‘Dragan? Carissimo, I rang and rang and you weren’t there,’ she said, sounding worried. ‘Are you all right?’
No, he wasn’t. ‘Sure,’ he lied. Even though she’d kept the truth about herself from him, she was in an awkward situation. Hundreds of miles away with a family who didn’t accept her for who she was, preparing to go to her brother’s funeral. Now wasn’t the time to make a big deal out of it—though that didn’t mean he was going to let her off the hook. ‘Are you?’
‘Sort of. But I miss you so much. Dragan, there’s something I need to tell you.’ She’d slipped into Italian and was speaking so rapidly that he had to concentrate to follow her. ‘It’s important and I know I should have told you before I left, but it was all such a mess, and there was no time, and I’m sorry, and…’ She paused for a moment. ‘Dragan, about my family. There isn’t an easy way to say this, so I’ll say it straight. My father’s the king of Contarini.’
‘King Alessandro. I know.’
Melinda was stunned. He knew? But who’d told him? ‘How?’
‘I went to get Violet Kennedy’s hot-water bottle from your flat to take it back to her and save you the job, and the paparazzi were there when I came out.’
‘And they hassled you? Oh, no!’ He must be so hurt and angry—learning that she’d kept this from him for so long. And hearing it from someone else instead of from her… ‘Dragan, I’m so sorry. I really didn’t want you to find out that way. I wanted to tell you myself.’
‘Bit late now.’ He was clearly trying to keep his voice toneless, but even he could hear the hurt and anger seeping through.
‘Are you all right? The paparazzi didn’t—’
‘It doesn’t matter about them,’ he cut in. ‘Why didn’t you tell me before?’
‘Because I couldn’t find the right words. I know I should have told you. But I was…’ She paused, trying to find the right word. One that wouldn’t make things even worse. ‘I was scared.’
‘Scared?’
‘That I’d lose you.’ She dragged in a breath. ‘Once people know I’m Princess Melinda, they treat me differently. And I didn’t want things to change between us.’
‘You think I’m that shallow?’
‘No, of course I don’t! But it’s human nature that people see the title—it gets in the way of seeing the person. I didn’t want to lose you, lose what we have. All I wanted was to live a normal life, just like any other person.’
‘But you’re not just any other person, are you? You’re next in line to the throne. You’re the heir in waiting.’
‘Yes and no.’
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
‘Officially I’m the heir at the moment. But I don’t want to be queen. And I’m not going to be either.’ She swallowed. ‘My father wants to retire—abdicate, call it what you want. He’s got high blood pressure, so it’s sensible that he starts to take things easier now he’s older. And at least nowadays there is the option to abdicate—in the old days he would have been king until he died and the job would have killed him. If he hands it over to me…then he’s free. It will be better for his health.’
‘So you’re staying in Contarini.’
‘No.’ She bit her lip. ‘I don’t belong here, Dragan. I belong in Penhally, with you. I’m just Melinda Fortesque, the local vet. And I’m getting married to the love of my life.’
His silence told her that he didn’t believe her. That he was hurt and angry and didn’t know how to trust a single word she said.
She hadn’t actually lied to him.
But then again, she hadn’t told him the whole truth either. And lies of omission were still lies.
‘Dragan. I love you, I love Penhally and I love my job. I don’t want to be the Queen of Contarini. I don’t want to run the kingdom. I have no interest in politics and I’d be a rubbish head of state. I’m not what Contarini needs.’
‘What about your duty to your family?’
He’d stayed in the village in Croatia during the war to pay off his family’s debts—debts that hadn’t been their fault at all—to make sure his family honour stayed intact. He’d put his duty before his own safety. And in her shoes she knew he’d do the dutiful thing. He’d give up the woman he loved and the job he loved for his family’s sake.
But her family wasn’t like his.
And giving up the life she loved to be the Queen of Contarini would be the biggest mistake she’d ever make.
She had to convince him of the truth. ‘I’m not the only child. My younger sister Serena’s everything I’m not—she enjoys politics and diplomacy, and she’s good at it. She’d make a brilliant queen and she’d love every second of it. Whereas my heart won’t be in it, and that would make it wrong for me and wrong for the country.’ She closed her eyes for a moment. ‘I have to do the right thing, Dragan. The right thing for everyone.’
‘So that means it’s over between us.’
‘No! I’m still the same woman I was when you asked me to marry you.’
‘Are you? Melinda, you’re of royal blood. You’re never going to be allowed to marry a commoner.’
‘Yes, I am.’
‘And then what? If you’re married to a commoner, the law means you can’t become queen?’
She sucked in a breath. Did he really think…? ‘I’m not using you to get out of being queen, if that’s what you’re thinking. Dio—I fell in love with you, Dragan, almost the first moment I saw you. You’re everything I want in a man. Apart from the fact that I go up in flames every time I look at you, it’s who you are. You’re honest and you’re honourable and you do what’s right. You’re compassionate and you’re kind and you’re clever and I…I’ll be so proud to be your wife. And I’m stuck here, hundreds of miles away from you, where you can’t see my face or my eyes and know for yourself that I mean every word I’m saying, that I’m not lying to you or using your or…’ She swallowed hard. ‘Look, I’m coming home. I’ll call you from the airport and let you know when my flight’s due in.’
‘Melinda, you can’t. You went back to Contarini for your brother’s funeral,’ he reminded her.
‘Which is tomorrow.’ She closed her eyes for a moment. ‘And it’s going to be horrible. My parents didn’t let me say goodbye to him in private. Saying goodbye in public isn’t the same.’
‘I know, but you still need to say goodbye. Or you’ll feel there’s unfinished business.’
Was that how he felt? Had he even had the chance to say goodbye properly to his family? She hadn’t asked—and she couldn’t ask now, not without ripping his wounds open again. She’d hurt him enough
