Where Lanza was concerned, he felt remorse for insinuating that she might have been unfaithful to Alberto. What in the hell had prompted him to use words that made her feel like he was treating her as an enemy with that couriered message? She’d been as much of a victim as he had.
Guilt plagued him over his behavior. He’d made her feel that she was trapped in a loveless, sexless marriage and could never have his heart because he hadn’t wanted to be a royal.
During their conversation he’d meant it when he’d told her he was looking forward to having children with her. If she hadn’t acted excited at the prospect, it was because she’d been guarding herself with good reason. He realized he’d done a lot of damage with his words. Those emails were a paltry excuse for the time alone they’d needed. She had every right to think of him as a beast.
While he’d been out walking in the snow, he’d been contemplating a plan to make her happy. If she wanted freedom, they would work out an arrangement.
Who was she, really?
The woman who’d exchanged vows with him yesterday had the face of an angel and eyes the color of a deep blue fjord. But after the conversation they’d exchanged at breakfast this morning—which had turned him inside out—he couldn’t get her off his mind.
Had Lanza been grief-stricken at his brother’s funeral, or had it been an act? Stefano would give anything to know if the wife he’d only been married to for twenty-four hours was the same woman Alberto had talked to over the year they’d been betrothed.
Enzo’s words to him at the bank a year ago hadn’t left his thoughts. Let her know before you’re married that you plan to be your own person and continue doing the mining work you love while you help her father govern. It’ll mean you’ll be apart from her for long periods. Give her time to adjust to that fact, know what I mean?
Stefano’s best friend had turned out to give him the wrong advice. That wasn’t Enzo’s fault. Stefano had been wrong to follow it and was the only one to blame for making Lanza feel insecure about a marriage forced on her.
To his shock it was already late afternoon by the time he made it back to the chalet. He’d been gone much longer than he’d realized and imagined he looked like the abominable snowman. But he didn’t have to worry about Lanza, who hadn’t been concerned how long he’d been gone, nor had she rushed downstairs even if she’d heard him come in.
When he removed his gear and eventually went upstairs, he saw her engrossed in a book on one of the couches facing the fireplace. She looked so enticing he wanted to lie down and take her in his arms.
To his chagrin there was no sign of a hysterical wife who was out of her mind with worry because she’d been left alone too long in a strange place and felt unprotected. Stefano had the deep impression she didn’t know what time it was and didn’t care. Again, it was all his fault. He needed to change things—and quickly.
He walked down the hall to his bedroom to freshen up. Before he joined her, he went to the closet for his overcoat. The pockets still held her high heels. He picked them up and placed them inside her bedroom door.
An odd sensation passed through him when he thought of her standing on them throughout their entire wedding day. She stood five feet four, but they’d made her taller. Taking a deep breath, he had to admit he’d found her exquisite with that lace veil covering her features in an almost seductive way.
No doubt Alberto had been attracted to her from the beginning. That would explain why it hadn’t been hard to go along with the betrothal. Stefano couldn’t help but wonder if Lanza had been physically drawn to his brother. Alberto, who resembled their mother, had enjoyed girlfriends behind the scenes before becoming engaged to Lanza.
Irritated because he was dwelling too much on the two of them, he headed for the living room. His wife had curled up on one end of the couch with a throw blanket covering her.
“Is that a book you brought with you?”
She turned her head to look at him with a passive gaze. “No. One of yours. It’s a good spy novel.”
“I’m glad you’re enjoying it. In truth, I didn’t mean to be gone so long.”
A small smile lit her lips. “This is your world. For the last month all you’ve done is get ready for our wedding. But it’s over at last. You can relax for a little while and do what you want from here on out. I know I’m loving the freedom.”
There was that word freedom again. It had driven him away from his family. Now it was driving him and his new bride apart if he didn’t take steps to make their marriage work.
“Are you hungry?”
She shook her head. “I ate earlier, but I imagine you are and know exactly what you’re going to fix. As I told you earlier, you’re a great cook.”
His hands curled into fists, not because of her remarks, but because of his earlier behavior toward her. “Before any more time passes, let me thank you for the gift. The note Alberto wrote to you is priceless to me. I’ll always treasure it.”
“You and your brother clearly had an exceptional relationship. For you to take his place and marry me is beyond extraordinary. What you’ve done is almost unbelievable.”
Lanza was wrong. Alberto had laid down his life for his brother, who’d been spoiled and hadn’t thought about anyone but himself. But what was almost unbelievable was Lanza’s willingness to marry Stefano.
“What’s extraordinary to me is that you accepted my proposal. For what it’s worth, you’ve made me very happy, Lanza.”
Her eyes finally looked away, but not before he saw them light up. Hopefully, she’d believed him.
“Tomorrow morning Enzo will be here to take us down to the city. From there we’ll leave and start our trip. After ten days we’ll return to Domodossola.”
She sat up. “I have an even better idea. Why don’t you plan to go where you want while I visit Zia Ottavia in Rome? She invited me to come at the wedding. I promise I won’t tell a soul.” So saying, she went back to her novel.
He’d never been dismissed before. That was what it felt like. But in truth, he’d been the one to set the rules. Damn if she hadn’t taken him at his word on everything, but this was going to change. He planned to change the rules until she welcomed him in her arms and her bed.
After making some sandwiches and coffee, he disappeared down the hall to his bedroom for the night. A ton of work had piled up while he’d been getting ready for his marriage. He dug in and arranged for his next travel plans to include the Casale mine in South America.
But to his chagrin, he had a devil of a time staying focused on his work. He kept replaying her unexpected remarks in his head. It wasn’t as much what she said as the tone of her delivery. In his gut he knew that somewhere deep inside her lovely facade lived the real Lanza. He was convinced that neither he nor Alberto had ever met her.
* * *
Lanza woke up the next morning to discover sunshine had filled the bedroom. Loving the light, she scrambled out of bed and padded over to the window. A blue sky had chased away the blizzard.
Glorious, dazzling snow resembling trillions of diamonds covered Stefano’s playground. That was what it was, and secretly she loved this hideaway of his. Wouldn’t every man or woman kill to live in such splendid isolation? This was her childhood dream come true. She had always fantasized about having freedom from her royal life. And here there was no one dogging her footsteps or telling her what she could and couldn’t do.
More than anything she wanted to go out and play in the scrumptious white stuff no human had touched. She’d give anything to stay longer. If only Enzo weren’t coming. Nothing sounded worse than having to leave on a driving trip to fill time when they had paradise right here.
If she only could stay, Lanza would borrow some of Stefano’s winter clothes and fix them so they’d fit. Luckily, he’d bought her boots. In her dreams she’d go outside for hours and have a blast. Too bad that wasn’t goin
g to happen.
Knowing that Enzo could be here at any moment, she showered and put on another sweater and pair of wool pants. Once she’d done her hair and makeup, she made her bed and packed her bags. It had surprised her that she’d found her high heels inside the door when she’d gone to bed last night. She smiled when she remembered Stefano putting them in his elegant coat pockets.
With everything done, she reached for her coat and carried her cases down the hall to the living room. There was no sign of Stefano, but she noticed that his cases had been placed near the stairs. She put her things there, too. Maybe he was outside waiting for Enzo.
Lanza walked into the kitchen that looked spotless. She reached for a small apple in the bowl on the counter. While she ate it, she wandered over to the living room windows. Once again her breath caught at the beauty of the Alps in winter. Then a noise from below caused her to turn around. She saw her husband walk into the room with a concerned expression.
“Buon giorno, Stefano.”
His gaze traveled over her in that way that told her he missed nothing. It made her feel fluttery inside.
“Buon giorno, Lanza.”
“I’m all packed and ready to go. Has Enzo arrived?”
He shook his dark head. “He’s late and there’s no cell phone service. The storm must have knocked it out along with the electricity. There’s no email, either.”
So that was what was wrong. But the news couldn’t have made her happier. “How long have you been outside waiting?”
“About an hour. I walked to the gate in case he couldn’t get in and shoveled, but I didn’t see him. There were no cars going in either direction.”
“I’m sure he’ll be here as soon as he can. Have you eaten yet?”
“No. I’d planned to take you to brunch after we got back to the city.”
He had no idea how delighted she was to have to stay here longer. “Since we don’t know how long we’ll have to wait for him, I’ll fix us some frittata.” Lanza loved an omelet eaten with the kind of crusty Italian bread he had on hand. “You have a generator, right?”
He blinked. “You noticed—”
“I can even cook when I have to.”
The first real smile she’d seen broke out on his handsome face. So...food played an important part in his life, if he didn’t have to make it. Or maybe he did like to cook, having been on his own all these years.
“I’ll go downstairs and turn it on.” Soon she heard the sound of the generator. They had power.
She removed her coat and walked through to the kitchen to put her apple core in the wastebasket. Next, she made coffee. After finding a bowl and pan, she reached for eggs and other ingredients out of the fridge to start their meal. Before long she’d made large, fluffy ham and cheese omelets cooked in butter.
Because he’d stocked the fridge with items for salad, she added mushrooms, red peppers and chives. Once everything was ready, she prepared two plates that overflowed with chunks of the bread and put them on the table.
Stefano appeared in time to carry the coffee and silverware to the dining room. He eyed the food. “These look fabulous.”
“The palace kitchen staff taught me and my sisters how to cook from the time we were little.”
They both started to eat. His food disappeared in a hurry. “They taught you well. This is the best omelet I’ve ever tasted.”
“Thank you. You want me to make you another one?”
“Would you?”
They were good if she said so herself. “I want another one, too. I’m starving.”
Quickly, she went to the kitchen and whipped up another batch. He brought their plates to the stove, and she slid the cooked food onto them. “Uh-oh,” she cried. He chuckled because one of the omelets almost slid away from her.
Lanza happened to look up at him and caught the intense way he was staring at her out of those beautiful black eyes. She quivered in reaction, wishing he would kiss her. She wanted to feel his mouth on hers. What was happening to her?
Back at the table they dug in once more. But she could only eat half of hers and shoved her plate toward him so he’d finish it, which he did, as well as the rest of the bread.
When she saw him pull out his cell phone to make a call, Lanza got up to clear the table and do the dishes. He followed her into the kitchen. “There’s still no service.”
“Do you often have blackouts here in winter?”
“No. This is very unusual.” He put the leftover ingredients back in the fridge while she loaded the dishwasher. “I’ll check to see if Enzo has emailed me.”
“That’s a good idea.”
He returned to the kitchen a minute later. “No message yet. Something tells me Enzo won’t be coming today.”
CHAPTER SIX
YES! LANZA DIDN’T want to leave.
She was loving this time with Stefano and didn’t want anything to change. “It’s so beautiful out. Do you have some winter clothes for outside I could borrow?”
Her question seemed to take him by surprise. “There’s a closet downstairs with my sister, Carla’s, ski outfit and skis. She’s a little taller than you, but I’m sure they’ll fit. You’re welcome to use them.”
“Thank you.”
“Come with me and I’ll show you.”
She trailed him to the lower level where he opened a closet with half a dozen outfits. He pulled out a woman’s stylish white parka and black ski pants. He found her everything—gloves, a white ski hat, ski socks and boots.
Elated, she stepped into the pants and put on the socks and boots. Then she zipped up the parka and tugged the wool hat over her head. Everything fit just fine.
“You look perfect, Lanza.” In the next instant he kissed her briefly on the mouth the way she’d wanted when they were in the kitchen. Her heart almost palpitated out of her parka.
While she pulled on her gloves, she looked over and noticed him getting on his ski clothes. “Where are you going?”
His eyes roved over her, setting her on fire. “Outside with you.” Her heart turned over. It hadn’t occurred to her that he might come with her, though she wanted him to be with her with every atom of her body. “Have you ever been snowshoeing?”
“Never.”
“This is the perfect kind of snow for it.” He reached for the snowshoes. “Come outside with me and I’ll help you put them on.”
Lanza walked out into the brilliant sunlight, thrilled to be entering this glistening white world with Stefano, who’d just kissed her because he’d wanted to. Maybe some dreams could come true.
With her pulse racing, she leaned against his broad shoulder while he knelt down to center her boot in the binding. She never expected to be doing something this exciting with her handsome husband, who was taking amazing care of her.
He wrapped the heel strap around the back and through the buckle to tighten it. “Does that feel snug?”
“Yes.”
“Now we’ll do your other foot.” Within a minute she was ready. “Keep your legs apart as you start to take steps. It requires more energy than you’ll be used to, but it won’t take long for you to work into a rhythm.”
While she experimented, he went inside for his snowshoes and came back, shutting the door. In seconds he’d fastened his straps with a finesse that revealed years of experience. She gave him a covert glance because she couldn’t stop herself from looking at him.
Her husband really was a gorgeous male no matter what he wore. Lanza found herself wildly attracted to him. She’d never expected this to happen and it shocked her that she wanted him so badly in every way.
Lanza took off across the front property of the chalet toward the white shrouded pines in the distance. Stefano caught up to her within seconds.
“Where’s the fire?”
The last thing she wanted him to know wa
s that his kiss had set off an explosion inside her. She wanted more. So much more. “I’m just excited to be out here making fresh tracks. It’s a surreal feeling, as if we’re on top of the world.”
“I love it, too.”
She could tell he did. In time, they came to the trees. Lanza kept going, marveling over the sculptures created by the wind and snow.
As they penetrated deeper, she thought she heard a yapping sound. She stopped walking and turned to Stefano. “Did you hear that?”
“I did.” He reached out to grasp her arm with his gloved hand in a protective movement. “Don’t go any farther.”
“If I didn’t know better, I would think it was a dog.”
He shook his head. “Not a dog.”
“Whatever it is, it sounds wounded.”
“Wait here while I go look.” Again, she was touched that he wanted to keep her safe. But the second he let go of her and went on ahead, she hurried to catch up. The yapping continued. Two hundred feet farther along, she saw him approach a small animal with red fur and a snout half buried in the snow beneath the boughs of a fat pine tree.
“Oh, Stefano, it’s a little fox.” She couldn’t imagine it weighing more than seven or eight pounds.
“Stay back, Lanza.”
“They’re not dangerous and it can’t hurt anybody. Listen. It’s in pain.” She pulled off her gloves so she could remove her parka. “Wrap it inside my coat to keep it warm and we’ll take it back to the chalet.”
“Lanza—” he muttered in exasperation.
“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine in this sweater. Please—we’ve got to help it before it’s too late. It’s so sweet.”
To her relief he swaddled it like a baby and stood up. The fox kept yapping. She put her gloves back on and together they returned to the chalet as fast as they could go. “It must have gotten injured during the storm and couldn’t go any farther.”
The Princess's New Year Wedding (The Princess Brides Book 1) Page 6