Natalie Anderson - Mr Right All Along

He didn’t look at her—he looked through her. It was like being dunked in an Antarctic dive-hole.

‘May I offer my congratulations?’

Stella couldn’t tell if he was being sarcastic or not. He was expressionless. Bloodless. So unlike his brother.

‘All of Europe will wish to do the same,’ Antonio added. ‘So the ball scheduled for Saturday shall become a marriage celebration—’

‘Antonio, no.’ Eduardo interrupted him, moving to stand beside Stella. ‘You’re not still planning—?’

‘It has been planned for months, as you well know,’ Antonio said brusquely. ‘Guests have been arriving all week while you’ve been “ill”.’

‘But she’s not ready—’

‘I am cast as the evil older brother in this scenario you have created.’ Antonio turned his icicle eyes onto his brother. ‘I will not remain so.’

Eduardo glared back. ‘Antonio—’

‘The ball has been planned for months—or do you expect us all to act rashly and ruin the happiness and expectations of others? You have deprived the nation of a royal wedding. This celebration is the least you can give the people,’ Antonio went on, his cold fury now evident. ‘She has less than forty-eight hours to get “ready”.’ Antonio sent her another dismissive glance. ‘But the sapphire, a dress and a smile are all that will be necessary.’

Didn’t he like her jeans? What a cold, patronising jerk to relegate her to ‘decorative only’ status.

‘I think you’ll find Stella has more to offer than that,’ Eduardo answered, before she had a chance to breathe.

Antonio’s eyebrows lifted almost imperceptibly, giving him a supercilious look. ‘You should have come to me first.’

‘Even you have to agree this solves several problems. Leave it, Antonio, it is done,’ Eduardo answered. ‘I promise we’ll parade beautifully and dutifully at the ball. We won’t let you down.’

It was obvious Antonio thought they already had.

‘You will attend the pre-ball functions tonight and tomorrow as well,’ Antonio ordered. ‘But to maintain the “mystery” and heighten anticipation, the ball will be Stella’s first formal public appearance.’

Stella’s pulse tripped as Antonio issued his wintry instructions. She recognised that look in his eyes. It was the same one she saw in her father’s. She was a disappointment. He didn’t want Eduardo to have married her. Yet again she was not ‘right’. Not for her job. Not for this relationship.

Was Antonio’s disapproval because she wasn’t nobility? Her father was the first General who had earned his position through work—not via his birth, name and lineage. Did that make her unworthy of the wretched sapphire Eduardo had hung around her neck?

Or was it just her?

Eduardo’s hand was firm on her back, guiding her out of the room. She didn’t bother saying goodbye to the Crown Prince, as protocol and common politeness dictated. She was too hurt.

‘Please excuse my brother,’ Eduardo said briefly, but he didn’t offer any explanation for Antonio’s frostiness. ‘I’m sorry, I need to leave you alone again for a while. Ask Giulia if you need anything.’

‘Of course.’

It wasn’t ‘a while’ that he was gone. It was hours. She dined alone in his apartment, waited up, but in the end sleep overcame her before he returned.

‘Stella...’ He woke her in the morning with a whisper and a kiss.

She opened her eyes and found herself wrapped in his arms.

‘I’d better get on that treadmill,’ she groaned.

‘You’d better get on me first.’

His gaze drilled into her. His body invaded. Devastated. It was so good. It so wasn’t enough. So much for easy.

As soon as she’d recovered some energy she left him in the bed and went to maintain her routine. She would resist when she wanted to.

She was twenty minutes into her time on the treadmill when he placed an iPad on the stand in front of her.

‘My assistant has prepared a dossier on many of tomorrow night’s guests. Photos, names, positions.’

‘That’s useful,’ she puffed as she jogged and swiped the screen. ‘Thank you.’

‘I have other duties I must fulfil,’ he said, a hint of apology in his eyes. ‘I’ll be back later tonight.’

Already she understood that he meant very, very late.

Was this to be her future? To be left locked in the palace with nothing to do but pretty herself for a ball and grow a baby, and at night be a sexual plaything for her insatiable husband? Sure, she was every bit as insatiable as he, but this wasn’t the life she wanted. She wanted her control back.

So she’d control this. She knew how to fight. She just needed different armour from her usual. Antonio had been right—in part. At the very least she needed ‘the sapphire, a dress and a smile’ and the ability to remember a couple dozen names and faces.

Because she wasn’t going to fail.

As she ran on the treadmill she memorised the names and faces. Then she called Giulia and requested a beautician and a hairdresser to be summoned for later in the day. She’d damn well become the Princess San Felipe had wanted for so long.

‘Can you get Dr Russo to come and see me at his convenience as well?’ she asked Giulia, trying to sound as relaxed as she had when she’d asked for the beautician.

‘Of course.’

The doctor arrived within twenty minutes. Because of that swift timing, Stella was certain Giulia knew about her condition.

‘Is everything all right, Your Highness?’ Dr Russo bowed as he entered the private sitting room.

‘Please call me Stella.’ She gestured towards the chairs. ‘I’m sorry to trouble you, I just wanted to talk to you about my pregnancy.’

‘No trouble.’ He sat down. ‘What did you want to discuss?’

She curled her hands into small fists, hiding the dampness of her palms, and smiled. ‘It sounds stupid, but where are my symptoms? I haven’t had any morning sickness, I haven’t been particularly tired, I’ve got no cravings... It’s like it’s not real.’

What if it wasn’t growing properly? Shouldn’t she hate the smell of coffee or something?

To her relief, the doctor didn’t laugh.

‘Perhaps you’re one of the lucky few,’ he suggested calmly.

‘Or perhaps there’s something wrong.’

He regarded her steadily. ‘Why would there be anything wrong?’

She hesitated. Her throat tightened. But this was the one person she had to speak to. ‘My mother died a few hours after giving birth to me.’

His eyes widened and the professional smile faded.

‘I didn’t mention it on the island because I didn’t want to panic anyone,’ she added quickly.

‘Do you know any details?’ he asked carefully.

‘I think she had some kind of haemorrhage. My father doesn’t speak of it.’ He never spoke of her mother. He never spoke to Stella about anything personal or important. ‘I don’t know much else.’

Dr Russo remained calm. ‘You were born in San Felipe?’

‘The main hospital—yes.’

‘Then, with your permission, I’ll check the records there. And we will get a scan arranged for you as soon as possible.’

‘Please... After the ball.’ She needed to know. To understand and prepare.

‘Of course.’ Dr Russo suddenly lifted his case onto the table. ‘I brought a Doppler with me today. It’s a small device we can use to listen to your baby’s heartbeat. You’re far enough along in your pregnancy for us to be able to do that. Would you like to hear your baby?’

For a second Stella’s own heart stopped, then started pounding. ‘Okay.’

Fleetingly she wished Eduardo was there, but he was busy. And she didn’t want to tell him about her mother. Or her fears.