by Nina Milne
Finally, they approached the castle, and he helped Gabriella off Ferron next to the stables, calling for the stable hands to take care of the horses, then gathered her into his arms, carried her across the courtyard and over the threshold. And as he did so she looked up at him and there was that beautiful smile again. ‘I was hoping to be carried over the threshold,’ she murmured.
Once inside he laid her gently on the sofa; soon he had a roaring fire going and then he ran upstairs and brought her down a change of clothes. On his return she was sitting up and she smiled at him, a small shy smile.
‘Will you be OK if I go and make us some cocoa?’
She nodded. ‘I’m feeling much better, now I’ve warmed up.’
‘Then I’ll be back in five.’
* * *
Gabi changed swiftly. The warmth had begun to permeate to her freezing limbs and extremities and her mind now buzzed. Had he meant all those beautiful words? Could he love her? Could he? What if he had just said it to get her through, keep her alert, awake. Surely not, and she allowed a tendril of joy to spread. Until another doubt raised its head. What if she’d imagined it all? Hallucinated the entire event?
She settled on the sofa, waited for Cesar to come back, stared into the leap and swirl of the red orange flames. Tried to read the future, hoped and hoped and hoped that his words had been real and true. Shyness, anticipation and hope vied with each other and her heart hop-skip-jumped and flipped as he came in.
‘Is it true?’ she blurted out. ‘Everything you said?’
‘Every word.’
‘And Amelia?’
‘I swear to you, Gabi, I give you my word I did not love Amelia. I have never loved any woman until you. Please believe me.’
‘I do.’ It was impossible not to. This man would not lie to her; sincerity blazed from his eyes and in that instant the memory of Amelia Scott-Browne was cast into oblivion.
‘And... Gabi?’ His unusual hesitation made her look at him closely. ‘And you? Did you mean what you said? That you love me?’ There was a wonder and a vulnerability in his voice that brought tears to the backs of her eyes.
‘Yes. Of course I did. I love you, Cesar. I know it was not supposed to happen but it did and I couldn’t have stopped it. Couldn’t have stopped you from making your way into my heart.’ She sipped the cocoa, savoured the warmth as he came and knelt in front of her.
‘I did not know it was possible to feel this happy. This grateful that you are here. Safe. I have never been so terrified as when I thought I may have lost you. Wouldn’t have the chance to tell you I love you.’
‘I felt the same way. I had already decided to come back when I realised how bad the storm had become. Then Arya saw a wolf or some wild animal in the gloom and she panicked. It took me by surprise and she bolted and I came off. It took me a while to get myself together and then I realised I couldn’t walk; I’d twisted my ankle too badly. I was so scared that I wouldn’t be able to come back, that you’d never know I wanted to sort it out, give us a chance. It would be like my parents all over again.’
‘Your parents?’
Gabi nodded. ‘My mother left my father, left Casavalle because she thought it was the right thing to do. That she could never be the Queen he needed, couldn’t bring her child up the royal way. But she changed her mind. She was going to come back, give it another chance. But by then my father had met Maria and she decided the best thing she could do for him was to stay away. I didn’t want that to happen to us.’
‘It won’t.’ He came and sat next to her, swung his legs up so they were side by side, snuggled under the blanket. ‘It can’t. Because we love each other and nothing will come in the way of that. I won’t let it.’ His confidence and assurance were things she loved so much about him. ‘I only wish I’d realised it sooner, but, you see, I didn’t think I was capable of love. The very idea terrified me—I didn’t think you could feel what you haven’t experienced. I couldn’t see the point of risking hurt—I learnt young there was little point in getting attached to people because they leave and move on so I learnt to suppress, quell, bury any such feelings before they had a chance.’
Her heart smote her and she laid her head on his shoulder. ‘I won’t leave,’ she promised. ‘You told me all the reasons you love me. Now it’s my turn. Right from that first night when I met you, you were easy to talk to. I felt comfortable around you. I trusted you. That’s why I was so upset at my presentation ball, but after that you were...well, you were so much fun. I don’t think I’ve always been very good at fun, but you’ve made me see how important it is. You’ve given me confidence, a belief that I am worthwhile, that I can do this. Can be Queen, a good ruler.’
‘I know that you will be a great queen. Your sense of right, of justice, will shine through and you will make a difference to your people.’
‘And you too will make a difference? Did you mean what you said earlier? About wanting to do more for the causes you believe in.’ She shifted to face him. ‘Because I want you to know I will support you in doing that. This marriage won’t be all about you supporting me. It will be two ways. I want to help you to help others. Build a foundation, support overseas charities.’
He nodded. ‘I would like to do that and I have plenty of ideas to brainstorm with you.’
‘That sounds wonderful.’ And it did. ‘You are a caring person, Cesar. That is yet another thing I love about you. Everything you’ve done has been caring: the chocolates for the tree, the sleigh ride, whisking me away...’
‘That’s because I have loved you from the start. I have cared from the moment I saw you sprawled in the straw. I kept telling myself that I was doing all these things as part of a marriage campaign but I wasn’t. I wish I had realised earlier that I loved you.’ Gently he stroked her hair. ‘I am so very sorry for the hurt I have caused you, for my idiocy and my clumsiness. I love you, Gabi, with all my heart.’
‘It really doesn’t matter—nothing matters now but this. Us. I love you so very much and I truly couldn’t be happier than I am right now.’ Gabi turned and brushed her lips against his, felt joy, a sense of rightness as he kissed her just as the clock chimed midnight and Christmas Day arrived.
EPILOGUE
Casavalle, January 2nd
CESAR LOOKED AROUND the table at his parents, his brothers and their families, Meribel with Dana... Flavia. His gaze travelled to take in Antonio, Tia, Luca and Imogen. Grace and Miles were also present. Meribel and Tia were deep in conversation, no doubt comparing pregnancy notes. Imogen was hand in hand with Luca. Even his parents looked more relaxed than he’d ever seen them.
The Asturiases and the Valentis...all sitting down for an informal meal following the pomp and splendour and formalities of the previous day—the day of Gabi’s coronation.
And now Cesar’s gaze rested on his wife and his chest swelled with pride. She had been incredible—had accepted the crown with regal grace and utter sincerity and a humble understanding of the position and duties she had sworn to uphold.
The occasion had been weighted with history. But so too was today—a meal organised by Casavalle’s newly crowned Queen. No additional guests, no publicity. Just family. All eating pizza together.
Cesar wondered if his mother had ever eaten pizza before, watching her gamely and elegantly approaching it, wielding her cutlery with grace, unfazed by the toppings falling off.
Gabi, on the other hand, picked hers up with her fingers, and to his astonishment Queen Maria followed suit.
Cesar knew that indeed times were changing.
Gabi rose to her feet and raised her glass. ‘I want to thank you all; I am so incredibly happy to have you all here. My family. The Valentis and the Asturiases. United. As a small token of our appreciation Cesar and I have bought you all a gift, something small and frivolous after the ceremony and importance of yesterday.’
Cesar and Gabi had
come up with the idea, wanting to introduce the concept of gift-giving to his parents, to show everyone that royalty and frivolity could go together.
Reaching under the banqueting table, Cesar picked up the bag of gifts and walked around distributing them. Amongst them was an expensive lipstick in a brighter than usual colour for his mother, an expensive set of bubble bath and shaving brushes for his dad, a beautiful friendship bracelet for Imogen, a teapot for Tia. A set of brightly coloured, vivid socks for Luca, a snow globe depicting a scene in Picco Innevato for Antonio, and a set of a slightly brighter than usual nail polishes for Maria. Every present given lots of thought.
He returned to his place next to Gabi and took out the final gift in the bag. ‘For you,’ he said.
‘And that is for you.’ She pointed to a small gift-wrapped box by his glass.
He opened it and grinned. Cufflinks in the shape of toboggans—a reminder of their first date.
Next he watched as she opened hers. A delicate charm bracelet. The charms included a crown, a book, a horse, a plane, a toboggan, a sleigh, and of course a heart.
Gabi smiled at him, the smile that never failed to catch his breath and swell his heart with joy, and he knew he was the happiest man in the world.
* * *
Welcome to the A Crown by Christmas trilogy!
Cinderella’s Prince Under the Mistletoe
by Cara Colter
Soldier Prince’s Secret Baby Gift
by Kate Hardy
Their Christmas Royal Wedding
by Nina Milne
If you enjoyed this story, check out these other great reads from Nina Milne
Whisked Away by Her Millionaire Boss
Hired Girlfriend, Pregnant Fiancée?
Conveniently Wed to the Prince
All available now!
Excerpt from Cinderella’s Billion-Dollar Christmas by Susan Meier.
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Cinderella’s Billion-Dollar Christmas
by Susan Meier
CHAPTER ONE
LENI LONG STARED out the big front window of the Family Diner in Mannington, Kansas, watching snow cover the sparkly gold Christmas bells hanging from the town’s eight streetlights. With the breakfast rush over and the red-and-white-themed diner empty, a hush had fallen over the tiny town.
A black SUV pulled into a parking space a few feet down from the diner. A tall man in a charcoal-gray overcoat exited. His broad shoulders hunched against the snow-laced wind, but there was a strength, a power to the movement. Maybe because of his size. He had to be over six feet and was built like someone who’d spent time in the military. Snow dotted dark hair that had been cut in a sleek, sexy way that sharpened the angles of his handsome face.
A thrill ran through her. Mannington didn’t have any men that gorgeous, that male, and he was heading toward the diner.
She raced behind the counter as his long strides ate up the sidewalk between his SUV and the door. It opened. He stepped inside, turning to close it behind him before he faced her.
His gaze cruised from her candy-cane-print blouse, red apron, short green skirt and red tights to her black patent leather buckle shoes.
Damn it! The first fabulous-looking man to come to Mannington in decades and she was wearing an elf suit.
Oh, well. That was life in a small town. Waitresses dressed like elves. The cook sat outside on the back steps smoking. And her mom, the second waitress for the breakfast shift that morning, hadn’t thought twice about calling to say she wouldn’t be in until after ten. This was one of those mornings she needed to stay with Leni’s dad, making sure he was okay because his head injury from a work accident was now causing small seizures.
Gorgeous Guy peered at the name tag on her blouse. “Leni?”
It wasn’t unusual for an out-of-town customer to read her name tag and call her Leni to be friendly, but something about the way he’d said it hit her funny. As if he were disappointed.
“Yes.” She smiled. “That’s my name.”
He ambled over to the counter. “You’re the only waitress here?”
She grabbed a nearby cloth and ran it along the worn white countertop. “Yes. The other waitress is coming in later.”
“How much later?”
That was a stupid question. Why would he care what time her mom came in? “She’ll be here any minute now.” She laughed. “But really, it’s fine. I can take your order.”
“Okay.” He sat on one of the round red stools at the counter. “I’ll have a cup of coffee.”
“Sure.” She turned to the pot sitting on a two-burner warmer behind her. “And you should know that it might be after ten, but the cook makes breakfast all day.”
“Sorry. I had breakfast.”
Drat. That was her only angle to keep him here. Now he’d drink his cup of coffee and race off—
She frowned. Unless he planned to wait for her mom?
Fears about insurance adjusters and private investigators sent by At Home Construction to spy on her dad raced through her. After two years, the company was arguing his workers’ comp and questioning medical bills because they believed he could perform light-duty tasks and come back on the job.
But if this guy wanted to catch her dad working around the house to prove he was no longer disabled, he wouldn’t come looking for her mother.
Would he?
No. He’d spy on her dad.
Feeling guilty for thinking the handsome stranger was a private detective, she swiped the cloth down the counter again. “Maybe you’d like a cinnamon roll?”
He laughed. “No. Thank you.”
His words were kind, but precise. Leni smiled. He didn’t need food and sometimes customers didn’t want to talk. She would leave to him to his coffee.
She turned to walk away, but he said, “Nice town you have here.”
She faced him again. “Mannington’s okay.”
His dark brows rose. “Only okay?”
Maybe he did want to talk? And maybe a few minutes of personal time with him would stop her from being suspicious? His brown eyes lit with a hint of amusement and this close he was so gorgeous it was fun just looking at him.
No harm in enjoying that.
“No. Mannington’s a great place, but I’ll be moving soon. I just finished my degree and I’m probably going to have to relocate to Topeka to get a job.” She shrugged. “That’s the way it is sometimes. If you want to work, you go to the big city.”
“I’m from New York. My family owns a money management firm. I always knew where I’d be employed. Went through a bit of a rebellious phase, but I think everybody does, and here I am.”
In Mannington, Kansas?
A guy who owned a New York City money management firm was in Mannington, Kansas, where no one had any money?
Her suspicions rose again. But at least they were talking. Maybe with a little good old-fashioned waitress chitchat she could get him to tell her why he was here?
Especially if he was looking for her mom.
* * *
Nick Kourakis couldn’t stop staring at the woman behind the counter. He’d been sent by the estate of Mark Hinton to find Elenore Long, probably the wait
ress who hadn’t yet arrived, and instead he’d run into the most naturally beautiful woman he’d ever seen.
She had an exquisite face, a perfect figure that her goofy elf suit couldn’t hide and big green eyes that shone with humor—
Until he’d asked when the other waitress would be coming in. Then she’d gotten quiet. But now that they were talking about her getting a job, things had perked up again. It didn’t matter what he told her or what she told him. They’d never see each other again. That was the beauty of a conversation with a stranger. It was pointless. Exactly the diversion he needed while he waited for Elenore Long.
“So, you think you’ll be moving to Topeka?”
She shrugged. “Probably.”
He gestured at the candy-cane blouse. “Gonna take the elf suit?”
She laughed. “I doubt they let social workers wear them.”
He loved her laugh. He loved her flowing hair. He loved that a little small talk had brought back her smile. “That’s a tough job.”
“I know.”
“But it should be fairly easy to find work.”
Her smile grew into a grin. “I know that, too.”
“Well, there’s just no fooling you, is there, Leni?”
She smiled again. Her full lips lifting and her green eyes sparkling.
He swore to God his heart turned over in his chest. He’d been single for so long that he couldn’t remember the last time he’d had this kind of reaction to a woman. Not just an instant connection, but a welcome connection, as if the small talk he thought so pointless was a door to something—
Looking at her beautiful face, big eyes, high cheekbones, perfect nose, and lips just made for kissing, he almost suggested she search for work in New York, but that would be as pointless as a conversation about the weather. Why would he ask a beautiful woman to make such a drastic move for him, when he knew nothing would come of it?