A Royal Wedding(122)

Taking her hand in his, he looked into her eyes. “Julienne, I’m sorry,” he said simply. “I didn’t realize you would be so hurt by my neglect. You are so … so charming and lovely, and everyone loves you. I thought you would hardly notice if I just faded into the background and left you alone. Everyone was so enchanted by you.”

She stared into his eyes, sank into their depths. “I didn’t want everyone. I wanted you.”

Those were the words that stuck with him as the day began to fade. She’d said it starkly. There could be no doubt as to her meaning. And yet there was nothing he could do about it. The future was set in stone.

When they were back in the house he tried to talk to her about Alphonso, about giving him a chance, about trying to like him.

“You do know he collects insects, don’t you?” she told him, when she’d had about enough of his goading.

“He collects what?” He leaned closer to try to hear what she’d said.

“Insects,” she said, as clearly as she could. “Those things with too many legs.”

He sat back, nonplussed but interested. “Well, good. He has a scientific turn of mind.”

“No.” She shook her head. “It’s not like that. He has them in little bottles. All over his room. With little name tags.”

He shrugged. “Latin names?”

She sighed. “Andre, try to focus. There are no scientific notations on these bottles. There are names. Nicknames. Like Fred—and Cindy. Those are two beetles he introduced me to. These little bugs aren’t part of an experiment. They’re pets.”

His face began to mirror distaste at last. “Oh, my God.”

She nodded, glad he finally got it. “Well might you say so.” She flipped her hair back and flashed him a look. “And you want me to marry this man.”

He couldn’t help it. He laughed aloud. And after a moment she laughed along with him.

“You see how impossible it is?” she challenged him.

He shook his head. “I’ll talk to him,” he promised. “He’s young. He’ll change.”

“Really? Can I get that in writing?”

He didn’t answer, but he didn’t have to. She knew in his mind she was already as good as married to Alphie. She was going to have to begin making plans again.

She looked at him, and it was suddenly as though the sun had broken through the clouds. She understood something about him she hadn’t realized before. His first allegiance was to his country. He could never be like her, ready to throw it all away and dash for the border. He loved his country, he lived for his country, and he would never do anything to harm it. To him, royalty was the life’s blood of this land. Though on the surface one would think of him as a philandering playboy, the Andre inside wasn’t that way at all. He was good, responsible and true—a man you could depend on. And she loved him all the more for it.

She didn’t want to marry Alphonso. She hated the thought of it. But how was she going to be able to convince a man like this to let her out of her commitment? It wasn’t going to happen.

The day blended seamlessly into evening. There was a cold snap in the air, and Andre built a fire in the fireplace while she prepared dinner out of canned supplies she found in the kitchen. After eating, they sat on the couch in front of the fire, each with a glass of wine, and talked softly.

“Okay, Julienne,” he said grudgingly. “I have to admit it. You are a very good cook. Everything you make has some sort of special quality that raises it above normal cooking. You’ve got talent.”

She smiled. She already knew that, but to have him notice made it so much more important.

“But as a princess of the realm,” he said, “I don’t know how you ever thought you could get away with going to pastry school somewhere.”

She nodded. “I’ve thought about it long and hard,” she told him. “And looked into resources. And from what I’ve managed to learn, I think the best thing would be to start a national culinary institute right here in Gemania.” She shrugged. “If I actually had the power, I would bring the instructors to me.”

He nodded. “Have you spoken to Alphonso about it?” he asked.

She stared at him, color draining from her face. Didn’t he understand? Alphonso was not going to be a part of her life. It just couldn’t happen. What he thought had nothing to do with her future. But there was no point in arguing about that. She didn’t want to ruin their last evening together.