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The woman rushed off again before Amy even had a chance to thank her for interrupting at exactly the right time.
Sleeping with Artur back in New York had been a mistake—but one she couldn’t regret since she’d already fallen in love with her baby. But sleeping with him again, in his country, where she’d come to rehabilitate his image, would be a disaster. No longer hungry for dinner, Amy excused herself and rushed out as well.
7
Artur hadn’t been to Castle Belinsky for years. In fact, the only memory he had of the place was a hazy one of attending the opening of the refurbished castle years ago with his family. It had survived the Second World War after several centuries standing alone near the border, and had been reopened as a tourist destination when he was—what, eight? He couldn’t have been more than ten.
He lifted his camera and looked through the lens, down at the misty landscape below. It was a rainy day and the fog hanging in the air lent a kind of magical feeling to the landscape. The castle itself was ancient and beautiful, and they stood on a balcony off what had once been the queen’s rooms, taking it all in.
Amy stood at the railing. For an instant, his mind colored over her understated maternity dress, replacing it with a gown fit for a queen—the kind she would have worn hundreds of years ago, when this castle was bustling with the kinds of activity his family would mirror years later.
She was gorgeous.
One step to his left, and he had the perfect shot: Amy in quarter profile, her lashes lowered as she looked at a map. It wasn’t even a map on her phone, but a paper map. From this angle he could see it all—her baby bump, the map, and her long lashes. Click.
She looked up at the sound of the shutter, and Artur’s heart squeezed. He’d only had one chance to get that photo, and then the opportunity was gone again. He felt an absurd relief that he’d taken the picture in time and lowered the camera to his side, taking a deep, calming breath.
A little smile quirked the corners of Amy’s lips, and then she waved to him. No—not to him, to someone behind him.
The woman approaching through the elegant space was Dina, a statuesque blonde with lips painted a vicious red. She came directly to Artur, inclining her head. “Your Royal Highness.” Her voice was a low curl that didn’t sound demure in the slightest. “I see you’ve had a chance to explore some of the most impressive rooms. I’d be delighted to give you a more...detailed tour.” She’d greeted them when they first came in, along with the rest of the welcoming committee. But now she was alone.
He had never been so aware of Amy’s presence before.
Artur slipped a polite smile over his face. “I’d love to know more about the castle. It has a fascinating history.” He shrugged one shoulder. “I’m sure the guide downstairs would be happy to provide one, wouldn’t he?”
She grinned and reached out a perfectly manicured hand to touch his shoulder. “The guide is for all the others. As you might know, Prince Artur, my family has acted as the stewards for this property for generations. No one could be a better guide.” She turned and lifted her arms, gesturing to the rooms. “I’m sure you know from the placard that we’re standing in the queen’s rooms.” Dina turned back, a sultry smile playing at her lips. “But what the placard won’t tell you is that one of the first queens who lived here had a rather scandalous lifestyle.” She went to one of the hangings next to the antique four-poster bed and lifted it. “This door—” And there was a door, blending in seamlessly with the paneling on the wall. “—provided her numerous lovers with a discreet way to come and go. Rumor has it that she had over twenty lovers.”
The information was interesting, but it was...more than a little strange, the way Dina was looking at him, as if she was dropping a hint she wanted him to pick up.
“Twenty lovers?” Amy had come alongside him and he wanted to wrap his arm around her, use her as a shield against the predatory look in Dina’s eye. “Busy, busy woman.”
“Oh yes.” Dina flicked her eyes over Amy dismissively, then went past them both, brushing Artur’s shoulder as she did so. “And this window here is known as the lovers’ window.” It was a narrow window made from stained glass, set into the stones next to the balcony. “Those who weren’t so fortunate to have access to the passageway used to stand beneath the window, hoping for favor from the queen.” Dina looked utterly noble next to the window. The photographer in him admired the image even as the man in him felt zero interest. “What would you say to a photo?” She beckoned with her fingers to Artur, whose feet felt like they’d been filled with lead as he went to pose in front of the window. Those few steps were all the time Dina needed to produce a phone from her hand and hold it out, leaning in close and wrapping a hand around Artur’s bicep. “Strong,” she commented, smiling up at the phone. “I’m not as strong, of course, but I still love staying fit by rowing whenever I can. Even competitively, on the odd weekend.”
Rowing? It was one of the royal family’s well-known hobbies.
“Oh, yes?” Artur said, looking past the phone.
Where had Amy gone? She was no longer standing by the four-poster bed.
“Yes. Very competitively, when my blood gets hot.” Dina lowered the phone to her side. “Now that your assistant has made herself scarce, we can get on with our private tour.”
It clicked into place for Artur, then—the lack of press for this event, the way Dina had been flirting so aggressively. This was a first date.
Artur hardly saw the gorgeous castle grounds. Even the way the mist hung over the castle like a shimmering curtain had lost its appeal. He didn’t register any more of the insider details Dina murmured into his ear. He was too busy grappling with his realization.
; He’d told Amy that he didn’t want the tour to turn into a dating show—with him as the star and the whole nation watching as it was recorded by the press. Well, apparently, she’d taken him at his word. The press wasn’t here. Pity she’d ignored the rest of it.
This was not what he’d had in mind for the day. All he wanted was to be with Amy again.
By lunch, it seemed even Dina had picked up on his utter disinterest in her. Artur settled into a spot at the long dining table, now filled with members of the town’s tourism committee, and spotted Amy at the other end. The sight of her made him feel like he could breathe again.
Next to him, Dina sat up straight in her seat, her eyes appraising. “There was one more thing I wanted to bring to your attention, Prince Artur.”
“Yes? What’s that?”
“Exposure.” Thank God there wasn’t a hint of flirtation on Dina’s face any longer. “Belinsky needs more ways to appeal to travelers in Stolvenia. Our location is out of the way, so we don’t get nearly enough foot traffic to sustain the kind of upkeep the castle requires.”
