Brenda Harlen - Invitation to the Prince's Palace / The Prince's Second Chance - Invitation to the Prince's Palace / The Prince's Second Chance

Then admit that you desire her, and that the desire is as much about her personality as it is about her physical appeal .

He’d spent this evening with her and he’d thought about how different their lives were and mad thoughts had come through his mind about bridging the gaps.

Look how well longevity and sticking together had worked for his father and mother. The queen had walked out, had done the one thing Rik and his brothers had never expected. She had turned her back on what she had treated as the core of her duty. And now neither parent would discuss the matter with their sons.

Rik turned his thoughts back to the present.

At times today Mel seemed to have almost forgotten that Rik was a prince. He’d … liked that. But now was not a good time for him to forget the arrangement they’d made. He needed this to work. To be distracted by her beauty and appeal was not the right thing for him to do, to be distracted mentally and in liking her so much, even less smart because it spoke of an emotional awareness that couldn’t happen. Rik could never trust …

‘Good—goodnight, Rik.’ She said the words quietly, almost tentatively.

With a question in their depths?

Her small hand came to rest on his forearm and she reached up and briefly kissed his cheek. ‘I’ll see you in the morning and I’ll be ready for whatever needs to be done to help get your temporary marriage plans started, or just to keep out of the way if you need to work in the truffle groves tomorrow.’

Rik searched her face and saw the determination to do the right thing, to dismiss him and her awareness of him at one and the same time. To remain Melanie here and Rikardo there and never the two should cross over their lines.

He saw all that, and he felt what was inside her. A very different compulsion that he felt, too, that made him want to lean in and replace that pseudo-kiss with the real thing. To know for himself if the last kiss had been some kind of strange fluke. If her lips would taste as good a second time.

‘Sleep well.’ He turned and started for his room at the end of the short corridor. ‘I will see you in the morning. Thank you for your company this evening. I … really enjoyed it.’

And with that, Prince Rikardo Eduard Ettonbierre of Braston went to his room, stepped inside and shut the door firmly behind him.

Only then did he lift his hand to allow his fingertips to lightly trace where her lips had pressed to his cheek.

It was perfectly fine for him to find Melanie likeable, and to still marry her, end the marriage short months later, and get on with the single life that he wanted, and needed to maintain.

He would not be marrying for real.

Rik sighed and dropped his hand. For now he needed to prepare for bed.

Tomorrow was a new day and no doubt a new set of challenges.

‘I WOULD like to present to you my fiancée, Nicole Melanie Watson.’ Rik spoke the words to King Georgio formally, and as though the other impromptu meeting had never occurred. ‘My fiancée is known by her middle name of Melanie.’

If the occasion had been less formal, Mel might have smiled at Rik’s tweaking of history to suit himself. But this was not that kind of moment. Mel curtsied.

‘I am pleased to meet you, Melanie.’ Georgio took her hand and air-kissed above the fingers and, while doing so, searched her face. After a moment he gave a slight nod and indicated a setting of leather lounges and chairs to the left.

They were in what Rik referred to as one of the ‘great rooms’. It was a large area, and could have felt intimidating if Mel hadn’t walked in here determined not to be intimidated.

Mel and Rik had made their way down the mountain this morning. He’d driven at a gentler pace and Mel had remained calm until they were almost at the palace. Nervous anticipation had set in then but Mel felt that was justified.

‘Let us get to know one another a little, Melanie,’ Georgio said as they all took their seats.

Rik sat on one of the sofas beside Mel. He seemed deeply resolved this morning. Last night, when she’d thought he would kiss her at her door, kiss her properly , Melanie had thought he might feel as confused and tempted and aware of her as she did of him. But of course that was quite silly. He might have wanted to kiss her. But that didn’t mean his emotions were engaged.

Not that Mel’s were!

Concentrate on the king, Mel. This is not the time for anything else .

‘Melanie and I first met through a cousin of hers.’ Rik added a few details.

When the king nodded, Mel bit back the urge to heave a sigh of relief. But she also had to handle her share of the conversation. ‘I admire Rikardo, and the work that he does for the people of Braston. I want to be as supportive of that as I possibly can.’

‘That is good.’ Georgio’s glance shifted from Mel to Rik and back to Mel again. ‘And what did you do before you agreed to marry my son?’

‘I worked as a cook.’ It might not have been a glamorous job. It would probably sound even less glamorous if she admitted she had done that for little money, working for her relatives to earn her right to a sense of belonging.

Note to self, Mel. You never did earn that right and you waited too long to get yourself out of that situation .

A similar set of rites was being played out in this room between Rik and his father.

She turned the highest wattage smile she could muster towards King Georgio. ‘My history is humble, I suppose, but there’s nothing to be ashamed of in coming from everyday stock.’

‘If that “stock” has an appropriate history attached to it.’ Georgio’s eyes narrowed. ‘My son will run a check. I will see this report for myself.’

Like a police-record check or something?

No, Mel, it will be a lot more detailed even than that .

She tried not to bristle at the thought, and at the king’s emotionless declaration. As though he did this all the time and would have no hesitation in eliminating her like a blot from Rik’s radar screen if she didn’t come up to standard.

It didn’t actually matter whether Georgio liked her or approved of her or not, provided she could marry Rik so that Rik could carry out his plans.

I still don’t like it. My family history is my business. I don’t want it exposed to all and sundry .

‘Dominico already ran the check.’ Rik clipped the words off. ‘You may take Melanie at her word, Father. There is nothing in her history to justify the need for you to view the report.’

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