Page 35 of Her Spanish Scandal

But by that point Kara had decided it was time to get some fresh air. So here she was in the lush garden courtyard, accompanied by only a fountain and the scent of the blooms in the air.

Her dress, which had seemed so perfect tonight, no longer had the power to make her feel pretty. Instead she felt as she always did, too big and too awkward to really be a princess. To really be a part of the social set that she’d been born into.

She should go back to the party before anyone realized she left. Instead, she followed the cobblestone path around to the fountain and a padded bench nestled under a large fruit tree.

She brushed the seat off before sitting down. Wrapping her arms around her waist, she held herself and closed her eyes.

She needed to find her confidence. She pictured Rina and tried to infuse herself with the attitude her sister always carried around. She heard Rina’s voice in her mind, telling her that she was a deMontaine and that when people made ignorant remarks about her looks or size, it was due to jealousy.

But that didn’t help right now. Because Elvira’s comments hadn’t just been about her looks, but about her own secret fears where Gui was concerned. Maybe she really wasn’t good enough for him.

Maybe…

“Bebe, why are you out here alone?”

She opened her eyes. “I needed some fresh air. How did you find me? I thought you were meeting with your father and brother.”

“I was. We were finished and Anika came to find me.”

She flushed a little. She’d truly hoped that it had just been Arcelia who’d heard Elvira’s comments. “Why?”

“She was concerned about you.”

“I’m fine,” she said.

“But you aren’t.”

“Gui, I need you to let this lie. I’m finding my center and I’m going to be able to go back in there and function. But if you make me talk about this, I’m going to cry⁠—”

He cut her words off with a kiss. It wasn’t about passion—she felt something different. She felt, as silly as it sounded even to her, that he was wrapping her in the affection he held for her. He made her feel beautiful and confident. He pulled back a second later and she forced a smile to her lips.

“That was very nice. Let’s go back to the party now.”

“Not yet, mi dulce.”

“Gui…”

He lifted her off the bench and sat down, settling her on his lap. He gently pushed her head down on his shoulder and wrapped his arms around her.

“Until you believe in yourself, people like Elvira are always going to have power over you.”

“I do believe in myself,” she said.

“Yes, you do, until you meet someone you perceive as being physically better-looking than you are.”

She shrugged. She couldn’t deny it. Her weight and size were always in the back of her mind, making her feel awkward. They always had.

“I can’t change that.”

He tipped her chin up so that he was looking down into her face and she caught her breath, not even hearing the words he said. He was so handsome and sexy, and she realized why Elvira’s comments bothered her so much.

Gui deserved a woman who was truly his equal. Truly the other half of him. A woman whom everyone would glance at and know was his wife or fiancée.

“Did you hear what I said?”

She shook her head. “You are so handsome.”

He laughed. “That’s neither here nor there. You are the one whose beauty has captivated me. I need you to believe that, Kara.”