Page 7 of His Royal Bride Replacement

‘Right…’ Rosy nodded very slowly, none the wiser as to what was coming her way.

‘Your family are deep in debt.’

Rosy gritted her teeth on the wish to ask him how he knew that and then she wondered if the court action the roofer was taking against her sister and brother-in-law was already common knowledge within the higher palace echelons. With care, she compressed her lips and slowly nodded again.

‘So deep in debt that the cancellation of the wedding will likely put them out of business,’ Alessio continued as the cheeks that had flushed paled at that forecast.

‘That is true,’ Rosy conceded heavily.

‘What I need at this moment is another bride, a replacement for Graziana so that the wedding can go ahead. That would, at least, alleviate the serious damage that will be done to the Sedovian economy if the wedding were to be cancelled altogether at short notice. Thousands of business people have made expensive plans and hired employees, pledging their fortunes to invest in the boost to the tourist season that the wedding will deliver.’

‘But where the heck are you to find another bride with only nine days to go?’ Rosy asked helplessly.

‘I’m looking at her and hoping she will give me a shot,’ Prince Alessio murmured with the most extravagant smile. ‘I’m willing to settle your family’s debts and ensure that their hotel is a success in any way that I can if you will marry me and try to pretend that we’re in love…that this isnotsome last-minute face-saving move to shield me from the fallout of Graziana’s insane flight.’

That smile unleashed butterflies in her tummy. She blinked again.

I’m looking at her and hoping she will give me a shot.

The future King of Sedovia was asking her to become his bride in Graziana’s stead.

‘This is crazy,’ she whispered shakily, plunged deeper still into shock by his words.

‘No, it’s not. The PR team could spin it. We have photographic evidence of our first meeting on the bridge or we pretend I’d already met you here where you work. You’re a Sedovian citizen. There is nothing shady about your past. If I pose as a man in love with another woman rather than a jilted bridegroom it will make the sting of Graziana’s betrayal annoy people less. I’m angry with Graziana but I have no desire to punish her and she’s in my past now. If she has chosen love over a royal marriage of convenience, who am I to criticise when I would have done the same thing?’ he declared, lean brown hands moving in a series of eloquent gestures to express his emotions.

And the fluid hand movements were very expressive of alotof emotions, many more emotions than she would have believed he possessed. ‘Only I was not fortunate enough to meet a woman I could love,’ he completed grimly.

‘But you can’t want to marry me…a complete stranger.’

‘I believed that I knew Graziana well enough and where did that get me?’ Alessio enquired. ‘I would never have dreamt that she would do what she has just done. I thought she was conventional, loyal and dutiful, as we were both raised to be. I assumed I was the more volatile of the two of us and I was wrong because I wouldneverhave done this to her on the brink of our wedding.’

For a dangerous moment, Rosy let herself picture how much happier her family would be if she agreed and how well the hotel would thrive without the burden of that bank loan and without the constant striving to make ends meet and settle bills. Without a doubt it would transform her family’s lives in very positive ways, particularly now that Vittoria was pregnant with a much-desired child and needed to be protected from stress. It was a wonderful idea, but she just could not imagine herself marrying Prince Alessio Marchetti… That was where her imagination went flat and utterly refused to co-operate.

‘I can’t believe you’re serious with this…er…suggestion.’

‘I never expected to marry for love. No doubt, you do. We have different goals and have probably always had different expectations of life. I don’t have the space to give you a decent amount of time in which to consider my proposal either. I need to know right now if you couldconsidermarrying me in nine days’ time.’

Rosy sat there in a daze. She was thinking of all the sacrifices her sister had made on her behalf from when she was a baby, Patrick’s acceptance of a pseudo-daughter into their newly married world when they had both been only in their twenties. She owed them everything she was and had become and it was a debt she could never repay. If she could finally bring them some good fortune in return for their sacrifices, if she could save them from bankruptcy, homelessness and all the attendant horrors that would assail them, they deserved that she put their needs firstjustonce, rather than her own.

‘I can’t imagine marrying you… It’s not like we’re equals,’ she said awkwardly. ‘You inhabit a world very far removed from mine.’

‘It will become your world too,’ Alessio asserted. ‘I will do everything within my power to help you to adapt and be happy. I do not want you to feel as though I’m trying to buy you.’

‘But whichever way you look at it, youare.’

A wheezy little giggle was wrenched from Rosy and he looked at her with a frown of incomprehension. She crammed her hand guiltily to her mouth.

‘I laugh when I’m nervous. Me…a princess? It would be unreal and impossible.’

‘Itwillbe possible, Rosy, should you agree.’

Rosy breathed in slow and deep to evade that questioning tone. ‘Do you know how much in debt my family is?’

‘I do, but I inherited enormous wealth when my parents died and have since made a great deal more on my own behalf. Your family’s debts are a drop in the ocean to me. I know you’re not a mercenary woman but your life will become much more comfortable if you marry me,’ he pointed out.

A tremulous smile formed on Rosy’s tense lips. ‘I can’t picture that either but you’re incredibly persuasive.’

To her shock, Alessio dropped down lithely on one knee in front of her and he was so tall they were almost level. ‘Will you marry me,piccolavolpe?’

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