The Expectant Princess

by Stella Bagwell

  “It’s all right, Dominique. Everything is going to be all right. You’re not alone. You’re not always going to hurt like this. Losing your father isn’t the end of the world.”

  The last of his words penetrated her tears. She lifted her head and looked at him with frantic need and wretched regret.

  “Oh, Marcus, it’s not Father. Not entirely. I am sick with grief because he’s gone. But there’s something else and I don’t know what to do—I’m so scared and ashamed and—”

  Bewilderment wrinkled his features as he stared down at her. “Ashamed? What have you—”

  “I’m pregnant,” she blurted before he could finish. “Nearly four months. And my family doesn’t know. No one knows. Except you.”

  If she’d slapped him on both sides of the face he wouldn’t have been any more shocked than he was at this moment. She was going to have a child! Some other man had made love to her. The idea ripped through him like a hurtling lance.

  “Pregnant! Who—”

  She pushed away from him then and swiped the tears from her face with the backs of her hands. “It’s a pathetic story, Marcus. I was so stupid. So gullible! I met this graduate student and he seemed to be perfect. He was sweet and attentive and he made me feel special. Not special like royalty. But in a way, well, he believed I was just like any ordinary woman and he picked me just for myself. He had no idea I was a princess.”

  Marcus grimaced. “Apparently not.”

  Dominique shook her head. “You don’t understand, Marcus. That’s one of the major things that drew me to him. I’ve never wanted to be cared about because I was a princess. My mistake was in thinking that Bryce loved me for any reason. He fed me a bunch of sweet lies and I blame myself for not catching on before I let myself be led in by him.”

  He drew in a long breath as he tried to digest all that she’d just told him. “Didn’t any of your friends see what was happening and try to warn you about this man?”

  Color seeped into her pale cheeks. “I wish I’d had those sort of close friends at the university. But to be honest, Marcus, I’ve kept pretty much to myself these past years. Oh, I had friends and acquaintances, but no one I shared deep confidences with. Being a foreigner didn’t exactly set me apart, but hiding my real identity did. I felt like I really couldn’t open up to people and let them know the real me. But promising to keep my identity a secret was the only way Father would let me attend university in New England. He’d made a private agreement with the president and dean of the college not to reveal my real name to anyone. The only time my real name would be used was when it was written on my degree and even that was to be kept secret. King Michael didn’t want to take the chance that someone might kidnap me for ransom or some way take advantage of my being a princess.”

  Marcus grimaced. “I can understand your father’s fears. But it looks as though someone managed to take advantage of you in spite of your attending college under an assumed name.”

  Dominique released a remorseful sigh. “When I met Bryce nothing about my background seemed to matter to him. Ordinary Dominique Danforth was perfect for him. Or so he said.”

  “Then how do you know Bryce doesn’t love you? If the man—”

  “He’s married, Marcus,” she interrupted. “I found out quite by accident, and when I confronted him he didn’t bother to deny it. In fact, he even asked me not to make trouble for him and his wife. He admitted that she was expecting a baby soon and his family was important to him. Whereas I, well, it’s obvious what I was to him,” she finished miserably.

  His jaw went tight. For the first time in Marcus’s life he felt a murderous urge to track down a man and strangle him with his bare hands. “Then you didn’t tell him you were pregnant?”

  “No. It was clear I meant nothing to him. He was already married and living with the woman he wanted to be with on a permanent basis. And by then I could see him for what he was and wanted no part of him. Besides, I’m certainly not a home wrecker. I’ll let the next vulnerable young woman he seduces tell his wife she’s married to a cad.”

  He breathed a small sigh of relief. “Well, I’m glad you used that much forethought. The idiot deserved trouble. But if you’d tried to dish him a plate of pain it would have only caused you more grief.”

  Her head bent, then swung back and forth with regret. “I know you think I’m stupid, Marcus. I know you wouldn’t have allowed a woman to dupe you in such a way.”

  “You’re forgetting about Liza,” he reminded her dourly.

  Surprise lifted her gaze back to his face. “But that was entirely different. Liza married you. She must have loved you in the beginning.”

  Had she? Marcus wondered. In the beginning of their marriage, she’d often mouthed the words to him. Especially when she was complaining that he didn’t spend enough time with her. Now that she’d been gone from his life and he’d had time to look back on their marriage, he suspected her vows of love had been spoken for effect more than anything else. He seriously doubted Liza had ever truly loved him. She’d been impressed with his position and his closeness to the royal family. She’d enjoyed the huge salary he earned and their moments together in bed. But when tragedy had struck, she’d not cared enough to stick by him.

  “My divorce was, well, that’s over.” He shook his head dismissively, then squeezed her shoulder. “The important thing now is your plans.”

  Her eyes widened at the thought. “I don’t know how to tell my family, Marcus. Can’t you just imagine the reaction I’m going to get? Especially from Mother.”

  He nodded grimly. “It won’t be easy.”

  She drew back her shoulders, determined to show him she wasn’t going to cave in under the weight. Although there had been times these past few weeks she’d wondered how she could keep going on.

  “I’m not expecting anything about it to be easy. But no matter what Mother or anyone says, I love this child. I’m going to have it and raise it myself. Even if I have to leave Edenbourg!”

  Marcus glanced at her sharply. He couldn’t imagine allowing her to go off alone under such a burden. It was unthinkable. “I don’t believe it will come to that, Dominique. Your family loves you. They’re not going to desert you.”

  She bit down on her lower lip. “I’m not so sure, Marcus. I’m going to bring scandal to them all, to the whole country. It’s—I’m almost glad Father isn’t here to see or hear the gossip this is going to bring down on his family. He’d be so ashamed, so disappointed that I failed him.”

  Dominique was beating herself up because she’d been human enough to believe a man had loved her. He’d been doing the same thing over Liza, only he hadn’t realized it until just this moment.

  “Dominique, we all make mistakes. The fact that you’re going to have a child doesn’t make you any less of a person. Just because your heart was misguided doesn’t mean it isn’t good.”

  Tears burned her throat once again, but she held them at bay. Still, the need to feel the rock-solid strength of him had her laying her head against his shoulder and burying her face against his neck.

  “I’m so sorry for placing this burden on you, Marcus. Especially now with Father’s accident. I’m not your problem and I don’t expect you to help me deal with any of it. I’m just going to have to find the courage to tell the family and go on from there. I understand there will be some people in this city and the rest of the country who will say I’ve tarnished the monarchy. But I happen to think my baby is more important than gossip.”

  His hand lifted to her hair and for long moments he silently stroked the silky strands while his mind raced ahead to the picture she was revealing. He didn’t like what he was seeing.

  “Dominique, I don’t want you to tell your family anything.”

  Swiftly, she leaned away from him and stared at him in puzzlement. “But—”

  “Trust me. Don’t say anything. The investigation of your father’s accident is still going on and taking up everyone’s thoughts. Now isn’t the t
ime. And I want to think about what will be best for you and your baby—and the whole family.”

  She shook her head at him. “What is there to think about, Marcus? The past can’t be changed.”

  He stood, but continued to hold on to her hand. She rose to her feet alongside him.

  “Promise me, Dominique. Not a word to anyone until I have time to think what we can do about this.”

  We. He was making it his problem, too. And though she was relieved that she was no longer alone, she couldn’t help but wonder why he was bothering. Loyalty to her father was one thing, but helping a pregnant princess was not called for in the duties of king’s high counsel.

  “All right, Marcus,” she agreed with a weary sigh. “I’ve already kept the secret for this long. I suppose I can manage to keep it to myself a little longer. But I really don’t see what difference it will make.”

  He watched her push back a heavy wave of golden-brown hair. Her fingers were still trembling and except for the two spots of pink on each cheek, her face was white and strained. It frightened him to think of her losing the baby, or even worse, having a miscarriage that might jeopardize her life. He’d already lost one child and a wife. He couldn’t bear to lose Dominique.

  Dear Lord, did that mean he was falling in love with her? No, he silently shouted back at himself. He couldn’t allow himself to love Dominique. She needed a husband. A father to her child. Someone who would be good at those tasks. Someone who would be worthy of her love. Not a man married to his job.

  “Have you seen a doctor, Dominique?”

  She nodded uncomfortably. “Yes. Back in the States. To confirm my condition.”

  “Maybe you should see the royal physician here in the palace,” Marcus suggested. “To make sure everything is going along as it should be. You don’t have to worry. He’ll keep your condition in the most strict confidence.”

  Dominique looked doubtful. “If the family learns I’ve had a visit with the doctor they’ll surely want to know why.”

  “I’ll tell them I persuaded you to go. Because you’ve been too upset to sleep. That wouldn’t be much of a fib, would it?”

  He suddenly smiled and for a moment she wondered what her life would have been like if she’d never gone to New England to attend college. Would Marcus have married and divorced or would she have eventually been able to garner his attention? She didn’t know and it was too late to wonder now.

  “No. I can’t sleep. Or eat for that matter. Prudence thinks I’m coming down with some sort of disease. She’s on my case from morning till night.”

  His hand cupped her cheek and everything inside her went soft and needy.

  “I’m going to start badgering you, too. If you don’t start taking better care of yourself.”

  The idea that he cared, even just a little, was enough to make her weepy, but this time the glaze of moisture in her eyes was more from relief than anything.

  “I’m so glad you don’t hate me,” she murmured brokenly.

  Something in his eyes went tender and she found her gaze settling on his lips. Knowing the pleasure of his kiss, yet doing without it, was going to be torture, she thought. But then, she was getting used to living with pain. She’d just have to learn to live with a little more of it.

  “It would be impossible for me to hate you. For any reason.”

  His face was only inches away. The roughly hewn planes and angles as familiar as the back of her hand. The urge to lean forward and press her cheek against his was great within her. The desire must have shown on her face because he suddenly cleared his throat and stepped around her.

  “Good night, Dominique.”

  She watched him head toward the foyer and wondered if it was her he didn’t trust, or himself.

  More than an hour later, Dominique was once again trying to focus her attention on the television, but she was finding it impossible to concentrate on anything.

  It still seemed incredible that Marcus had kissed her. Not just a friendly peck on the lips, but a hot, intimate search of her mouth that had sent her senses spinning and her toes curling.

  Since he’d left her suite, she’d asked herself again and again why he’d kissed her in such a reckless, all-consuming way. Had his intentions been to simply let her know he was attracted to her physically, even though he didn’t want to be?

  With a tormented groan, she tried to remember what she’d been saying to prompt such a reaction from him, but she couldn’t recall much that had happened before the kiss. Afterward, however, the events were stamped clearly in her mind. The relief she’d felt when she’d told him about the baby was still rushing through her and already lifting some of the depressing weight from her shoulders.

  The sound of a key rattling in the door suddenly caught Dominique’s attention and she looked up to see Prudence strolling in, her purse and raincoat over her arm, a smile on her face.

  “Well, I didn’t expect to find you still up,” she said cheerfully. “I hope this means you’ve been out.”

  Dominique’s evening couldn’t have been more eventful if she’d flown to Paris and shouted off the Eiffel Tower.

  “I’ve been right here since you left,” Dominique informed her.

  Prudence made a tsking noise as she carried her things across the room to a coat closet. “You should have had dinner with your family. Gertie made roast beef.”

  “The maid brought me a plate. I ate some of it,” she said, then pushing to her feet, she walked toward one end of the room where a swinging door led into a tiny kitchenette. “Want to join me with a glass of milk?” she called to Prudence.

  “You mean you’re actually going to put something in your stomach?” Prudence asked.

  Dominique wrinkled her nose at the other young woman. Prudence had always been like a sister to her and she regretted being so moody and crabby with her these past days. She only hoped that once her lady-in-waiting learned the truth about her princess, she would forgive Dominique’s indiscretions and not judge her too harshly.

  “Yes. I’m feeling better this evening.”

  It was true, she thought, as she pulled a jug of milk from the small refrigerator. For the first time since she’d come home to Edenbourg, she felt as if the world wasn’t crumbling around her. Marcus did that to her, she realized. He was more than her gallant protector. More than just a crush or attraction. Even more than a hero. He was the man she loved.

  The sudden insight stunned her, like the instant glare of a bright light in a very dark room.

  She unconsciously pushed the door on the refrigerator closed, but that was as far as she got to pouring the milk. For long moments her mind continued to whirl. If she told Marcus of her feelings for him, he would never believe her. One kiss and a little time together was not enough to make a person fall in love. He wouldn’t understand that while away at college she’d forced her feelings for him to go dormant. But they’d been growing just the same. And all it had taken to bring them back to life was simply seeing him again.

  Unaware of the thoughts in her princess’s head, Prudence stepped forward and pulled the plastic jug from Dominique’s hand. “Here, let me do that. The way you’re staring off into space it will be midnight before you get the milk poured.”

  A soft blush stole over Dominique’s cheeks as she shook her head and forced her attention back to Prudence. “I’m sorry. I was just thinking about something.”

  “Clearly,” Prudence replied as she took down glasses from a cabinet. “Is it your father? Have you heard anything new about the accident?”

  “No,” she answered quickly, then glanced at Prudence as the other woman poured the milk. “How did your evening go?”

  Prudence rolled her eyes. “Boring. For the past two hours I’ve been listening to stories about a fishing trip, a soccer game and the joys of selling life insurance.”

  Dominique smiled with amusement as she took the offered glass from Prudence’s hand. “Where did you meet this guy anyway?”

  “At t
he business school I attended while you were away at college. I only agreed to go out with him because I didn’t want to hurt his feelings.”

  “Better now than later.”

  Prudence nodded wholeheartedly. “Believe me, the next time he calls I’m going to be conveniently busy.”

  Dominique sipped the milk and was relieved her stomach actually welcomed the nourishment.

  “I had company tonight,” she said.

  “Really?” Prudence looked both surprised and pleased at this news. “Who was it? Your sister?”

  Dominique shook her head and for some reason the corners of her lips wanted to curve up into a silly grin. But she tamped down the urge. A smile coupled with Marcus’s name would send Prudence’s imagination into overdrive.

  “No. It was Marcus Kent.”

  Prudence’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh. What was he doing? Discussing your father’s accident?”

  “Actually, we didn’t get around to that topic.”

  Dominique could virtually see the wheels inside the other woman’s head spinning. “I thought that subject was at the top of everyone’s conversation these past couple of weeks. So, what did you two talk about?”

  Talking had not been the highlight of the evening. But Dominique could hardly tell Prudence about the kiss. The intimate embrace she’d shared with Marcus was too private, too precious to divulge to anyone, including her lady-in-waiting.

  Her gaze drifted to the floor rather than remain on Prudence’s inquisitive face. “Nothing in particular. He merely came by to see how I’ve been doing.”

  “Oh. Just a dutiful family call, I guess.”

  “Probably. Marcus does take his duties seriously.”

  She could feel Prudence regarding her thoughtfully. “I’m beginning to see that,” she said dryly.

  Dominique shot her an annoyed frown. “If you’re thinking Marcus has romantic intentions toward me, you’re dead wrong, Prudence. The man has been married and divorced. He doesn’t want another woman in his life!”