Becoming the Prince's Wife

She took a deep breath. “Thank you...Val.”

“That’s better.” His gaze swept over her. “Where’s the fire?”

“I’m tired.” Carolena said the first thing that came into her head. “I was up early to finish some work at the firm before the limo arrived to drive me to the airport. Bed sounds good to me.”

“Then I’ll walk you back.”

“That won’t be necessary.”

He cocked his dark blond head. “Do I frighten you?”

Your appeal frightens me. “If anything, I’m afraid of disturbing your routine.”

“I don’t have one tonight. Forget I’m the prince.”

It wasn’t the prince part that worried her. He’d made her aware of him as a man. This hadn’t happened since she’d fallen in love with Berto and it was very disturbing to her.

“To be honest, when you showed up at the swimming pool earlier, you looked tired after a hard day’s work. Since it’s late, I’m sure you’d like a good sleep before you spend the day with Vincenzo tomorrow.”

“I’m not too tired to see you back to your room safely.”

“Your Highness?” The same maid came to the entrance once more. “The queen would like to see you in her apartment.”

“I’ll go to her. Thank you.”

He cupped Carolena’s elbow to walk her out of the dining room. She didn’t want him touching her. The contact made her senses come alive. When they passed the guard and reached the grounds, she eased away from him.

“After getting to know Vincenzo, I realize how busy you are and the huge amount of calls on your time. Your mother is waiting for you.”

“I always say good-night to my mother before retiring. If our dinner had lasted a longer time, she would have had a longer wait.”

There was no talking him out of letting her get back to her room by herself. “What kind of work were you doing today?” She had to admit to a deep curiosity.

He grinned. “I always come home looking dirty and need to wash off the grime.”

She shook her head. “I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t have to. Volcanoes are a dirty business.”

Carolena came to a standstill before lifting her head to look at him. “You were up on Mount Etna?”

“That’s right.”

His answer perplexed her. “Why?”

“I’m a volcanologist with the National Center of Geophysics and Volcanology lab in Catania.”

“You’re kidding—” After that movie she’d watched on the plane, she couldn’t believe what he’d just told her.

One corner of his compelling mouth lifted. “Even a prince can’t afford to be an empty suit. Etna has been my backyard since I was born. From the first moment I saw it smoking, I knew I had to go up there and get a good look. Once that happened, I was hooked.”

With his adventurous spirit, she wasn’t surprised but knew there was a lot more to his decision than that. “I confess it would be fantastic to see it up close the way you do. Have you been to other volcanoes?”

“Many of them.”

“You lucky man! On the way down here I watched a Hollywood movie with Louis Jourdan about a volcano erupting in Polynesia.”

“You must mean Bird of Paradise.”

“Yes. It was really something. Your line of work has to be very dangerous.”

For a second she thought she saw a flicker of some emotion in his eyes, but it passed. “Not so much nowadays. The main goal is to learn how to predict trouble so that timely warnings can be issued for cautioning and evacuating people in the area. We’ve devised many safe ways to spy on active volcanoes over the decades.”

“How did your parents feel about you becoming a volcanologist?”

A smile broke the corner of his mouth, as if her question had amused him. “When I explained the reasons for my interest, they approved.”

That was too pat an answer. He sounded as if he wanted to get off the subject, but she couldn’t let it go. “What argument did you give them?”

His brows lifted. “Did you think I needed one?”

She took a quick breath. “If they were anything like my grandmother, who was the soul of caution, then yes!”

He stopped outside the entrance to her wing of the palace. Moonlight bathed his striking male features, making them stand out like those of the Roman-god statues supporting the fountain in the distance. His sudden serious demeanor gave her more insight into his complex personality.

“A king’s first allegiance is to the welfare of his people. I explained to my parents that when Etna erupts again, and she will, I don’t want to see a repeat of what happened in l669.”

Carolena was transfixed. “What did happen?”

“That eruption turned into a disaster that killed over twenty-nine thousand people.”

She shuddered, remembering the film. “I can’t even imagine it.”

He wore a grim expression. “Though it couldn’t happen today, considering the sophisticated warning systems in place, people still need to be educated about the necessity of listening and heeding those warnings of evacuation.”

“In the film, there’d been no warning.”

“Certainly not a hundred years ago. That’s been my greatest concern. Gemelli has a population of two hundred thousand, so it can’t absorb everyone fleeing the mainland around Catania, but I want us to be prepared as much as possible.”

“How do you get your people prepared?”

“I’ve been working with our government to do mock drills to accommodate refugees from the mainland, should a disaster occur. Every ship, boat, barge, fishing boat would have to be available, not to mention housing and food and airlifts to other islands.”

“That would be an enormous undertaking.”

“You’re right. For protection against volcanic ash and toxic gas, I’ve ordered every family outfitted with lightweight, disposable, filtering face-piece mask/respirators. This year’s sightings have convinced me I’ve only scratched the surface of what’s needed to be done to feel at all ready.”

“Your country is very fortunate to have you for the watchman.”