The Royal House of Niroli: Secret Heirs: Bride by Royal Appointment / A Royal Bride at the Sheikh's Command

She hadn’t liked the sound of Adam’s voice at first. She’d thought he sounded conceited and arrogant, and she’d hated the way he talked to his son. Now that she knew him better, she’d modified her judgement. But he still was nowhere near being that wonder man she’d thought she was waiting for.

Still, she had to admit he was stirring feelings in her she hadn’t known she had. When she’d touched his face, she’d felt a sense of wonder she’d never felt before. She wanted to touch him again.

And she wanted him to touch her. And that was where the danger lay. Just thinking about it made her gasp. She was going to have to be very careful.

Especially since, much as he appealed to her on a personal level, she was having doubts about his mission here. She was beginning to wonder if she could really get behind the effort to make him King. She loved her island home and she wanted a good king. And preferably one who loved Niroli, too. She was noticing more and more evidence that Adam might not be that person.

His attitude was very disturbing. At first, she’d noticed him take a crack at her homeland here and there, but she’d attributed that to his generally cynical outlook. It wasn’t until he’d been just about to leave for the palace that she’d found him saying things that had really set her back on her heels. Had he really meant them? And could she overlook his attitude?

CHAPTER FIVE

ELENA and Adam had been in the little house and he’d been searching through his luggage for a tie.

“Seems an odd thing to wear on Niroli,” she said with a laugh.

“I know. Most disappointing.” He must have found one because she heard him place himself in front of the mirror and begin working with something. “But I was warned it would be wise to wear one, and, until I have the crown in my hot little hands, I figure I’ll be better off taking their hints seriously.”

“That would seem wise,” she murmured.

“I’m hoping to get to meet the old man tonight,” he added.

“The old man?” His tone horrified her and she turned slowly toward him. “Are you talking about the king? Your grandfather?”

“That’s the one.”

She frowned, genuinely disturbed by this way of speaking about her monarch. “Don’t you think you should have a little more respect?”

“For whom?” he shot back bitterly. “For the man who banished my mother from the kingdom so that he would never have to acknowledge me? The man who now finds he needs me after all, so is ready to throw blossoms at my feet? That’s the man I’m supposed to respect?”

“Yes. If you can’t respect the man himself, at least respect his position. He’s our King!”

“Not for much longer,” he muttered. “Then I guess you’ll be telling people to respect me, won’t you?”

“Of course.”

He laughed and chucked her under the chin. “You’re cute as a button, Elena, but you’re wrong.”

And that was where things had stood as he’d left for the palace.

Once he’d gone, Elena had stewed over what he’d told her for awhile, and then she’d called Susan Nablus, an old friend of her mother’s and an expert on Nirolian history. If anyone could give her the straight scoop on what had happened around the time of Adam’s conception, she could. Susan had just come in from shopping, but she was delighted to hear from Elena and she promptly sat down and offered to answer any questions her old friend’s daughter might have.

“Adam Ryder, you say. So that’s his name. Well, I had heard rumors that the powers that be at the palace were considering him, since they’ve run through all the more direct contenders and come up empty.”

“As Antonio’s son, I’d say he’s pretty directly related,” Elena protested.

“Yes, dear, but he’s illegitimate. And his mother has no standing.”

“I guess that is the point,” Elena conceded.

“I never met Adam, but I did meet his mother when she was here. My, it was over thirty years ago, wasn’t it? I believe her name was Stephanie. She was quite beautiful, one of those socialites with the good cheekbones who become supermodels for a few years, appear on the covers of all the magazines, then fade from sight—like those beautiful confections that melt away in the heat of the sun. My impression was that she was just one of those sweet, pretty girls who get passed around by playboys. She came to Niroli for a fashion shoot. It was just a couple of years after that horrible kidnapping where one of the prince’s twins was snatched. They said Antonio had been a perfect husband before that happened. Well, losing one of your babies is enough to unhinge anyone, I suppose.

“At any rate, Prince Antonio caught a glimpse of Stephanie and a moment later he was over the moon. Poor Princess Francesca had to endure a lot from her wayward husband after the kidnapping, but I think that affair was the worst for her. It was so public, you know. As far as the media was concerned, it was an affair to remember and the little wife and remaining baby sitting at home were old news.”

“Poor thing,” Elena commented.

“Yes. Well, it didn’t last long. Suddenly Stephanie was gone and the prince seemed bereft, but he managed to go back to his duties and soon it was almost as though it had never happened. He and Francesca had two more children and seemed quite devoted as the years went by. It was only later that we found out that Stephanie had been hustled out of the country once the king found out about her, and that she was pregnant at the time.”

“So she was banished by King Giorgio.”

“Oh, yes. Never to set foot on these shores again, et cetera et cetera. Of course, I’m sure they gave her plenty of money to keep her quiet.”

“Money.” Elena nodded. That did seem to be a common theme with the Ryder family. And that thought gave her a dull, unpleasant feeling in the pit of her stomach.

But that feeling faded as she spent the rest of the afternoon preparing for her evening party. Jeremy woke up and was completely agreeable, playing with Fabio, then helping her with the canapés and negotiating more piano lessons in a clever way that made her think he had more of his father in him than Adam realized.

She didn’t know if Adam would be back in time to join her entertainment. From what he’d said, she was pretty sure he would be engaged at the palace until fairly late that night. And he hadn’t exactly brimmed with enthusiasm for her party.

“I’m having some people over tonight,” she told him as he was preparing to leave for his meeting. “So when you get back …”

“Don’t worry. I’ll keep out of your way.”

That wasn’t what she’d been about to say. In fact, she’d been about to invite him to join them.

“Actually, I’d rather as few people as possible know about me being here,” he reminded her.

“I understand,” she said, though she was disappointed.

“How many people do you suppose already know?” he asked her.

“Well, there’s Gino, of course.”

Adam laughed shortly. “Can we have him bound and gagged and held in a cellar for a few days?”

She smiled but said, “No.”

“Damn.” He turned toward her. “Still, if no one but Gino knows I’ve been here, we might be alright. I was hoping I would have a day or two before the hyenas descend.”

“I’ve never known a man so sure he was at the center of the universe,” she said, only half teasing.

And yet, he had reason to feel as though everyone had him in their sights. Right now, he was the man of the hour in Niroli. How odd to think that she had that very man right here with her. It was rather exciting.

The hour was late when Adam got back. He took a cab from the palace and had it drop him off in downtown Monte Speziare, then walked the few blocks to Elena’s house. He could see that she still had people with her. The sound of talk and laughter followed him as he went to check on Jeremy, who was sound asleep once again in the guest house, probably exhausted from meeting all of Elena’s friends and romping with the dog. He paused for a brief space of time, looking at the boy. He looked so angelic in sleep. And for just a moment, Adam felt love swell in his heart.

If only he knew how to reach out to Jeremy, to make him into a real son instead of an annoying charge and an antagonist. If only he knew how Elena did it. If only a lot of things.

Going out into the yard, he made another attempt to get through to his business partner in Los Angeles and finally made the connection. Zeb had only bad news to report. Celluloid Images, the firm trying to buy out Ryder Productions, had petitioned to file final papers. If he didn’t get some funds soon, he would lose his company. He had to close this deal.

He completed the call and tried to push aside the feeling of doom it had brought on. His meeting at the palace hadn’t given him much to hope for, either. In fact, the more he met with these people, the more he wondered if he could bring off this royal makeover in a convincing way. The counselors had tried to paint a cheery picture of what life as a king would be like, but he could see through their fantasies. He was going to be working hard for the money. And how he was going to get out of some of the strictures, such as having to stay here in Niroli full time, he wasn’t sure. Still, he would deal with that later. Right now, he just needed the money.