The Princess's New Year Wedding (The Princess Brides Book 1) Read online

  “On all your travels for business and pleasure, you’ve never brought a woman home for us to meet, let alone marry. We were prepared that you’d eventually want marriage and have a family, but it has never come to pass. If there’s a special woman, you haven’t said anything.”

  Stefano sucked in his breath. This whole conversation was unreal, including a discussion of a woman in his life he couldn’t do without. He’d met several and had enjoyed some intimate relationships, but the thought of settling down with one of them hadn’t entered his mind. As Alberto had said, he liked his freedom too much.

  “Have you even considered Princess Lanza’s feelings?” he asked them in a grating voice, struggling to make sense of this situation.

  His father nodded. “King Victor and I talked about it before the funeral. He’s as anxious as I for this to happen and has probably discussed this with her already. Victor assures me it’s in her nature to do what is good for both countries.”

  No normal woman worth her salt would agree to such a loveless marriage, but a royal princess was a different matter if she believed it was her duty. Over the phone a few months ago, Alberto had told him in private that Princess Lanza had a sweet, biddable disposition.

  Maybe she did. But the many royal princesses he’d met in his early teens were very spoiled, full of themselves, impossible to please, moody and felt entitled to the point of absurdity.

  His vague memory of Lanza was that she was nice, but that was years ago and she’d been so young. His brother was a kind, decent human being. Alberto always tried to find the best in everyone and had probably made up his mind to like her.

  After hearing what his parents had just told him about the sacrifice he’d made for Stefano, it was possible Alberto hadn’t liked Princess Lanza at all. But he would have pretended otherwise to fulfill his obligations after making the incredible bargain with their parents. It was Alberto’s way.

  Stefano shook his head. He wasn’t born with that kind of greatness in his soul. Humbled by what he’d learned, tortured by the decision his parents were asking him to make, he started for the door. “I need to be alone to think and will be back later.”

  Once outside in the chilling air, he drove his Lancia into the city to talk to his best friend, Enzo Perino, who managed his own father’s banking interests. Stefano found him in his office on the phone.

  The second Enzo saw him in the doorway, he waved him inside. After he hung up, he lunged from the chair to hug him. “I’m so sorry about Alberto.”

  “So am I, Enzo.”

  “Chiara and I couldn’t get near you at the funeral. There were too many people.” Stefano nodded. “Come to our house tonight for dinner so we can really talk.”

  He stared at his best friend who’d recently married. They’d been friends throughout childhood and had done everything together, including military service. Stefano had been the best man at their wedding three months ago.

  “I need help.”

  Enzo chuckled. “Since when have you ever needed a loan?”

  Stefano sat down in one of the leather chairs. “I wish money were the problem, but it isn’t.”

  As Stefano’s father had emphasized, this suggested marriage had a lot more riding on it than financial considerations.

  “You sound serious.”

  “More serious than you’ll ever know.”

  “Go ahead. I’m listening.”

  “My father woke me up at the crack of dawn to have a talk.” In the next few minutes he told Enzo the thrust of the conversation with his parents, including the necessary part about being reinstated by parliament.

  “Our marriage will make me heir apparent to the throne of Domodossola since King Victor has no sons. He doesn’t have any married daughters yet. According to their rules of succession, a woman can’t become queen in their country. He’ll have to rely on a son-in-law.”

  His friend whistled and sank down in the chair behind his desk. “I know this used to happen in the Middle Ages, but not today.” He looked gutted. “Who will take over Umbriano when your father can no longer rule?”

  “My sister, but I imagine that’s many years away. Our country doesn’t run by the same laws. You know that. Since I was granted my freedom, she’s been raised to be second in line should anything happen to Alberto. Which it did,” he said in a mournful tone.

  “But if you’re reinstated—”

  “No—” He interrupted him. “My destiny lies with the throne of Domodossola, the only reason for reinstating me.”

  Enzo slapped his hands on the desk. “There goes the end of our friendship.”

  “Don’t you ever say that!”

  He smiled sadly. “How can I not? With you living in Domodossola, you’ll be a prisoner running the affairs of government, hardly ever free to leave the country or have time for me. What will you do with all your mining companies?”

  “I still plan to run them, of course.”

  “Then you’ll be carrying a double load. I thought it was too good to be true when your father released you from your princely duties on your eighteenth birthday. We should have known it would all come to an early end.”

  Stefano closed his eyes for a minute, never imagining he’d lose his brother so young. “I haven’t told my parents what I’m going to do. Not yet.”

  While he’d driven into town, he’d considered the huge decision his parents had made to give Stefano his freedom. In searching his soul, one thing became clear. He could solve his parents’ dilemma about the marriage situation by unselfishly taking Alberto’s place. How could he not when his brother had willingly done his double royal duty to make up for Stefano’s absence?

  “It’ll happen,” Enzo muttered. “I know how much you loved Alberto. You’ll never let your parents down now that you know of your brother’s sacrifice. As for Princess Lanza, she’ll agree to marry you. After all, you are Alberto’s brother and she knew you when your families got together as children.”

  “That’s true, but I was hoping for some much-needed advice from you.”

  They stared at each other for a long time. “All right—there’s only one way I can see this working. You need your freedom, so do her the biggest favor of her life and yours. You’ve got a year before the wedding. Let her know before you’re married that you plan to be your own person and continue doing the mining work you love while you help her father govern. It’ll mean you’ll be apart from her for long periods. Give her time to adjust to that fact, know what I mean?”

  * * *

  Pain wasn’t the right word to describe Lanza’s feelings since returning from the funeral in Umbriano four days ago. Shock would be more precise. Prince Alberto had always been kind to her when they had met. She’d never felt uncomfortable with him.

  The second-born son of her father’s best friend, King Basilio of Umbriano, had been mild-mannered. Over the years and occasional family get-togethers, both families felt their two children were the perfect fit. Since they’d wanted the marriage to happen, they went ahead with the betrothal on her twenty-first birthday.

  According to what her parents had told her, they’d believed that out of her two sisters, Lanza had the right temperament and disposition to be the wife for Prince Alberto, who’d shown an interest in her.

  From that time on Lanza had spent several weekends a month with Alberto, both in Domodossola and Umbriano. They’d developed a friendship that helped her to get ready for her marriage. She’d enjoyed being kissed by him, but they hadn’t been lovers.

  The fact that he was nice-looking had made it easier to imagine intimacy in their marriage. She’d liked him well enough and believed they could be happy. But now that he was gone, one truth stood out from everything else.

  She hadn’t lost the love of her life.

  Furthermore, his death had made her aware of her own singlehood in a way she would never have
anticipated. Since the betrothal she’d known what her future would be. For the past year she’d been planning on the intimacy of marriage and family, the kind her parents enjoyed. Yet in an instant, that future had died with him.

  His life had been snuffed out in seconds because of a car crash on an icy, narrow mountain road when he’d swerved to avoid a truck. The accident had robbed her of the destiny planned out for her. But as sorry as she was for Alberto and his family, a part of her realized that she was now free to make different plans.

  There was no law of succession in Domodossola since a female couldn’t rule. Now her parents would have to look elsewhere for a prince who would marry one of her older sisters, either Fausta or Donetta.

  The sad, legitimate release of her betrothal vows gave Lanza a sense of liberation she’d never known before. Heaven help her but the thought was exciting. So exciting, in fact, she was assailed with uncomfortable guilt considering this was a time of mourning, and she did mourn Alberto’s death.

  In an attempt to help her deal with the fact that Prince Alberto had been taken prematurely, the palace priest, Father Mario, had been summoned. He counseled her that she should be grateful Alberto hadn’t been forced to live through years of suffering. If his life had been spared, he might have lost limbs or been paralyzed.

  Of course she was thankful for that and appreciated the priest’s coming to see her, but no one understood what was going on inside her. No longer would she be marking time, waiting for her future with Alberto to start. There was no future except the one she would make from here on out. In truth, Lanza found the thought rich with possibilities.

  Since returning from the funeral, it hit her with stunning force that she was alone and dependent on herself to make her own decisions, just like her sisters had been allowed to do. This strange new experience wasn’t unlike watching a balloon that had escaped a string and was left to float with no direction in mind. But she knew what she wanted to do first.

  With this new sense of freedom, she planned to visit her favorite aunt, Zia Ottavia, who lived in Rome with her husband, Count Verrini. They could talk about anything and Lanza loved her.

  A knock on the door of her apartment brought her back from her thoughts.

  “Lanza?” Her mother’s voice. “May your father and I come in?”

  She assumed they wanted to comfort her and she loved them for it. Lanza hurried across the room and opened the door, giving them both a long hug. “Come in and sit in front of the fire.”

  They took their places on the couch. She sat in her favorite easy chair across from them where she often planted herself to read. She’d been a bookworm from an early age.

  “We asked Father Mario to visit you. Did he come?”

  “Yes, and he gave me encouragement.”

  “Oh, good,” her dark-blonde mother murmured, but Lanza could tell her parents were more anxious than ever and looked positively ill from the shock they’d all lived through. “We don’t think it’s good for you to stay in your apartment any longer. I’ve asked the cook to prepare your favorite meal, and your sisters are going to join us in the dining room for an early dinner.”

  Her distinguished-looking father nodded. “You need to be around family. It isn’t healthy for you to be alone.”

  “Actually, I’ve needed this time to myself in order to think. Please don’t be offended if I tell you I’m not hungry and couldn’t eat a big meal.”

  “But if you keep this up, you’ll waste away,” her mother protested.

  “No, Mamà. I promise that won’t happen. Right now I have important things on my mind.”

  “We do, too,” her father broke in. “It’s time we talked seriously.”

  She sat back. “What is it, Papà?”

  He got to his feet and stoked the fire. “I’ve been on the phone with Basilio almost constantly for days.”

  “That doesn’t surprise me. I’m sure Alberto’s death has brought you two even closer. He and Queen Diania must be in desperate need of comfort.”

  Her father blinked. “You’re really not all right, are you, my dear girl?”

  She frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “You...don’t seem quite yourself,” her mother blurted.

  If Lanza’s parents had expected her to fall apart and take to her bed, then they truly didn’t understand.

  “I’ve shed my tears, but all it has done is give me a headache. I have to pull myself together and deal with the here and now. Honestly, I’ll be fine. In fact, I’m thinking of taking a trip to Rome to visit Zia Ottavia.

  “She phoned me last night and asked me to stay with her for a few months. She’s planning to take a long trip to the US and wants me to go with her while Zio Salvatore has to stay in Rome on business. I love being with her and told her I’d come after I talked to you.”

  He shook his head. “I’m afraid you can’t go.”

  What? She sat forward. “I don’t understand.”

  He cleared his throat. “Alberto’s brother, Stefano, has asked for your hand in marriage and wishes to marry you on New Year’s Day in a year as planned.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  A STRANGE LAUGH broke from Lanza, who got to her feet. Maybe she was having a bad dream.

  “Stefano? What kind of a joke is this? For one thing, that’s impossible! He was relieved of his royal duties years ago by their parliament.”

  Lanza had taken a personal affront to the news at the time, even though she knew it didn’t have anything to do with her. How could it? She’d only been eleven years old.

  But she still remembered how shocked she’d been when she’d heard Stefano had walked away from royal life. She’d always found him more attractive and headstrong than Alberto, but she’d never told anyone her true feelings.

  Her father shook his head. “His royal title has just been restored to him through an emergency act of that same parliament. Now he has officially proposed marriage to you.”

  Lanza let out a cry, incredulous that Stefano wanted to marry her when he’d hardly noticed her growing up. “Is it so important that our two countries combine our money and resources to the point that Stefano has been sent in to salvage the situation? He’s the brother who wanted nothing to do with royal life!”

  She knew she’d shocked her parents with an outburst that was totally unlike her. Never in her life had she dared speak her mind to them like this. But she felt frustrated and angry.

  Her mother stood up and walked over to her. “We can understand your anger, darling, but please just listen. These have been dark days for all of us, but it’s true that Stefano wants to take his brother’s place and honor his commitment to you. It’s what both our families want.”

  “But it’s not what I want and I’m over twenty-one!” Lanza stared at her parents in sheer disbelief. What they were asking went beyond rational thought. “You do know Stefano gave up the royal life years ago because he hated it.”

  “That’s in the past,” her father murmured.

  “Papà—he’s a gold-mining engineer and, according to Alberto, has had various love affairs with women where he’s lived around the world. You’re asking me to marry him? Are you serious?” she cried out.

  Her mother’s eyes implored her. “We’re asking you to think about it and what it will mean for our two countries, for the future of both royal lines.”

  “I’m getting older every day,” her father murmured. “Worse, I’m plagued by a fatigue that is growing more serious. I need a son-in-law to lean on who is fit to be king. Prince Stefano was raised like his brother, Alberto, and will make a splendid husband for you.”

  “But he’s been a playboy!”

  “No,” her father argued. “What he has done in his nonroyal past is what most men do before they find the right woman. There’s been no scandal about him in the media. He’s brought no shame of any kind. Quite the
opposite. His brilliant business acumen is known around the world and has helped enrich his country. He’s Basilio’s son, after all.”

  “But Father—”

  “Hear me out, Lanza. His private life before now has no bearing on the future. That part is over.”

  “How do you know he doesn’t have children somewhere? I’m not trying to be cruel by saying that, only practical.”

  His expression hardened. “I’m going to forget you said that. He’s prepared to be a husband to you.”

  Lanza was too stunned to talk. She studied her father, worried if it was true that he was ill. This was news no one had told her about. “Why haven’t I heard about your health before now, Papà?” She’d noticed he moved a little slower these days, but she attributed it to his growing older.

  Her mother put a hand on her arm. “Because we didn’t want to burden you while you were preparing for your wedding day. We were assuming you wouldn’t have to worry about it, but with Alberto dying, everything has changed. Under the circumstances we’ll leave to give you time to think about everything.” She turned to Lanza’s father. “Come on, Victor.”

  As Lanza watched them go, her two older sisters came in and shut the door. She sucked in her breath. “I take it you could hear us talking.”

  They nodded.

  “Is it true? Is Papà ill?”

  “I only know what Mamà said.” Donetta spoke first. “Papà’s physician is concerned about his health and says he needs to slow down.”

  Fausta nodded. “I have a feeling it’s his heart, but they won’t tell us.”

  Lanza shivered and walked over to the fireplace. “Why didn’t you two tell me?”

  Donetta drew closer. “We were ordered not to.”

  “In other words, I’m the baby who can’t handle bad news.”

  “No. They’ve been living for your wedding and didn’t want anything to mar it.”

  She closed her eyes tightly. “What they’ve asked me now is impossible, but I shouldn’t have gotten so upset with them.”