Royal Secrets (8 page)

He thought he’d accepted the diagnosis after his first conversation with the doctor, but the phone call had proven to him that he’d still held on to a seed of hope that there had been some mistake. That seed had been smashed beyond repair. Now, after being cooped up for the past couple days, Stefano found himself in desperate need of some fresh air and a fresh perspective.

He crossed the chateau’s main entryway and moved into the main parlor. Light streamed through large windows into the enormous room and spilled onto the comfortably faded furnishings. Couches, chairs, and loveseats were arranged to create cozy conversation areas, but Stefano ignored them and headed through the room toward a set of French doors leading to the terrace.

For as long as he could remember, the chateau had been the place he was always drawn to when he needed some time to himself. He supposed it was ironic that he was here when he was forced to face an alternate reality for his future from the one he had always planned for himself.

He had never seriously considered what he wanted in his future family life. He had simply expected that he would someday marry and have children of his own. As the heir to the throne, he had been subject to the media’s speculations about whom he might marry since he’d turned twenty, but now at the age of thirty-two, he still hadn’t met a woman who held his interest for more than a few months.

His heart ached at the realization that he would never know what it was to have children of his own, that he would never experience the joy of being a father. Now that the duty to produce an heir could no longer be his, he wondered if marriage would even be in his future. What woman would want to wed a man and live in the spotlight while the world anticipated the children that would never come?

Still moving gingerly, he pulled open the door and stepped outside just in time to see two dark-haired bodies streak past him and head toward the gardens.

He stared after them, confused at first by the presence of children on the grounds. Then he remembered the impending arrival of Janessa’s friend. He thought back to the days when he and Garrett had spent their summers playing hide and seek in the bushes and creating havoc as often as humanly possible. If these two little boys were anything like he was at their age, Stefano imagined they were more interested in the beach that lay beyond the gardens than they were in smelling the flowers.

His eyebrows lifted when he heard a woman’s voice call out in Italian. “Boys, come back here!”

Both boys stopped, and Stefano could have sworn he heard their twin sighs of resignation. “Yes, Mama.”

Moving much more slowly, they turned to head back the way they had come just as a delicately built woman hurried around the corner. Stefano’s first impression was that this could not be the mother of two children.

She pushed her dark hair behind her shoulders, her attention so focused on the boys that she didn’t notice Stefano standing in the doorway.

She gripped each of the boys by the arm as she squatted in front of them so she could look them in the eye. “Didn’t I tell you two not to run off?”

“Sorry, Mama. We just wanted to look around.”

“I know, but for now, we need to go find out where we’re staying, and I’ll need your help while I unload.” She started to usher the boys back to the front of the house. Then she noticed Stefano and froze. “I . . . I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you standing there.”

Stefano stepped forward, oddly amused to see the blush creeping into the woman’s cheeks, her dark eyes cautious. “You must be Alora.”

She nodded, her blush deepening as she dipped into a curtsy. “I’m sorry if my children disturbed you. I went to knock on the front door, and when I turned around, they were gone.”

Stefano looked down at the two boys, who were studying him openly. “Looking to explore the place, are you?”

Both boys looked up with wide eyes and nodded, all their mother’s instructions on protocol forgotten.

The older one stared for a moment and then asked, “Are you a prince?”

Stefano’s lips curved up. “As a matter of fact, I am.” Stefano ignored the twinge of pain in his ribs as he reached out and shook the little boy’s hand. “Prince Stefano Fortier, at your service.”

Both boys giggled.

“And you are?”

“I’m Giancarlo, and this is my little brother, Dante.”

“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” Stefano told him and then shook hands with Dante in turn. He straightened and noticed the chateau manager standing in the open doorway behind him. “Martino, our guests have arrived.”

The dark-haired older man stepped outside onto the terrace, carrying with him an air of formality. “Welcome, signora. If you would like to come with me, I will show you your quarters.”

“Thank you.” Alora motioned to the boys. Then she bowed slightly to Stefano. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Your Highness.”

“The pleasure was all mine,” Stefano said, his heart lifting fractionally as he watched both boys bound up the steps toward the door.

Alora stepped back awkwardly and then, with a glance over her shoulder, followed her children inside.

* * *

Garrett climbed out of the limousine that had picked them up from the airport, gravel crunching under his shoes and the sweet aromas of hay and apple pie scenting the air. As Janessa stepped beside him, he turned to look at the fields spreading out from the large white farmhouse in front of them.

A new pickup truck and an old tractor were parked next to the faded red barn across the yard. A large silo cast its shadow over what appeared to be some kind of shed beside it. Several horses grazed in a nearby field behind split-rail fences; rows of corn dominated the fields to the west.

Janessa slipped her hand into his, giving encouragement as well, he was sure, as receiving it. He still couldn’t believe what she had told him on the plane. For the past three years, she had been lying to the people closest to her about her profession.

He supposed he should have expected it. After all, he’d seen enough spy movies over the years to know that protecting one’s cover was paramount for an undercover operative. He just never considered that Janessa would follow that example.

Now he was beginning to understand the source of Janessa’s nervousness. Over the past few months, her photograph had been splashed all over newspapers and magazines around the world as her name had been linked to his. For media purposes, they’d announced they had been dating for two years. In reality, they had only known each other a few months.

Garrett stepped aside as Mary and Kevin exited the limo behind them, Kevin holding the car seat baby Lindsay was still strapped into. Mary hurried up the front steps onto the wide front porch and reached for the door just as it swung open and a broad shouldered man stepped out. His short, dark hair was peppered with gray, and his eyes were the same deep green as Janessa’s. A smile lit his face as he scooped Mary into his arms, and Janessa rushed forward to be hugged in turn.

A moment later, an energetic blonde woman joined them on the wide front porch. They exchanged greetings, and the proud grandparents took the time to ooh and ah over their baby granddaughter. Then Janessa turned and motioned for Garrett to join them.

“Mom and Dad, this is Garrett Fortier. Garrett, these are my parents, Scott and Donna.” Garrett stepped forward, amused when Donna offered something between a bow and a curtsy. Fighting a smile, Garrett shook hands with Janessa’s mother. Then he turned to offer his hand to Scott and immediately sensed the man’s reservation.

“I’m pleased to meet you both,” Garrett said formally as Scott reluctantly shook his hand, his eyes shifting to the limousine in the driveway before focusing more fully on Garrett.

“Please come inside,” Donna said, waving everyone toward the open door.

“Are your other children home?” Garrett asked as he walked into a tidy living room.

“It’s the middle of the day. There’s work to be done,” Scott said gruffly.

Donna sent a stern look in the direction of her husband and then added, “Our son Pierce is serving a mission right now in the Philippines, so he won’t be here this weekend, but everyone else is working the fields today. They should all be home by supper.”

“I need to check on the cattle in the west pasture.” Scott motioned toward the door. “Maybe Prince Garrett would like to ride out with me.”

The way he said the word
prince
, with the hint of a sneer in his voice, suggested that while many men would be thrilled with the prospect of their daughter marrying into royalty, Scott Rogers apparently wasn’t one of them.

“I would like that, thank you,” Garrett said, determined to rise to whatever challenge Janessa’s father had in mind. He turned to Janessa. “If you’ll direct me to somewhere where I can change.”

“Maybe I’ll come with you,” Janessa said, eying her father suspiciously.

Garrett reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. “You should stay and visit with your mother. I’m sure your father and I will get along just fine.”

* * *

The two men rode their horses in silence as they left the barnyard and skirted a field of wheat nearly ready for harvest. Garrett wasn’t sure what he had done to warrant the cold welcome from Janessa’s father, but he had a feeling he was about to find out.

When they came to the top of a bluff, Scott reined in his horse and waited for Garrett to stop beside him. “We keep a small herd of cattle to help hedge against a bad growing season.”

“It always pays to be prepared,” Garrett commented then hesitated a moment before plunging in to what had been running through his mind during their ride up the bluff. “I know this is late in coming, but I want you to know I am very much in love with your daughter. I hope you can give our marriage your blessing.”

Scott shifted in his saddle to face Garrett more fully. “You know, around these parts, men ask for the young woman’s hand
before
her family reads about his intentions in the newspaper.”

“I’m sorry that events unfolded as they did, but I’m here, and I’m asking now.” Garrett kept his eyes on Scott’s as he pressed on. “Can you support Janessa and me and give me her hand in marriage? I know having your blessing would mean a lot to both of us.”

Scott stared at him for a moment and gave a subtle shake of his head. “I don’t know that I can support a marriage I know is a mistake.”

“A mistake?” Garrett repeated, a little taken back by the man’s directness, although impressed by the diligence with which he was determined to look out for his daughter.

“You’ve known my daughter for some time. You must know how important her religious beliefs are to her.”

“I do. In fact, her strength of faith as well as her kindness and generosity are among the qualities I most admire.”

“Do you understand her beliefs?”

Garrett nodded in understanding. He sat up straighter in the saddle. “Would it change things if I were Mormon?”

“Of course it would change things.” Janessa’s father scowled at him. “Janessa obviously loves you, or she wouldn’t have agreed to marry you, but it breaks my heart that she’s giving up on finding someone who can give her everything she’s always dreamed of.”

Garrett’s eyebrows lifted slightly. “So you would give us your blessing if we were getting married in the temple.”

“That’s right.”

“Then thank you,” Garrett said, his tone matter-of-fact.

Scott’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean ‘thank you’?”

“If all goes as planned, the Meridian temple will be completed within the year. That is where we hope to marry.”

Confusion and a glimpse of compassion crossed Scott’s face. “You know that even royalty can’t go into the temple without being Mormon.”

“I know. I am a member of the Church.”

“What?” Scott blinked rapidly and shook his head. “My wife’s been reading every article she can find about you and Janessa. No one ever mentioned you being Mormon.”

“I guess you could say that this information is still classified.”

“Why’s that?”

“Right now, I’m second in line to the throne. Church and state have been separate for some time, but our citizens don’t always perceive things as they really are. The change in my religion could cause political ramifications. So far, I’ve been able to keep my baptism private.”

Scott was silent for a moment, and his eyebrows drew together. “Are you being private, or are you embarrassed that you’ve converted to the Church?”

“Private,” Garrett insisted. “My decision to keep this information out of the public eye is as much for your daughter’s safety as it is for my own.”

“What does your religion have to do with Janessa’s safety?”

“Religious freedom is relatively new to Meridia, and we have no idea how our citizens will take the news that they now have a Mormon prince,” Garrett told him. “With all the media attention we’re receiving right now, we’re more vulnerable to security concerns than would normally be the case.” Garrett hesitated and then added, “In fact, I hope you can give me your word that what I have told you will stay between us.”

Scott stared down at the cattle for a moment before turning his attention back to Garrett. “My wife needs to know, but if you want to keep her brothers and sisters in the dark for now, I’ll leave that up to you.” He shook his head. “You sure live in a different world than we do.”

“I suppose I do,” Garrett conceded. “But you should be proud of how well your daughter moves between our worlds.”

He chuckled. “Janessa has always been one to do things her own way, but I’ve always been proud of her.”

Garrett managed to smile. “So what do you say? Can you give us your blessing?”

Scott nudged his mount closer to Garrett and extended his hand. “I suppose she could have done worse.”

Now Garrett laughed and shook hands with his future father-in-law. “Thank you, sir.”

“Welcome to the family.”

Chapter 10

Alora’s cheeks still burned as she followed Martino across a tiled entryway and up a wide, sweeping staircase. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t even been on the grounds for two minutes before stumbling across royalty. She had realized, of course, that eventually she would meet Prince Garrett, but she hadn’t really anticipated meeting anyone else from the royal family. She especially hadn’t expected Prince Stefano to look even better in person than he did in his photos.