“Father needs to see his own doctor.”
“He wants to wait until after the coronation on Saturday. We’re hoping the guilty party will reveal himself before then and King Michael trusts nobody at this time, not even the royal physician.”
Isabel sighed. “How sad, to be unable to trust the people around you.”
“Where there is power and position to be gained, there are always people who want to either steal it from you or share it with you.”
How well Isabel understood this. “I often wonder if Sebastian would be so eager to marry me if I were simply a woman and not a princess.”
Adam turned and cast her a quick, meaningful look. “But, it’s impossible for you to separate the two. You are a woman, but you’ll also always be a princess.”
Her heart fell a little further in her chest at his words. She knew what he was subtly telling her was that as a princess, there was no hope for the two of them.
“Did he tell you about the actual kidnapping?” she asked, trying to stay focused on her father and not on the painful shattering of her heart.
“According to your father, on the morning of LeAnn’s christening, he received a phone call from Edward telling him that Edward and his sons were in Edenbourg. Edward asked your father to meet him in private.”
“So it was Uncle Edward all along,” Isabel exclaimed.
“I don’t think so,” Adam countered. “Your father now doesn’t believe it was Edward that he spoke to.”
“But, it had to have been somebody who knew that Edward and his sons had come to Edenbourg.” She sighed again, finding the entire thing far too exhausting. “It’s all so confusing.”
Again she thought of those first moments between her mother and father and the words of love her father had spoken to Isabel. “He’s changed. Somehow these months in captivity have changed my father.”
“That’s not surprising. You can’t face the possibility of your own death without it affecting you.”
As the palace appeared in the distance, a hollow ache throbbed in her chest. She fought against it, but the ache spread, filling her with a dismal feeling of loss.
It was crazy to feel as if she’d lost what she’d never really had, crazy to grieve the loss of a marriage that had only been pretend.
When they reached the gates of the palace, Adam was waved through. He parked before the compound where Isabel’s private quarters were located.
When he shut off the engine, she felt his gaze on her, and as she turned to look at him, to her horror, tears filled her eyes. “I know it sounds stupid, but I feel like we’re getting a divorce.” A divorce she didn’t want, she thought as the tears spilled down her cheeks.
He reached over and touched her arm. It was a light, easy touch, but sweet sensations soared through her at the contact. “Come on, I’ll walk you to the door.”
Together they got out of the car and he fell into step beside her as they approached the building. There were so many things she wanted to say, but her emotions were lodged in the back of her throat, making speech momentarily impossible.
“Isabel,” he began, his voice gentle. “Part of the danger of undercover operations is that sometimes people get caught up in the roles they are playing, the fantasy they are spinning.”
She nodded, unable to do anything else as they stopped just short of the door where two royal guards stood sentry.
“It’s time to put the game behind us,” he continued, his eyes dark and fathomless. “The operation was a success and now its time for you to put your hair back to its normal color and wipe the make-up off your face.”
His hand reached up and gently touched her cheek and once again Isabel’s vision blurred with tears. She knew in her heart that it would be the last, gentle, personal touch she received from him.
The next time she saw him he would once again be Lieutenant Commander Adam Sinclair and she would be Princess Isabel, a cabinet member and in the Ministry of Defense. There would be no more personal talk, no more sharing of dreams or lives.
He dropped his hand. “It’s time for you to resume your station as Princess of Edenbourg, with all the duties and responsibilities that go along with the title.”
He stood so close to her, and she fought the impulse to lean forward and raise her lips for one last kiss. She was afraid that if she raised her lips to his, he wouldn’t kiss her and her heart would certainly shatter into a million pieces.
“I’ll see you at the coronation, Your Highness,” he said, then saluted her and turned to walk back to his car.
He’d taken only a couple of steps when she softly called his name. He turned back to look at her, his eyes dark and unreadable.
“I just want you to know that I loved being your wife,” she said.
He paused, then nodded. Without saying anything, he once again rotated on his heels and headed for his car.
Isabel watched as he started his engine, then pulled away. As his car disappeared from her view, the hollow ache that had been in her heart expanded.
She’d told him she loved being his wife, and that was as close as she could come to telling him she loved him. But, he hadn’t even told her he’d liked being her husband.
It was over. Truly over. Their covert operation had been a huge success, and the only price she’d had to pay was the ache of a broken heart.
The most difficult thing Adam had ever done in his life was to walk away from Isabel without taking her in his arms, indulging in one final kiss.
For the past weeks that they had spent living as man and wife Adam had told himself that what he felt for her was nothing more than lust…a mere physical desire.
But he knew now he’d only been fooling himself. Yes, he wanted Isabel. He wanted to taste the sweetness of her lips, make love to her over and over again, but he wanted that because he loved her.
He loved her irritating little habits, the inner strength she possessed, and the soft vulnerability he’d been surprised to find in her. He loved Princess Isabel and he intended to do nothing about it.
He had nothing to offer her. A name besmirched by scandal and not a drop of blue blood inside him. He had to put her out of his mind and out of his heart. Eventually she would please the country and her father by marrying Sebastian Lansbury or some other man with political connections and wealth.
In two days Luke’s coronation was scheduled to occur and before the ceremony, King Michael would appear to resume his rightful place on the throne. After that, Adam would return to the task of trying to solve the mystery of the disappearance of the Phantom and attempt to clear his father’s name.
He had the sickening feeling that his attempt to prove his father’s innocence fell into the same category as his love for Princess Isabel. Utterly hopeless.
The next two days passed swiftly. Adam spent much of his time in his cottage with King Michael, Prince Nicholas, Marcus Kent, the king’s High Counsel, and Lieutenant Ben Lockhart. The five men, along with a handful of trusted naval personnel had worked out a plan of action to get King Michael back on the throne.
Although they had hoped that telling the mastermind that King Michael was dead might force an action that would reveal the guilty, that hadn’t happened. However, King Michael had agreed that whether the guilty party revealed himself or not, he had to reclaim his position before Luke could officially be crowned king.
With this in mind, the night before the coronation, King Michael and Prince Nicholas were moved to a secret place in the palace and Adam found himself alone in his cottage.
He’d always found this little isolated house a peaceful haven. But, on this night, the silence crashed around him, giving him far too much time to think…and his thoughts, as always, were of Isabel.
It had only been two days since they’d stopped their game of husband and wife. But he missed her. He missed her crankiness in the mornings, that first full smile of the day that exploded over her features and reverberated in his heart.
He missed the scent
of her, that whisper of spice and flowers that stirred something deep inside him. He missed her laughter, her strong will and yes, even her stubbornness.
But he was not for her, he reminded himself yet again as he popped the tab on a beer and eased down on the sofa to relax.
Tomorrow would prove an unforgettable day in Edenbourg. Adam knew the majority of the country adored King Michael and his family and many had not been looking forward to Luke Stanbury, a young man not even raised in their country, assuming the title.
He sat up as he spied headlights beaming across the front of his cottage. Very few people knew of this place. Who could be coming to see him?
Curious, he stood and went to the front window, stunned to see Isabel getting out of her car.
“Princess Isabel, what are you doing here?” he asked as he opened the door to admit her.
“Adam, we need to talk,” she exclaimed.
He pointed her toward the sofa, unsure he wanted to hear what she had to say. He knew she fancied herself in love with him, but also knew there was absolutely no future for them. He didn’t want a difficult scene with her, was afraid of himself and his own emotions where she was concerned.
He felt thankful that she was clad in a sedate dress that fell to just below her knees. “I see you’ve got your own hair color back,” he observed as he sat in a chair across from her perch on the sofa.
“Yes.” She raked a hand through her hair, then leaned forward, her eyes so intense he found it difficult to meet her gaze. “Adam, I have news for you.”
“News?” He looked at her curiously. “What kind of news?”
“About your father.”
The words plowed into Adam’s chest, creating an instant tightness of wariness and anxiety. “How did you get news?” His voice sounded distant…far away to his own ears.
“When I called you back here to help investigate my father’s kidnapping, I assigned several investigators to continue seeking answers to your father’s disappearance.”
“And what did they find?” His chest ached and he realized he didn’t even know what he wanted the answers to be.
If his father was dead, and the whole thing had been a tragic accident, then Adam had his good name back, but his father was dead forever. And if his father was a traitor and had flown that plane to another country, then Adam would forever live beneath the shadow of that treachery, but at least he’d know his father was still alive someplace in the world.
“They found the plane, Adam.”
“Where?” The word eased from him in a half breath.
“Off the coast of Sweden, almost buried in the floor of the sea.”
Instantly he understood the implication of her words. His father was dead. He gazed down at the floor and fought against the deep sorrow that ripped through him with this final knowledge. He’d thought he’d been prepared for whatever they might eventually learn, but the pierce of mourning caught him off guard.
“They managed to bring up a portion of the plane, enough to determine that mechanical failure was the reason they were so far off course and was the determining cause of the accident.”
He sensed, rather than saw her approach him. She sat on the floor at his feet and took his hands in both of hers, forcing him to look at her.
Her eyes were the softest green he’d ever seen and he saw the love that resided there…love and compassion for him. He wasn’t sure what hurt more, the ache of his father’s death, or the ache of knowing she loved him and he would never do anything about it.
“He died a hero, Adam,” she said softly. “Your father and those two pilots died in the line of duty, for the country that they loved.”
For a year, turmoil had bubbled inside Adam and now the emotion he’d kept stuffed so firmly threatened to explode outward. He was going to lose it, but he didn’t want to do that in front of Isabel.
He stood and quickly pulled her to her feet. He needed to get her out before he lost control. He needed time alone…time to grieve for the father he knew now without question was lost forever.
He saw the surprise in her eyes as he led her to the door…surprise and a touch of pain as she realized he was about to ask her to go. “Isabel,” he said softly. “You have brought me the gift of the truth, but it’s a double-edged sword and I need some time alone to assimilate it all.”
“I know you’re in pain right now, but I wish you’d let me comfort you.” Those eyes of her were so filled with love. “Adam, I…”
He placed a fingertip across her lips. “Don’t say it, Isabel.” He knew she was about to tell him that she loved him and he couldn’t stand to hear those words spoken aloud. Not now. Not ever.
“Thank you, Isabel. Now go home and I’ll see you tomorrow at the coronation.”
She turned to leave, but he stopped her as she stepped off the porch. “Isabel…I liked being married to you, too.” He said, then closed the door.
He leaned heavily against the door and felt the sting of tears. As he closed his eyes, the tears seeped down his cheeks and he didn’t know if he was crying for the father he had lost…or the woman he would never have.
Chapter Ten
Isabel couldn’t remember the last time she had seen the Edenbourg Cathedral so filled with people. Not only were dignitaries, family members and high-ranking people from Edenbourg present, but the coronation of Luke had also brought a wave of people from the small countries of Wynborough and Thortonburg.
Besides the royalty and prominent visitors, it appeared that most of the country of Edenbourg had turned out for the celebration. Outside the cathedral, throngs of people crowded the streets. Children rode their fathers’ shoulders in an effort to get a peek at the new king. Women wore flowers in their hair and carried bouquets in their arms in tribute to the day.
But, what warmed Isabel’s heart the most were the many signs and posters she saw with her father’s picture on them. Although she knew nobody would overtly rebel against the new king, the people were silently showing where their hearts were…with the missing king and his supposedly dead son.
As people continued to be seated in the cathedral, Isabel scanned the crowd for one particular familiar face. Adam’s. Her heart ached for him. She had never known that heartache could hurt so much.
She’d hoped when she’d gone to his cottage the night before with the news about his father that he would throw his arms around her and finally admit his love for her.
She’d hoped the stain on his father’s name had been the barrier that had kept him from proclaiming his love. But, apparently, having closure about his father hadn’t been enough.
She shifted on her chair, hoping she could get through the day without crying. She’d always believed herself to be a strong woman, but loving Adam had made her feel uncharacteristically weak.
“Are you all right?” Queen Josephine’s green eyes met Isabel’s.
“Of course, I’m fine,” Isabel replied without hesitation. She wasn’t about to do or say anything to ruin the glow of happiness in her mother’s green eyes.
Isabel couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen her mother look so beautiful. She looked elegant and dignified, but also feminine and happy. It was love, Isabel knew, that gave her that special, wonderful radiance.
Isabel and the members of King Michael’s family were seated all together in a little balcony to the right of the raised platform of the altar. There, Luke sat next to his father, along with the clergy and people who would officiate at the coronation ceremony.
Edward’s appearance shocked Isabel. She hadn’t seen him since she’d gone undercover and his physical deterioration was appalling. He’d lost a lot of weight and looked beyond haggard.
Isabel looked at the men and women surrounding Luke…men and women in high position. Somebody in this cathedral was the traitor who had kidnapped her father and tried to kidnap her brother. Somebody in this cathedral had, without hesitation or conscience, told Willie to get rid of her father’s body as if it were nothin
g more than a piece of unwanted garbage.
Who? She scanned the people who had been closest to her father. Who could be responsible for such a terrible thing?
The priest had just stood to begin the ceremony when a murmur began near the front door. The murmuring built, growing louder, and as the door to the cathedral opened, Isabel could hear the roar of the crowd outside.
Her heart tightened in anticipation as she heard what was being chanted. “King Michael. King Michael.”
At that moment, her father and her brother strode up the aisle, followed closely by Lieutenant Commander Adam Sinclair, Marcus Kent and Lieutenant Benjamin Lockhart.
Adam…Adam, Isabel’s heart cried out. He looked so handsome, resplendent in his crisp uniform. Her love for him ached deep inside her, and she knew no man would ever touch her heart as he had.
When the men got about halfway to the altar area, a silence descended. It was obvious Edward, Luke and the officiating clergy couldn’t tell what was going on. Luke stood, and the moment he saw King Michael and Prince Nicholas, his pleasant smile fell away and rage contorted his features.
“No!” His voice seemed to shake the very rafters of the building. “He told me you were dead! You are supposed to be dead!”
A collective gasp filled the church.
“Guards, arrest that man.” King Michael’s voice rang out with strength and authority as he pointed to Luke. “Take him into the chancery.”
“My God, Luke, what have you done?” Edward’s voice was audible just before the crowd went wild.
As the men disappeared into the nearby office, Isabel, her mother and the rest of her family hurriedly followed. Isabel’s heart thudded in horror. Luke. It had been Luke all along.
When they entered the office, Luke was seated next to his father, and Adam stood before him.
“You were the one who made that phone call to King Michael on the day of LeAnn’s christening. You pretended to be your father, didn’t you?” Adam asked, his gray eyes like tumultuous storms. “You arranged all of it. You’ve been pulling strings behind the scenes for months.”
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