Читать книгу: «Her Christmas Prince», страница 3
Four
At five minutes to eight that evening, Alandra followed the maze of hallways on the palace’s second floor and found her way to the main staircase. The maid who had come to check up on her earlier had given her general directions to the dining room, and Alandra thought she could find it on her own.
But she needn’t have worried. As soon as she reached the stairs, she found Nicolas standing at the bottom, waiting for her.
He was dressed in a dark suit, which made her feel better about her own outfit. She hadn’t known quite what to wear to her first dinner with a royal family, so had opted for a simple blue silk dress.
“Good evening,” Nicolas said in greeting, watching her intently as she descended the stairs.
Alandra felt a skittering of awareness as his gaze swept her from head to toe. No doubt about it, this man was dangerous. If she decided to stay, she would have to be very careful not to let those blue eyes and his handsome face lure her in and make her do something she wouldn’t normally do.
“Good evening,” she replied, pausing at the bottom of the stairs.
“May I?” he asked, offering his arm.
She hesitated only a second before accepting, lightly slipping her hand around his elbow.
“You look lovely,” he told her as they crossed the marble floor. The chandelier had been turned on, sending bright, twinkling light throughout the foyer and beyond.
“Thank you.”
She was saved from having to make further conversation as they reached the dining room. Nicolas opened one of the tall double doors, ushering her inside.
The room was as opulent as the rest of the palace. A long, narrow trestle table ran the length of it, surrounded by heavy, high-backed chairs with seats embroidered with what must be the Braedon family crest. Light trickled down from another chandelier hanging over the table, and glowed from many wall sconces.
The queen and king were already seated at the table, which held intricate place settings laid out for six guests. Nicolas guided her forward, stopping near what she assumed would be her seat.
“Mother, Father, I’d like you to meet Alandra Sanchez. She’s from the United States and will be our guest for the next month while she works to help us better organize Glendovia’s charitable foundations. And hopefully increase their profit margin. Alandra, this is my father, King Halden, and my mother, Queen Eleanor.”
The older man rose and came halfway around the table, taking her hand and pressing a soft kiss to her knuckles. “Welcome to Glendovia, my dear.
We appreciate the work you’ll be doing on behalf of our country.”
“Thank you, Your Highness,” she replied, only slightly intimidated by meeting and speaking with a real live king. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Turning toward the queen, Alandra noticed that she’d remained seated. And when Alandra approached, she didn’t offer to shake her hand.
“Your Highness,” Alandra murmured politely and respectfully, pausing before the older woman.
She was greeted with a rather stiff nod, giving her the uncomfortable feeling that she wasn’t as welcome as Nicolas and his father would have her believe.
“Please be seated,” the queen told her. “Dinner will be served soon.”
Returning to Nicolas’s side, Alandra allowed him to hold her chair for her before he made his way around the table to the place directly across from her.
A second later, the dining room doors opened again and another couple swept in. It was obvious to Alandra that the gentleman, at least, was related to Nicolas. He had the same build, coloring and facial structure as Nicolas and the king.
The woman had similar physical traits, but Alandra didn’t want to assume anything for fear she was a wife or girlfriend rather than a sister.
“Good evening, everyone,” the man boomed, smiling easily.
“Mother, Father,” the young woman intoned, removing any doubt of her relation to the others. “Nicolas,” she added, laying her hands on his shoulders and leaning in to press a kiss to his cheek.
“Menace,” he replied, one corner of his mouth quirking up in a grin before he shifted his attention back to Alandra. “I’d like you to meet my younger brother, Sebastian, and my sister, Mia, the baby of the family.”
Princess Mia gave a short, harried sigh. “I hate it when you introduce me that way,” she told him.
“I know. That’s why I do it,” he countered. Alandra didn’t miss the affectionate sparkle in his eyes or the amusement that lingered on his sister’s face as she strolled around the table to take the seat to Alandra’s left.
“Our eldest brother, Dominick, is out of the country right now, but hopefully you’ll meet him before you leave.”
Shaking out the napkin on her plate and placing it neatly in her lap, Mia said, “It’s nice to meet you, Alandra. Nicolas mentioned that you would be coming. He says you have brilliant ideas about increasing the amount of funds taken in by nonprofit organizations.”
Alandra’s gaze flashed to Nicolas, flattered by his indirect praise, but he was looking at his sister.
“She’s done terrific work with several charities back in the States,” he announced.
From his seat across the table, Sebastian said, “That’s good. We certainly have our share of worthy causes here on the island that could use a bit of a boost. And it helps that she’s quite the beauty.” Glancing in her direction, Sebastian winked.
For a moment, Alandra was startled by his brash behavior—in front of his family, no less. Then she realized this must simply be his personality. He was the youngest son, the one furthest in line from taking over the throne, and from the looks of it, a bit of a playboy, to boot.
She returned his good-natured smile before noticing the scowl on Nicolas’s face. Her enjoyment fled immediately, replaced by a strange sensation in the pit of her belly. She didn’t know whether to be concerned or intimidated, or even amused.
He had brought her here to be his mistress; she knew that. Under the pretense of working for his family, perhaps, but that didn’t change the fact that he wanted her in his bed.
However, that didn’t explain why he would look so cross at his brother’s harmless comment and teasing.
Unless Nicolas and Sebastian had fought over—or perhaps shared—women before. Was Nicolas concerned that his brother would catch her eye before he’d had a chance to seduce her himself?
Oh, that was an interesting twist. And it would serve him right for spinning such a web of deceit to bring her here in the first place.
Servants arrived then to pour glasses of water and rich red wine. When the salad course was served, conversation turned to family and Glendovian affairs. Alandra ate in relative silence, finding the topics interesting, but having few comments of her own to add.
During dessert, Mia and Sebastian asked her about her own family and life back in Texas. She was only too happy to answer, but avoided any mention of the scandal that had driven her away.
“And what are your plans now that you’re here?” Mia inquired. “Where do you think you’ll begin with the charities?”
Before Alandra could answer, Nicolas interrupted. “That’s something I intend to discuss with her at great length, but she’s just arrived and I haven’t had the chance to fill her in yet on everything she’ll need to know.” Pushing back his chair, he rose to his feet. “In fact, if you’ll excuse us, I’d like to get started on that now.”
He came around to her side of the table, taking her arm and giving her little choice but to leave with him. She said her good-nights and followed him across the room.
“Nicolas,” the queen called out as he reached the door. “I’d like a word with you.”
“Certainly, Mother,” he replied in a respectful tone. “As soon as I see Alandra to her rooms, I’ll return to the library. We can speak there.”
His mother offered an almost imperceptible nod and they left.
With his hand once again at the small of her back, he guided Alandra to the main stairwell, and they started slowly up the steps. She didn’t miss his continued attempts at familiarity. And while his fingertips warmed her through the material of her dress, sending tiny shocks of desire through her system, she had to wonder if it was merely the first phase of his orchestrated attempts at seduction.
Even if it was, it wouldn’t work.
She was stronger than that. Nicolas might be charming and gorgeous, his status as a prince alluring, but he had brought her here under false pretenses, and she was not going to be won over.
“So,” he began, his voice low and persuasive, “have you had a chance to look over the files I left in your room?”
He had, indeed. A pile of colored folders had been left on the desk, each summarizing a different Glendovian charity she assumed she would be working with if she decided to stay.
“I glanced at them,” she said.
“And…”
“You have some interesting organizations set up.”
“They’re not running as well as they should,” he said.
“I noticed.”
“Do you think you can fix them?”
That was the problem—she did. Even looking over the files for a few minutes before she’d started getting ready for dinner, she’d had a dozen ideas for improvements. Not to mention raising awareness and drawing in larger amounts of funding.
They were concepts she was excited about and eager to put into effect. But in order to do that, she would have to remain in Glendovia and fulfill the terms of her contract.
“I have some ideas,” she replied guardedly, as they turned down the hall that led to her suite.
“Excellent.” He waited a beat before continuing. “Does this mean you’ve decided to stay and work here?”
“I’ll stay,” she told him. “I’ll stay through the month, as agreed in the contract, and at the end of the month you’ll give me the bonus you promised.”
“Of course.”
He might have said more at that point, but she cut him off. “And no matter what your reason for bringing me here, no matter what you expected to happen, I will not be sleeping with you. You can cross that little item right off your Christmas wish list.”
At that, she turned the knob, spun on her heel and disappeared into the suite.
Five
The door to the library was open when Nicolas arrived. His mother was sitting in one of the armchairs before the fireplace, sipping a glass of sherry and staring at the flames leaping in the hearth. Closing the door behind him, he moved to the sideboard and poured himself a drink before joining her.
“You wanted to speak with me?” he asked, leaning back.
Typical of his mother, she got right to the point. “What is she doing here, Nicolas?”
He didn’t pretend to misunderstand the question. “As I told you at dinner, I hired her to help with our charities. She’s very good at what she does. I think she’ll be a boon to the organizations.”
“And that’s the only reason,” his mother said shortly, eyeing him over the rim of her glass. “Nothing else?”
He took a sip of his brandy. “What other reason would there be?”
“Come now, Nicolas. I may be your mother, and therefore not your first choice of confidante about your love life, but I’m well aware of your… leisure pursuits. Are you sure you didn’t bring her here to be your next conquest?”
While his personal relationships were no one’s concern but his own, it was hard—not to mention foolish—to tell the queen to mind her own business. Even if she was his mother.
So he did what he and his siblings had done many times while growing up. He looked her straight in the eye and lied.
“Of course not. I take my responsibilities to our country very seriously. As soon as I saw what Alandra had done with the event I attended in America, I knew she would be a great benefit to our own charitable causes.”
His mother narrowed her gaze momentarily, as though gauging the truthfulness of his statement. “I’m glad to hear that. You understand, I’m sure, that it wouldn’t do for your little associations to become public this close to announcing your engagement. We both know that you haven’t been celibate since you agreed to wed Princess Lisette, but it’s important that you keep up pretenses and do nothing to upset her or her family. This marriage will create a very important bond between her country and ours.”
A brief second passed, and when she spoke again, both her tone and expression were sharper. “We can’t jeopardize that association simply because you can’t keep your hands off some American commoner.”
Letting another swallow of brandy warm its way through his system, Nicolas consciously unclenched his jaw and forced himself to remain respectful.
“I know my duties, Mother. You needn’t worry about me causing any problems with Lisette. Alandra is a lovely woman, but she’s no threat to my engagement, believe me.”
“That’s good to hear. But just in case you change your mind, or Miss Sanchez suddenly begins to look like an amusing diversion while she’s visiting, I have something I think you should see.”
With that, she reached between the side of her chair and the cushion and removed a folded piece of paper. She handed it to Nicolas and then sat back, every inch the queen as she awaited his reaction.
Unfolding the page, he found himself staring at a printout of a newspaper article with Alandra’s picture. On either side of her photo were two others with jagged edges.
The headline accused Alandra of coming between the man and woman depicted, of being the ruin of a happy home and marriage. He scanned the write-up, which made Alandra sound like a selfish, devious trollop with no compunction about carrying on a torrid affair with a married father of two.
“She isn’t one of us, Nicolas,” his mother intoned. “She created a scandal in the States and brought shame upon her own family with her promiscuousness. We don’t need her here, doing the same to us.”
Nicolas tensed in response to both the content of the article and his mother’s high-handed warning, then relaxed. This revelation about Alandra surprised him, but didn’t concern him. And it certainly didn’t change his mind about wanting her in his bed, despite his mother’s cautionary warning.
“I appreciate your trepidation, Mother, but I think you’re making too much of Alandra’s visit. She’s only here for a month, and only to help with the charities. Nothing more.”
The queen arched a brow, but remained silent, making it clear she doubted his claims. But his life was still his own, and until he had actually taken his wedding vows with Princess Lisette, he owed no explanation to anyone.
Refolding the printout and slipping it into the front pocket of his jacket, he pushed himself to his feet and returned his empty glass to the sideboard before crossing to his mother’s chair and leaning down to press a kiss to her cheek. “Good night, Mother. I’ll see you in the morning.”
* * *
Alandra was up early the next day, ready to get to work and start putting some of her strategies into action.
She also hoped to see more of the island and get away from Nicolas. He was dangerous to her peace of mind, and the less time they spent together during her stay, the better.
Carrying a briefcase stuffed with papers, she arrived in the dining room. The family was already gathered and eating. A plate was quickly set before her, and Alandra enjoyed her breakfast until the queen inquired about her plans for the day. Alandra still had the distinct feeling Nicolas’s mother didn’t like her.
“After studying the notes Nicolas gave me, I thought the local orphanage would be the best place to start,” she answered. “I’ve got an idea directly connected to the holidays that I think will be quite successful, but since Christmas is right around the corner, it’s important to get things moving as soon as possible.”
If the queen was pleased with Alandra’s response, she didn’t show it. Instead, Nicolas replied. “I’ll have a car brought around to take us to the children’s home,” he said, pushing back his chair and moving toward the dining room’s double doors.
“You’re…coming along?” Alandra asked, her words stumbling over themselves as her heart thudded. She really, really didn’t want to spend the day with him.
He stopped at the door and turned back to face her. “Of course.”
Swallowing past the lump in her throat, she tried to ignore the heat suddenly licking its way through her insides. “That isn’t necessary.”
“But it is,” he replied softly. “Glendovia’s national charities are my responsibility. I take that duty seriously and intend to work quite closely with you over the next month. I hope you don’t mind.”
He added the last, she was sure, for the benefit of his family, all of whom were watching and listening attentively. Because it was clear that even if she did mind—which she did—it would make absolutely no difference.
If they had been alone, she might have argued, but she certainly wasn’t going to put up a fuss in front of the royal family.
Forcing the words past her tight throat, she said, “No, I don’t mind at all.”
His lips curved in a smile that told her he knew exactly how much it had pained her to acquiesce. “I’ll meet you at the car, then,” he murmured, before walking out of the room.
Ten minutes later, they were seated in the back of a luxurious black sedan, driving away from the palace. According to the map of the island she’d studied the night before, the orphanage was nearby.
She was happy to simply gaze out the window at the passing scenery and mentally review what she hoped to accomplish at the children’s home. But she should have known Nicolas would never allow her to keep to herself for long.
“So tell me about this holiday idea you have for the orphanage. I’m surprised you’ve begun to devise a plan already, without even having visited.”
Keeping her fingers tightly wrapped around the folders on her lap, she tore her gaze away from the view and turned to face him.
“The files you supplied gave me a general impression of the home, and the type of event I have in mind is something I’ve been a part of before. It seems to go over well and is usually successful in getting the community involved.”
“Sounds promising,” he intoned. “What is it?”
“Basically, we throw a small party where Santa Claus visits the children and hands out gifts, and we invite the press and locals to attend. The goal is to draw attention to the orphanage, reminding people that the children are alone and in need not only over the holidays, but year-round.”
Nicolas nodded, his mouth pursed in thought. “Interesting. And who provides the presents for the children, given that your fund-raising efforts haven’t yet been put into effect?”
She smiled. “You do.”
He raised a brow, and she hurried to elaborate. “Or rather, the royal family does. We’ll be sure to mention that to the press, throwing your family into a very positive light. In fact, if this goes over as well as I think it will, you may want to consider sponsoring the event every year. Back home, we’ve made the visit from Santa an annual event, and it goes over extremely well.”
Inclining his head, he said, “I’m sure that’s something my family would be willing to consider.”
The car eased to a stop in front of the children’s home. A second later the driver came around to open Nicolas’s door. He stepped out, and a bevy of flashbulbs immediately began going off in his face.
Alandra had slid across the seat to exit behind him, but rather than reaching for his hand, which he held out to her, she lifted an arm to shield her eyes from the blinding onslaught.
“Who are all these people?” she called to him.
He leaned in a bit closer to keep from having to raise his voice. “Just members of the press you were speaking of. They tend to follow members of the royal family wherever we go.”
Reaching for her hand again, he said, “Come along. It’s time to go in, and you’ll get used to the attention.”
She wasn’t so sure of that. Where she had been happy a moment ago, and eager to get to work, she now dreaded having to step outside the vehicle into the crowd of photographers circling like vultures. She’d had quite enough of that back in Texas.
She’d come to Glendovia to get away from the media. Now here she was, smack in the middle of the frenzy once again.
Of course, she wasn’t the center of their attention this time, which she considered a blessing. But that didn’t mean she appreciated having her picture taken without her permission here any more than she had back home.
Drawing a breath, she pushed aside the anxieties swirling in her chest as best she could, then placed her hand in Nicolas’s and let him help her from the car.
She stared straight ahead, at the redbrick building they were about to enter. The fingers of her left hand tightened almost desperately on the handle of her briefcase, while she concentrated on keeping those of her right loose and relaxed. She didn’t want to give Nicolas a single sign of just how disturbed she was by the reporters crowding around, still snapping pictures and calling out to the prince.
Nicolas smiled and gave a polite wave, but otherwise ignored them as he led her forward. The sea of photographers parted at his approach, and finally they were inside.
Releasing her pent-up breath, she let go of his hand and stepped away, leaving a safer distance between them. When she lifted her gaze to his, she found him watching her, an amused glint in his eyes.
The move had been an act of self-preservation, and he knew it.
Dammit, he must sense that she was attracted to him, and he probably took it as a sign that he was that much closer to his objective: seducing her into his bed.
“Your Highness,” a voice called, and footsteps clacked as an older woman came forward to greet them.
She offered him a small curtsy and smiled at Alandra. “I’m Mrs. Vincenza, administrator of the children’s home. We’re delighted to have you visit us. I hope you’ll find everything to your liking, and we’ll happily do everything we can to help you with your efforts.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Vincenza,” Nicolas replied with a small bow. “This is Alandra Sanchez. She’ll be handling the fund-raising plans.”
“Where are the children?” Alandra asked, scanning the open space, with its center stairwell leading to the upper floor.
“The older ones are in school, of course, and the younger ones are upstairs in the nursery. Would you like to meet them?”
“I’d love to,” she answered.
She followed Mrs. Vincenza up to the second floor, with Nicolas behind them.
They toured the nursery, where Alandra played with the babies and toddlers for a bit, then met a few other members of the staff. From there, Mrs. Vincenza showed them the children’s bedrooms, dining hall, playroom and reception area.
The reception area, Alandra realized as soon as she saw it, would be the perfect place to set up the Santa Claus event. It was large enough for all the children, the media and any number of guests they might invite. There was even a lovely tree already set up and decorated in the far corner.
She jotted down notes as fast as she could, her mind racing ahead to everything that would need to be done. At the same time, she shared her plans with Mrs. Vincenza, whose eyes lit up at the prospect. Behind them, standing tall and straight in the doorway, Nicolas listened silently. Alandra as sumed that meant he approved of the project so far. She was certain he’d let her know if he objected to anything.
An hour later, she’d finalized the initial plans with the administrator and had a list of tasks to deal with herself. After thanking the woman for her time and enthusiasm, she and Nicolas made their way back outside, through the throng of reporters still hovering on the sidewalk, and into the backseat of the waiting car.
The vehicle had barely started rolling away from the curb before Nicolas faced her and asked, “How do you feel it went?”
“Very well,” she answered, flipping through the pages of her spiral pad and reviewing some of the notations she’d made. “Mrs. Vincenza is eager to help us because she knows it will ultimately help her, and even though there’s a lot of work to do, I think we’ve got enough time to set everything up so it goes smoothly.”
A small smile touched his lips. “I have to admit, I was quite impressed with what you said to her. You’re very good at describing your visions so that others can see them clearly.”
Her cheeks flushed with pleasure at his compliment and she nodded a silent thank-you.
“Allow me to buy you lunch at one of our local eateries to show my appreciation for all your hard work. We can discuss what else needs to be done to have everything ready by the week before Christmas.”
Although she was starting to feel hungry and certainly could have used a bite to eat, she didn’t think it was a good idea to spend any more time with him than absolutely necessary. It would be better to go back to the palace and ask for something to be sent to her rooms, where she could hide out and get some work done away from Nicolas.
Without meeting his gaze, she said, “Thank you, but no. I’d prefer to go back and get straight to work.”
His eyes narrowed slightly at her refusal, and she almost expected him to argue. But then he turned to look forward and said, “Very well. You should remember one thing, however.”
“What’s that?”
His eyes returned to hers, bright blue and blazing. “You can’t avoid me forever.”
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