Читать книгу Wedding Vows: Say I Do: Matrimony with His Majesty / Invitation to the Prince's Palace / The Prince's Outback Bride - Rebecca Winters - Страница 15

“YOUR MAJESTY? Your son is on line two.”

“Thank you, Carl.” He shoved his paperwork aside and turned on the speaker. “Phillip?”

“Dad—Thanks for the dog. I love him more than anything! Mom says I can keep him. You’re the best! I love you.”

Alex realized that Darrell was going to leave it up to him to tell Phillip about the wedding being called off. Nothing could have pleased him more.

He got up from the chair. “I love you, too, and I think this calls for a celebration. Why don’t you and your mother come to my apartment in an hour and we’ll have an early dinner together.”

“I can’t wait!”

The lump was still lodged in his throat. “Neither can I. See you soon.”

The second Phillip hung up, Alex called the kitchen to arrange for dinner to be sent up, then he left the office for his suite.

He showered and dressed in a sport shirt and slacks, unable to remember the last time he’d been this excited about anything.

Heaven forgive him but he hadn’t given Isabella a thought since he’d kissed her a final goodbye.

If ever he needed proof that a marriage between them would have been dead wrong, the euphoria he was feeling right now was it.

He’d instructed his staff to set the table on the terrace off the sunroom. It overlooked the ancient part of the city with its cobblestoned streets and Romanesque churches. Phillip would enjoy looking through the binoculars.

As he went to the bedroom to get them, his cell phone rang. He checked the caller ID and clicked on.

“Mother?”

“Whatever you’re doing, I have to talk to you now.”

He gripped the phone tighter. “What is it?”

“I just had a phone call from Carl. Your uncle heard the news through a palace source. He and Renate have cut short their trip. They’re on their way home.”

Alex wasn’t surprised. “If he thinks he can put me and Isabella back together again, I have news for him.”

“That’s not his agenda, Alex. It never has been,” his mother confessed.

His brows knit together. “What are you talking about?”

“When your cousin died, and you still didn’t seem eager to marry Isabella, it was Vittorio’s intention to talk you into marrying Evelyn.”

Evelyn?

Alex was dumbstruck.

“Finding out you and Isabella are not getting married is the reason he’ll be arriving before morning. Carl let me know Vittorio has been secretly calling cabinet members to form a coalition forcing you to marry Evelyn for the good of the monarchy. He expects you to send Darrell and your son packing.”

Over the years Alex had tried to control his anger against his uncle for the way he’d treated Chaz. But by trying to pull off a coup like this to get closer to the crown, he’d started a war. One Alex vowed his uncle wouldn’t win.

“He’s out of his mind. It’ll never happen.”

“I’m afraid his jealousy of your father has driven him beyond rationality.”

“Dad?” a voice called out. “We’re here!”

“Mother? I’m sorry but I have to go. Thank you for telling me this. I’ll be in touch later.” He clicked off.

“Come out on the terrace.”

In a few seconds his son ran in to thank him again. Alex leveled his gaze on Darrell.

The white sundress against her golden skin was as stunning as her hair. The last rays of sun picked out the individual strands of gold and silver. Combined with eyes of amethyst, he couldn’t look anywhere else.

“I’m going to call him Brutus.”

With that declaration Alex was forced to pay attention to his son.

“It’s the perfect Roman name.”

“This is a fantastic view of the city,” Darrell murmured. “It’s like being in the helicopter.”

“Try these.” As Alex handed her the binoculars he’d brought out, her flowery fragrance swept him away.

He noticed her hands weren’t quite steady as she lifted them to her eyes.

“How incredible. You have to see this, Phillip.” Ignoring Alex, she handed him the glasses.

“Whoa—You can see everything!”

“From the time I was old enough to wander around by myself I always loved this view. So did Chaz. He would bring over his telescope and we would spy on people. When my father caught us, we were permanently banned from this apartment.”

Phillip laughed. “I bet you got in a lot of trouble.”

Darrell didn’t want to think about what form it had taken for Chaz.