In those seven years, his appearance had also changed. He grew into his lanky frame, filled out, acquired a more mature demeanor and the stature of a man. People in his home country wouldn’t even recognize him now, but, unfortunately, his good looks and newly acquired wealth had made him fodder for the paparazzi again.
He had come to La Torchere to check out the rumors about the many weddings that had recently taken place at his resort and eventually he decided to hide here. Not because he owned it, but because places such as this catered to people who didn’t wish to be recognized or bothered. At La Torchere he had been comfortable, happy. And that was due in no small part to the woman beside him.
He stole a glance at Merry. She wasn’t the most pleasant-looking female on the face of the earth. He guessed her age to be somewhere around sixty, but she appeared much older. Her gray hair was coarse and usually kept in a tight knot. Her nose had elongated with the passage of time. Her neck had enough folds that the necklace she wore could easily disappear and never be discovered again. But she was also the most interesting woman he’d met in a long time. He suspected there was a very good story behind her life.
Alexander had begun paying attention to her when he realized La Torchere’s reputation as the fountain of love was due to Miss Merry’s matchmaking. Oh, she was subtle. But as resort owner, Alexander noticed everything, and he knew this kooky old woman was the bottom line to his resort’s most recent surge of success. He was even considering hiring an assistant for her to assure she could work for many more years.
“You should be back at the wedding reception.”
Alexander shook his head. The wedding reception was the last place he wanted to be. He didn’t like anything couched in pomp and circumstance. He’d had enough of it to last a lifetime when he was a child. His parents, a prince and princess of deposed monarchies in an arranged marriage, held ambassadorial roles that required them to represent their respective countries at so many functions that Alexander grew almost as tired of the pageantry as he did his parents’ continued fighting. He’d believed arranged marriages were an archaic tradition that should be abolished until his father privately negotiated a trade agreement with the U.S., which his mother backed up with promises from her country. Then Alexander saw the purpose of their marriage. Silently, almost stealthily, a good ambassador could change a country’s destiny.
With his current business acumen and knowledge of the United States, Alexander knew he probably didn’t need an arranged marriage to change his country’s destiny, but his betrothal to the princess from Silestia had opened trade routes he couldn’t have opened on shrewdness alone. And he knew his country needed his marriage.
So he would do his duty when the time came. If and when Princess Meredith Bessart, the woman promised to him, came out of hiding, he would marry her and fulfill his princely responsibilities. Until then, he intended to pack as much living into these years of freedom as he possibly could. That meant he didn’t go anywhere he didn’t want to go.
“The wedding bored me.” They reached the small stone path to her villa and Alexander directed her to turn, indicating that he would walk her to her door.
She sighed. “Really. I’m fine.”
“And I’m fine. I never pass up the opportunity to take a moonlight stroll with a beautiful woman.”
Merry laughed, but the sound came out as more of a cackle. Knowing she couldn’t see him, Alexander winced at the horrible sound. They reached the front door of her cottage and Merry stopped.
“I’m hardly a beautiful woman.”
“Oh, I’d take exception to that,” Alexander said, meaning it. He touched the spot where her heart beat beneath her thin gown and frail skin. “Here’s where you’re beautiful.”
To Alexander’s surprise, her eyes filled with tears and she blinked rapidly. “I’m not.”
“You are.”
“Alexander, get back to the party. Go find yourself a real beautiful woman because I think you’re losing it.”
He laughed. “Now that I’m sure you’re okay, I will return to the party, but I don’t need a beautiful woman.”
She clicked her tongue. “Every man needs a beautiful woman.”
From the look that came to her violet-blue eyes, he could see her matchmaker instincts kicking in. “Ah, ah, ah. It’s not appropriate to play matchmaker for the boss.”
Her cheeks reddened guiltily.
He laughed again. “Don’t be embarrassed! Your matchmaking is a gold mine for the resort. I’m simply not interested.”
Her gaze sharpened. “Not interested in me making you a match or not interested in any match at all?”
“Not interested in any match at all.”
“You don’t believe in love.” She said it simply but sadly, and he lifted her chin to force her to look at him.
“A long time ago, in a kingdom far away,” he began, speaking as if his life story were a fairy tale because he didn’t want Merry to feel sorry for him. Princess Meredith’s going into hiding had been a relief. The night of her coming-out ball, she had hurled insults that had devastated him, but they also taught him a good lesson. If and when he and Princess Meredith married, there would be no risk that he would lose his heart to her. He wanted to relate this tale so Merry saw the humor and the moral that he saw.
When she laughed her cackly giggle, Alexander knew she was on his wavelength and he continued, “I had a really bad experience.”
“Someone hurt you?”
“Very much. But I also learned there was no such thing as love when I was young enough to put the lesson to good use, and I’ve protected myself.” He paused, glancing at the thick, luscious foliage of the grounds before he added, “Placing your heart in someone’s hands only gives them the power to hurt you.”
“Really?” she asked softly, her voice so light and breathless, it sounded like the voice of a much younger woman. The change caused Prince Alec to look at her again but the moon had ducked behind a cloud and he really couldn’t see her face in the shadows.
He smiled. “Yes.”
“Your philosophy is sad, and makes your life sound lonely.”
He shook his head. “Not at all. I might not believe in everlasting love, but I do wholeheartedly believe in romance.”
She sighed with disgust. “You mean sex.”
“No. I mean romance. Sweetheart notes. Flowers. Exciting trips. Carriage rides. Whispered secrets while tangled in satin sheets. Gifts. Stolen kisses.” He smiled at her. “Romance.”
Merry nearly swooned. Alexander Rochelle was adorable. Which made it doubly sad that his life was lonely. “You don’t mind that your relationships end? I mean, aren’t there problems?”
“Nothing that can’t be solved with an honest conversation. Plus, before I start anything with a woman, I’m very open about expectations.”
Confused because he didn’t sound sad, or lonely, or even slightly bothered by his life choice, Merry asked, “And you like it that way?”
“I love it that way! Merry, I’ve courted some of the most beautiful women in the world. I’m still friendly with most of them. Love doesn’t have to be difficult. A person simply needs to understand when it’s time to walk away.”
Gazing at his handsome face, partially shadowed in the moonlight, Merry swallowed. That was another lesson she had learned from seven years as a matchmaker. Not every attraction ended in love. But that didn’t make those liaisons wrong. People could enjoy a romantic short-term fling as long as both parties recognized when it was time to let go.
Given that circumstances in Alexander’s life had hurt him enough to preclude him from taking the final step, which was complete trust, Merry had to concede that this life might be right for him. Because of knowing how and when to let go, he was a well adjusted, brilliant, romantic—yet realistic—man, and Merry suddenly wished with all her heart that she could have one of those temporary but romantic love affairs with him.
Because that wasn’t a good idea for many, many reasons, she took a pace back. “You better return to the wedding.”
He smiled softly. “Not before I kiss you good-night.”
Merry’s mouth fell open and she was absolutely positive her heart stopped. He couldn’t want to kiss her! She was an obnoxious crone! Worse, her appearance could be changing even as they spoke. If he kissed her and realized she was young, how would she explain it?
She couldn’t let him kiss her! It was insane!
She stepped back again, but he caught her gloved hand and lifted her fingers to his lips.
“Thank you, Merry, for doing such a wonderful job at the resort. I hope you will be with us for many, many years to come.”
He let her fingers slide from his grip, turned and walked down the path again. A lone figure, bathed in moonlight, striding through the thick tropical foliage.
Tears filled Merry’s eyes. He seemed well adjusted. He even exuded an air of sophisticated control. Yet, there was also an incompleteness about him. He might not want or even need a permanent relationship, but he’d never had a great love, and he never would because he would never trust the way he should.
Whether Alexander understood it or not, he was under as much of a curse as she was.