Royal Secrets (16 page)

“Okay.” She turned her head, expecting to see Brenna standing in the hall. To her surprise, Prince Stefano filled the doorway. Her eyes lowered to the clutch of yellow roses in his hand, and her heartbeat quickened.

His eyes turned dark and unreadable as he stared at her. She started to rise despite the weight of Giancarlo on her lap, but he motioned for her to stay seated. “I hope I’m not disturbing you.”

“Of course not. Please come in.”

“We were good last night, and we get ice cream,” Dante announced as Prince Stefano stepped over the threshold.

“Were you, now?” Though there was a touch of humor in his voice, his expression remained serious. “Well, I was going to give these to your mom as a thank you present for coming with me last night, but maybe I should give them to you and your brother instead.”

“Nah.” Dante shook his head. “Flowers are for girls.”

The corner of his mouth lifted. “I guess they are.”

Alora smiled as Giancarlo finally shifted off her. She stood up and stepped toward Prince Stefano. “Thank you. They’re beautiful.”

“You’re welcome.” He handed the blooms to her and then linked his hands together, watching her intently as she walked into the kitchen and retrieved a vase. When she set the flowers on the kitchen counter, he continued, “I wanted to let you know the painters have arrived. I thought perhaps you and the boys would like to go into town for some breakfast, and we could do some shopping afterward.”

“Can we, Mama?” Dante grabbed at her hand and bounced up and down.

Alora looked at Stefano hesitantly. “Are you sure you want to brave going into town with these two?”

“I am certain that Giancarlo and Dante will be perfect gentlemen.” Prince Stefano looked expectantly at the boys, who both nodded in agreement.

“Okay, if you’re sure.” She motioned her boys to their bedroom. “Let me help them find something to wear. Please make yourself comfortable. I’ll be right back.”

When she emerged from the boys’ room a minute later, he was sitting on the couch holding the book he had read to the children the night before.

“They should be ready in just a minute.”

“There’s no hurry.” He held up the book. “You mentioned that you’re teaching the boys both English and French?”

“I’m trying.” Alora nodded. “We’ve been working more on English since I need the practice too, and I don’t want Giancarlo to lose what he already knows.”

“I was just thinking that you might want to mention to Patrice that your boys speak some French. She taught me more of the language than my tutors ever did.”

“Really?”

“It’s amazing how much you pick up when someone’s yelling at you while holding a frying pan.”

Alora’s laughter rang out. “I can imagine.”

* * *

Stefano fell into step beside Alora as they strolled down the sidewalk in the main shopping district in Bellamo. A few enterprising photographers followed behind them, snapping photographs, and a few pedestrians greeted him as they passed. Stefano responded automatically, but his attention was on the woman beside him.

Alora seemed content to walk aimlessly down the street, although she kept Dante’s hand firmly in hers while Giancarlo trotted along in front of them. They stopped occasionally to look through the windows, but Stefano was surprised that the boys never asked to go inside any of the stores, nor did they ask their mother to buy them anything.

They lingered at the toy store window a bit longer than the others, but the boys happily moved forward when Alora nudged them along. It wasn’t until they reached the pet store window that Dante pulled free of her grasp and both boys pled with their mother to make a purchase.

“Please, can we get a puppy? Please, Mama?” Giancarlo looked up at her, his dark eyes filled with hope.

“You know that’s not something we can get right now,” Alora said firmly. Then she motioned to the door. “I’ll let you go inside for a closer look though.”

“All right!”

The boys darted through the open door.

Alora turned to Stefano with an apologetic look on her face. “I hope you don’t mind if they look for a minute.”

“That’s fine,” Stefano assured her and followed her inside.

Alora stopped just inside the door, watching as the boys greeted each of the puppies in the various cages that lined the far wall. She let out a small sigh, just loud enough for Stefano to hear it. He looked over at her, a bit surprised to see the look of disappointment on her face.

“Are you okay?”

Alora’s shoulders lifted. “It’s difficult to see your child want and not be in a position to give.”

“I gather they have been asking for a puppy for some time.”

She nodded. “It broke Giancarlo’s heart when his last dog died. He’s been after me to give him a new puppy ever since.”

“Why didn’t you get a new one?”

“We couldn’t have it in our apartment.”

“I’m sorry.”

She shrugged, and her voice was matter-of-fact when she spoke. “Disappointment is a part of life. We all have to go through it eventually.”

Chapter 20

Alora startled when the phone on the end table rang. She tried not to think about the last time she had answered the phone or the reason she had refused to own one for the past three years. She glanced at the boys’ bedroom, reminding herself that they were safely tucked in bed and that she didn’t have anything to worry about.

She cleared her throat and picked up the receiver. “Hello?”

“Alora, it’s Stefano. I wanted to let you know the furniture you ordered has arrived.”

“I was hoping it would get here before Janessa got back. How does it look?”

“Why don’t you come down and see for yourself?”

“I’d love to, but I just put the kids to bed. I wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving them alone, especially if they don’t know where to find me.”

“I’ll send Brenna up to sit with them,” Prince Stefano offered. “If the boys wake up, she can call down and let you know.”

He was right, of course, and if she could get Brenna to stay for an hour or two, she would be able to get a few things done before the workers arrived tomorrow to hang drapes and set up computers. “That would be great. Thank you.”

“I’ll meet you in your office in ten minutes.”

* * *

Alora walked into the room and ran a finger over the aged cherry desk she had chosen for Janessa. “This is perfect.”

Stefano nodded in agreement. The desk was smaller and sleeker than the monstrosity his uncle had left behind. “I can’t tell you how glad I am that you decided to replace the furniture in here.”

Alora turned to him and smiled. “I gather you don’t share your uncle’s taste in furniture either.”

“Not at all.”

Alora motioned to the empty space in front of the window. “Would you mind helping me move this? I think it will look better over there.”

A combination of humor and surprise lit his face. He couldn’t remember the last time someone had asked him to do something so casually, and he didn’t know if anyone had asked him to perform menial labor since he had reached adulthood.

She looked up at him and seemed to catch herself. “I’m sorry. I forgot who I was talking to.”

He couldn’t say why that simple comment made him feel like he was being challenged. “Do you think I’m incapable of moving a desk because I’m royalty?”

“No, but I think your broken collarbone would cause you some trouble.”

“It’s more annoying now than painful.” Stefano tugged on the sling that still held his left arm in place. “Besides, you shouldn’t be moving furniture around anyway. You might hurt yourself.”

She stared up at him with a look of disbelief on her face. “I hate to break it to you, but for most people, if they want something done, they have to do it themselves.”

“I am well aware of that,” Stefano said as he watched Alora slide a chair into place beside a work table. “But I don’t see any reason why rearranging furniture can’t wait until tomorrow since we do have workers who are available to assist you.”

“I suppose you’re right.” Alora looked around the room, and Stefano could almost see her making a mental checklist of what still needed to be done. “I guess I’m just anxious to make sure it’s all finished before Janessa gets back.”

“She won’t be back until tomorrow afternoon at the earliest, and you don’t have much left to do,” Stefano assured her. “If you want, I can make sure Martino calls you as soon as they arrive.”

“Actually, that would be great.”

Stefano’s eyes narrowed. “You know, I don’t think I have your cell number.”

“Oh, you can just have Martino call me on the office phone,” Alora told him. “A technician came in yesterday and fixed the phones in here.”

“Did he say what was wrong with them?”

She nodded. “Apparently some of the wiring was messed up. All the calls to these phones were going to Martino’s office next door.”

“That’s odd.”

“That’s what the repairman said,” Alora told him. “He never did figure out how it could have happened.”

“As long as it’s fixed now,” Stefano said, ignoring the uneasy feeling that something wasn’t quite right. He noticed a small box of toys in the corner of the room. “Have the boys been helping you out in here?”

“Not yet, but I was planning on having them help me finish up tomorrow. I’m letting them keep a few toys in my office for when they need to tag along with me.”

“I’m sure they’ll love that.” He nodded and then motioned to the door. “It’s a beautiful night out. Let’s go for a walk in the gardens.”

She seemed to consider before nodding. “That would be nice, thank you, but I need to make sure Brenna doesn’t mind sitting with the boys a little longer.”

He led her into the hall. “Don’t worry about that. She isn’t expecting you back until ten.”

Her eyebrows drew together. “Why did you tell her I’d be gone for so long?”

“Because I thought you could use some downtime,” Stefano said simply. Before she could protest, he added, “You’ve been working incredibly long hours for the past two days. It won’t hurt for you to stop and smell the flowers, so to speak.”

“I suppose you’re right.” She walked outside with him and looked up at the night sky before motioning to the gardens. “It’s so beautiful here. Everything looks too perfect to be real.”

“I will convey your compliments to our gardeners.” He turned down a path that ran parallel to the water. They walked in companionable silence until the path curved around a three-tiered fountain and they reached the stone wall that separated the gardens from the Mediterranean. Stefano rested a hand on the wall and stared out at the water. “So tell me, Alora, how do you like your new home?”

Alora stepped beside him and mirrored his stance. “Before I moved here, I didn’t believe people really lived like this.”

“Like what?”

“Like this.” She waved her arm and motioned to the gardens and the chateau beyond them. “A beautiful home in a stunning setting, people who are kind and generous with their time and are always so willing to help with every possible need. You must have lived a very blessed life.”

Stefano understood what most people believed life was like for a prince. He also knew that those same people would be shocked to know how many hours he worked in a typical day. Rarely did he sleep past six, and his social obligations typically kept him occupied well into the night. Realizing that Alora had only been around him while he was basically on a holiday, he kept his comment neutral. “Being royal brings both advantages and restrictions.”

“I’m sure there are many things that are more difficult for you than they are for the rest of us,” Alora said softly. “I can’t imagine what it’s like having the public so aware of every move you make or having so many guards following you every time you go out. Still, you can’t deny the advantage of having gardens like these to play hide and seek in.”

“That is true.”

Stefano shifted to face her. A strand of her hair caught in the wind, and he reached out to tuck it behind her ear. Time froze for an instant when his hand skimmed across her cheek. Alora’s dark eyes lifted to meet his, her lovely features silhouetted in the moonlight. His heartbeat quickened, and his eyes lingered on her lips.

It would have been so easy to lean forward for a kiss, to see if their blooming friendship had the potential of becoming something more. Then he thought of her children, of the fact that he could never offer her the opportunity to have more. Why his thoughts jumped from simply kissing her to making a life with her he couldn’t say, but something tightened in his stomach and then sank like a ball of lead.

With a great deal of regret, he motioned back the way they had come. “I’ll walk you back.”

* * *

“Aunt Janessa!” Giancarlo and Dante raced down the curved staircase as though they had been doing so their whole lives.

Alora followed behind them and bit back a smile when Janessa winked at her before focusing on the boys, her eyes widening in mock surprise. “Who are these two handsome boys? They can’t be Giancarlo and Dante. They’re much too tall.”

“It’s us, Aunt Janessa!” Dante squealed with delight and grabbed on to her hand.

Janessa leaned down so they were eye to eye. “Dante? Is that really you?”

“You’re just being silly.” Dante giggled.

“Oh, I am, am I?” Janessa pulled him close for a hug and then turned to give Giancarlo a hug. She stood and glanced back at Prince Garrett, who was watching with amusement. “Garrett, these are the friends I was telling you about.”

Alora immediately caught herself comparing Prince Garrett to his older brother. They both had classic good looks—tall with dark hair and dark eyes—although Prince Garrett was an inch or two taller than his brother and not as broad through the shoulders.

When her boys bowed to the prince, Alora noticed the amusement in his eyes that was very much like the expression she had come to expect from Stefano. She caught herself, realizing she no longer put Stefano’s title in front of his name when she thought of him. Not quite sure what to think of this unexpected familiarity, she focused on exchanging greetings with Prince Garrett.

He chatted with them for a moment before he excused himself. He gave Janessa’s hand a squeeze before heading upstairs.