Page 52 of Stranded with His Runaway Bride

Who had seen to it that the palace staff had been fed and replaced by her own people when they’d clearly done enough?

Who’d made decisions and kept their spirits up all day?

He could see his staff had been impressed.

In her own moment of extreme crisis, she stood by his side.

Her people and his mixed together, working side by side for the first time in four centuries. Disaster would do that to a country. Grimentz had been offered help and accepted it gratefully.

The people of San Nicolo forgetting any enmity and discovering ordinary human beings populated the towns and farms of their neighbour. All day he’d seen it. Teams of rescue workers from both nations, wading through the floodwaters, rescuing those trapped in flooded homes. Handing them over to the volunteers who’d been more fortunate and whose homes were now thrown open to those in need. San Nicolo farmers helping their neighbours ferry terrified animals to safer pastures.

He’d been told that boats had been going back and forth all day to San Nicolo. Bringing supplies in and ferrying refugees back to the hotels and guest houses and homes of their neighbours.

The lines had been blurred. Trust and mutual respect had won the day.

His tiny grand duchess had worked wonders.

He knew he shouldn’t be doing it even as his weary feet took him up the stairs and to the suite of rooms he’d insisted she have for the night. But he had to see her. One more time, before he let her go for good. He wanted her to have her duchy, to have her dream. What he felt for her was messy and emotional and he didn’t do either. It had never been what he wanted. He didn’t want tofeel. It was too painful.

He made a deal with himself: he’d only knock on her door if it was obvious someone was still up.

A sliver of light spilled beneath the door.

If a servant opened the door, he’d ask for his thanks to be conveyed to her mistress, then say his goodnights and retire to his own bed and that would be the end of it.

But if Violetta answered his summons herself...?

He lifted his hand and rapped out a brief knock.

It was after one when she heard the knock on her door.

Braced with a hand on the wall, mud-splattered and bone-weary, Leo swayed on the other side.

He followed the direction of her gaze, dropping to take in his mud-stained clothes.

‘I’m sorry. Perhaps I shouldn’t have come.’

‘Yes, you should,’ she said, taking his hand. ‘You are in precisely the right place.’

She drew him across the threshold, closed the door behind him, locking out the world, and brought him safe into the domain of the princess consort.

Elisabetha would have been proud of her.

‘I’ve heard about all that you did for us today. I’ve come to say thank you,’ he said.

‘It seems paltry in light of everything the people have gone through.’

‘Don’t underestimate the impact you’ve had. My team here are full of praise.’

She hugged his praise to her. ‘Then I’m glad I was here and able to help.’

He sank down on the edge of a sofa.

‘How bad was that village you went to?’

‘Much worse than the one you saw,’ he told her. ‘Every home was destroyed. We rescued a young couple and their children. They were clinging to an outhouse rooftop when we found them. That was all that was left of their farmhouse. Their family had lived in it for generations and in one night they lost everything.’

‘You being there would have been a great comfort to them.’

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