Searching For Her Prince

by Karen Rose Smith

  Chapter Ten

  Glancing outside the kitchen window, Amira saw Brent and his dad deep in conversation while Brent cooked the hamburgers on the outdoor grill. She liked his father very much. He’d immediately told her to call him Joe, and his hazel eyes had been friendly. She’d been embarrassed a little while ago when she’d descended the steps and her gaze had met Brent’s. But his smile had been as intimate as before. It told her he wanted to be with her as much as she wanted to be with him.

  As she mixed an olive oil and lemon juice dressing for a pasta salad that Owen’s wife Jordan had taught her how to make, she thought about the night to come. She wanted to know Brent in every way, and she wanted him to know her. Maybe tonight she could tell him how she felt. Maybe tonight she could tell him she wanted to see him again after she returned to Penwyck. Maybe tonight they could talk about her moving to the United States permanently. It would be a risk for her, but it would be worth it if Brent could come to love her. Maybe the idea was altogether foolhardy, but she was tired of living a protected existence.

  When the phone rang, she thought about letting the machine pick it up, but then the Caller ID showed the number that Cole Everson had used.

  The head of the Royal Intelligence Institute got straight to the point. “I have a picture, Amira. I’m going to fax it to you as soon as we finish here. I also have Cordello’s home address. Watching the post office box didn’t work. No one picked up the mail after I began surveillance. It was as if he knew we were watching. But we found a deed for a purchase of a house near De Kalb and that gave us his home address in the paperwork. I’ll also fax that information to you.”

  “A house near De Kalb?” At first a frisson of foreboding skipped down her spine. But then she told herself she was being silly. Lots of inhabitants of Chicago must have houses in the state and maybe De Kalb was a popular area.

  “With this information,” Cole went on, “you’ll know who you’re looking for and have a second place to look. But the queen doesn’t expect you to take on the role of a private investigator. If you still can’t corner the man after a few days, I’ll bring in a professional. As soon as we hang up, I’ll fax you what I have. Good luck, Amira.”

  When Amira hung up the phone, she no longer gave a second thought to the dressing for the pasta salad or to the frozen vegetables on the counter. Rather she went to Brent’s study to wait for the faxes.

  The aroma of hamburgers wafted into the fall air as Marcus stared at his father in astonishment. “Shane and I are adopted?”

  Joseph Cordello had gone along with his son’s wishes to call him Brent when he’d arrived at Shady Glenn. But as soon as they stepped outside and had a bit of privacy, he wanted to know why. Marcus had filled him in, giving him the tale Amira had related, adding the rest of what she had told him about life on Penwyck. Then his father had revealed the secret he’d been keeping for twenty-three years.

  Joseph’s eyes were anguished. “I never wanted you to find out like this. So suddenly.”

  “Suddenly? Dad, I’m twenty-three years old!” Marcus was feeling more than shock now. Anger mixed with it. His world had just been rocked again by his father’s revelation.

  Joseph Cordello took a deep breath but kept his gaze steady on his son’s. “When your mother and I divorced, we felt you were too young. We decided to wait until you and Shane were eighteen. But the time never seemed right. We wanted to tell you and Shane together, but the four of us were rarely in the same state…”

  Although Marcus was keeping a tight rein on all of his emotions, his turmoil must have shown because his father stopped then and said, “You have every right to be angry. But we didn’t tell you because we love you both. In every way that matters, we are your parents.”

  Unable to watch the pained look in his dad’s eyes, Marcus took a few steps away from the grill and looked toward the lake. “Who are our birth parents?”

  His dad answered quickly. “According to our lawyer, they were a young couple who were in a terrible accident. They both perished. An aunt was babysitting you and Shane at the time.”

  “Why didn’t the aunt take us?”

  “She was elderly and knew she couldn’t handle bringing up twins. She also didn’t want to separate you. She wanted a good family to raise you.”

  Marcus swung around and faced his father again. “Did you ever meet the aunt?”

  “No. No, we didn’t. We were told traveling was difficult for her. Our lawyer and his wife transferred you to us.”

  The full realization of everything his father had told him hit him. “Then Amira’s story could be true.”

  Since his father had arrived and Marcus had had to leave Amira in his bed, he’d thought only of her and what they’d been about to do. As he’d introduced her to his father, he’d decided he couldn’t make love to her without telling her who he was. He’d decided to ask her to help him keep the world outside at bay with him until Monday.

  Now he had to tell her the truth not only to restore real honesty to their relationship but because he might very well be one of the Penwyck heirs!

  As he heard the back door open, he turned and saw Amira coming down the steps with her head bowed. It was crazy, but he always missed her when they were apart, even if it wasn’t for very long. In the midst of all that he’d learned, honesty between them became the priority. Deciding supper would have to wait until he revealed the truth to her, he became aware of the papers in her hand.

  She raised her face to him, and he didn’t have to ask her what they were. He knew.

  He’d decided to tell her the truth hoping nothing would change between them. That had been optimism at its worst. Her wounded expression tore at his heart and the look of betrayal in her eyes lanced his soul.

  “Why did you do it?” she asked, her voice rising as she shook the papers at him. “Why did you tell me you were somebody else?”

  He stepped closer to her, but she backed away and he stilled. “I didn’t intend for it to go this far. Let me explain.”

  “Explain? There are no explanations. You’re Marcus Cordello! I poured my heart out to you. I told you how much I needed to see him and why. You sat there and listened, being sympathetic, learning how much it mattered to me and everyone at Penwyck. And still you didn’t say a word. You deceived me all this time, playing with my emotions, leading me on. I can’t believe I wasn’t intelligent enough to put it all together. I met you in the hotel where your offices are. Your secretary’s name is Barbra. How could I have let that pass?”

  For the time being, he buried his feelings about his father’s revelation and concentrated on Amira. “You let it pass for the same reason I couldn’t tell you the truth. We were getting to know each other and nothing else mattered.”

  “My mission mattered.”

  He could see the tears glistening in her eyes as the strength of her emotions shook her voice. “Amira…”

  “The first time we saw your doorman,” she went on, “you cut him off. He was going to call you by your real name. And that man who came here yesterday…I knew I’d seen him somewhere before. One of those days I was sitting outside your office, he came out. You’ve played me for an utter fool. This afternoon I thought—” Her cheeks grew red, her lower lip trembled, and Marcus had never felt so low in his life.

  “It’s not the way you think.”

  “It’s exactly the way I think. You saw me as some shy little twit who didn’t know the first thing about men. You thought you could take advantage of me—”

  Marcus knew he had no defense. But he had struggled with becoming involved with her because of who he was and where she was from, and the fact that she was shy and innocent. “I never took advantage of you.”

  “What about this afternoon? If your father hadn’t arrived, you wouldn’t have stopped.”

  Suddenly uncomfortable with having this discussion in front of his father, Marcus knew it was where they had to have it because Amira would never let him talk with her about this calm
ly inside. Still he had to give it a try. “Let’s go inside and discuss this.”

  “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

  That’s the response he’d expected. “This afternoon, Amira, we were both in that bed. Neither one of us would have put a stop to it if my father hadn’t arrived. You might be shy sometimes and you are innocent, but you’re your own woman, too. You made the decision to be with me.”

  Her gaze darted to his father and, as she realized they were discussing their most private matters in front of him, she looked thoroughly mortified.

  Marcus wished he could put his arms around her, persuade her to believe that his father wouldn’t judge anything. But he knew she wouldn’t let him get close to her. He knew she’d never let him touch her again.

  Although her eyes glistened with unshed tears, she squared her shoulders. “I’m leaving here tonight. When I get back to the city, I’m taking the first flight out. Someone from Penwyck will be in touch with you. I hope you don’t play the same games with them that you played with me.” Then she turned and practically ran into the house.

  Marcus didn’t think he had ever heard a more earth-shattering silence. As the door slammed, he started to go after her, but his father put a restraining hand on his shoulder. “I don’t think another confrontation is a good idea.”

  “I can’t let her leave like this.”

  “I think you’re going to have to. In the state she’s in, you set a foot near her, and she’s going to walk back to Chicago. I’ll offer her my driver. He’s at a motel in De Kalb. He can be here in half an hour.”

  “I can’t let her leave,” Marcus said again.

  “If you don’t let her leave, you might never get her back. If that’s what you want. I think you’d better be sure exactly what you want before you talk to her again.”

  Marcus took a long look at Joseph Cordello, remembering the man wasn’t his biological father. Yet, hearing his advice, Marcus felt his anger at being kept in the dark for twenty-three years vanish. This man was his “real” father in every definition of the word. “All right. Offer her your driver.”

  As Joseph Cordello went inside, Marcus felt as if the foundation of his life had cracked in two and nothing would ever be the same again.

  The Jet Ski skimmed the surface of the lake, but Marcus got no pleasure from the speed. He’d felt turned inside out since Amira had left. Making repairs at Reunion House hadn’t helped. Taking long drives hadn’t helped. Assembling the jungle gym hadn’t helped. Running until he’d dropped hadn’t helped. Talking to his dad hadn’t helped. No matter what he did, he thought about her, about who she was, about who they could be together.

  The day after Amira had left he’d tried to put her out of his mind by having a talk with Jared’s foster mother and dad and then the authorities. The family who had taken Jared in would also take Lena. They’d been unable to do that a year ago, but since then they’d moved to a larger house and Mr. Brinkman had gotten a promotion. The satisfaction in what he’d been able to do had come when Jared hugged him. Even then all he could think about was having children of his own with Amira as their mother.

  He gave the Jet Ski more power, seeking to outrun the pain and the feeling of emptiness. But he couldn’t outrun it, and he knew he should stop trying.

  When he returned to the dock, his father was standing there waiting for him. His dad had come along to Reunion House this morning to help him with the jungle gym. “You had a call,” Joseph said.

  “Amira?” he asked, knowing that was improbable but hoping nonetheless.

  His father shook his head. “Sorry, no. It was a Mrs. Dunlap, Cocoa’s owner. Apparently she called Barbra and Barbra gave her the number here. She phoned a veterinarian, who told her that you found Cocoa. Only her name isn’t Cocoa, it’s Brownie. I told her where you’d taken Brownie and how much the kids loved her. She said her arthritis is getting worse and she can’t walk Brownie as much as she’d like. Brownie slipped her collar one day when they went for a walk. I think Mrs. Dunlap would like to visit Reunion House and see if the dog really has a good home. If she does, she’d like to visit now and then.”

  “That would be a good solution for everyone,” Marcus said. “I’ll have Fritz drive her up here as soon as I get back to the city.”

  “Are you going back tomorrow?”

  Tomorrow was Sunday. He’d promised to have dinner with Marilyn and the kids before he left. “Fritz will arrive in the late afternoon, and we’ll start back then. What about you?”

  “I’ll leave first thing in the morning.” He paused, then asked, “Are we all right, Marcus? Can you still think of me as your father?”

  Having a few days to let it all sink in had helped. He realized his dad was the same man he’d always known, and he still felt admiration, respect and love for him. “We’re all right, Dad. I could never think of anyone else as my father.”

  His dad capped Marcus’s shoulder, and there was moisture in his eyes. He cleared his throat. “Are you going to tell Shane?”

  “I have to decide the best way to do that.”

  “I’m surprised you haven’t received a call from Penwyck.”

  “I don’t even know if Amira flew back yet. Maybe she stayed. Maybe she’ll be at my office bright and early Monday morning to meet me in an official capacity.” His heart lifted at the thought.

  “Do you really think that’s likely?” His dad made him face the impracticality of that possibility.

  In his mind’s eye he could see Amira waiting for him at Shady Glenn, holding their child in her arms. “No, it’s not likely.”

  “You know, son, I was a fool where your mother was concerned. We had problems, and I thought I wanted more than she could give me. I made a terrible mistake that she could never forgive. But I also didn’t try very hard to win her forgiveness. My pride kept me from telling her that I still loved her. If Amira is the woman you want or need, don’t let her simply fly away.”

  “She’ll never forgive me.”

  “You don’t know that, do you?”

  No, he didn’t know that. His mother hadn’t been able to forgive, but maybe Amira could.

  Suddenly Marcus realized he didn’t just want to ask Amira for forgiveness because that was the right thing to do. He wanted her to forgive him because he loved her. He hadn’t wanted to fall in love. He’d fought against it from the moment he’d met her. Her heart called to his and now he wanted to answer that call. He just hoped it wasn’t too late. He just hoped he could convince her not only to forgive him but to trust him for the rest of their lives.

  Filled with resolve, he said, “I’m going to ask Marilyn if I can change our dinner plans to tonight. Then I’m going to make reservations and see when I can get a flight out.”

  “This is serious, then,” Joseph remarked as he and Marcus started walking toward Reunion House.

  “This is it, Dad. The real thing. I found a woman I can’t do without. Now I just have to convince her she can’t do without me.”

  After discovering Amira had checked out of the hotel, Marcus also found out that she’d made flight arrangements through the concierge and returned to Penwyck. Throughout Saturday night, he went over persuasive arguments in his mind. None seemed right, none seemed good enough. In spite of that, he got an early flight out the next morning.

  Fortunately, he had time to stop in a jewelry store in the airport before he left.

  His flight landed on schedule. Due to the time change, it was early evening when he arrived at the palace. As his taxi pulled up, he saw a gray limestone edifice three stories tall. Actually it looked like two buildings joined by a covered glassed-in walkway that was illuminated from the curved ceiling inside.

  At the main entrance he gave his name to the guard, who called someone in the palace. Another guard dressed in the same red jacket and black slacks with a red beret escorted him through a garden to the covered hallway. The floor was marble as were the columns. There were floor-to-ceiling arched windows.
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  When they exited the walkway, they came to another long hall. Finally they stood before a large door. The guard opened it and Marcus stepped inside.

  Marcus barely noticed the hand-carved plaster and gilded wainscoting, the marble fireplace with columns, the cream velvet sofa, the chairs covered in silk damask. The walls were decorated with paintings, water lilies by Monet, a Renoir, and a large photograph of what Marcus supposed was the royal family with their horses. Amira wasn’t in the picture so he didn’t stare at it very long. He glanced at the desk and saw no one was seated there.

  Suddenly a door opened and two women walked in. The first woman looked to be in her forties. Her blond hair was pulled into a chignon at her nape similar to the way Amira had worn her hair the first night he’d met her. She had blue eyes that were very serious. The second woman was older, in her fifties. Her hair was dark and she wore it in a corona on the top of her head. She, too, had blue eyes and was strikingly beautiful. Her maroon silk blouse and tailored wool slacks suited her understated elegance.

  The guard bowed and said formally, “Her Majesty, the Queen, and her lady-in-waiting, Gwendolyn Montague.”

  Marcus had asked to see the queen or Amira’s mother, not knowing if an audience was that easily obtained. Apparently his name had carried some weight. Maybe a very lead weight.

  Still, he bowed to the queen. “I’m honored.” Then to Mrs. Montague, he said, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, too.”

  Neither woman spoke so he addressed the situation immediately. “I’ve come for two reasons. First and foremost, to find Amira and convince her I’m not the blackguard she thinks I am. Secondly, I came to find out if my brother and I might be royal heirs. I had no idea we were adopted until a few days ago, so I had put the idea out of my mind since Amira first told me about it because I didn’t want any part of it. I didn’t want my life disrupted.” He looked squarely at Amira’s mother. “But your daughter did disrupt my life quite completely, and when she left I realized it was empty without her.”