The Prince's Wedding Read online

  "Is everyone here a walking travel brochure?"

  Jessie nearly gasped as the words slipped out of her mouth. She knew she never would have said it if she hadn't been feeling so pressured. She held her breath, afraid to look at anyone.

  And then, suddenly, she heard a chuckle. It broke loose, and she realized Rashid Kamal had lost a tremendous battle to stifle his laughter.

  "I am sorry, but she is so very right," he managed to choke out.

  Julia frowned. Or rather, she tried to, but Jessie saw the corners of her mouth twitching. And then she, too, was laughing out loud, a lovely, silvery sound.

  "I'm afraid it's true," she said. "We do all sound like that. To us, there is no better place in the world than Montebello."

  "You have my sympathies, my dear," Rashid said to Jessie, "if you have been subjected to the constant chorus of the glories of this island." He gave his wife a quick sideways glance before he added with a grin, "You will have to come to Tamir, where you will truly find the best place in the world."

  Julia laughed again. "Even I must admit it is not the wretched place I was always told it was."

  Only then did Jessie risk a look at Lucas. He wasn't laughing. Julia seemed to notice his lack of amusement at the same moment, and proceeded to take some sisterly license with him.

  "And what has you so glum, brother mine? Are you feeling guilty because you've been barraging poor Jessie with your sales pitch?"

  To Jessie's amazement a hint of color tinged Lucas's cheeks. "I haven't been barraging her."

  "Oh?" Julia looked at Jessie, her eyes twinkling, telling her she had an ally.

  "Oh?" echoed Rashid, and when she glanced at the tall, exotic-looking man she saw a grin that invited her to join in the fun.

  She turned to Lucas and said, "Oh?"

  Both Julia and Rashid burst into open laughter again, and this time, after a moment, Lucas chuckled along with them, albeit ruefully.

  "All right, all right," he said. "Maybe I've been doing a small sales pitch."

  "I don't want to see your big sales pitch, then," Jessie said, relieved that he wasn't angry, and more relieved that she hadn't completely humiliated herself with her unthinking outburst.

  "Good evening."

  The strong male voice came from behind them, and Jessie turned quickly, just in time to see the king and queen enter. She let out a sigh of relief to see they were also dressed simply, although nothing could rob them of their glamorous impact. Even the simple clothes they wore looked elegant, with Gwendolyn's blond, English rose beauty and Marcus's silver-haired, dark-eyed, aristocratic good looks.

  The pair greeted Julia and Rashid first, and if there was any reserve on their part toward their former enemy and now son-in-law, it certainly didn't show. Jessie supposed the fact that the ancient feud had been discovered to have been founded on a false assumption had gone a long way toward resolving the situation.

  "You've met Jessie, I see," Gwendolyn said. "We've been delighted to have her here."

  "I can see why," Julia said, and Jessie felt somehow flattered. "I'm hoping she'll let me sneak upstairs and take a peek at my nephew after dinner," Julia added.

  "Of course," Jessie said, glad to be able to repay Lucas's sister for her support after her faux pas.

  As nerve-racking dinners went, this one wasn't as bad as she'd feared. Gwendolyn was clearly a practiced hostess, and had also taught her daughter well. They both made sure Jessie was included in the lively talk, and whenever anything was discussed that she wouldn't be familiar with, they made certain someone explained.

  Jessie had just begun to finally relax when the conversation turned on her, and again she felt as if it were her own fault, although she hadn't meant to open the subject that soon yawned before her.

  "You're so like your mother," she told Julia. "Not so much in looks, since she's blond and you're dark, but in your grace, and movements. Even your smile."

  "Since my mother is still considered the most beautiful woman in all of Montebello, I'll take that as a compliment," Julia said.

  "Ah, but you forget the way in which she is most like her mother," Rashid said.

  "What's that?" Jessie asked.

  "She made her husband propose five times before accepting him."

  Jessie blinked. "You, too?"

  Julia laughed, as she did so readily. "Yes, I did."

  "So you see, Jessie," King Marcus said with a devilish grin that gave her a glimpse of the dashing young prince he'd been when he'd been in pursuit of a spirited and smart young Englishwoman, "you shall fit right in. You've already shown you have the backbone required to be a Sebastiani, to keep this one—" he gestured at his son "— dancing on a string."

  Jessie blushed furiously. "I'm not—He isn't—That is not my intent," she finally got out.

  "Oh?" Lucas said, in an exact echo of her tone earlier, when she'd joined Julia and Rashid in their teasing.

  Jessie knew from that tone he was teasing, but for her this was no matter for lightness. "No! My concerns are for my son," she said adamantly, finding that when Luke was the subject, she was no longer intimidated by anyone. "And I have every right to them," she added with a determination she felt down to her very bones.

  "Well spoken, dear," Queen Gwendolyn said approvingly, surprising her.

  "Don't mind the Sebastiani men," Julia said lightly. "They tend toward blind stubbornness, you know."

  "But our women forgive us," the king said, looking at his eldest daughter. "And for that," he added softly, "we are most fortunate."

  Something passed between father and daughter, and Jessie had the oddest sense it was both an old pain and a new peace. She glanced at Lucas for an instant, but if he'd caught the exchange and understood it, it didn't show in his rather mutinous expression.

  "And don't you dare say you're not stubborn, Lucas," Julia said, "because your expression alone will make a liar out of you."

  "Indeed," the queen agreed mildly, but with a smile that made it clear she looked upon the foibles of her men with a certain fondness.

  Lucas grimaced, but in the face of the united front of mother and sister, he wisely said nothing.

  The rest of the meal and the talk passed comfortably enough, but when Julia suggested Jessie take her upstairs for a look at baby Luke, she acceded gratefully. And when she was out of the room, she felt a knot of tension inside her ease slightly. Something must have shown in her face, because Julia put a gentle hand on her arm as they started up the stairs.

  "I know it's hard, Jessie. It's hard for me sometimes, and I was born to it." She smiled. "And my parents are quite something, aren't they? They were just my parents tonight, but when they're in regal mode, they even intimidate me."

  Just that quickly the rest of that tension let go, and Jessie let out a long breath of relief. "They intimidate me all the time."

  "They shouldn't, really. They like you, I could tell. Especially the way you stand up for your son. And speaking of that cutie

  "He's in my room, with Eliya," she said.

  Julia didn't seem to find it odd that the baby was in a guest suite rather than in the well-equipped nursery the palace had. And if the knowledge that she and Lucas were not sharing his luxurious apartments surprised her or even registered, that didn't show, either. Julia simply turned left at the top of the stairs, toward the guest wing.

  "I'm sure it's better that you keep him close to you, especially just now. It must be very hard to let him out of your sight."

  "Very," Jessie said, thankful she understood.

  "I know how hard it is to leave my boy for even this evening," Julia said. "I can't imagine how I'd feel if he'd been taken from me for so long."

  Jessie's throat tightened at the woman's graciousness, kindness and understanding. She didn't know how to thank her, couldn't think of any words, didn't know how you thanked a princess anyway. And then, almost unbidden, the right words came to her. Putting herself in Julia's place, in the place of any young mother, they came to
her.

  "Your son must be beautiful. I would love to see him sometime."

  Julia's smile lit up her face, and Jessie knew she'd said the right thing.

  "Oh, yes, you must see him. He's the most beautiful child. I will bring him the next time we come. Or better yet, you must come to Tamir, as Rashid suggested." Her smile became mischievous. "It is not as nice as Montebello, of course, but it has its good points. And if you've never been to a place like it, it's quite fascinatingly exotic."

  "I'd like that," Jessie said, and found somewhat to her amazement, that she meant it.

  "We'll arrange it, then. Soon," Julia added as they stepped into Jessie's room.

  Eliya rose as they entered, smiled at Jessie, but bowed respectfully to Julia. "Your Highness," she said.

  Jessie wondered if whoever did marry Lucas would get the same treatment. The thought of him marrying some other, faceless woman in the future caused her a pang, which she banished by thinking decisively that if she was good enough to get bowed to after a marriage, she should have been good enough before.

  "Good evening, Eliya," Julia answered the nurse. "How are you?"

  "I'm well, thank you. It is very nice to have a little one to look after again."

  Julia smiled. "I still wish I'd been able to convince you to come to Tamir and take care of Omar, but now I am glad you refused, so you were here for Luke."

  Refused? Jessie wondered. Was it possible for a mere commoner to refuse a request from the royal family? Apparently so, since here Eliya was.

  The woman smiled and at the princess's nod, made a discreet exit. Julia walked to the crib, and immediately exclaimed, "Oh, he's as adorable as I remembered."

  Immediately pleased, Jessie smiled as the other woman cooed over her son. And gave a quick nod of permission when Julia asked if she could hold him.

  "My, he's grown so, and it's only been a few weeks since I've seen him."

  "Has he?" Jessie said, feeling rather silly. "He still seems so tiny to me."

  "I'll bet he didn't when he was born," Julia said jokingly.

  "No, he didn't," Jessie agreed quietly. She would never forget the agony of those hours, when she'd fought to bring her son into the world with no one but her mentally unstable kidnapper to help her.

  "Oh, no," Julia exclaimed. "Oh, Jessie, I am so sorry, that was unforgivably thoughtless of me, after what you went through when Luke was born."

  "It's all right."

  "No, it's not. I just didn't think."

  Jessie managed a smile. "Neither did I, before I accused you all of being travel agents in disguise."

  For a moment Julia just looked at her. And then, the warmest smile Jessie had ever seen curved the woman's lips. "You know, I was determined to like you for Lucas's sake, and for Luke's. But now I see I don't need to worry at all, I simply like you. And I hope we'll be friends."

  Never had she been so sweetly complimented by an offer of friendship. Nor had she ever wanted so much to accept. She didn't know how to tell this charming, generous woman that she wouldn't be staying.

  "May I ask you something?" she said instead.

  "Of course."

  "Something personal."

  "Oh, even better," Julia said with a grin. She put Luke carefully back in the crib, plopped down on the bed and patted a spot beside her. "Girl talk. With Christina off in America and Anna off who knows where with Tyler, I've missed it. Come, what do you want to know?"

  She was so warm and welcoming Jessie couldn't resist the invitation. She sat down and curled her legs up under her. She drew in a breath to steady herself before finally asking what she knew had to be a very personal question.

  "Did you ever regret being.. .who you are? With your place in life determined probably even before you were born?"

  Julia got very quiet. "You don't start with the easy ones, do you?"

  Jessie lowered her gaze. "I started with what matters most to me just now."

  "I see," Julia said.

  And Jessie thought that perhaps she did. And she appreciated the fact that Julia didn't give her some quick, glib answer, but instead thought for a few moments before speaking.

  "I can't deny," she said finally, "that there were times when I yearned for what I used to think of as a normal life. Times when I envied Christina for her independence and her life in America, free of the fuss and feathers of our lives here. But at the same time there was a sort of comfort in this life, in knowing no matter what, I would always have a place to be, a role to fill."

  Jessie had never thought of it in quite that way. But now that Julia had said it, she could see where it made sense. It didn't change her mind, but she understood.

  "Is that what your concern is, about Luke?" Julia asked softly, glancing at the baby in his crib.

  "Yes." She met Julia's gaze levelly. "My country was founded on the idea that anyone can become anything they want. Any kid can become president, or a doctor, or a mechanic, if that's where his talents lie."

  "It is the same here," Julia said.

  "Unless your last name happens to be Sebastiani," Jessie retorted.

  "Even if it is. My sister Christina is a brilliant scientist. Anna does as she pleases. And to a certain extent, so do I."

  "So it's only Lucas—and Luke—who are...." She stopped herself when she realized she'd been about to say "doomed." No matter how understanding Julia was, Jessie doubted she was that understanding.

  Julia gave her a long, intent look, as if she'd heard what she hadn't really said. "Their destiny is set more than ours, yes."

  "And that is what I can't do to him. I can't give my son to a life where he has no choice."

  Julia frowned. "But he will have many choices. And the freedom to do whatever he wishes."

  "Except choose his own career."

  "But he will be able to, for a good long time. Unless, God forbid, something else happens to Lucas, it will be many years before he is called upon to wear the crown."

  Jessie hadn't really thought of that, either. But before she could ponder it, Julia was speaking again.

  "But really, Jessie, does anything else really matter besides the fact that you love Lucas, and he loves you?"

  Jessie laughed, a sad, almost bitter sound. "But he doesn't. Joe loved me. Lucas doesn't."

  "Joe?" Julia asked. "Wait, that was the name he went by, after he was injured, wasn't it, when he didn't know who he really was?"

  "Yes. It was Joe I fell in love with, and who fell in love with me. Lucas just needs the mother of his son."

  Julia stared at her. "What?"

  "It's a tidy package, isn't it?"

  "But.. .he has proposed to you, has he not?"

  "If you want to call it that. He outlined my duties in detail, and the advantages as he saw them, and then offered me the position."

  Julia grimaced. "Men. They can be such fools. Believe me, I understand what you are saying."

  Something in the other woman's expression caught Jessie's attention. "You do understand, don't you?" she asked quietly.

  "Yes. Rashid was much like Lucas, although there was a time when such a comparison would have infuriated them both. But he had to be shown the error of his ways, before I finally said yes to him."

  "Lucas hasn't made an error, really. It's not his fault he's not Joe anymore."

  Julia eyed Jessie for a moment before asking, "And you do not love him, now that he is no longer this.. Joe?"

  Jessie wished she could say yes and mean it. It would make things easier when she had to go. But she was very much afraid she did still love him, as Lucas. Still, she wondered if she would spend most of the time looking for traces of Joe in the man who would be king.

  "I don't know," she said softly.

  Chapter 15

  Jessie headed down the stairs, wondering if she'd ever really learn her way around this place. And then she stopped dead mid-staircase, in shock that she'd even in passing thought she would have any need to learn this palace. She would not, of course. This
was merely a strange interlude, a brief pause in her life.

  Even as she thought the words she knew they weren't true. Knew this was no mere pause. Her life had changed forever, because of the baby she'd just finished bathing. He had brought such joy to her, but he'd also brought some incredible complications with him. But it was hardly his fault; he hadn't chosen his parents.

  She'd had to change her clothes when she'd finished his bath, since Luke had enjoyed the small tub Eliya had provided so much that he'd splashed as much water on her as he had on himself. Just seeing the simple, honest cheerfulness of the child had done much to ease her mind, but now all the troubles she'd pushed aside had come rushing back as she admitted to herself, standing there on the grand staircase of a place she could never have imagined herself even visiting, that nothing had been resolved.

  Lucas had been very careful about not pressuring her. But neither had he given any indication he'd changed his mind at all, about anything. In fact, she'd come to realize that he was right, you'd have to be born and groomed to this life, with all its ins and outs and protocol. She wondered if he expected Montebello and its beauty to cast a spell on her, to make her forget all her reservations and hand her son over to this life without a second thought.

  She could almost see why. It was a beautiful place, and she found she loved being able to look at the sea from almost any vantage point, anytime she wished. She also found the weather pleasantly different, always warm, and she'd read in a book conveniently left on her nightstand that the winter low temperatures here were higher than the average highs she was used to in Colorado.

  She'd been told she could take Ghost out any time she wished, and once she had learned her way around she had ridden whenever she could escape. It was the only thing that kept her sane, other than Luke. She missed her mountains. What passed for mountains here didn't hold a candle to her Rockies. Of course, she admitted, few mountains did. But she also missed that brisk hint of winter in the air, and the wonderful contradiction of a sunny fall day where she could stand still and feel the warmth of the sun and the chill of the breeze on her face at the same time. It was one of her favorite things about her home.