Читать книгу By Request Collection Part 3 - Майя Бэнкс, Robyn Donald - Страница 33

LUISA peeked through slitted eyes as Raul dressed. She’d fallen into an exhausted sleep despite the swirl of disturbing thoughts his revelations had produced.

Hours ago they’d scaled the heights of bliss and she’d felt absurdly as if she’d found the other half of her soul in his arms, especially when he’d then begun to open up a little about his life.

But his later revelations about Ana had poisoned that heady pleasure and made her doubt.

What did Raul feel? Would she ever know?

She swallowed a knot of distress. The best she could do for herself, and the man she feared she was coming to care too much for, was be sensible—take a day at a time and try to build a workable marriage.

Easier said than done when just looking at him made her heart clench.

Hair slicked back from the shower, strong hands knotting his tie, Raul looked more potently sexy than any man had a right to.

Was this how his other lovers felt when he left them? She breathed through the hurt.

There could never be love between them.

Raul had closed himself off from that possibility. His bitterness over his father’s wife skewed his emotions so much he’d admitted he’d never trust a woman, or love, again.

Who could blame him, after the devastating betrayal he’d suffered? Pain seared her as she recalled the stoical way he’d revealed the bare bones of the awful story. But her imagination filled in some of the blanks.

What had it been like seeing the woman he’d loved living with another man—his own father? Adopting an air of unconcern in public and riding out the storm of speculation that surely must have howled around them all? She cringed thinking of the salacious gossip that must have circulated.

And facing his father—staying loyal and supporting him both publicly and, from what she’d heard, privately too, taking the brunt of responsibility for the kingdom.

She could barely imagine how bereft Raul must have felt at his father’s lack of loyalty or caring.

Luisa had been scarred by her grandfather’s actions, but at least she’d had the unquestioned support and love of her parents. Raul hadn’t had that!

No wonder he closed himself off behind duty and a work schedule that would tax any workaholic. No wonder he found no difficulty marrying without emotion.

Was it possible he could ever learn to trust? To love?

‘You’re awake.’ Dark eyes snared hers and something melted inside.

‘You have to go?’ Where had that come from? She sounded so needy.

‘I’d hoped to stay here.’ Heat flickered in his eyes as he took in the shape of her under the sheet. His nostrils flared and suddenly Luisa felt that now-familiar spark of desire flicker into life. Stupid to feel pleased that he obviously didn’t relish leaving. It only meant her husband was virile, with an appetite for sex.

A very healthy appetite.

‘There was a phone call.’ He turned away to pick up his jacket. ‘Urgent business.’

It was on the tip of Luisa’s tongue to ask what business was so important it interrupted a honeymoon, when she remembered they weren’t sharing one. Even the day after the wedding they’d been out and about on public show.

They didn’t have that sort of marriage. Theirs was a convenient union. Remember?

She turned away, battling deep sadness.

‘I’m sorry, Luisa.’ He startled her, speaking from beside the bed. ‘This is one matter I can’t ignore.’ She stared up into his brooding face. ‘It’s to do with the unrest I mentioned. I’m needed.’

She nodded. He had a country to run. That would always be his priority. Only now did she begin to understand how important that was to him. Through personal crises, his royal responsibilities at least had remained constant. No wonder he was so focused on them. Had they provided solace when he’d most needed it?

‘You have a heavy schedule,’ she said to fill the silence.

‘You get used to it. I’ve been preparing for the work since I was four.’

The reminder sent a shiver down her spine. Raul had said any child of his would be brought up differently and she’d fight tooth and nail to ensure no child of hers was ‘moulded’ in that heartless way. She had to make a stand—for herself and for her family if she ever had one.

Luisa sat up against the headboard, drawing the sheet over her breasts and trying to ignore the flash of interest in Raul’s eyes.

‘I’ll get up too. I have plans for this afternoon.’

‘Plans? There are no appointments scheduled.’

‘I want to meet with Gregor and the other gardeners. You have no objection to the parterre garden and some of the other spaces being renewed, do you?’ It was a spur of the moment decision but she refused to spend the afternoon here, pining over the state of her marriage.

‘No, of course not. It’s overdue. But I can detail one of my staff to oversee it. It will need consultation, not just with the ground staff but with the castle historian, as well as kitchen and event staff. It’s not just a matter of gardening.’

‘That will be a good way to get to know them.’ Luisa needed something to sink her teeth into, something to focus on other than Raul. She didn’t want to think about the emotions he inspired for fear of what she’d discover.

‘You don’t need to work, Luisa.’

Her brows rose. ‘You expect me to loll in the lap of luxury while you work the day after your wedding?’

‘I regret that. I’d much prefer to stay.’ The glint in his eyes made her pulse hammer erratically but she ignored it.

‘I need something to do. A purpose. I’d go crazy without that. I’m used to working.’

Raul lifted a hand to his already perfectly knotted tie and for a split second she’d have said he looked uncomfortable.

‘Your lessons don’t keep you busy?’

‘That’s not enough.’ She’d never been good at formal lessons. Her language skills were improving but if she had to learn about one more Maritzian monarch or the correct way to greet a grand duke, she’d scream.

Besides, the intensive lessons evoked memories of her long ago stay in Ardissia. The rigid discipline and the judgemental faces were missing, but she couldn’t shake the notion she’d never live up to expectations.

Raul surveyed her, his face unreadable. ‘Soon you’ll be busy with official duties. As my consort there’ll be plenty of events where you’re required.’

‘Being seen at openings and fetes?’ She shook her head and sat straighter. ‘That’s not me.’ Despite the makeover, she’d never be the glamorous clothes horse people liked to stare at in magazines. Wearing those stunning couture clothes, she felt like a fraud. Not like herself.

It didn’t help, remembering Raul had bought her just as he’d bought them.

‘I’ll make a start this afternoon.’ She met his unblinking gaze, almost challenging him to protest.

When he merely nodded Luisa took a slow breath.

If she was making a new start there was something else she had to face.

‘I’m planning to visit Ardissia too.’ It was time to lay her grandfather’s ghost. Maybe going there, confronting the place that had meant so much to him, and held such dreadful memories for her, would help her bury her hatred.

He frowned. ‘My schedule’s too full right now.’

Luisa drew herself up. ‘Do I need to wait for you? Aren’t I Princess of Ardissia?’ Much as she disliked the title, it was the one thing she’d got out of this devil’s bargain: her inheritance. In her absence the province had become the responsibility of the monarch, but she was here now. ‘It’s time I shouldered my responsibilities.’

Raul paced towards the bed, his brows arrowing down. ‘It’s logical we go together. People will expect that.’

‘But you’re tied up every day. You just said you’re not free.’ A little breathing space, time to regroup after the massive changes in her life, beckoned. She’d been on a roller coaster of emotion these last weeks.

‘There are matters of protocol and plans to be made. Royalty doesn’t just stop by.’

Why was he against her going? No mistaking the tension in his big frame. The tantalising idea surfaced that he’d miss her. She dismissed it instantly.

‘It’s not dangerous, is it?’

He shook his head. ‘Ardissia is safe.’

‘Good. I’m sure I’ll be welcome. I’ll give notice I’m coming. A couple of days. Would that be enough?’

She stared into his set face, suddenly relishing the challenge of standing up to the man who’d taken over her life in more ways than she’d ever bargained for.

She needed to stake a claim as her own person lest he subsume her totally. Even now she longed for him to haul her close and forget the so important appointment that called him away. How was that for needy?

‘Surely it’s the right thing to do?’ She worked to keep a cajoling note from her voice. ‘It’s only polite to visit now I’ve accepted my inheritance.’

Raul’s lowering brows told her he didn’t see it that way. The sight of tension in his jaw sent dangerous excitement zigzagging through her. As if she felt pleasure knowing she got under his skin, even in such a way as this.

Surely she wasn’t that desperate for his attention?

‘The timing’s not ideal, but you’re right. A visit makes sense. Leave it with me.’

Why did Luisa feel as if she’d lost the argument when he nodded, turned and strode out of the room, his mind obviously occupied with matters of business?

She hadn’t expected him to kiss her, had she?

‘This way, Your Highness.’ The chamberlain ushered Luisa into her grandfather’s study. She’d left it to last on her tour of the Ardissian royal palace.

She pictured the old man here, seated at the massive desk awash with opulent gilt scrollwork. Even in his towering rages he hadn’t deigned to rise. Always he’d remembered his position as prince and hers as unsatisfactory, low-born grandchild.

Her teeth clenched as she recalled his poisonous words. Not merely his diatribe on her incompetence and ingratitude but his slashing vitriol at her parents.

‘Thank you.’ She nodded to the chamberlain, smiling despite his haughty rigidity. ‘That’s all.’

As he withdrew she considered the portraits lining the walls. Ancestors with remote expressions stared down their noses at her. She lifted her head, surveying the portrait of the man who’d cut off his daughter and his granddaughter when they wouldn’t kowtow to his domineering ways.

‘The last laugh’s on you, Grandad. The farmer’s daughter is Princess, soon to be Queen.’

Yet there was no pleasure in the shallow triumph. She hadn’t come to gloat, but to see if she could put the past behind her and move on.

She wrapped her arms around herself, suppressing a shiver. Despite her determination to accept her lot, to dress the part and learn protocol and all the other things they foisted on her, Luisa couldn’t imagine the future.

What would it hold?

Endless, empty years of public receptions and meaningless small talk? Breathtaking moments of delight when Raul treated her to mind-blowing sex? Heat curled inside at the memory of his loving.

Would she hang onto those moments, desperate for the little Raul could give her when she wanted so much more?

Would her life be sterile of friends and family?

If she had children, how could she protect them from the world that had produced a monster like her grandfather? And Raul had turned into a man of such emotional reserve she wondered if she’d ever build a relationship with him.

She paced to the window, seeking the warmth of the sun streaming in on the luxurious carpet.

Only the best for the Ardissian prince! She’d seen the rundown sections of the city and the bare amenities provided for the palace servants when she’d insisted on seeing all the premises. Her grandfather had spent money on his own comfort rather than his people.

Movement caught her eye. A group of young people made their way across the courtyard. On impulse Luisa opened the window. Laughter, bubbling and fresh, washed around her before they entered a door on the far side of the yard.

Wherever they were going, it appealed more than this place. She closed the window and headed for the door.

Raul drummed his fingers on the car seat as the limo purred towards the Ardissian palace. He lifted a hand to the people lining the street.

He was eager for a break after this intense week. He’d planned to come days ago, but political developments had made it impossible. Now he could please himself.

It pleased him to see his wife.

Five days she’d been away. It seemed far longer. His bed felt empty. His days regimented and predictable, despite the political crisis they’d averted.

Life seemed … less without Luisa.

His lips flattened as he thought of the day she’d announced she’d come here. He’d only just dragged himself from the temptation of her. He’d reeled from an ecstasy unlike any he’d known. And from the unique sense of peace that came from sharing the story of his past.

Was it simply that he’d needed to unburden himself after years keeping it to himself? He couldn’t shake the suspicion that the sensations of release and relief had more to do with the fact it was Luisa he shared with.

Only the most urgent crisis had forced him away, still stunned by the unprecedented sense of peace and pleasure he’d found with her.

And she’d sat there, her sweet mouth a taut line, demanding occupation. Demanding more.

Clearly he hadn’t been enough to satisfy her!

Male pride smarted from the fact she’d been unaffected by what had passed between them, while it had knocked him completely off balance. It had been on the tip of his tongue to beg her not to leave.

Because he needed her! Not just sexually.

He couldn’t remember feeling this way about a woman. Even Ana, at the height of her appeal, hadn’t invaded his thoughts like this.

Raul smoothed his hand over the seat. At night he found himself reaching for Luisa. He felt bereft when she wasn’t there.

Worse was his gut-deep sense of culpability. As the limo pulled up before her ancestral palace, her words came back to haunt him. How desperate she’d been for work to occupy her. Yet another reminder that, despite his attempts to help her adjust, this wasn’t the life she’d chosen.

It was the life he’d demanded so he could inherit.

Yes, Maritz needed a strong monarch to see it through difficult times and, with the support of a democratic government, steer it clear of civil war.

But wasn’t it also true he’d needed to be king? The monarchy had been his salvation as well as his burden as he’d worked to drag himself and his country out of the pit his father’s hasty marriage had plunged them into.

And for that he’d bullied Luisa into his world.

He’d wanted to believe she’d find a fulfilling life by his side. These last weeks he’d seen glimpses of a woman who could make the role of consort her own and make a huge difference to his people, even if her way was not the traditional one.

Could she be happy here?

If he’d thought she’d be eager, waiting at the grand staircase to greet him, he was mistaken. Instead it was Lukas, whom he’d sent to support Luisa.

‘Your Highness, welcome. And congratulations on the results of your recent negotiations.’

Raul smiled, allowing himself to enjoy anew a sense of relief. ‘Thank you, Lukas. Hopefully it will mean peace at last.’ He looked around but still no sign of Luisa.

‘Her Highness planned to be here. She’s delayed but shouldn’t be long.’ As he spoke he turned, walking with Raul inside the palace.

It was as grand and gloomy as Raul remembered.

He shuddered at the thought of Luisa here, a trusting, innocent teenager, at the mercy of the venomous old man who’d treated her and her mother so appallingly.

‘Sorry?’

‘I said the chamberlain has requested an audience.’

Raul stopped. ‘Surely his business is with my wife. This is her property.’

One look at Lukas’ face told Raul there was trouble ahead. He sighed. Days without sleep took their toll. All he wanted was his wife and a bed, in that order.

‘Raul!’ Luisa slammed to a stop in the doorway to her suite. She’d planned to be back earlier. Groomed and presentable, ready to greet him with calm courtesy.

One look at him, framed by the arched window, and her breath sawed out of control. Her heart kicked into a frantic rhythm. So much for calm. Just being in the same room with him shattered her composure.

She’d been so busy these last days. It was ridiculous she should miss him, but she had. More than she’d expected.

If things were different, if they were different, she’d run over and plant a kiss on his tense mouth until it softened in that sulky, sexy way it did when they were intimate. He’d put his arms around her and …

This was no fantasy. One look at his cool expression scotched that notion.

‘Luisa.’ He inclined his head but he didn’t approach. Something inside her sank. ‘How are you?’

‘Fine, thanks.’ She pushed back the hair that fell over her cheek and surreptitiously straightened her collar. She’d yanked her jacket on in a hurry. ‘How was your trip?’

‘Excellent.’ He paused and she felt tension vibrate between them. ‘Though as soon as I arrived your chamberlain came to me.’

Luisa frowned. Now she understood his disapproval. No doubt the official had poured out a litany of complaints. The man had been negative since she’d arrived.

‘I see.’ She breathed deep. She supposed she’d broken all sorts of rules. Now she had to face the music. But she refused to be intimidated. These were her decisions to make and she’d stick by them.

She closed the door and walked into the room. She gestured to an armchair. Raul ignored it.

‘He voiced a number of concerns.’

‘I’m sure he did. What did he start with? The proposal to open the state reception rooms for public functions?’

Raul shook his head, his saturnine eyebrows tilting down. ‘No. It was your plan to turn the Prince’s private apartments into a museum.’

Luisa’s chin jerked up. ‘I’m never going to use them so they might as well be put to some use.’ She swept out a hand that encompassed her bright modern room with its view to the Alps. ‘This is more suitable for when I visit.’ She shuddered.

‘All that overdecorated pomposity downstairs is too much for me.’ Besides, the thought of bunking in her grandsire’s bed curdled her blood.

‘For us.’ Raul paced closer.

‘Sorry?’

‘We’ll visit together in future.’

What? He didn’t trust her now to come here without him? She drew herself up to her full height.

‘What else did he object to?’ Might as well get it over, though it stuck in her craw to defend her plans.

Raul spread his arms in a gesture that drew her eyes to the expanse of his chest. She remembered his strength as he’d pulled her into his arms and taken her to heaven.

Despite her anger, heat snaked through her belly.

‘He had a list. He was concerned about the plans for a children’s playgroup in the eastern annexe.’

Luisa’s mouth tightened. ‘The premises are perfect and easily accessible from the main square. You might not know but in this part of the city there’s virtually no provision for community groups. It’s not like central Maritz where that’s well catered for.’

It seemed her grandfather had stymied local plans to support the community, especially young people. His mindset had been rooted in the past.

‘And the cooking school?’

She put her hands on her hips. ‘I found students visiting the old kitchens. Their premises had been damaged when the old wiring caused a fire. The palace chef offered temporary use of the kitchens here.’ Her lips firmed. ‘It’s a perfect match. The facilities are here, and the expertise for that matter. It’s not as if there are lots of state banquets since I’m not here permanently.’

‘And the same for the mechanics?’

She stared. ‘How do you know about that?’ She’d just come from a meeting of vocational teachers in what had been the stables but now housed an automotive workshop.

Raul stepped towards her and she read a flicker of something in his eyes that made the heat in her belly spread low and deep.

He raised a hand to her cheek. Luisa shuddered as delicious sensation stirred. She didn’t want this distraction, this sweet reminder of the magic he wrought!

‘It was a guess.’ He held up his hand so she saw a dark stain. ‘Motor oil?’

Her tongue thickened at his nearness. He was so close his body heat invaded her space.

‘We were checking the facilities and I got a little … involved.’

Raul’s eyes narrowed. ‘I see. Like you got involved when you were presented with that cow?’

Luisa clenched her hands rather than spread them in a pleading gesture. The press had had a field day with that and she’d avoided reading the paper for days since. One paper in particular delighted in portraying her as wilful and disrespectful, though most seemed positive.

The animal had been beautiful, with garlands of flowers round its neck and horns and a huge alpine bell.

‘It was part of the official welcome to Ardissia. Lukas explained it was a sign of great respect from the rural population. I couldn’t refuse it!’

‘But did you have to milk it?’ His mouth tightened till the strain showed at his jaw.

She shrugged, feeling hemmed in by his disapproval. ‘OK, so it wasn’t proper protocol. I know real princesses wouldn’t dream of it. But we got talking about dairy cattle and suddenly they offered me a milking stool and a bucket and …’ She threw up her hands. ‘So sue me! You insisted I do this. Don’t complain now that I’m unorthodox. I’m trying. And—’ she jabbed a finger into his pristine shirt ‘—while I’m happy to hear suggestions about these ideas for the palace, it’s ultimately my decision. No one else’s!’

‘Exactly what I told your chamberlain.’

‘Sorry?’ Luisa was so dazed she barely noticed Raul had closed his hand around her prodding finger.

‘I told him to keep his thoughts to himself until he had a chance to share them with you.’

Luisa stared. ‘You don’t mind?’

His nostrils flared. ‘I mind very much being accosted by a jumped-up official who bad-mouths his employer behind her back. And I’m furious.’

Her shoulders sank. Here it came.

‘Furious I didn’t have the right to fire the troublemaker on the spot. He’s your employee but he’s more concerned about his own prestige than his job!’

‘Raul?’ Only now did she notice his other arm had slipped round to drag her close. She inhaled his intoxicating scent. It was like reliving those intense dreams that had haunted her ever since she’d come here.

‘It’s your decision, Luisa. But you need to consider finding someone better. Someone who can work with you on your plans rather than thwart them.’

She locked her knees against the trembling that started somewhere near her heart and spread to her limbs.

‘You don’t mind what I’ve been doing?’ She’d been so sure of his disapproval her brain struggled with any other explanation for his tight-lipped expression.

‘Why should I mind?’ He rubbed her back in a circling motion that eased muscles drawn to breaking point. ‘It’s good to see you getting involved and listening to your people. I’m proud of what you’ve tackled in such a short space of time. But you’re sensible enough to take advice and not rush into anything without due consideration.’

She blinked, staring up into dark green eyes that glimmered with warmth. The shock of it nearly undid her.

After the chamberlain’s starchy disapproval and the knowledge her grandfather would roll in his grave at her plans for his precious palace, she hadn’t been surprised to read criticism in Raul’s expression.

Except now she couldn’t find it.

A wave of warmth crashed over her that had nothing to do with Raul’s nearness. It stemmed from an inner glow, knowing he’d stood up for her with the chamberlain.

That he was ready to support her.

That he seemed to care.

She put out another trembling hand to his chest, spreading her fingers to capture the steady beat of his heart. His arm tightened around her and he leaned close.

‘But what I most want to know, wife, is what the mayor said when you presented him with a bucket of warm milk.’

Again she caught that flicker in his eyes, the tightening of his lips. This time she realised what it was.

Raul trying not to laugh.

‘He was very impressed and told me I had hidden talents.’ Her mouth twitched. ‘Then he showed me an old local technique he reckons gives you a better grip.’

Raul’s face creased into a smile, then a grin. He tipped his head back and released a deep infectious laugh that made her lips curve and her heart dance.

Deep within Luisa something relaxed, unfurled and spread.

Happiness.