The Royal Collection

CHAPTER EIGHT

THIRTY HOURS LATER the royal jet landed at Voti International Airport, where a helicopter was waiting to fly them to the palace. To their relief, no press was allowed on the tarmac.

During the times throughout the flight while Christina napped, Antonio had talked with his sister at length to get her to stop blaming herself. During the night his wife had been restless and couldn’t sleep. They were flying home to a hornet’s nest. She was holding her own, but he knew the emotions of his brave, beautiful wife were in turmoil.

At one o’clock that afternoon the helicopter landed on the back lawn of the palace closed to the public. He helped her down and they hurried toward the south entrance with several staff members bringing their luggage.

They rushed up the grand staircase to the second floor of the east wing. When he reached the doors of his apartment, he picked her up again like a bride.

“Antonio—” She hid her head against his shoulder. “We’ve already done this once.”

“I don’t care. I might feel like doing it every time we come in.” Before she could say another word, he silenced her with a kiss because he couldn’t help himself. She’d become the drug in his system. Her response electrified him. At this point he needed to be with her inside their home away from the world and make love to his wife.

After managing to open one of the two tall, palatial doors, he swept her through the apartment to the bedroom and followed her down on the bed. The staff knew better than to do anything but place the suitcases inside the main doors and leave them alone.

“Welcome to my world, Christina de L’Accardi. Besides family, you’re the first and only woman I’ve ever brought here. It’s always been a lonely place for me. Now it’s going to be our home.” It was liberating to crush her against him. One kiss turned into another. She wanted him as much as he wanted her.

Like clockwork both his cell phone and room phone started ringing. He moaned aloud before continuing to kiss her, but the ringing persisted until she tore her lips from his. “Of course everyone knows we’re back, Antonio,” she said out of breath. “You at least have to say hello.”

“That’s all I’ll say.” He sat up and reached for the bedside phone first, impatient because of the interruption of civilization. Being away from technology for a few days had been the best thing that could have happened to them. “Pronto—”

“Come sta, figlio mio?”

He looked at his wife, whose silvery eyes fastened on him still had the glaze of desire burning in their depths. His fingers ran over her lips. “Christina and I have been to heaven thanks to your generosity, Papa. But we were called back to earth too soon.”

“I’m thrilled you’ve had a wonderful time, but now we must talk.”

“Not now, Papa. My wife and I need the rest of this day together.”

“But there’s a crisis.”

His muscles clenched. “So I’ve been informed, but nothing’s more important than my time with her. I promise I’ll take care of things starting tomorrow. Give my love to Mama. Ciao.”

Christina chuckled. “You’ll have to answer your cell phone or it will never stop.” Letting out another sound of frustration, he reached in his pants pocket and pulled it out. When he saw the caller ID, he didn’t mind answering.

“Zach!”

“I’m glad you answered. Where are you?” His friend sounded more than anxious.

He smiled down at Christina. “We’ve just entered our humble home after being flown to paradise and back.” She kissed his fingers.

“I’ve never thought of Paris as paradise.”

“No. Bora Bora. A surprise wedding gift from my parents. You should take Lindsay there. You’d never want to come back.”

“Antonio? Is this really you? You sound strange, like you’re on something.”

He grinned. “I’ve been drugged all right.” A laugh came out of his wife. “Listen, I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“But you’ve got problems, buddy. Big problems.”

“My other half is going to help me solve them.”

“But she’s part of the problem, if you get my meaning,” Zach said, lowering his voice.

“You’ve got that wrong. She’s the solution, but I appreciate your concern. You’re the best friend a man ever had next to his wife. Ciao.”

No sooner had he hung up to indulge himself with his beautiful bride than Christina’s cell phone rang. She had to get off the bed for the purse she’d accidentally dropped on the inlaid wooden flooring while her husband was carrying her.

She didn’t need to look at the caller ID to know who it was. Might as well get this over now. “Pronto?”

“Christina?” Her mother sounded mournful rather than angry. “Is it true that you had an affair while you were engaged to Antonio?”

She held her breath. “If I tell you that was a lie, would you believe me?”

“Yes.”

“Would Father?”

“I—I can’t speak for him. What are you going to do?”

Her mother sounded as though she really cared. “It’s up to Antonio.”

“Just remember I’m here for you if you need me.”

For her mother to say that was astounding to Christina. “Thank you, Mama. We’ll talk later.”

Antonio’s arms were locked around her from behind. But for once she didn’t feel like crawling into a dark hole never to come out again. She turned to Antonio. “Mother just gave me her support.”

“It’s about time, but don’t forget you’ve got me now.”

“I know.” She lifted her mouth to kiss him, but there was a knocking on the outer doors, loud enough to reach their ears in the bedroom. “Tonio? It’s me,” Elena cried. “Can I come in? It’s an emergency!”

“Tell her to come,” Christina urged him. “She’s been waiting for us.”

He gave her another hug before they both hurried through the apartment to greet his sister.

When he opened the door, they barely recognized Elena, who’d been crying for so long her blue eyes were puffy and her face had gone splotchy. “I’m so glad you’re home.” She threw herself into Antonio’s arms and sobbed.

Christina closed the door and the three of them went into the living room. When he let her go, she turned to Christina. As they hugged, his sister had another explosion of tears.

“Elena—it’s going to be all right. Come and sit down on the couch.” She drew her by the hand. Antonio sat in the love seat near them.

She brushed the tears from her cheeks. “I have something to tell both of you. Marusha and I have had a long talk. Her husband found out through another doctor that before Roger left Africa, he got drunk and told things to the doctor that were supposed to be kept quiet. But the other doctor was unscrupulous and leaked it to the news.”

Christina shook her head. “I should never have gone out with him.”

Antonio stood up. “If we all keep blaming ourselves for everything, nothing will be accomplished. What’s done is done.”

“There’s more,” Elena admitted.

He took a deep breath. “Go on.”

“I broke down and told our parents why you and Christina got engaged. I also told them Christina had never slept with that doctor. It was pure fabrication.”

“It’s all right, Elena. The truth will free all of us.”

His wife was so right!

He’d already known that Christina hadn’t given herself to the doctor. Antonio had been stunned at the time and overjoyed.

“They think you’re both so noble,” Elena kept on. “Our parents are prepared to do anything to help you. But as you know, they’ve lost Guido’s respect and he has powerful friends in the council who are ready to abolish the monarchy altogether. Some of the others wanting to keep the monarchy alive have prevailed on the archbishop to grant an annulment so you can remarry. There’s a list of titled women they’re vetting now with Princess Gemma at the top.”

Filled with joy that Christina was his wife, Antonio stopped pacing. “No. That isn’t going to happen. I’ve got plans, ideas to build the economy. Christina and I plan to enlarge the African charity to make it far-reaching. I have a new jobs initiative to help us become a leader in technology. Scandal has rocked this nation for years, but we’ll weather it. We have to.”

Elena stared at him as if she’d never seen him before.

His wife got up from the couch and stood in front of him, wearing the same white suit she’d worn on the plane to Tahiti. “We will.”

Two beautiful words from the mouth of the woman he couldn’t imagine living without. He kissed her in front of his sister before walking over to Elena and pulling her to her feet. “I’m glad the truth is out, all of it.” He gave her a hug. “Everything is going to work out.”

“It’s got to, because I love you two so much.”

Antonio looked at his clever, adorable wife. She was so remarkable he couldn’t believe he was lucky enough to be married to her.

He brushed his sister’s cheek with his finger. “So, what is the latest between you and Enzio?”

“We’re good.”

“Just good.”

“Um, very good.”

“I’m glad to hear it.”

“But you don’t need to hear about my love life right now. I’m going to leave you to your privacy and will talk to you later.”

They both hugged her before she hurried out of the apartment. He put his arm around Christina’s waist and walked her back to the bedroom. “Before we do anything else, I need to take another look at your foot. Why don’t you get undressed first? I want to make certain it is healing properly.”

“This is almost like déjà vu.”

While she started to take off her top and pants, her phone rang again. She’d left it on the end of the bed. “Let me get this first.” The caller ID said it was her great-aunt calling.

She clicked on. “Sofia?”

“Welcome home, darling. How was your trip?”

“Heavenly.”

“But you’ve come home to a viper’s nest. I know something that you don’t and I’m calling to warn you.”

Antonio came to stand next to her.

She gripped the phone harder. “What is it?”

“I’ve spent part of the day with your parents. Your father has left for the palace to talk to you. I tried in my own way to ask him to wait until tomorrow, but you know how he is.”

Yes... Christina knew exactly.

“For once in your life, darling, stand up to him and don’t let him bully you. He’s like his father and grandfather, born mean-spirited.”

This conversation meant her father was furious. “He’s a hard man to confront because he doesn’t have a soft side.”

“Unfortunately your mother has always been too afraid of him to intercede for you.”

Her eyes filmed over. “I always had you, Aunt Sofia.”

“And you’ve been one of my greatest joys.”

“Thank you for alerting me.”

“If there’s anything I can do...”

Christina turned to Antonio. “My husband and I are prepared to face whatever is coming. I love you so much for caring. Talk to you again soon.” She clicked off.

“What’s going on?” he murmured.

“My father is on his way over to talk to me.”

“I won’t leave you alone with him.”

She loved Antonio for saying that. “Knowing his style of quick attack, he won’t be here long. Do you mind if we talk in the living room?”

“Of course not. This is our home. You can have anyone you want here, anytime.”

“Thank you.” She rose on tiptoe and kissed him.

“I’ll go downstairs to my office and talk to my executive assistant. If you need me, I’ll be here in an instant.” She nodded. He put on a fresh sport shirt and left the apartment. Antonio was far too handsome for his own good.

This was her first chance to walk around her new home. The palace was a magnificent structure. Antonio’s apartment was bigger than any home she’d ever been in. Already she knew her favorite place would be the terrace overlooking the water.

To think Antonio had been born here and had lived here until he was old enough to be sent away to schools and college. There was so much to learn about him as a child as well as an adult, but she couldn’t concentrate when she knew her father would be coming any minute.

The phone on the bedside table rang. She walked over to pick it up. “Yes?”

“Princess Christina? This is the office calling. Your father is here to speak to you.”

“Can you send him to our apartment?”

“Si, signora.”

“Grazie.”

“Prego.”

Five minutes later she heard the knock on the door and opened it to see her father standing there. “Come into the living room, Papa.”

He looked around while he followed her, but he didn’t take a seat when she suggested it.

“Where’s your husband?”

“In his office downstairs.”

“What I have to say won’t take long.”

It never does.

His eyes glittered with anger. “If you want to do one thing to restore the name Rose in people’s estimation, you’ll leave Antonio for the good of the monarchy.”

“I thought you wanted a king for a son-in-law.”

He stared at her. “Not when his queen dishonored him by being with another man during the engagement. The people will forgive him, but they’ll never forgive you.”

She lifted her chin. “I didn’t dishonor him. Is that all you came to say?”

His lips thinned. “Use the one shred of decency left in you to allow Antonio to rule with the right queen at his side. He may stand by you now, but in time doubts will creep in, and doubt can ruin a marriage faster than anything else. Let him marry Princess Gemma.”

“Antonio didn’t want her the first time around. He chose me.”

Her father’s cheeks grew ruddy. “The archbishop will sanction a divorce since the marriage was fraudulent and your behavior during the engagement has painted you an immoral woman. You have one more opportunity in your life to right a tremendous wrong. Then public sentiment will end up being kind to you.”

“So if I do that and bow out of his life, will you forgive me for being born a woman instead of a man and be kind to me?”

“The one has nothing to do with the other.”

Her breath caught. “You mean that no matter what I do, there can be no forgiveness from you in this life?”

“You always were a difficult child.”

She stiffened and fought her tears. “I’m your daughter. Yours and Mother’s. I wanted your love. I wanted your acceptance. I tried everything under the sun to be the child you could love.”

“We gave you everything, didn’t we?” He turned to leave.

“Papa—”

Halfway out the door he said, “Has he told you he loves you? Because if he hasn’t, then you need to do the right thing. If you don’t know what is in Antonio’s heart, why take the risk?”

Beyond tears, she walked out to the terrace, clutching her arms to her waist. The warning phone call from her aunt Sofia hadn’t helped. She’d been thrown into a black void. Antonio had never said he loved her. She hadn’t expected him to love her, but that was before they’d gone to Tahiti together and she’d found rapture with him.

If she truly didn’t know what was in Antonio’s heart, then was it a risk to stay in the marriage as her father said?

After standing there for a while, she went back to the bedroom and called the palace switchboard. “Would you connect me with the palace press secretary please?”

“Si.”

In a minute a male voice came on the line.

“This is Princess Christina. I have a statement to come out on the evening news. I’ll have it sent to your office by messenger. If you value your job, you’ll tell no one. I mean, not a single soul.”

“Capisco, Princess.”

She hung up and went into the den, where she wrote out what she wanted to say. It didn’t take long. After putting the note in an envelope and sealing it, she phoned the charity foundation in Voti. Arianna, the manager, answered the phone. Thank heaven she was still there.

“Christina? I can’t believe you’re calling. I thought you were on your honeymoon.”

“We’re back. I need a favor from you. A big one. Can you stop what you’re doing right now and drive to the west gate of the palace?”

“Well, yes.”

“I’ll be waiting. This is an emergency.”

“I’ll be there in five minutes.”

“Bless you.”

She hung up and started throwing the things she’d need for overnight in her large tote bag. There was always money in her bank account and she had her passport. Without stopping to think, she left the apartment and hurried down the long hall of the west wing to the staircase.

When she reached the main doors, she stopped to talk to one of the guards. “Would you see that the palace press secretary receives this immediately?”

“Of course.”

“Thank you.”

Then she passed through the doors to the outside where another guard was on duty. “If the prince wonders where I am, tell him that an emergency came up at the charity foundation in town. One of my head people is picking me up so we can deal with it. I’ll phone the prince later, but he’s in meetings right now and can’t be disturbed.”

“Capisco.”

So far, so good. She rushed outside and waited under the portico until she saw Arianna’s red Fiat. Christiana hurried around the passenger side and got in. “You are an angel, Arianna, and I’ll give you a giant bonus.”

“Where do you want to go?”

“Back to the foundation.” She put on her sunglasses. It only took a few minutes to reach the building. “Why don’t you go on home? I’ll be working late and will lock up again.”

“All right.”

“This is for your trouble.” She handed her a hundred Eurodollars and got out of the car. When her friend drove off smiling, Christina hailed a taxi and asked to be driven to the ferry terminal. There were ferries leaving on the hour for Genoa during the summer.

She paid the driver, then hurried inside and bought a ticket. Within twenty minutes she walked onto the ferry and sat on a bench as it made its way to the port in Genoa. From there she transferred to the train station and caught the next train going to Monte Calanetti via Siena. So far no one had recognized her because pictures of her wedding to Antonio hadn’t been given to the press.

When it pulled in to the station, she phoned Louisa.

“Dear friend?” she said when Louisa answered.

“Christina?”

“Yes. I’m in Monte Calanetti. Do you have room for a visitor?”

“Did I just hear you correctly?”

“Yes.”

“Of course I have room!” No doubt Louisa figured correctly that there’d been trouble since their flight back from Tahiti. “You can stay in the bridal suite for as long as you want.”

“Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I’ll be there soon and tell you everything.”

As the taxi drove her to the Palazzo di Comparino, she turned off her phone. No one knew where she’d gone and that was the way she wanted things to stay.

* * *

Antonio had spent more time in his office than he’d meant to. He’d given Christina as much time as she needed to be with her father. After taking care of some business matters, he hurried to his wing of the palace. He planned to order a special dinner for them and eat out on the terrace. Having to come home early had robbed them of another precious night in Bora Bora, but tonight he intended to make up for everything. The need to make love to his wife was all he could think about.

“Christina?” There was no answer. He walked through to their bedroom. She wasn’t there. Maybe she’d gone exploring, but she hadn’t left a note. It was possible that after being with her father she’d gone to visit Elena. He phoned his sister. “Does Christina happen to be with you?”

“No.”

“Hmm. I was doing a little business, but she’s not here.”

“She loves the outdoors. Maybe she took a walk outside to the kennel. That’s what we usually do when she visits me. You know how much she adores animals.”

“Thanks for the tip.”

He put through a call to the kennel, but no one had seen her.

Angry with himself for not putting a security detail on her first thing, he phoned the head of palace security. “Alonzo? I’m looking for Princess Christina. Find out where she is and let me know ASAP. I want surveillance on her twenty-four-seven starting now.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

He put off ordering dinner and hurried downstairs to the palace’s main office. “Did anyone here see Princess Christina’s father arrive?”

One of them nodded. “The princess asked that he be shown to your apartment. About twenty minutes later he passed by the office and left the grounds in a limousine.”

More than frustrated at this point, Antonio headed for Alonzo’s office. “Any news about her yet?”

Alonzo shook his head. “We’re still vetting everyone on the force. Some of them went off shift at five o’clock and we’re still trying to reach them for information.”

He frowned. She wouldn’t have gone to his parents’ apartment, would she? He called them on the chance that she was there for some reason. But they had nothing to tell him.

Definitely worried now, he put through a call to Christina’s parents. He should have tried there first. Her father got on the other extension. “Your Highness?”

“I’m looking for my wife. If you have any idea where she is, I’d like you to tell me now. The last anyone saw of her was you.”

“You mean she’s missing?”

His anger was approaching flash point. “What did you say to her?”

“The only thing a good father could say to his daughter. Do the right thing.”

Antonio saw red. He clicked off and spun around in fury. It was almost nine o’clock. Could she have flown to Nairobi without telling him?

Frantic, he asked Alonzo for his men to check the airport to see if she’d flown out. Within a few minutes the news came back that she hadn’t boarded any planes going anywhere.

“Hold on, Antonio. There’s another report coming in. The guard at the west gate saw her leave the palace grounds in a red Fiat before he went off duty just before five. He had no idea you were looking for her. She told him she was going to the charity foundation to take care of an emergency and didn’t want you to worry.”

His hands balled into fists. “Find out if she’s still there! We need to call all the girls working there to find out who drove the Fiat.”

Before long the report came back that the building was closed for the night. No sign of Princess Christina anywhere. In another minute they had a woman on the line. Antonio took the call. “Arianna?”

“Your Highness. I didn’t realize you were looking for her. When I dropped her off in front of the building, she said she was going to work in there for a while and that I should go home.”

“So you have no idea where she went, or if she even went inside.”

“No. I’m so sorry.”

“What state was she in?”

“She definitely had an agenda and asked me to hurry, but that’s all.”

“Thank you, Arianna.”

He handed the phone back to Alonzo.

Where are you, Christina. What did your father say to turn you inside out?

While he stayed there in agony, wondering where to turn next, the press secretary, Alonzo, came hurrying into the office. “Your Highness?”

Antonio turned to him. “Do you have news about the princess?”

His face had gone white. “I do. She told me if I said anything I’d lose my job, but I can’t let you suffer like this.”

“What do you know?”

“She handed me an envelope and wanted the television anchor to read her statement during the ten o’clock news.”

“She what?”

He nodded. “It’ll be on every network in five minutes in every country in the world.”

Alonzo turned on the big-screen television in his office. Antonio felt so gutted he started to weave.

“Better sit down, Your Highness.”

“I’ll be all right.” His heart plummeted to his feet as he saw the words breaking news flash across the screen.

Suddenly the female news anchor appeared. “There’s huge news breaking from the royal palace in Voti, Halencia, tonight, threatening to rock the already shaky monarchy decimated by scandal. It is struggling to stay alive in a nation so divided that one wonders what the ultimate outcome will be.

“I have in front of me a statement that Princess Christina, recently married in a private ceremony to Crown Prince Antonio de L’Accardi, has asked the press to read. These are her words and I quote. ‘Dear citizens of Halencia. It is with the greatest sadness that I, Princess Christina de L’Accardi, am removing myself from the royal family to end the bitter conflict. I confess that although my relationship with Prince Antonio started out as a publicity stunt for reasons I don’t intend to go into, I want everyone to know I love my new husband with every fiber of my being. A man with his integrity doesn’t come along every day, or even in a lifetime. I knew him when we were both teenagers. Even then he showed a love and loyalty to his country that put others to shame. I want everyone to know he’s the light of my life and my one true love. But I’m sorry that it isn’t enough for the people of Halencia.’”

Christina...his heart cried.

“Wow! How’s that for a heartfelt confession from the ‘Cinderella Bride’ as the nation has called her? Her charity in Africa has gained international attention. I have to admit I’m moved by her sacrifice and graciousness. That doesn’t happen to me very often. Stay tuned for news coming from the palace as the fallout from her surprising statement is felt throughout the country and the world.

“There’s no word from the prince or his family about this shocking development. You’ll have to stayed tuned when more news will be forthcoming.”

The television was shut off. Alonzo eyed Antonio with concern. “We’ll find her. Just give us time.”

“Thank you, Alonzo.” But he knew the damage had been done when her father talked to her. He’d done such an expert job of destroying her that Antonio doubted Christina might ever come out of hiding.

As he left the office and started up the staircase for his apartment on legs that felt like lead, his phone started ringing. He looked down. Good old faithful Zach. He clicked on.

“Antonio?”

“Si?”

“What a hell of a mess.”

“That doesn’t even begin to cover it,” he half groaned.