Rebecca Winters - The Prince's Forbidden Bride

“Donetta’s sister was there?”

“Yes. She came with their aunt and Donetta, who was in charge of her country’s entrants. From what I’ve been told, the two sisters are thick as thieves. They look a lot alike. I guess our Montedoro genes are tuned into a certain type of woman. Fausta is a knockout, too.”

“I agree,” Enrico said.

“Naturally I wanted to get to know her better. But her best friend, Mia Giancarlo, whose father is an international banker I’ve worked with, gave me some private info about the two sisters that was fascinating.”

“Go on.”

“Mia told me that Fausta won’t date any royals and would refuse to go out with me. It seems she has turned down many royal proposals because—get this—she plans to marry a commoner!”

“Are you putting me on?” Enrico demanded.

“I swear not. That’s when Mia told me that Donetta has refused to marry for the reasons I just explained. It seems the only normal sister is the youngest one, Princess Lanza. She’s now married to Prince Stefano of Umbriano,”

“That’s right.” A whistle escaped Enrico’s lips.

But Enrico wouldn’t allow this gossip to thwart him. In his gut he knew Donetta had loved him. He was determined to pursue her at any cost. Giovanni had given him enough information to offer her something she wouldn’t be able to turn down.

“I’m going to create a situation where we can be legitimately together so I can propose. The truth is, I can’t get her out of my head. I’ve been a fool to pretend to be doing my duty when all these years she’s been the one.”

“I guess if anyone can try to persuade her, it’s you. But you’re forgetting your mother. She’ll forbid it.”

“I’ll remind Mamma that she had her opportunity to reject or accept my father’s proposal when the time came. Now it’s my turn.”

“Good luck with that.”

It was evening when they arrived at the palace grounds and parked outside the west wing. Their bodyguards followed in another car. He and Giovanni shared a suite of offices where he could get busy plotting before they went to their own apartments to sleep.

“I’ve come up with a solution to get her here, Giovanni. Don’t go to bed yet. Our country has never hosted a concorso. What do you say we plan the most spectacular event ever put on in any country? I realize it will take time and effort, but it will be worth it.”

A long silence ensued while his cousin eyed him through narrowed lids. “You crafty devil.”

* * *

“How are you feeling on this beautiful July day, Papà?” Twenty-seven-year-old Donetta had served herself breakfast at the huntboard in the small dining room of the palace and sat down at the table with her parents and sister Fausta.

“I’m fine.”

“Are you?” She flashed her mother a glance for verification. Her father had a heart condition he’d finally admitted to after their youngest sister Lanza had gotten married to Prince Stefano of Umbriano on New Year’s Day.

“He’s upset that Stefano had to fly to Argentina over mining business yesterday,” Fausta explained. “Papà doesn’t know how long he’ll be gone, and this time Lanza went with him.”

Lanza had been their father’s pet forever, but since marrying Stefano, she went everywhere she could with her husband. Lanza’s childhood crush on Stefano had turned into a love he reciprocated. They were crazy about each other, but their father missed her and didn’t seem as happy these days.

“He had to go,” Donetta reasoned. “What’s really troubling you?”

Her father, King Victor of the country of Domodossola, looked down and frowned. “Since their wedding, Stefano has been much busier running his mining interests than I thought he’d be.”

Donetta could have told him as much. Her father had hoped his new son-in-law would take over a lot of the responsibilities of governing, but Prince Stefano was a gold mining engineer. He’d brought much-needed funds to his country of Umbriano in the Alps, and now to their Kingdom of Domodossola on the French-Swiss-Italian border.

Marrying her younger sister Lanza hadn’t changed what he did for a living, even though he tried to give their father as much of his time as he could when he was home.

“So why don’t you lean on me while he’s gone?” Donetta knew her plea would fall on deaf ears, but she said it anyway.

Her dream had always been to rule Domodossola on her own when her father no longer could, but the law of succession didn’t allow a woman to rule. She’d been forced to give that dream up a long time ago.

“I can manage the latest contracts on the timber we’re shipping to Umbriano.” Among her college courses she’d taken finance and accounting.

He shook his head. “You’re sweet, but I’ve got Giulio working on them.” Except that their financial advisor was eighty-two and had started making mistakes.

She finished her coffee. “In that case, I’ll ask you to excuse me while I go to my office.”

“Don’t leave yet,” her father said unexpectedly. “Your mother and I have something vital to discuss with you.”

She lowered her head. That could mean only one thing. Marriage. What else? How many times in her life had they brought it up to her!

“We’ve received half a dozen invitations from Prince Arnaud’s family, asking that you’ll spend time with them. Just last week another request came from the royal family pleading with all of us to visit their estate at Haute Vienne. It’s time. You can’t avoid it any longer!”

“Please take this seriously, Donetta,” her mother begged her. “When they came to Lanza’s wedding in January, Prince Arnaud spoke to your father and me in private. Since being with you in Paris while Fausta was there, traveling with your Zia Ottavia, he’s most anxious for the betrothal to take place. The man is entranced by you, darling. You have to do something about it!”

“I’m not ready yet, Mamma .” She’d found Arnaud attractive and realized that she appealed to him. But in her heart of hearts she knew that Arnaud wasn’t in love with her any more than she was with him. If he weren’t a royal, he would be free to choose the woman he desired.

“You said that to us a year ago, darling. Arnaud has been very patient,” her mother declared. “He told me he’s never wanted to marry anyone else since he met you.”

“It’s true,” Fausta interjected. “Arnaud couldn’t take his eyes off you.”

Maybe so, but Fausta knew where Donetta’s true heart lay and was angry at Enrico for dropping her sister.

The one man who’d stayed away five years.

Donetta loved Fausta for being so loyal and listening to her while she’d suffered over that first year after the letters stopped coming. At first she’d imagined Enrico’s family had learned about the letters and his liaison with a Rossiano. In their fury, they’d demanded he break things off immediately.

Whatever the explanation, that had been the blackest, bleakest time in her life and only in the last year had she managed to pull out of the pain. There had been recent rumors that Enrico would be getting engaged to Valentina. What chance did Donetta have at this point? It had taken her a long time to realize that in the end Enrico had stopped loving her. What a stupid, foolish fool she’d been to keep him alive in her heart all this time!

As she’d told him in Madrid a month ago when he’d shown up out of the blue, they’d had their fun living in a dream. But that period when they’d ignored the fact that they were both promised to other people was long since over. Seeing him again had given her the closure she’d needed even if he wasn’t wearing a wedding ring yet.