminded her then of Aurora.
‘You win,’ Antonietta had said, pulling cushions from the sofa.
She’d made Gabe a little bed on the floor and in a matter of moments he’d been asleep.
By then Aurora’s phone had developed its own magnetic pull, and she hadn’t been able to help walking over to it.
You don’t want to know, Antonietta had told herself.
Oh, but she did.
It hadn’t taken her long to find out that Aurora’s dark assessment of Rafe had been correct. Crown Prince Rafael of Tulano did indeed live a life of excess. There were endless photos, taken from a distance, but zoomed in enough, capturing the depravity taking place aboard his yacht. On land he was no better, be it après ski or falling out of casinos, and always, always with a beauty hanging off his arm.
Yet his lovers remained nameless and they never told all.
She’d been able to find no interviews, no bitter tears spilled in the glossies. He paid for their silence, Antonietta guessed, and finally she understood his reference to ‘paperwork’.
His life of excess was not just with women. Antonietta had winced at the photos of a sports car wrapped around a tree, from which he had been cut out. And there had been falls from horses and an accident involving jet skis.
Yet through it all his people still adored him, despite seeming to wish for their Prince to slow down.
He showed few signs of doing so.
There were a couple of relationships she’d found, although they went way back. A Lady from England and a minor European royal it seemed he had dated for a while. Although on closer inspection she’d seen that it had been close to a decade ago. The press had gone wild with speculation both times, anticipating marriage, but those relationships had quietly faded and Crown Prince Rafael had reverted to his wild ways.
When Aurora had come to collect Gabe, it had been a shaken but resolute Anton
ietta who’d opened the door.
‘We’ve got five minutes,’ Aurora had said. ‘Nico is just meeting with Francesca. How was Gabe?’
‘Perfect,’ Antonietta had said. ‘He’s sound asleep. How was your catch-up?’
‘You mean how was Rafe?’
‘No.’ Antonietta had shaken her head firmly. ‘I’ve decided you’re right. I won’t be seeing him again, even if he asks. And I won’t—’
‘Antonietta.’ Aurora had interrupted her and plonked herself down on the floor beside her sleeping baby, playing with his little black curls. ‘What if I’m wrong?’
‘You’re not wrong, though! I just looked him up and you gave me good advice.’
‘Perhaps...’ Aurora had sighed.
‘Anyway, he’s leaving.’
‘He gave no indication that he was.’ She’d looked up at Antonietta. ‘Do you remember that night when the whole village was threatened by fire and you knew Nico was back and staying at my parents’...?’
‘Of course.’
‘Everyone had told me to get over Nico, yet you told me to go and fix what I could.’
‘There was something there to fix, though. You and Nico had been promised to each other for ever...’
‘Antonietta, the fact that you like Rafe speaks volumes to me. I don’t want to like Rafe. I want to tell you to stay the hell away from him and I want to tell him the same, but...’
Then Aurora had taken a breath and told her friend something she never had before.
‘When I was in Rome for staff training last year and I ran into Nico he wanted a one-night stand. Another one,’ Aurora had added, and given a mirthless laugh. ‘I denied him, of course. I refused to be used again. And I walked away. I was so proud of myself for resisting him, but by the next morning it had turned into the biggest regret of my life. I regretted it so much that I threw a coin in the Trevi Fountain and pleaded to have that time over again. And I got it!’
‘There’s no future for Rafe and me,’ Antonietta had pointed out, and then she’d given a wry smile. ‘And there’s no Trevi Fountain here.’
‘What I’m trying to say is that even if Nico and I had never come to anything I would not have regretted the time we spent together in Rome.’ She’d looked over to Antonietta. ‘You just have to—’
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