Page 28 of Royal Caleva: Luis

“You are studying to be a veterinarian,” he said. “What type of animals do you most like working with?”

As he had hoped, the familiar topic eased the stiff set of her shoulders. “The small, furry ones. Dogs. Cats. An occasional bunny or ferret. I love horses, but I would rather ride them than fix them. They’re fragile creatures.”

“Have you studied reptiles at all? We have an endangered species of large, frilled lizards known as Calevan dragons.”

She nodded. “There’s one on your coat of arms. Is that where your surname comes from?”

“It does.” Luis gave her a mock grimace. “I suspect my ancestors adopted it in order to sound intimidating.”

Eve gave each of them a glass of ruby-colored wine, her hands around the glasses small like Grace’s, with short, unpolished nails. A working woman’s hands, appealing in their simplicity.

He waited until she fetched her own glass before lifting his toward the two women. “A traditional Calevan toast. Salud, amor, pesetas y tiempo para disfrutarlos! Health, love, money, and time to enjoy them!”

“That covers it all,” Eve said, returning his salute before she took a sip. “Please, let’s sit. Have some tapas.” She threw him a glance as she said the last word. “I’ve included some Iowan specialties as well.”

He waited as Eve settled on the sofa and Grace sat beside her, a united front in the face of his incursion into their lives.

He sat in a green corduroy armchair and took another sip of his wine before setting it on a side table. It was a surprisingly good rioja. “You must have many questions for me. Please ask them.”

His daughter visibly squared her shoulders. “I don’t understand how I got from Caleva to Iowa. Mom said you would be able to explain better than she could. Who is my biological mother?”

Eve gave Luis credit. His relaxed but attentive posture, as he sat in the ugly green chair, did not shift by a millimeter.

“That is a complicated story,” he said. “And it does not do me any credit.”

Eve wanted to throw her arms around Grace to offer protection from the answer. But she could not ward off this blow, only hope that Luis softened it as much as possible.

Now he sat forward, his brows drawn down with regret. “Your biological mother and I had a brief affair after my wife died. When I broke it off, your birth mother punished me by not revealing that she was pregnant.” He looked down at his elegant hands, which were clasped together on his thighs. “She felt—quite accurately—that hiding your existence from me would be the best revenge for my temerity in ending our relationship.”

He lifted his head. Sorrow etched lines around his eyes and mouth that made him look older.

“But who is she?” Grace persisted.

Eve held her breath.

“Her name is Odette Fontaine,” Luis continued. “She is in prison on Caleva because she instigated the kidnapping of my nephew, Gabriel.”

“She’s my birth mother?” Grace reached for Eve’s hand. “I remember that from the news. The kidnappers cut off Gabriel’s ear!”

“I believe Odette knew that she had profound psychological issues and would not be a fit parent for you,” Luis said. “You are fortunate that she found such a wonderful mother to take her place.”

Eve wanted to hug Luis for finding the most generous interpretation of his crazy ex-lover’s actions.

“That’s more than an issue.” Grace’s voice had gone up in pitch. “That’s psychopathic. I’m the biological daughter of a psychopath.”

Eve tugged her hand loose and put her arm around her daughter’s shoulders, pulling her against her side.

“You are my daughter,” Luis said with all the regal authority of his position. “And you are Eve’s daughter. Odette merely gave birth to you.”

Grace took a deep, shuddering breath. “But I have her genes.”

Eve wanted to strangle Odette Fontaine with her bare hands. She wasn’t a whole lot happier with Luis, who had dumped all this emotional baggage in Grace’s lap.

“I’ve known you for nearly twenty-nine years,” Eve said, giving Grace’s shoulders a tiny shake. “Trust me, I would be aware if you had any tendencies in that direction. You can’t bear to kill a spider, even though you hate them.”

Luis’s chair creaked. Eve glanced over to see his mouth tightening into a grim line. “I am sorry to be the bearer of this news,” he said. “But I want our relationship to be based on honesty from the beginning.”

Grace gave a little whimper, but she moved out of Eve’s embrace. “It was a shock. An even bigger one than finding out that my father is a king.”

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