SHE WAS TIRED of the games.
The prince could not kiss her one evening and then share moonlight walks with someone else another night. It didn’t work that way. It didn’t matter that he was a prince or that her heart raced every time they were in the same room. She had her standards.
And that’s why for the next ten days, she’d reduced their meetings to daily status emails. It was much more efficient. And so much safer for her heart.
However, when she glanced up from her desk to find Leo standing in the doorway of her office, she was caught off guard.
She swallowed hard. “Your Highness, I wasn’t expecting you. Can I do something for you?”
“Your Highness?” He frowned at her. “We’re back to using titles?”
She gave a slight shrug before saving the current document on her laptop. She had a feeling the prince’s visit would take a bit of time.
“Today is the final day of the queen’s la fête.”
“La fête?”
“Yes. Technically it’s my mother’s sixtieth birthday but she refuses to celebrate her birthday. She says she’s too old to have birthdays. So they call her celebration the queen’s la fête.”
“Oh, I see. I’ll make sure to keep out of the way. Besides I have plenty of work to do—”
“No, you don’t understand. You are invited.”
Bianca pressed a hand to her chest. “Me. But I’m a nobody.”
“You are my guest.”
Her heart stuttered. Was he asking her to be his date? Wait. No. He must mean his guest as in a general invitation because he’d moved on to that woman in the gardens. Bianca’s mood dampened a bit.
She shook her head. “I couldn’t intrude. It should be a private family event.”
“It’s not private nor a family-only event. This will be a big state dinner with fireworks afterward.”
“Fireworks?” Now that was her kind of party.
He smiled and nodded. “And there is a place at the table with your name on it.”
“But what’s the dress code?”
“Formal.”
“As in black tie?”
He nodded. “If that is a problem—”
“I’ve got a formal gown, but I had planned to wear it to your sister’s wedding.”
“Then I will see that you get a new gown for the wedding.”
“No, you can’t. That would be too much.”
“You are doing me the favor. It is the least I can do.”
“How so?”
“Because these events are usually stuffy and can veer into matters of state. I would like to avoid that this evening. And with you there, it will make the evening more festive. Perhaps the politics can be avoided for one evening. Your attendance would be in honor of the queen.”
When he put it that way, how could she say no?
“Okay. I’ll go.”
“Good. I can stop by your room on the way to the cocktail hour.”
That would be too much like a date and she needed to make sure the boundaries were clear. She couldn’t let herself get swept up in the evening. She was hired help. Nothing more.
“It’s okay. I’ll make my way.”
His eyes reflected disappointment, but in a blink it was gone. “Very well. Cocktails are at six in the library.”
“I’ll see you there.” Bianca turned back to her laptop. She had so much work to do.
But she couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that the prince had given her a personal invitation to a very important dinner. The thought of spending the evening with Leo made her heart race.
She told herself not to get too excited about it because they would be surrounded by heads of state and dignitaries. And then there was the queen. Bianca didn’t care how much she told herself otherwise, that woman made her nervous.
This was it.
This was as good as it got.
Bianca gave her coral gown with its ivory and silver embellishments one last glance in the mirror. Her stomach shivered with nerves. She had no idea if she was overdressed or underdressed. Perhaps she should have consulted Giselle. She most likely wouldn’t have minded giving her some fashion tips. But it was too late for that now.
She ran a hand over her pulled-up hair. It was then that she noticed the slight tremor in her hands. How could she have gone to some of the biggest weddings in the world with Hollywood stars and politicians but this birthday party made her quake.
Bianca sucked in a deep breath. She had to get a grip. She checked the time on the delicate diamond-studded watch that her parents had given her on her sixteenth birthday. It was stunning and something she wore only on the most special of occasions. But when she wore it, no matter where she was in the world, it made her feel like her family was a little closer. And now with her parents both gone, that connection was more important to her than ever before.
Sometimes she felt like a leaf just tumbling in the wind. There was no true place where she fit in. Her brother knew it. Her sister wouldn’t say it, but she couldn’t deny it.
But if Bianca were to make her wedding business a success, she would have a sense of security. She couldn’t control the outcome of the DNA tests, but she could control the success of this wedding—so long as she stayed on top of every detail.
Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.
Her cell phone vibrated against the white marble vanity. Knowing it could be about any number of things regarding the quickly approaching wedding, she rushed to grab it. When the caller ID showed her sister’s name, worry consumed Bianca for an entirely different reason.
“Gia, are the test results in?”
“Well, hello to you too.” Gia expelled an exasperated breath.
“Sorry. It’s just all this waiting. It’s getting to me.” If anyone would understand, it was her sister.
“You don’t have to worry.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It’s obvious you’re a Bartolini. You look just like Nonna when she was your age.”
“You really think so?” Bianca once more glanced in the mirror. She didn’t see it.
“I do. I’m the one who should be worried.”
“No, you shouldn’t. You were Papa’s favorite. And you can’t deny it.”
There was a moment of silence before Gia said, “That leaves Enzo.”
They both hurriedly agreed that it couldn’t be him. Could it? Secretly Bianca wondered if it was him as he and their father used to butt heads—a lot.
She stifled a sigh. The guessing game was getting old. And it was getting them no closer to the answers they so desperately needed.
They talked for a few more minutes, catching up on each other’s lives. Then Bianca had to go. She couldn’t be late for the queen’s celebration. She promised to speak to Gia soon.
Bianca headed out the door. Truth be told, she wasn’t sure where she was going, but she’d been too proud to admit that to Leo. But she figured if she could make it to the main entrance that she could just fall in line with the other guests as they made their way to the library.
And that’s exactly what she did. Security was everywhere in dark suits and wearing earpieces. Since she was a guest within the palace, she was able to pass through the checkpoint without any problems.
She wondered if security was always this heavy. And then she realized that it would be this intense for the wedding. She would have to make allowances for that in her plans. She reached for her phone to make a note and then realized she’d left it back in her room. She tucked the information in the back of her mind.
She followed two couples to the library. As she glanced around, she was relieved to find her dress would fit in. At last, she took a full breath.
She could do this.
The funny thing was that everyone thought she didn’t get nervous or filled with anxiety before a big event she’d planned. That wasn’t true, but she didn’t tell them. The trick was to put on a confident smile and never let them see her perspire. And that’s what she intended to do this evening.
As she stepped into the massive room, she immediately searched for Leo. He was tall, so she hoped he would stand out in this crowd, but she didn’t see him. And before she had a chance to make the rounds, Giselle rushed up to her.
“There you are.” Giselle slipped her arm in Bianca’s. “I’ve been telling everyone how you are putting a fresh spin on the wedding.”
Was that what she was doing? Who was she to argue with a client? Correction: a princess.
“Bianca, I’d like to introduce you to the Duchess of Lamar.”
Not sure how to properly greet a duchess, she said, “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
The wedding conversation took off from there. The duchess said that she would be recommending Bianca’s services to her nieces. That made Bianca smile.
When they entered the grand dining hall, it was stunning. The table was unlike any she’d ever seen as it must have seated at least a hundred people. Wow! She couldn’t even wrap her mind around the size of the long narrow room with purple trim and portraits of the royal family through the generations.
She was seated in the middle of the table. Nowhere close to the queen at the head of the table, which was fine with Bianca. And nowhere close to the prince at the foot of the table, which she found deeply disappointed her.
But she was delighted that throughout the eight-course meal, she was entertained by the Earl of Saskan. By the looks of him, he was only a few years her senior. He was a delightful man, who could easily carry on an entertaining conversation. And he wasn’t too bad looking, but he had nothing on the prince.
“It’s nice that they invited you to dinner,” the earl said. “They have such a tight knit group of people for these events that it’s rare for an outsider to be included. Not that you’re an outsider, but you know, not one of the group—”
With each word he spoke, her insecurities came rushing to the surface. She was an outsider in this grand, historic palace. Nothing would change that. She even felt out of place in her own family, she thought sadly.
“It’s okay.” She placed her hand on his forearm to get his attention. When his rambling stopped, she said, “I understand. I’m a guest at the palace, I believe they felt it would be rude not to invite me.”
She felt someone staring at her. Could it be the prince? And then realizing that it was probably inappropriate to be touching the earl, she quickly withdrew her hand. When she lifted her gaze, the prince turned his head to the person on his right. Why should he care who she spoke to?
The earl looked at her with relief written all over his flushed face. “Sometimes, well, a lot of times I say the wrong thing. I didn’t mean anything by it.”
“No offense taken.” But it was definitely time to change the subject. “And how are you connected to the royal family?”
She didn’t know it was such a loaded question but it kept the earl talking of his lineage through most of the meal. All she had to do was interject an acknowledgment in the appropriate pauses as he regaled her with a detailed history lesson.
Surprisingly, the dinner didn’t last as long as she’d imagined with that many courses. The queen didn’t chat abundantly and when she finished the course, she signaled for the dishes to be cleared. In fact, during the salad course, the earl had talked so much that he’d squeezed in only one bite before the dishes were whisked away.
When the meal was over, they were escorted to the grand ball room. And grand it was with its gold trim and enormous landscape murals on the walls. A crystal chandelier was the focal point of the room. Bianca had never seen a chandelier of that magnitude. It took in the light, making the thousands of crystals shimmer and then cast a rainbow of colors throughout the room.
As the music started, Giselle sought her out. “Are you having a good time?”
“I am. Thank you. But I had no idea there would be dancing.”
“My mother, though she hasn’t danced since my father passed on, does enjoy the music. You should dance.”
Bianca shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
Giselle frowned. “Why not?”
“I really should go back to my room. I have so much work to do—”
“Not tonight. There will be no work. I insist you enjoy yourself.” Just then the earl passed by them and Giselle stopped him. “Donatello, my guest doesn’t have an escort, would you mind dancing with her?”
The earl’s face lit up. He turned to Bianca. “May I have this dance?”
“I... I don’t think it’s a good idea.” She was a wedding planner, not any part of the royal society. It was more than enough that she’d sat at the dining table, but now to kick up her heels—it didn’t seem right.
“Go ahead,” Giselle encouraged.
The earl turned to Bianca. “If you don’t know how to dance, I can show you. Trust me, it’s not that hard.”
Heat rushed to Bianca’s face. How was she supposed to turn him down now? He was such a nice man, but he didn’t make her heart race or fill her with giddiness like...like Leo.
In that moment, she realized she had a crush on the prince. Maybe it shouldn’t come as such a shock. Probably most of the single women and maybe even some of the married ladies in the room had a crush on him. What wasn’t to like?
But she couldn’t just stand around here waiting for Leo to ask her to dance. That wasn’t going to happen. And the best way to forget about how Leo made her feel was to get on with her life. Just one dance and then she would quietly slip away to her room.
“I’d love to dance.” Bianca slipped her hand in the crook of Donatello’s arm.
As he led her to the full dance floor, her gaze strayed across Leo’s. This time she didn’t have to wonder if he was looking at her. He was staring right at her. There was a frown pulling at his kissable lips. And his normally warm brown eyes were dark and stormy.
As the earl took her into his arms, she had to turn away from Leo. What was he frowning about? Leo might have invited her to the dinner, but it wasn’t like he was her date. In fact, he hadn’t spoken so much as a single word to her all evening. He didn’t earn the right to be upset with her. She hadn’t done anything wrong.
The earl hadn’t been exaggerating about his skill on the dance floor. She knew how to dance, but her moves weren’t as smooth as his. As they moved around the floor, she searched for Leo, but she wasn’t able to locate him.
Maybe he’d been upset about something else. Yes, that must be it. Someone must have said something he didn’t like. Perhaps it was the queen that had him out of sorts. Because there was no way he cared who she danced with.
When the music stopped, Bianca said, “Thank you so much for the dance. I enjoyed it.” It was the truth. “And you are quite a talented dancer.”
“Thank you. We could go again, if you want.”
“Thanks. But I think I’ll sit this one out.”
“Perhaps later.”
She nodded. “Maybe.”
And that was it. The earl moved on. Without anyone around that she knew, Bianca was left to her own devices. She made her way to the edge of the crowd. It was time to make a quick exit, but she was on the opposite side of the room from the door.
She stayed near the wall as she made her way around the crowded room. She neared the corner where there were floor-to-ceiling purple drapes with gold trim that framed the wall of windows overlooking the gardens. She paused for just a moment to admire the view.
When she turned to continued walking, someone reached out. A hand pushed against her mouth, muffling her scream. Another arm wrapped around her waist and she was yanked back into the curtains. It all happened so suddenly that she didn’t have time to fight back.