The Prince's Forbidden Bride (The Princess Brides Book 2) Read online

  No one could relate better than Donetta to the hurt and offense caused by what some might say was a sexist remark. “She’s not alone in her thinking, Enrico. My own mother feels the same way.”

  “That’s why I wanted to talk to you about this. No one would have more insight than you. The truth is, I never wanted to be king, but we don’t always get what we want in this life and I’ve had to accept it as my lot.”

  Donetta had no idea he’d felt that way. The subject hadn’t come up during their many conversations or in their letter writing. “Never?”

  He shook his head.

  “You remind me of my brother-in-law, Stefano. He didn’t want the royal life, either. For ten years he was exempted by official decree, until his brother died. At that point Alberto had been engaged to my sister Lanza. In the end Stefano married her, but he had to be reinstated as crown prince first.”

  “He must have loved your sister a great deal to be willing to become royal again.”

  “Not in the beginning, but their marriage has turned into a loving one.”

  “Then that should give you hope that your marriage to Arnaud will turn into a loving one, too, Donetta.”

  “I’m going to try,” she whispered, but she was shaken after being taken into his confidence like this.

  “Do you have advice for me on how to reach out to her before it’s too late? You and I have always been friends. More important, you’re the one person I feel the most comfortable with talking about this. Anything you could say would—”

  But before he could finish, his phone broke the silence. A frown marred his features after he pulled it out of his shirt pocket and checked the caller ID.

  “What’s wrong? Is it your father?”

  “No, but I have to get back to the palace.”

  By now they’d reached the part of the airport reserved for private planes. The limo drew up to the royal jet from Domodossola. Giovanni had already arrived with her staff, who were boarding.

  The limo driver opened the door for them. Enrico helped her out and walked her to the bottom step. “I’m afraid it’s too late to continue our talk.”

  She still hadn’t gotten over the shock. “Will you tell me something first?”

  He eyed her through narrowed lids. “Ask me anything.”

  “Is she a princess I may have met and known? It could make a difference in what I tell you. But if you don’t feel comfortable, I totally understand.”

  His black gaze impaled her. “I thought you knew exactly.”

  Donetta put a hand to her throat. “But how could I?”

  “Maybe this will help. Her royal name is Louisa Regina Donetta Rossiano.”

  * * *

  Giovanni sat across from Enrico, eyeing him with avid curiosity. “Out with it, cousin. I want to know one thing. Was the concorso a winner? You know what I mean.”

  Enrico rested his head against the back of the seat. “It was, until I found out she’s planning to marry Arnaud. The gossip you heard about her never planning to marry was wrong.”

  “Then something has changed,” Giovanni exclaimed. “You weren’t there when Mia conveyed that info to me.”

  “Arnaud found a way to break through, because she’s going to accept his proposal.”

  “I’m sorry, cousin. Your mother called me after the competition last evening and wanted to know what I knew about you and Princess Donetta. She was livid over the attention you were giving her. I told her Donetta was simply a guest, but when she found out you’d left the city with her in the Land Rover, she was visibly upset.”

  “She would be,” Enrico muttered.

  “When is Donetta’s wedding?”

  “They haven’t planned anything yet.”

  Giovanni whistled.

  “I had to spring my plan on her at the last minute.”

  “How did that turn out?”

  “It didn’t.”

  “Don’t be cryptic. I want details,” Giovanni pressed.

  For the rest of the drive, Enrico filled him in. “She admitted she’d once had a crush on me, but Donetta is an honorable woman who’s now planning marriage.”

  “It goes against everything I heard about her from Mia.”

  “You’re right. It appears that somewhere along the way she abandoned her dream to stay single.”

  “Well, it would make sense when she’s not going to be able to change the law to be queen.”

  “I should have gone after her when college was over.”

  “But your hands were full taking over for your father and implementing all the plans for the kingdom. It was a rough time to plan a marriage knowing how your mother felt.”

  “None of that matters now. I’ve got to put her out of my mind.”

  “Good luck on that.” Giovanni shook his head. “With the king so much worse, I’m afraid Zia Teodora will be pushing you to marry Valentina.”

  “It’s not going to happen. Unless I meet a woman who could matter to me more than Donetta, I have no plans for marriage.”

  “Enrico—”

  “Like I said, I waited too long to propose to her. As for your help, I haven’t thanked you for all you did to make the concorso a huge success. I know how hard you’ve worked and I’m indebted to you for being my friend all my life. Promise you won’t leave when you get married.”

  “Do you know something I don’t?”

  Enrico looked out at the lake. Its light green color would be the constant reminder of Donetta’s incredible eyes. This morning he’d held her in his arms. Her breathtaking response as a prelude before he made love to her for the first time had transformed him. He’d never be the same.

  “I can guarantee you’ll be married long before I ever consider it.”

  * * *

  By some miracle Donetta made it up the steps inside the jet without fainting. For the ninety-minute flight to Domodossola, she sat there trembling, not speaking to anyone. Thank heaven she wouldn’t be seeing Arnaud tonight. She needed time to process everything Enrico had just told her.

  No sooner had Donetta entered the palace through her private entrance and gone to her bedroom on the second floor than Fausta knocked on the door.

  “Donetta?”

  She couldn’t wipe the tears from her face fast enough. “Come in.”

  Her sister took one look at her and sat down on the bed beside her. “I knew something was wrong when you came flying past my room. I thought you were out with Arnaud.”

  Donetta got up to get some tissues from the end table. “He’s taking me for dinner tomorrow evening.”

  “Did you have an argument? Is that why you’re crying?”

  “Oh, Fausta, I’m crying for so many reasons I don’t know where to begin.”

  “I’ve never seen you this fragmented in my life. Something tells me this is about your visit to Vallefiore. You saw Enrico, of course.”

  There was no hiding anything from her sister. “Yes.”

  Fausta got up from the bed and walked over to her. “Do you wish you hadn’t gone?”

  More tears trickled down Donetta’s hot cheeks. “No.”

  “I see. Is he as gorgeous as I remember?”

  She sucked in her breath. “He’s so much more that I don’t have words.”

  “He would be,” Fausta theorized. “What is he now? Twenty-six? Seven?”

  Donetta nodded.

  “Did he take you riding?”

  The question was a natural one considering their history. She sniffed. “Oddly enough, we didn’t have time to do that.”

  “So what did you do?”

  She stared at her sister. “After the competition, Enrico took me camping in the mountains. We cooked dinner over a fire and I made him fried bruschetta, which he devoured.”

  “Ehi—”

  “Last nig
ht we slept out under the stars in sleeping bags. Early this morning he wakened me so we could watch wild horses run across the plain. The ground thundered beneath us. It was the most magical sight I ever saw or experienced in my life.”

  Fausta cocked her head. “Sister dear—if you could see your eyes—you are a woman in love. No wonder you’re having a meltdown. Are you going to tell Arnaud?”

  Donetta wheeled around. “I’m not sure what I’m going to do, because there’s so much more you don’t know.”

  “That doesn’t sound good.”

  “To be honest, I’m in a complete daze.” She started pacing the parquet floor and then stopped. “I’m going to tell you something that can’t go beyond this room.”

  “As if it would.”

  “I’m sorry, Fausta. It’s just that so many lives could be upset by what went on between me and Enrico that I’m frightened.”

  “If you don’t hurry and tell me, I don’t think my heart will be able to take it.”

  Donetta drew in a deep breath. “On our way to the airport, I learned Enrico has plans to get married.”

  “What?”

  She put up her hands. “Hear me out.” In the next few minutes she explained what Enrico had told her in the limo. After she’d finished telling her everything, Fausta grasped her arms.

  “Oh, my gosh. Enrico was talking about you the whole time! He wants to marry you and share his throne with you!” She shook her gently before letting her go. “Donetta, your lifelong dream to be queen could come true if you marry him!

  “Look at what happened the second he saw you in Madrid. You get an invitation to a concorso from him in his own country. You’ve just been with him and love is written all over you. The two of you were crazy about each other back in your teens. I remember the day the letters stopped coming. It broke your heart.”

  “That’s true, Fausta. It killed me that he stopped writing to me. But that’s all over now. He doesn’t love me. Enrico made it clear it would be a marriage in name only.”

  A frown marred her brow. “I don’t believe it.”

  “I’m afraid he’s changed.”

  “Look at me and tell me he didn’t kiss you while you were camping.”

  Donetta turned aside. “We did, and I encouraged it. I know he’s attracted to me, but that doesn’t mean he’s madly in love.” She shook her head. “I guess... I don’t trust that he loves me. Otherwise he would have asked me to marry him after he came back from the university.”

  “But if it isn’t love, what other reason could there be for him to reveal you’re the one he wants to marry?”

  “He spelled it out. His country has problems dealing with corruption. He wants a queen who will be professional and rule while he does his own work away from the palace.”

  “What about children?”

  “Maybe he doesn’t want them.”

  “But you do.”

  “I know. I’m so confused and shocked that he proposed.”

  “What are you going to do? I can see you’re gutted.”

  “Even if I told Enrico I would marry him, neither his mother nor our parents would allow it to happen.”

  “But the point is, I can tell that you want to accept his proposal.”

  Donetta turned a tear-stained face to her sister. “You probably think I’m crazy to consider marrying Enrico when he’s not in love with me. But Arnaud isn’t in love with me, either, and—”

  “And you’d rather marry the man you love,” Fausta interrupted.

  She nodded her head. “Yes. Arnaud needs to be free of me and have time to meet someone he can truly love. But if Enrico and I tell our parents, it could make Papà’s illness worse and cause a terrible rift between Enrico and his mother that he has already warned me about.”

  “Yet he still wants you for his wife because he knows you will make a wonderful ruler. It’s what you always dreamed of.”

  Donetta averted her eyes. “I thought I did once, but I’d rather have his love and his children.”

  “You really are in love to say something like that to me.”

  “I am.”

  “When are you going to give Enrico his answer?”

  “First I have to tell Arnaud I can’t marry him. No matter what happens between Enrico and me—maybe nothing—Arnaud needs to know it’s over between us. He shouldn’t be kept in the dark a minute longer.”

  “Agreed. Call him tonight and end it. Don’t make him wait until tomorrow night. He’ll appreciate your honesty. It’s the only way to do this.”

  “You’re right. What would I do if I couldn’t talk to you, Fausta?” She hugged her. “I’m thinking of flying back to Vallefiore in the morning to talk to Enrico in person. My bag is still packed. Nothing this earthshaking can be discussed over the phone. I’ll contact Giovanni. He can arrange for me and Enrico to talk in private without his mother knowing about it.”

  “Go for it, Donetta.”

  She smiled. “I wish you’d been there to see how Queen Teodora looked at me while we were watching the competition. Daggers flew at me. She’s wanted Enrico to marry Valentina for years. I know in my heart she’ll never give us her blessing, feud or not.”

  Fausta rolled her eyes. “It doesn’t sound like Enrico is worried about that, and he isn’t using his father’s illness as an excuse to avoid marriage. He’s asked you to marry him. He’ll be king. Except for the feud between our countries, our parents can’t be too unhappy about this. You’ll be a real queen, something you’ve wanted all your life.

  “It’s almost like he has read your mind, but I know that’s not possible unless you told him during one of the times you were together.”

  Donetta shook her head. “I would never have told another soul but you and Lanza about that dream of mine. Did you tell Mia?”

  “Even if I did, she would never breathe a word to anyone. In my opinion a miracle has happened to you. I’ll drive you to the airport early in the morning before the parents are awake and cover for you until you contact them.”

  If this was out of the frying pan into the fire, then so be it. “You’re a wonder!”

  She hugged Fausta again before her sister left the apartment. Before she did anything else, Donetta alerted her pilot. Then phoned the Montedoro Lake Front Hotel on Lake Saracene to reserve a room for her for tomorrow. She requested that a car be sent to meet her jet. Once that was done, she sat down on the side of the bed to phone Arnaud.

  “Ma belle—I didn’t expect to hear from you tonight.”

  “Arnaud, I’m sorry to disturb you this late, but this call couldn’t wait.”

  After a silence he said, “You sound so serious I know I’m not going to like it.”

  She swallowed hard. “It’s very serious because we’re talking marriage and neither of us is in love the way we should be. I can’t marry you, Arnaud. It wouldn’t be right for either of us and you know it!”

  “You’re still in love with someone else.”

  This was the time for honesty. “Yes. One day you’ll fall hard for a woman who will feel the same way about you. I think you’re a wonderful man. In my own way I do love you and wish you every happiness in the future.”

  “I can’t say you didn’t warn me.”

  “Take care, Arnaud.”

  “Be happy, Donetta.”

  After hanging up, she pressed the phone to her chest. Instead of feeling horrible, she felt relieved that both she and Arnaud had their freedom. It had been the right thing to do.

  She packed another bag with some of her favorite clothes. Whatever happened after she reached Vallefiore, she wanted to be prepared.

  After climbing into bed, she set her watch alarm for 5:30 a.m. but spent a restless night. The next morning she slipped out of the palace with Fausta, who drove her to the airport.

  Donetta had no idea what k
ind of a reception she would get as she made the phone call to Giovanni en route. The blood pounded in her ears while she waited to reach him. But she was met with fierce disappointment when she heard his voice mail.

  Donetta left Enrico’s cousin a message that she was on her way to Vallefiore and would be registered at the Montedoro Lake Front Hotel before long. If he could call her back at the number on this phone, she’d be grateful.

  The steward served her a meal. For the rest of the flight Donetta sat there full of anxiety and excitement over what she was about to do. If they did decide to get married, she would have to remember that this was purely a business arrangement and she mustn’t engage her feelings or show Enrico how she really felt.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  ENRICO SAT OUTSIDE the interrogation room at the police station in the village of Avezzano, Vallefiore. The angry man being questioned didn’t know he was observed.

  Through Enrico’s undercover work and supervision, this was the latest of ten people from western Vallefiore being investigated for suspected involvement in corrupt practices. He’d already witnessed the interrogations of the mayor, his councillor and his assistant.

  The four were facing charges including extortion, fraud and money laundering after Enrico had gathered evidence over the last two months. This particular investigation was linked to subcontracts awarded to build energy farms near the village. It was long past time to crack down on corruption in a major way.

  At this point a total of ten people, including those from the next village of Caserta, were under investigation. Two of them were managers from a firm that had won the main contract to build one of the wind farms, installing sixty-three turbines.

  The contract was worth 120 million euros, and the proceeds from them, he knew, were being channeled to offshore bank accounts. Enrico had indisputable proof they’d been illegally trying to get into the renewable energy sector for many years. Finally he’d heard enough to give the order for their arrests.

  It was the only pleasure he’d known since Donetta had flown back to Domodossola yesterday. The fact that she’d gotten on the jet instead of running back to him and telling him what he needed to hear had dealt him a crushing blow.