hadn’t even spoken to her on the phone.
She climbed the steps and looked out over the Mediterranean Sea. Lots of little white boats bobbed up and down on the beautiful blue water. Little boats? They probably cost more than she would earn in her lifetime. This was a whole other world.
But she was here to do a job, not to admire the scenery—no matter how beautiful it was.
The sooner she got started the better.
* * *
He watched her step from the car. She was picture-perfect. Her elegant legs were the first hint of what was to come as her slim figure emerged in a pale green dress that fluttered around her in the strong sea winds. It was an occupational hazard of having a palace on the sea.
His mother had always joked that one day a press photographer would get a picture of something they shouldn’t. She’d been born before her time, and had been taken much too soon. She would have known exactly what to do with Annabelle.
He watched as Rufus, his private secretary, bustled around about Ruby. He would probably give her a headache in the first five minutes, but his heart was in the right place.
Rufus had organised everything once he’d known Ruby would be coming. From her favourite foods and TV shows to her clothes—everything would be taken care of. The only thing he’d asked for some input with was where to put her in the palace.
Alex hadn’t been quite sure, but had finally decided she should be in the West Wing, overlooking the sea. The rooms there had always been his mother’s favourites.
It only took a few moments before his phone rang.
‘Your Majesty? I’m afraid there’s a problem with our guest. Her accommodation is unsuitable. She’s requesting rooms next to Princess Annabelle.’ Rufus was so overwrought he was practically squeaking.
‘Take her to the library. I’ll be along directly.’
Five minutes. That was all it had taken for Ruby to cause turmoil in his life. He just hoped this wasn’t a decision he’d live to regret.
He strode down the stairs and along the corridor towards the library. Rufus was flapping around the doorway. He wasn’t used to people not going along with his plans.
‘Where is she?’ Alex looked around the empty room.
‘She went upstairs to Princess Annabelle’s quarters. She knows Annabelle isn’t there but she said she wanted to make herself familiar with the place.’
Rufus cringed. The whole thing was probably giving him palpitations. It didn’t take much these days.
Alex waved his hand. ‘Leave this to me.’
He didn’t need Rufus getting over-excited. What on earth was Ruby doing? She’d barely put her feet across the front door.
He bit his lip as he climbed the stairs at a rapid pace. She wasn’t used to things like this. Maybe he should try and exercise a little patience. Ruby wasn’t used to royal palaces and protocols. She was here because he’d asked her to be. She might have a job to do, but she was also his guest.
He reached Annabelle’s rooms quickly. The door was open wide, giving a clear view of the palace gardens and the sea. Ruby was sitting on one of the window seats, but she wasn’t admiring the view. One of Annabelle’s stuffed toys was in her hands. It was a koala left by the Australian ambassador after his last visit. Ruby was looking around the room carefully.
He stood behind her, looking at her outline, seeing every curve of her body. It sent a rush of blood around his own body.
He hadn’t quite imagined how this would feel. Ruby, sitting in his palace, with the backdrop he’d looked at every day for years behind her. It almost seemed unreal.
‘Ruby, what are you doing in here?’
She sighed and turned to face him. The first thing that struck him was her big brown eyes. So dark, so deep, so inviting... He really needed to get hold of himself.
‘There are rooms right next door to Annabelle’s. It would be best if I stayed there.’
‘Why?’ The rooms he’d chosen for her in the West Wing were brighter, more spacious. The ones next to Annabelle were smaller, usually reserved for staff. ‘The other rooms are nicer. They have more space.’
She waved her hand. She didn’t look happy. Was she already regretting coming here?
‘I need to be next to her, Alex. You forget—I live in London. These rooms will be a penthouse compared to my flat. I need to see her, Alex. I need to see her in her own environment. I need to see how she functions. I need to see how she communicates with those around her. She’s three. I need to watch her in the place where she’s most comfortable. I’m not just here to assess whether she can actually speak or not. I need to assess her ability to understand—her cognitive abilities. I need to see how she interacts with those around her.’
She held out her arm across the immaculately kept room.
‘Is this Annabelle’s world?’
There was tinge of sadness to her words. As if to her the beautiful rooms were clearly lacking.
‘Where is she now?’
Professional Ruby. The one he’d never really experienced before. She wasn’t having wishful thoughts about him. She was concentrating on the job she was here to do.
He glanced at his watch. ‘She’s with her nanny. She goes to the local nursery for a few hours twice a week. Her nanny thought mixing with other children might be good for her. She’s due back any minute.’
Ruby nodded and smiled.
Alex continued. ‘This isn’t a big country. Annabelle will go to the local school with the other children, just like I did. My father always believed that to lead the people you had to be part of the people.’
‘He sounds like a very wise man.’ She turned and looked out over the sea. ‘Where is your father? Is he here?’
He hesitated. They kept details about King Leopold closely guarded. But this was Ruby. He trusted her with the details of his daughter—why not his father?
‘He’s not here. He’s in Switzerland.’
‘Switzerland?’
‘His stroke was severe. We have a hospital in Euronia, but we don’t have ICU facilities.’
She walked towards him, concern lacing her brow. Clearly no one had told her about the protocol of remaining ten steps away from the Prince. He was glad. He could see a tiny smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose. Had they been there before?
If asked, he would have said that every part of her face had been etched on his brain. But these were new. It was disconcerting. A part of Ruby he hadn’t kept in his head.
She put her hand on his chest. He could practically hear the alarms going off around the building.
‘Ten
