A Royal Wedding(123)

A bit later she watched him staring moodily into the flame and knew she was the source of his problems. She had a strong impulse to go over and take his hand, smile up at him and tell him, It’s all right. I’ll do it. Anything that will make you smile again.

But she would be lying, because it was something that she really couldn’t do.

She realized now she’d had a dream in her head when she’d come looking for him. She’d thought he would look up and see her and electricity would zap between them and he would realize she really was the only one for him. She’d even gone so far as to fantasize him saying, If I can’t have you, no one can, and then they would come together for a passionate kiss, then run off to the South Seas to live on a tropical island under assumed names. It sounded good to her. Obviously he didn’t agree.

Turning toward him, she pulled her legs up under her and leaned back against the pillows.

“Do you remember when you kissed me?” she asked him.

He raised one dark eyebrow. “Do you mean last night?”

“No, not that time. At my eighteenth birthday party. The last dance.”

She held her breath, watching his reaction. Did he remember? Or was it so normal for him to kiss a woman he was dancing with that the kiss she held as so special was just one of many in his mind.

He turned toward her slowly, and then he nodded, his eyes dark in the firelight. “I remember,” he said softly.

She laughed with relief. “I’ve lived off of that kiss for three years.”

Frowning, he turned away and stared into the fire. “Well, you shouldn’t have. That was the catalyst, the reason I had to stay away from you.”

“Because of a kiss?”

He glanced back at her. “Because of an emotion. I knew if I was near you….” He turned away and shook his head. “Well, I think you know what would have happened.”

“Do I?” she said softly. “What was it? Tell me.”

He raked a hand through his thick hair, making it stand on end, and looked at her from under lowered brows.

“I don’t know why you want to know all this. I don’t know what it helps. But I’ll be honest. I was falling in love with you. And I couldn’t let that happen.”

She was trembling, but not in fear. In sweet anticipation.

“Why not?”

“The treaty.” He set down his wine glass and stared into her eyes. “The treaty is fundamental to peace in this country. We can’t let anything ruin that.”

The country. Yes, of course that was important. But for once couldn’t he just look at her and let the feelings between them work? Did he always have to let the country get in the way?

“So … do you love me now?” she asked him.

He took a long time to answer. “It’s not fair to ask me that.”

She drew her breath in. “I take that as an affirmative.”

“Take it any way you like. It doesn’t change anything.”

“Oh, yes it does.” Reaching out, she took his hands in hers and gazed up earnestly into his eyes. “Andre, tell me true. Would you marry me if you could?”

She expected him to react badly, to pull away, to claim such a thing had never entered his mind, but to her surprise he didn’t do any of those things. Instead, he looked back at her and said quietly, “I don’t know. I never expect to marry anyone.”

Her hands gripped his tightly. “Find a way,” she begged him. “Oh, please, Andre. Find a way.”

He didn’t promise to do that, but he did lean toward her. This time his kiss was sweet and simple. She closed her eyes and delighted in it, until he finally pulled away. And then she sighed and snuggled down into the pillows.

“I love you, Andre,” she said softly, not even looking at him. “I love you with all my heart.”

He didn’t answer, and when she finally looked up he was gone. Tears filled her eyes, but she smiled through them. He did love her and she knew it. Now what on earth were they going to do about it?





CHAPTER SEVEN



“ANDRE, look!” Julienne cried as they turned up the long, sloping driveway to the castle. “It looks like just about everyone is here already.”

The extended parking lot was filled with limousines, and servants were trundling trunks and clothing racks to and fro.

Andre pulled the Harley up to the entry colonnade. “It’s not surprising,” he said. “The wedding is only a few days away. And royals like to party at things like this for days at a time.”