husband after the kidnapping, but I think that affair was the worst for her. It was so public, you know. As far as the media was concerned, it was an affair to remember and the little wife and remaining baby sitting at home were old news.”
“Poor thing,” Elena commented.
“Yes. Well, it didn’t last long. Suddenly Stephanie was gone and the prince seemed bereft, but he managed to go back to his duties and soon it was almost as though it had never happened. He and Francesca had two more children and seemed quite devoted as the years went by. It was only later that we found out that Stephanie had been hustled out of the country once the king found out about her, and that she was pregnant at the time.”
“So she was banished by King Giorgio.”
“Oh, yes. Never to set foot on these shores again, et cetera et cetera. Of course, I’m sure they gave her plenty of money to keep her quiet.”
“Money.” Elena nodded. That did seem to be a common theme with the Ryder family. And that thought gave her a dull, unpleasant feeling in the pit of her stomach.
But that feeling faded as she spent the rest of the afternoon preparing for her evening party. Jeremy woke up and was completely agreeable, playing with Fabio, then helping her with the canapés and negotiating more piano lessons in a clever way that made her think he had more of his father in him than Adam realized.
She didn’t know if Adam would be back in time to join her entertainment. From what he’d said, she was pretty sure he would be engaged at the palace until fairly late that night. And he hadn’t exactly brimmed with enthusiasm for her party.
“I’m having some people over tonight,” she told him as he was preparing to leave for his meeting. “So when you get back …”
“Don’t worry. I’ll keep out of your way.”
That wasn’t what she’d been about to say. In fact, she’d been about to invite him to join them.
“Actually, I’d rather as few people as possible know about me being here,” he reminded her.
“I understand,” she said, though she was disappointed.
“How many people do you suppose already know?” he asked her.
“Well, there’s Gino, of course.”
Adam laughed shortly. “Can we have him bound and gagged and held in a cellar for a few days?”
She smiled but said, “No.”
“Damn.” He turned toward her. “Still, if no one but Gino knows I’ve been here, we might be alright. I was hoping I would have a day or two before the hyenas descend.”
“I’ve never known a man so sure he was at the center of the universe,” she said, only half teasing.
And yet, he had reason to feel as though everyone had him in their sights. Right now, he was the man of the hour in Niroli. How odd to think that she had that very man right here with her. It was rather exciting.
The hour was late when Adam got back. He took a cab from the palace and had it drop him off in downtown Monte Speziare, then walked the few blocks to Elena’s house. He could see that she still had people with her. The sound of talk and laughter followed him as he went to check on Jeremy, who was sound asleep once again in the guest house, probably exhausted from meeting all of Elena’s friends and romping with the dog. He paused for a brief space of time, looking at the boy. He looked so angelic in sleep. And for just a moment, Adam felt love swell in his heart.
If only he knew how to reach out to Jeremy, to make him into a real son instead of an annoying charge and an antagonist. If only he knew how Elena did it. If only a lot of things.
Going out into the yard, he made another attempt to get through to his business partner in Los Angeles and finally made the connection. Zeb had only bad news to report. Celluloid Images, the firm trying to buy out Ryder Productions, had petitioned to file final papers. If he didn’t get some funds soon, he would lose his company. He had to close this deal.
He completed the call and tried to push aside the feeling of doom it had brought on. His meeting at the palace hadn’t given him much to hope for, either. In fact, the more he met with these people, the more he wondered if he could bring off this royal makeover in a convincing way. The counselors had tried to paint a cheery picture of what life as a king would be like, but he could see through their fantasies. He was going to be working hard for the money. And how he was going to get out of some of the strictures, such as having to stay here in Niroli full time, he wasn’t sure. Still, he would deal with that later. Right now, he just needed the money.
The sounds of the party drew him closer, but he lingered in the backyard garden, reluctant to go in and have to try to explain to Elena’s friends who he was and why he was living there. She must have told them something to explain Jeremy. He didn’t want to complicate matters.
But he wanted to see her. And suddenly, there she was through the window. She looked like an angel. His heart started to pound just looking at her. She’d finally shed her dark glasses and her eyes were huge, dark and luminous. She’d freed her hair and it fell in wispy ringlets all around her shoulders. She wore a strapless sundress, which was spectacularly form-fitting, emphasizing the thrust of her breasts and her tiny waist and exposing a lot of smooth, creamy skin. He wanted her so badly, he was beginning to ache for her again—and that was ludicrous! He had to stop this.
But he couldn’t stop watching her. She moved with such grace and looked so beautiful.
And more than that, she was so brave. Her vulnerability was deep and abiding and it couldn’t be erased from the experiences of her life. And yet, she put herself out there every day, let it all hang out and laid it all on the line. Why couldn’t he do that, if only a little bit? He knew it would make him a better person. It slowly began to dawn on him that he admired her as much as he desired her. Maybe more. And all he could do was watch.
Elena’s good friend Natalia Carini was helping her clear away the mess from her party. Most of the guests had gone home, but some of her closest friends stayed behind to make sure she didn’t get stuck having to do all the clean-up herself.
They’d been laughing over a joke Natalia had made when suddenly her smile faded and she stared out through the window into the dark night.
“Elena, there’s a man skulking in your garden,” she said.
Elena’s head came up. “What sort of man?” she asked, a thread of interest apparent in her voice no matter how she tried to disguise it.
“Tall. Handsome.” Natalia laughed softly. “He just winked at me.”
“Ah.” A feeling of excitement swept through her, though she tried her best to suppress it. “That must be Jeremy’s father.”
“I see.” Natalia leaned over the counter to get a better look at him. “He seems lonely out there, don’t you think?”
Elena nodded, fighting back a smile. “I’ll go out and see if he needs anything.”
Natalia turned and pretended to scold. “I’m not sure I approve of you dallying with strange men in the garden.”
“He is strange,” Elena admitted
