Page 101

Suddenly regal and outraged, his head reared back as though she had struck him. Then he saw a single tear sliding unnoticed down her cheek and something broke inside him, something that killed his outrage stone-dead.

‘Elsie…’

‘Yes, that’s me. The woman you are meant to be convincing the world you are marrying for love. Do you really think that your courtiers—who are looking for cracks in our relationship to explore—are going to fall for that if the only thing we share is a bed?’

She watched as the words sank in, her pride a dim and distant memory. She had no scruples about how she convinced him to spend time with her, she was just desperate to a degree that scared her.

She watched as he put the phone down.

‘I do have to attend a meeting later, but would you like to take a walk? There’s a viewpoint…’

‘That sounds good.’

* * *

It was a steep climb to the lookout point and by the time they reached the top Elsie was breathless as she gazed in silent appreciation at the three-sixty-degree vista spread out below them.

‘It’s amazing and the plus point is at least ten people saw us together.’

‘You were counting?’

‘No, I was too busy gazing lovingly up at you,’ she joked, except, of course, it wasn’t a joke. She pushed away the acknowledgement because that would also mean acknowledging the inevitable pain she would feel when she could no longer gaze at him at all. ‘This,’ she said, arms stretched wide as she turned full circle, ‘is what you are fighting for, isn’t it?’

‘It’s in my blood,’ he agreed, following her gaze.

‘And the people.’

‘It’s my duty.’ He held out a hand. ‘Come down from there,’ he said. ‘You’ll fall.’

After a moment she took his warm hand and jumped down. ‘It’s not often I can look down on you.’

‘I learnt earlier this week that Tomaz and his cronies have been meeting with some high-ranking members of the military.’

She gasped. ‘A coup?’

‘It never got that far, thanks to Franco and his loyal informants.’

‘I had no idea.’

‘There was no point worrying you.’

‘I could have helped—I can help.’

His glance slid to the slim fingers that had tightened around his own and he felt things shift inside him. ‘You mean that, don’t you?’

‘Of course.’

‘You are amazing, you know that, and you will be an amazing mother to our children.’

Elsie took a small step back, avoiding his supportive hand as she swayed on the uneven ground. The distance between them was in reality inches, but in her head it was a gaping chasm. She was a cheat and when he knew that he would send her away. She wished with all her heart that she could imagine the future with another outcome but it was not possible.

‘Your meeting…’ she said, pretending not to see his questioning look. ‘You don’t want to be late.’

CHAPTER TEN

THE SELECTED OUTFITS were on the bed, arranged neatly with shoes and jewellery: none were objectionable and all were suitable.

‘Not very colourful,’ the Dowager admitted, ‘but very elegant and you can carry off pearls with your neck.’