Marion Lennox - In the Royal's Bed - Wanted - Royal Wife and Mother

‘I need to apologise,’ the elderly man said softly, but Anna was suddenly there, standing beside Crater, looking belligerent.

‘Hell, no,’ she said. ‘Don’t apologise to this woman. She’s stuffed my life.’

‘Hey,’ Rafael said from the doorway behind her. He’d come in behind her without her hearing. ‘She’s stuffed whose life?’

‘Everyone’s,’ Anna said. ‘Every single one of our kids.’

‘Whose kids?’ Kelly asked blankly.

‘Twenty kids thinking he’s their hero,’ Anna said bitterly. ‘Twenty kids…’

‘Who now need to swap their allegiance to you,’ Rafael told her.

‘I don’t do kids,’ Anna said flatly. ‘I run a business. A business, Rafael, not a damned charity. Here you are, hauling the personal stuff over here, and if you think…’

‘I absolutely think,’ Rafael said and put his arms round her and hugged her.

But Anna hadn’t finished with her grievance yet. She swiped his hands away and glowered. ‘Don’t you try your sweet-talk on me. Richard’s having all sorts of fits—he didn’t even want me to come now. And how the hell Kelly got you here…’

‘I don’t think I know what’s going on,’ Kelly said.

‘That’s because you haven’t had breakfast,’ Laura said calmly, rising from the table and handing her a warmed plate. ‘Wrap yourself round some pancakes.’

‘Then you can come down and see what I have in my dungeons. Meanwhile, we need to stop Anna being mean to you,’ Rafael said. ‘Come on, Anna, you can handle it. It’s not like I had any choice.’

‘Because of Kelly.’ Anna glowered. ‘You said you’d just need to spend a little time here for ceremonial duties, that all you had to do was persuade Kellyn to take over her rightful role and you could fade into the background again. Someone take that woman’s pancakes away from her.’

‘Not on your life,’ Kelly said, concentrating on the only thing she could understand. Cook was ladling a stack of hot pancakes on to her plate and they smelled extraordinary. She didn’t have a clue what was happening between Rafael and Anna, but guilt was hovering, ready to pounce.

She didn’t have to accept it. She didn’t have to find out what Anna was talking about, she told herself. Rafael’s life was none of her business. She sat at the far end of the table, one of the truckers handed her a jug of maple syrup and she got down to business.

‘I knew you’d like pancakes,’ Matty said, pleased, and she smiled at his pleasure. This was her business—making her son smile.

The kitchen felt great, she thought as she ate. It was big and warm and friendly. She didn’t feel out of place back in her jeans and baggy sweater. Even Anna’s hostility seemed not particularly hostile—more resigned.

It was none of her business but some things seemed impossible. Maybe she could just ask…

‘So you two have twenty children?’ she ventured cautiously, and Rafael choked.

‘Right. You see what you’ve done?’

‘They might as well be your kids,’ Anna retorted, unabashed. ‘For all the trouble you’ve put into them.’

‘I don’t have twenty kids,’ Rafael said. ‘I have a sheltered workshop which employs twenty disabled young men and women.’

‘Who are currently ready to hate the Princess Kellyn of Alp de Ciel,’ Anna said. ‘Because you’ve taken away their precious Rafael.’

‘Oh,’ Kelly said in a small voice.

‘He had to come away anyway,’ Laura said.

‘Not all the time, he didn’t,’ Anna said. ‘When Kass died he said he might have to spend a bit more time here. Not all the time.’

‘So it’s my fault,’ Kelly said.

‘Yes,’ Anna retorted. Kelly thought about it. Rafael was looking at her as if he was quite happy for her to take the blame. How unfair was that?

‘You’d think someone could have told me,’ she said bluntly and fixed him with a look that put the blame right back where it belonged.

He didn’t look the least bit guilty. He grinned. His grin made her feel warm from the toes up.

Ridiculous!

‘You didn’t tell her?’ Anna demanded, turning back to Rafael.

‘What was I supposed to tell her?’ Rafael asked.

‘How I’m dependent on you.’

‘I told Kelly I had a partner.’

‘Just not twenty kids.’

‘It seemed a bit over-dramatic.’

‘Rafael makes toys,’ Laura said, taking pity on Kelly’s confusion. ‘Rafael has the most wonderful sheltered workshop in the world. He’s built it up from one tiny idea, and now they export all over the world.’

‘Robo-Craft,’ Kelly said. ‘He did tell me that.’ She frowned. So what hadn’t he told her? Her ultimatum had real repercussions, not just for Rafael? She set down her knife and fork, her appetite suddenly gone.

‘It’s not like I’m closing down,’ Rafael told her quickly. ‘I’m just moving development here. Production will stay in Manhattan, overseen by Anna.’

‘Who keeps trying to run the business like a business,’ Anna said, sighing theatrically. ‘Only production’s dropped already, as everyone loves Rafael.’

‘And now they have to learn to love Anna,’ Rafael said. ‘And they will.’

‘So…’ Kelly swallowed. There was a lot here to think about and she didn’t know whether she had it right yet. ‘So when I said you had to stay here…’

‘Then I had to reorganize my business,’ Rafael said. ‘Which I’ve done.’

‘And Anna’s your…?’

‘Business partner,’ Anna said bluntly. ‘More fool me. I’m an accountant.’

‘Not your…partner-partner?’

‘No,’ Anna said, astonished. ‘Why would you think that? I’d have brained him ten years ago if he was my partner-partner. Any sane woman would. Now my Richard—who is my partner-partner—is threatening to brain him for me.’

‘Oh,’ Kelly said. She was starting to feel wobbly.

Last night had seemed fraught. Dangerous. But last night she’d thought Rafael was messing around, being a typical de Boutaine, because Rafael had a partner.

This morning she’d discovered that Anna was his business partner. And she’d discovered more. That Rafael had some truly noble motives in there among his de Boutaine blood.

Last night she’d thought Rafael was sexy but a de Boutaine.

Now…now she just thought he was sexy. Clever. Skilled. Kind.

Unattached.

Very, very sexy.

She suddenly felt really, really exposed. The kitchen was too warm. It was almost claustrophobic.

She pushed her pancakes away.

‘Is something wrong?’ Laura asked, watching her with concern.

‘I didn’t want to blackmail anyone to come here.’

‘If you did, we’re very grateful to you,’ Crater said, smiling on her with approval. ‘We need Rafael to run this principality. Someone has to take on the Crown.’

‘But that’s me,’ Matty piped up. ‘You said I’m the Crown Prince. This country is my res…responsibility.’

‘Which Rafael will take care of for you until you’re of age,’ Crater told him gravely.

‘You said I have to look after my people. I am the Prince.’

It silenced them all—this wisp of a child calmly accepting a burden that Rafael and Kelly would do anything to avoid.

Kelly stared down at her half-eaten pancakes, gulped and hauled the plate back in front of her. Maybe she couldn’t bolt to her garret quite yet. But the pancakes didn’t taste as good.

‘You’ve taught Matty his royal duties?’ Rafael asked Crater.

Crater nodded unhappily. ‘He’s had lessons.’

‘Not from his father.’

‘No. But Kass has hardly been here. I’ve taken it upon myself…’

‘To load Matty with the burden of the Crown.’