The Expectant Princess

Casting an anxious eye toward the massive carved doors at the entrance of the cathedral, the queen said, “It’s really getting rather late in the hour. I expected your father to be here by now.”

Catching the last part of his mother’s distressed comment, Nicholas consulted the timepiece strapped to his wrist. “There’s still fifteen minutes before the ceremony starts. I’m sure Father will be showing up any minute.”

Exasperation was evident in the brief shake of Josephine’s head. “I tried to persuade him to ride with me this morning, but he insisted he had some sort of brief business to take care of before he joined us here at the abbey. He then left with only an armed driver. I do hope there hasn’t been some sort of trouble that forced him to return to the castle.”

The queen turned a commanding look on her son. “Nicholas, go question security. Perhaps they’ve been in radio contact.”

As the prince walked away to do her bidding, Dominique pulled her mother a few steps aside of the group of family and friends.

“It isn’t like you to get so alarmed, Mother,” she said in a hushed tone. “I’m sure Father was just detained with business. It certainly won’t be the first time.”

Queen Josephine gave her daughter a halfhearted smile. “You are right. But something—” With another unusual display of nerves, she pressed a jeweled hand to her throat. “I can’t explain it. But something has left me with an uneasy feeling. Michael was so looking forward to his granddaughter’s christening and—”

Her words paused as the guests around them began to exchange excited whispers and stare toward the entrance of the cathedral.

Both mother and daughter turned to see the line of security at the massive doors had parted and a tall man with gray hair was striding toward the congregation standing near the altar. A younger, dark-haired man followed immediately on his heels.

The massive size of the church made the distance too great to exactly identify the men. But from the tall stature and gray hair of the older one, Dominique was certain it had to be her father, the king.

She turned a relieved smile on her mother. “See, there he is now. Your worrying was all for naught.”

A slight frown creased Josephine’s forehead as she continued to study the advancing male figures. “That isn’t Michael. I don’t recognize either of these men.”

By now Nicholas had returned from questioning the guards. His grim expression caused such alarm to rush through Dominique, she completely forgot about the two strangers.

“What does security say?” Josephine quickly questioned him.

Nicholas shook his head. “They haven’t heard from Father since he and his driver left the castle more than an hour ago. A detail is out checking the route at this very moment.”

Before mother or sister could question him further, the two unknown men, accompanied by one security guard, approached the queen.

All went suddenly quiet and everyone in the huge church looked on with a bit of amazement as the elder of the two men bowed deeply from the waist. A royal christening with gate-crashers didn’t happen in Edenbourg. Not even rarely.

In a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, he said, “Your Majesty, I hope you will forgive me for trespassing on this special occasion. I am your husband’s brother, Edward Stanbury. And this is my eldest son, Luke.” He gestured toward the younger man at his side, who in turn bowed to the queen.

Murmurs of disbelief rippled through the guests while Josephine simply stared at the two intruders. From the rigid line of her jaw, Dominique could tell her mother was trying not to reveal her shock at this sudden turn of events. Edward Stanbury had left the country of Edenbourg years ago to become a citizen of the United States. He and King Michael were estranged and had been for as long as Dominique could remember.

“You’ve traveled far,” Josephine finally spoke to the two men. “Does King Michael know of your arrival?”

Edward opened his mouth to answer, but before he could utter a word, his son, Luke, quickly interceded. “We’ve only just now come from the airport, Your Majesty, and—”

The remainder of the younger man’s sentence was missed as another flurry of activity caused everyone’s attention to swing once again to the entrance of the cathedral. Instantly, mouths gaped and soft gasps of alarm sounded. A royal guard was rushing toward the christening party as if demons were on his heels.

Clearly anticipating that something was amiss, Nicholas put a bracing hand under his mother’s elbow. Next to Dominique, Rebecca silently reached for her daughter. Dominique carefully handed LeAnn back to her sister-in-law and waited with the rest as the young guard bowed before the royal family.

“What is it, man?” Nicholas demanded impatiently.

The guard’s words came out in a breathless rush. “I fear it’s bad news, Your Highness. The king and his driver have been involved in an accident. The car crashed through a guardrail and careened down the side of a steep cliff. We believe both men are dead.”

Wails of utter shock and horror rose from the crowd to echo off the hallowed walls of the cathedral. Before Dominique could begin to comprehend the news, a security detail was surrounding Nicholas.

At the same time, Marcus Kent, the king’s high counsel, was pushing his way forward through the group of stunned dignitaries and friends.

In a daze, Dominique watched as he lay his hand on her brother’s shoulder and soberly spoke, “According to the Edenbourg Treatise, it is now my solemn duty to proclaim Nicholas to be the acting king of Edenbourg until Michael is found or declared dead.”

Josephine gripped her son’s arm. “What do you mean found?” she asked Marcus. “Has the king’s body not yet been recovered?”

Marcus shook his head. “No. Security has just now informed me that King Michael’s body is missing from the accident scene.”

Dominique didn’t hear the laments of those around her. Nor did she realize a cry of pain was spilling from her own lips as she pressed a hand to her stomach and rushed from the abbey.

Chapter One

A few steps away from the cathedral’s grassy courtyard, Dominique laid her cheek against a column of cool marble and tried to calm her roiling stomach.

Dear God, don’t let me be sick now, she silently prayed. Her mother, her family were going to need her strength. They couldn’t be burdened with the secret she carried. At least, not now.

Even though she desperately tried to hold them back, tears poured from her eyes. She was a princess, bred and tutored to be strong under the very worst of circumstances. If her father knew she was displaying such emotion in a public place he would be horrified and angry.

The sobering thought braced her somewhat and she forced herself to dig a tiny embroidered kerchief from her handbag. With trembling hands, she carefully dabbed at the moisture beneath her eyes.

“Dominique? Are you all right?”

Dominique’s heart went still, then lurched into a hard, anxious thud. Nearly four years had passed since she’d seen him, but the male voice behind her was as familiar as yesterday’s sunset.

Squaring her shoulders, she stepped away from the marble column and turned to face the man she’d tried her best to forget.

Even before Marcus Kent had become her father’s top adviser, he’d been an impressive figure of a man both intellectually and physically. At two inches over six feet, he was all lean muscle and broad shoulders. Short, raven-black hair waved slightly back from a wide forehead and strong, roughly chiseled features. Thick black eyebrows and lashes framed a pair of eyes that were nothing less than striking. Their smoky-topaz color was as unique as the man himself.

At thirty-three he was twelve years Dominique’s senior. Yet as she gazed at him now, she knew she had never met a man who stirred her more.

“It wasn’t necessary for you to check on me, Marcus. But thank you just the same.”

Three strides carried him to within inches of her and she felt herself quivering with renewed awareness as his solemn gaze searched her upturned face. The years she’d been away at university in the States had been kind to him. He looked just as virile and potently masculine as he had that day she’d said goodbye.

“You were very white when you fled your family a moment ago. I wanted to make certain you hadn’t fainted.”

“I’m sure a guard followed me.” She wouldn’t know of life any other way. Being a member of a royal family made her a target. She’d long ago had to counsel herself to the fact that her movements in public, no matter how trivial, were almost always watched and her behavior scrutinized. Especially here in the city of Old Stanbury.

“I expect at this moment you need more than a guard’s presence.”

His gentle suggestion caused pricks of fresh tears to burn the backs of her eyes. Determined to do her father proud, she blinked and sniffed and swallowed them down. But the idea that King Michael might really be gone from their lives drained the very strength from her legs and she grabbed for Marcus’s hand almost at the same moment he reached out to steady her.

“Oh, Marcus,” she said hoarsely. “This has to be a nightmare. Please tell me Father can’t be dead.”

From the moment Marcus had spotted Dominique entering the cathedral this morning, his insides had gathered into hard knots and remained that way. In the past few days, he’d learned from the king himself that she was home from university to attend this morning’s christening. But he’d deliberately avoided going by her suite of rooms in the family’s palace to say hello.

Years ago Marcus had made a point to quell her schoolgirl adulation for him and, in doing so, he suspected he’d crushed her young pride. At the time he’d not set out to deliberately hurt or embarrass her. Quite the opposite, in fact. He’d always been genuinely fond of Dominique and he’d wanted to send her off to university with a clear mind. Not cluttered with romantic notions for an older man.