Page 10 of His Royal Bride Replacement

As she was emerging from the bedroom, one of the household stewards was hovering. ‘The Prince is waiting downstairs, Your Highness.’

It was the first time she had actually registered being addressed as a princess and she reddened and nodded, too weary to point out that it wouldn’t do any harm for Alessio to wait on his bride for a few minutes. Unfortunately, the entire household revolved around him, but the needs of others had to be considered as well, she reasoned ruefully, determined not to become one of the ‘adulation of Alessio’ clique. He was human and flawed like everybody else, hence that utterly inappropriate kiss at the cathedral. She had let him get away with that but he wasn’t getting off with much more around her.

Alessio was already at the wheel of a large SUV. Rosy climbed into the vehicle with difficulty because it was so tall, and she slumped in the front passenger seat while smothering a polite yawn. It wasn’t too far to the airport, she reflected sleepily, struggling to stay awake.

A hand shook her shoulder and she moaned and sighed. ‘Don’t make me get up…’

‘I have to. We’ve arrived,’ Alessio informed her gently, all too aware that he had not appreciated how exhausted she was until she fell into a solid five-hour nap beside him. And she’d looked so cute asleep, all ruffled foxy curls and that delicate little upturned nose with its handful of freckles above that pink luscious mouth.

Rosy shook herself like a dog coming out of water and sat up, eyes squinting into the darkness lit only by the glaring headlights. She couldn’t see anything but big dark trees and driving rain thumping down on the bonnet. ‘Weather’s not the best,’ she mumbled helplessly. ‘I don’t even remember getting on a plane…how is that possible?’

‘We drove here. We didn’t fly, although if we ever return, we will fly. The time it would take to get here was seriously underestimated and the mountain roads are bad.’

Mountain roads? They haddrivenhere? It didn’t sound like any honeymoon Rosy wanted to be on. Alessio virtually bullied her out of the car and, by virtue of a torch, she saw their luggage already stacked on the front porch of a…giant mountain cabin surrounded by overhanging trees. Graziana had been deemed worthy of Barbados and Rosy got…? A mountain cabin. With resolve she lifted her chin, not wanting to be difficult. Maybe Alessio fished or climbed or hiked or some such thing and this washisdream destination. Yes, that made sense.

Although Rosy was determined not to make endless excuses for his omissions, she knew that she had to make allowances for his background, which she had heard all about just working within the palace. Alessio had always been alone, no siblings, not even cousins, and with detached and indifferent parents. He had existed in a cocoon ofonefrom birth. Clearly it didn’t come naturally to him to consult others abouttheirpreferences, needs or wishes. Nor did it help that he was surrounded by fiercely loyal and sycophantic staff, who believed that he could do no wrong.

The front door was unlocked and they stepped into gloom until she found a light switch that illuminated the huge and very ugly antler chandelier above them.

‘I don’t understand,’ Alessio breathed. ‘Where are the staff?’

‘How many of them are there?’

‘I haven’t a clue. This was my grandparents’ holiday home and I haven’t been here in over twenty years,’ Alessio startled her by admitting. ‘But the same family have been paid to maintain and look after the place for generations.’

‘It looks like they dropped the maintenance, certainly the cleaning,’ Rosy remarked, noting the layer of dust on everything and already moving further to explore, walking through a door to the rear of the hall to find herself in a country-style kitchen that had much more appeal than the dusty hall with its old-fashioned furniture. She investigated the fridge and found it packed with food.

‘Somebodytriedto prepare for us coming.’ She pointed out all the food to Alessio.

‘This place is a dump. We can’t possibly stay here.’

‘It’s too late at night to move anywhere else,’ Rosy said with common sense. ‘The roads are bad, it’s dark and it’s pouring with rain. I’ll check out the rest of this place.’

She went across the hall, illuminated a giant reception room ornamented with horrid hunting trophies and an array of sofas. There was a small library, a formal dining room, a games room and a study with an ancient desk. She padded upstairs and heard a sound that she had unhappily become familiar with during her first months with her family at the hotel: the sound of water dripping in more than one place. She began opening doors, switching on every light she came across and discovered bedrooms too damp to occupy until she reached the double doors at the end of the landing and walked into a large room that was obviously a later addition to the cabin because even the furniture was more modern.

And someone had prepared the final room. The faded rugs and the floor were spotlessly clean and the giant four-poster bed was freshly made up in clean linen. There was even a bunch of wildflowers on a table by the window and she smiled. Someone had done their best with a giant neglected house left to go to rack and ruin and she appreciated it. A relatively modern bathroom with working plumbing also lay through a door, which took care of her last concern.

Alessio was still pacing along the cavernous porch and totally unable to get reception on his phone, rage and frustration emanating from him in perceptible waves.

‘Forget it. We’ve got food and accommodation. We’ll manage. I’m going to make some food. I don’t know if you’re hungry but I’m starving,’ she told him and simply left him to pace.

‘This isnotaccommodation,’ Alessio objected from the kitchen doorway as she slammed through drawers and cupboards to find pans.

‘It may not be what you’re used to, but it will do.’

‘Not for our wedding night.’

‘Yes, but it’s not a real wedding night. We’re a fake couple, remember?’

Silence fell for a beat and then another. She tensed and turned to look at him. He was frowning at her, perfect ebony brows drawing together in apparent surprise. Vibrant green eyes suddenly struck hers like lasers. ‘Is that your way of saying that you’re not sharing a bed with me?’

CHAPTER FOUR

It was Rosy’sturn to frown. ‘You mean, you actually assumed that Iwould?’

‘Of course, I did,’ Alessio proclaimed without a shade of discomfiture.

‘Well, I’m not doing that with you and I can’t think why you’d expect it anyway with us barely knowing each other,’ she began, talking faster and faster as embarrassment threatened to consume her. ‘I couldn’t dothatwith a stranger!’

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