Beauty and the Reclusive Prince

by Raye Morgan

  It was truly over.

  Reaching out, she took Luca’s hand.

  “Come on, Papa,” she said sadly. “Let’s go.”

  He looked up and tried to smile at his daughter. “Valentino is coming soon,” he said, his voice shaky. “Maybe he will think of something.”

  She bit back her bitter reply. No recriminations. Reality was what it was. Time to deal with it and move on.

  She rose and held out a hand to her father. He looked up but hardly seemed to have the strength to reach for her help. It was truly a sad and hopeless afternoon.

  But in that same moment, the double doors to the meeting room swung open abruptly, and a man burst into the room. The reaction swept through the hall like a windstorm. Isabella turned to see who it was, and then couldn’t believe her eyes.

  There stood a tall, strong, proud man with eyes as black as coal and a presence that made everyone in the room sit up and take notice. It took her a moment to be certain it was Max, because at first she wasn’t too sure. There was no hesitation about him, no favoring the good side of his face, no reluctance to challenge the crowd with his standing, scars and all. He was here and he was going to make a difference. That much was obvious.

  “Sorry I’m late,” he said in a voice that thundered through the room. “I hear you are dealing with a property that I have some interest in, so I decided I’d better be here to help you make the right decision.”

  The mayor and some of the councilors, after gaping for a few moments, made obsequious gestures and offered their chairs and generally made fools of themselves, and Isabella watched in wonder. He was more regal, more beautiful than ever. Where had this confidence come from? Had it been there all the time and she just hadn’t noticed?

  Max refused to take a seat. Instead, he stood in the middle of the room where he seemed to be in command of everyone in it. He requested that the mayor read the findings to him, and then the ruling. He listened, frowning, and when it was over he said, “I’m sorry, Mayor Gillano, but I don’t agree with your ruling. I have some interest in the restaurant, Rosa, and I want it protected.”

  Everyone gaped at him in bewilderment. He stared straight ahead at the mayor and went on.

  “You see, I’m about to be linked to the Casali family when I marry Isabella Casali. And she in turn will be a partner with me in my extensive real-estate holdings in the village. I believe I hold the lease on the building where you operate your furniture factory, Mayor Gillano. And the apartment building that you manage, Mr. Barelli,” he added, looking at the mayor’s right-hand man. “Oh, and don’t you rent your stables from me, Miss Vivenda?”

  He addressed each council member in turn and it seemed his real-estate manager had arranged it so that he had dealings with every one of them.

  “Once Isabella is my bride, she will assist me in deciding which leases we may have to break in order to fulfill some new plans we’re working on for the village.” His gaze swept the room, a slight smile softening the hard lines of his face. “I hope we won’t be inconveniencing any of you, but that is always a risk, as I’m sure you are well aware.”

  The murmurs had a ring of panic to them now. Isabella stared in wonder. She wasn’t sure what was happening. Why was Max saying these things? Marrying her? He might have asked first. But she didn’t care. She loved watching him and the way he took charge without regard to his scars or how they affected anyone. He’d been born a prince, raised a prince, and he was finally letting his inner prince out.

  But what was this business about marrying her? Was this all a ruse, or did he really have something in mind? Her heart was beating so loud, she had to concentrate to understand what he was saying.

  “I’m sure this matter can be settled to the benefit of all of us if you will just rescind your ruling regarding the restaurant Rosa.” His dark gaze touched every one of them in turn. “Surely the fine can be waived, in light of this new information.”

  There was utter silence in the room.

  He smiled. “Good. That’s settled, then. I expect to see the Casali family back over the stove at their restaurant by nightfall.”

  “Oh, I’m sure something can be arranged…” the mayor was sputtering.

  “Oh, yes, indeed,” others were saying, suddenly acting as though this had been their intention all along.

  Isabella shook her head, her mouth open in astonishment. They all fell into place like bowling pins. The only angry face was Fredo’s scowling in the background. But it seemed his wishes were no longer relevant.

  Max turned to look at Isabella. She looked at him. Electricity flashed between them, and as though propelled by it, she rose and flew into his arms. He swept her up into the air, and right in front of everyone his mouth came down on hers and he kissed her as though this were going to be the last kiss in the history of the world.

  “I love you, Bella,” he whispered close to her ear. “I’ve found out I can’t live without you by my side. Would a wedding fit into your plans?”

  “Oh, Max,” she sighed, holding him close. “I penciled one in long ago. You’re right in step with the program.”

  “Good,” he said, his dark eyes smiling into hers. “You’re my conscience and my courage. I need you badly.”

  “I think you’ve got the courage all on your own,” she responded. “The way you came in here, taking charge, ignoring what they might make of your scars—oh, Max, it was masterful.”

  “I would never have been able to do something like that if you hadn’t started the process of making me face the world,” he told her.

  The others in the room were still squabbling like a herd of cats, but they were alone in their private oasis, right in the middle of it all.

  “Let’s get married soon,” he said, kissing her again. “We’re going to need a very, very long honeymoon.”

  “Don’t worry,” she said, laughing as she clung to the man she loved. “I’ve got plans.”

  EPILOGUE

  MAX stood before a large fountain in a courtyard in Monta Correnti holding a goblet that contained a pinot noir of fabulous vintage. He held it up to the light, enjoying the color, anticipating how it would taste on his tongue. And his mind was full of Isabella.

  “Here’s to you, my bride-to-be,” he muttered, knowing his voice would be covered by the sound of water in the large fountain he stood before. Still, he lowered it further to add, “And to you, my bride that was—my beloved Laura, and our treasured child. You will always be a part of me.”

  Closing his eyes, he murmured a soft prayer, then smiled as he heard Isabella’s voice coming from Rosa, one of two restaurants that bordered the courtyard. She was arguing with her brother, Valentino, again. Those two were at it night and day, it seemed.

  They had just finished a wonderful meal to celebrate Luca’s birthday and Max had come outside to get some fresh evening air and savor the moment. He’d been happy to be invited to this small, family gathering. Luca seemed to be just about ready to accept that Max was going to marry his daughter.

  That was not to say that he was happy about it. He was very worried that Max would take his daughter away and he would have no one to help him with the restaurant. And in truth, he was right to be worried, Max thought to himself. Right now Isabella was determined to go on helping, knowing what dire straits the finances were in, but there would come a time when she would have to commit fully to him and their relationship. And then—darn right he would take Isabella away.

  He turned to look at the other restaurant on the courtyard, Sorella, run by Luca’s sister Lisa. Happy diners were coming and going. It was a very popular place. He had yet to try her fare. He would have to do it one of these days. Lisa was a very hands-off manager and her place was doing fine. Surely he and Isabella could hire someone good enough to allow Luca to hand over most of the management in similar fashion.

  Glancing back at the Casali place, he saw that Isabella and Valentino were still arguing, but Luca was making his way out onto the courtyard as we
ll—probably fed up with the squabbling. Max chuckled, but turned away and melted into the shadows of the area. He didn’t want to get involved in any more Casali family discussions for now. He had a glass of wine to drink and his future happiness to ponder.

  Isabella was shaking her head and glaring at her brother. She loved him to distraction, and yet the two of them hardly ever could see eye to eye on anything.

  “I wish Cristiano were here instead of being stuck in Australia fighting the brush fires,” Luca grumbled as he started out the door onto the courtyard. “He’d knock your two heads together for sure.”

  “Oh, Papa,” Isabella said. “Don’t let it bother you. It’s as much a family ritual with us as anything.” But she turned right back to Valentino. “You’re just so stubborn,” she said. “Why don’t you just try staying here for a month? Papa would be so happy and—”

  “Izzy, why can’t you understand? I have a career to think of. I have to defend my position on the tour. I have to fight for every increment of success. It doesn’t come easy.”

  “I can understand that you want to give racing your all, but there is more to life than work, work, work.”

  “Really? And when did you have this revelation, Cinderella? Remember when we called you that?”

  But Isabella had suddenly realized they were alone. “Hey, where did everybody go?” she said, looking around.

  “You chased them away with your constant nagging,” he teased.

  She turned, ready to be outraged, and saw the humor in his eyes. Reluctantly, she smiled back at him. “Okay, I’ll leave it alone for now.” She sighed, then regained a bit of energy. “Come on. We’ll go out in the courtyard, too. It’s cooler out there.”

  They stopped to pour out a glass of wine for each of them, then linked arms and went out into the darkening night. The area was filled with people milling about, but Isabella noticed her father across the way.

  “There he is.” She frowned, looking harder. “I wonder who that is he’s talking to. I don’t think it’s Max.” They started over. “Oh, it’s Aunt Lisa,” she said as they got closer. “They hardly ever even speak to each other. What in the world…?”

  She was about to rush forward when her brother stopped her with a hand on her arm. “There’s something about the intensity between them that makes me think we ought to take this carefully,” he told her. “Let’s go for the side approach. Here, through the bushes.”

  “I’ll ruin my shoes,” she protested, but she agreed. There was something odd about the posture between Luca and Lisa that made her want to take it slowly as well. She was naturally protective toward her father. If Lisa was being mean to him, she wanted to be there to take his side—whatever the problem might be. As they drew closer the voices began to be audible. Lisa was the first they heard clearly enough to decipher.

  “And here it is, your birthday, and you don’t even have your whole family around you, do you?” Lisa was saying, and it was loud enough that anyone who walked past could have heard it.

  Isabella made a sound of exasperation and started to push her way out of the bushes to go to her father’s aid, but her brother, looking uncomfortable, grabbed her arm again to stop her.

  “Shush,” he whispered near her ear. “Let’s just get out of here.”

  “But…”

  “You’ve never told them, have you?” Lisa said in a scathing voice. “Here I know more about their brothers than they do.”

  Brothers? Isabella and Valentino both stopped and turned back, peering through the dim light at their older relatives.

  “Lisa, what are you talking about?” Luca demanded. “Have you seen the twins? Have you been to New York?”

  His voice was suddenly high-pitched with emotion. Isabella and Valentino looked at each other and they both shrugged at the same time.

  “Who are they talking about?” he mouthed to her, and she shrugged again, shaking her head.

  “You are the one who should be going to New York, brother dear. You should acknowledge those children you had so long ago. Don’t you realize you’ve left a huge gaping hole in the middle of your family? You’ve poisoned relations between your children forever with the actions you’ve taken. To send those poor little boys away like you did…”

  “And why did I have to send them away? You do remember that part of it, don’t you, Lisa?”

  “Ridiculous.”

  “It was because you, my loving sister, refused to loan me the money to put food in their mouths. What was I to do? Let them stay here with me and starve?”

  She waved a hand in the air. “That’s all in the past. You need to take care of the present. You need to contact those boys and try to patch things up.” She started to turn away. “Oh, by the way. You do know that Alessandro has a ranch in the West, don’t you? And that Angelo is a big baseball star?” She tossed her head, just to show she despised him. “Just thought I’d catch you up on the family news. Your family news. Why don’t you let the rest of them know about it? I’m sure they’d be interested.”

  And with that, she turned on her heel and sashayed back toward her restaurant. Isabella waited only a few seconds before bursting out into the opening and going to her father, who looked gray and shaken by the things Lisa had said. He slumped down onto a stone bench and she hurried to his side.

  “Papa, what was she talking about?” she said, going down onto one knee before him and searching his face for answers. “Who are these twins she spoke of?”

  He looked up at her and winced. “Isabella, Valentino, I have a lot to tell you about. Too much.” He gave a heavy sigh. “It’s true. I haven’t been honest. I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately and I know I need to fill you in about it all.”

  “Tell us what, Papa?” She took his hand. “You can tell us anything. You know we love you.”

  His sigh was deep and heart-rending. “It’s the twins. Before I married your mother I had another wife and we had two sons—twins. I haven’t seen them since they were little boys.” He shook his head.

  She squeezed his hand and looked up. “Valentino?” she called, looking for her brother. But he was striding off into the night, as though he wanted almost anything more than to hear about these two new brothers. She stared after him, disappointed again.

  She was shocked, but, in a certain corner of her heart, quite thrilled to hear she had two brothers she’d never known about. Though it was a complete surprise, she had to admit there had been hints over the years that there were mysteries in her father’s past that she didn’t know about. Now she had some confirmation of that. And already she was beginning to formulate the beginning sketches of how she was going to find those twins and bring them home.

  That was one thing her aunt Lisa had said that was absolutely right. There did seem to be a gaping hole in the middle of their family. There always had been. She could see that clearly now. And family was everything.

  “Max!”

  Valentino had deserted her, but at least she could count on Max. She turned as he entered the clearing, reaching for him.

  “Oh, Max, hold me,” she said. She needed his arms around her. The sand was shifting under her feet again and Max might be the only anchor she had.

  She quickly filled him in. “I have two new brothers. How do you like that? And I’m going to make sure they come home soon so we can meet them.”

  Max nodded, holding her as though he would never let her go. “Sounds like a plan,” he said. “Families should be together whenever possible.”

  She sighed and sank into his embrace. She was so lucky to have him. She knew that her most important responsibilities would be to the new family the two of them would make together and she knew that he felt those ties as deeply as she did. But in the meantime, she needed to shore up her other family where she could. If only her brothers would recognize the truth in that, she thought as she and Max helped her father back to the restaurant, the world would be a better place, especially here in their beloved Bella Rosa.
/>   ISBN: 978-1-4268-5219-0

  BEAUTY AND THE RECLUSIVE PRINCE

  First North American Publication 2010

  Copyright © 2010 by Harlequin Books S.A.

  Special thanks and acknowledgment are given to Raye Morgan for her contribution to The Brides of Bella Rosa series.

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  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

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