by Kate Hardy
‘That’s good. I’ll see you in a couple of hours, then.’
* * *
This was ridiculous, being nervous, Kelly told herself sharply. Luc wasn’t the first man she’d taken home to meet her family.
But he was the first man she’d taken home since Simon’s death.
And she needed to make this convincing, because she was about to tell her family an enormous white lie. Not to hurt them, but to give her a breathing space from the nagging and to stop them worrying about her.
She was still jittery by the time Luc rang her doorbell.
He frowned. ‘What’s wrong?’
‘I feel guilty,’ she said. ‘About what we’re doing.’
‘You’re not doing anything wrong. You’re doing me a massive favour,’ he reminded her.
‘I know.’ She bit her lip.
‘You’re taking me to meet your family, so they can see for themselves that I’m not going to make you unhappy.’ He smiled at her. ‘If we turn up with you looking anxious, that’s pretty much going to wreck our cover story.’
‘I guess.’
‘I could tell you terrible jokes all the way to your parents’ house.’
‘I think I’ll manage,’ she said.
‘Good. Let’s go.’
‘Let me get everything out of the fridge.’ She’d made salads earlier and put them into storage boxes.
Luc helped her into the car. ‘I brought half a case of wine and some flowers for your parents. I hope that’s acceptable.’
She looked at the bouquet of peonies and pink gypsophilia. ‘Mum will love those.’
‘Not too showy-offy?’ he checked.
She winced. ‘Sorry. It’s hard for you. I imagine people expect the Prince to turn up with things gift-wrapped in pure gold. But it’s the cardiac surgeon my family’s meeting.’
‘It’s a strange line to walk,’ he agreed. ‘Thank you, Kelly. For making me feel real.’
Right at that moment, the uncertainty in his eyes made her want to lean forward and kiss him, reassure him that everything was going to be just fine.
And, even though she felt nervous about it, she didn’t want him to feel bad. So she leaned forward and brushed her mouth against his. ‘You’ll do.’
Her mouth tingled, flustering her slightly; but she could see the same thing in his expression.
This was strange. A fake relationship that needed to look real—yet, at the same time, was starting to feel real.
Could this really be the start of something they both weren’t expecting?
She pushed the thoughts aside. It wasn’t going to work out that way.
As she’d half expected, her family was gathered in the large farmhouse kitchen that also doubled as the dining room.
‘Mum, Dad, I’d like you to meet Luc Bianchi. Luc, my parents, Caroline and Robin, my sister Susie and her husband Nick, and the twins, Oscar and Jacob,’ she introduced them swiftly.
‘Delighted to meet you all,’ he said, and handed Caroline the bouquet and the box of wine to Robin.
‘How gorgeous! Thank you,’ Caroline said, and gave him a hug. ‘Nice to meet you, Luc.’
‘Yes, good to meet you. And thank you for the wine.’ Robin shook his hand.
‘Wait a second—aren’t you...?’ Susie asked, looking shocked.
‘Yes,’ Luc said. ‘Prince Luciano of Bordimiglia. Otherwise known as Luc Bianchi, cardiac surgeon.’
‘So do we call you “Your Highness”?’ Nick asked as he shook hands with Luc.
He smiled. ‘No. Luc’s fine. Um, I do have my driver with me outside, if I could perhaps have a parking permit for the car?’
‘You’re very welcome to a parking permit,’ Caroline said, ‘but your driver is most certainly not waiting outside. There’s plenty of room here and plenty of food, so I’d be happier if he joined us.’ She winced. ‘Oh—is that allowed?’
‘It is. And thank you,’ Luc said.
‘Come with me, and we’ll sort out the parking,’ Robin said. ‘Actually, then I’m going to put you to work doing barbecue stuff with me and Nick.’
Luc grinned. ‘I’ve already heard the story about the barbecues in the rain under the golf umbrella.’
‘They always make me come inside if it starts thundering,’ Robin said, looking disgusted. ‘We’re all going to take turns doing the manly jobs. Barbecuing, umbrella-holding and twin-wrangling.’
‘Count me in. Oscar and Jacob, I have a question for you,’ Luc said. ‘Why did the cake visit the doctor?’
‘I don’t know,’ the twins chorused shyly.
‘Because it was feeling crummy,’ Luc said.
Kelly winked at Luc to show her approval: it was about the best thing he could have done. The boys and her father all loved corny jokes.
Robin clapped him on the back. ‘I must remember that for the office on Monday. I think you and I are going to get on famously, Luc.’
‘You,’ Susie said to Kelly as soon as Luc was out of earshot, ‘have some explaining to do.’
‘Luc’s a cardiothoracic surgeon,’ Kelly said. ‘He started at the hospital about five weeks ago. Sanjay asked me to show him round the department and take him to lunch, the first day, because he was in meetings.’ So far, all so true.
‘And you’re dating him?’ Caroline said. ‘But...’
‘But nothing. The pair of you are constantly throwing eligible men at me. Shouldn’t you be pleased that I’m dating someone?’
‘He’s a prince,’ Susie said.
‘A very low-key one who sees himself as a surgeon first,’ Kelly pointed out.
‘But what about when he has to take over from his father?’ Caroline asked.
‘He doesn’t want to be King. He’s trying to persuade his father to change the succession laws so his oldest sister can take over. And I have to say he’s a brilliant surgeon. I’ve sat in on a couple of his ops. And,’ Kelly added, ‘he’s doing a trial of new treatment for HCM. Jake called me the other day to tell me that he and Summer are going to be on it.’
‘Oh, darling. That’s great news.’ Caroline hugged her. ‘I take it Luc knows about Simon?’
‘Yes. Actually, HCM is why he became a doctor. His best friend died from it when they were fifteen. So he understands why I wanted Jake and Summer on the trial—though that’s strictly because they met the trial guidelines and not because I asked him.’
Susie hugged her, too. ‘OK. But even though he’s a doctor, Kel, he’s still a prince.’
‘A doctor first,’ Kelly said. ‘He plans to go back to Bordimiglia in two years’ time and set up a state-of-the-art cardiac clinic.’
‘So where does that leave you, if he’s not staying here?’ Susie asked.
‘It’s early days,’ Kelly said. ‘Though he’s going to need a good cardiologist.’
Caroline looked shocked. ‘You mean you’d go with him?’
‘It’s a good opportunity, and maybe that’s what I need to help me move on,’ Kelly said. ‘A change of scene. No memories.’
‘It’s a long way away,’ Caroline said.
‘I know. But nothing’s set in stone,’ Kelly said.
‘Obviously the paparazzi haven’t got wind of you dating him, yet,’ Susie said.
‘No, but it’ll be fine,’ Kelly reassured her.
‘But he’s a prince, Kel.’ Susie looked worried.
‘A surgeon,’ Kelly said firmly. ‘Give him a chance. You might like him. Mum, where do you want me to put these salads?’
* * *
Luc was touched by how easily Kelly’s family made him feel at home. They were clearly treating him as a surgeon rather than a prince, and he appreciated that. He was kept busy alternately manning the barbecue, holding the golf umbrella over whoever was manning the barbecue next, ferrying cooked food indoor
s and keeping the twins out of mischief, working as a team with Robin and Nick.
And how good it felt to be treated as a normal person, as part of a normal family. Though, at the same time, it made him feel guilty. He’d pretty much pushed his own family away in an attempt to be his own person; although he was close to his sisters, his relationship with his parents was much trickier, and he knew they all hid behind the excuse of his parents’ royal schedule. He needed to make more of an effort to find a compromise. The kind of relationship Kelly had with her family was exactly what he wanted. Just he didn’t quite know how to make that work.
The rain stopped, and while he was manning the barbecue Kelly came over with a plate of salad and a glass of wine.
‘I’ve been despatched to make sure the cook’s OK,’ she said with a smile.
‘Very OK.’ On impulse, he stole a kiss. ‘Thank you for inviting me.’
She went slightly pink. ‘Pleasure.’
‘Your family’s lovely,’ he said softly. ‘I appreciate the fact they’re seeing me for myself and not my position.’
‘Expect to be grilled later,’ she warned. ‘But they like you.’
‘Good.’ He stole another kiss. Because that was what a new boyfriend would do, wasn’t it? The fact that he actually wanted to kiss Kelly was completely beside the point.
And it was good to eat a normal family meal in a normal family environment. When Oscar fell over and scraped his knee, Luc was the nearest and scooped him up to deal with it and talked to him about knights in armour to distract him from the sting of the antiseptic.
And, just as Kelly had warned, Susie insisted that they should do the washing up together after the meal while everyone sat out in the garden, now the rain had lifted. Grilling time, he thought. ‘You’re Kelly’s big sister. Mine would be the same and want to be sure whoever I brought home had good intentions,’ he said. ‘So what do you want to know?’
‘You’re dating my little sister,’ Susie said.
‘I am,’ he agreed. It wasn’t the whole truth, but enough to count.
‘And you know about her past.’
‘I know how much she loved Simon and how devastated she was at losing him. So I understand why you’re all worried about her. I’ll be careful with her,’ he said. He smiled. ‘Just to reassure you, I think a lot of your sister. I respect her professionally and personally.’
Susie looked wary. ‘But your world is very different from ours, Luc.’
‘I’m a heart surgeon,’ he said softly. ‘So, actually, my world is pretty much the same as Kelly’s. We work in the same department. Sometimes she sits in when I operate on her patients, and sometimes I ask her to run tests on mine.’
‘Except she’s an ordinary woman and you also happen to be a prince. Can I be honest?’ At his nod, she said, ‘The newspapers can be unkind. That worries me.’
‘The media can be vile,’ he agreed, ‘but there’s nothing about your family they can use to hurt her.’
‘You checked us out?’
This was where he needed to reassure her properly. ‘Yes—for Kelly’s sake. As you say, the newspapers can be unkind. I’ve been there before and it ended badly,’ he said softly. ‘I mean to take care of Kelly and make sure the press can’t hurt her—or, by extension, any of your family and close friends. I admit, there probably will be some press intrusion, and I apologise in advance for that. But our press team will be there to support you. Anything you need, you’ll have it. I’ll make sure you, Nick and your parents have all the relevant phone numbers before I leave today. They’ll be available to you twenty-four-seven.’
Susie still looked worried. ‘Gino’s a nice man, but he’s your bodyguard.’
‘Which I know is a strange thing if you didn’t grow up with it, but I’m used to it. He’s part of my team. And my team’s protection will extend to Kelly,’ he said.
‘You’re the first man she’s actually brought home since Simon, so it’s obvious that you matter to her,’ Susie said.
Guilt lanced through him. Kelly’s family was nice, and they really loved her. They were close. Whereas his own family was nice, and he’d distanced himself from them. It made him feel selfish and horrible. ‘She wanted me to meet you.’
‘Because you matter,’ Susie repeated.
‘Because she loves you all, and she doesn’t want you to worry about her.’ That much was true. He wanted to stick to the truth as much as he could. ‘And of course you’ll worry,’ he added gently. ‘But I promise you I won’t hurt her.’
‘OK.’ Susie took a deep breath. ‘And this clinic you want to set up?’
So Kelly had mentioned it to her family, then. ‘My best friend died from HCM when we were fifteen. It’s why I became a cardiac specialist—I saw what his family went through and I wanted to save other people from that, I guess, and to save other fifteen-year-olds losing their best friends, the way I did,’ he added wryly. ‘I want to set up a cutting-edge cardiac clinic in Bordimiglia.’ He paused. What he needed to give Kelly’s family was some reassurance that he wasn’t going to whisk her off with him right this very second. ‘I asked Kelly if she would consider coming back with me and training the next generation of cardiologists. But it’s still a couple of years away—I wouldn’t leave Muswell Hill Memorial Hospital in the lurch by accepting this post and then disappearing in a couple of weeks to set up my new clinic. I plan to spend a couple of years in my current role, getting more experience, and give them plenty of time to replace me.’
‘That’s fair,’ she said. ‘But Bordimiglia’s a long way from England.’
‘A couple of hours on a plane,’ he said. ‘Which is just as quick as if, say, she’d moved to Manchester and you took the train to see her.’
Susie nodded. ‘And I guess she has a point. Working in a place where there are no memories might help her move on. And that’s all we want—for her to be happy again.’
‘I understand,’ he said softly.
‘I apologise for the grilling.’
‘No apology needed. It’s good that her family looks out for her. My sisters will probably grill her in the same way at some point.’ He smiled. ‘But actually as soon as they meet her they’ll see her for who she is and they’ll love her.’
* * *
When Susie and Luc reappeared from the kitchen, to Kelly’s relief they both looked relaxed rather than awkward. And Luc was fine about the idea of taking the twins to the park to play football. It made her heart squeeze sharply—Simon had been a fantastic uncle and had loved going to the park with the boys—but she appreciated that Luc was making the effort to fit in with her family.
Susie hugged Kelly as they stood on the sidelines, watching the men play football with the twins. ‘I really like him. He’s a lot more down to earth than I would have expected from someone in his position. Nick and Dad like him, too.’
‘And Mum?’ Kelly checked.
‘She’s as worried as I am,’ Susie admitted, ‘but he pretty much reassured me—’
‘—when you grilled him in the kitchen,’ Kelly finished.
‘A man who doesn’t complain about helping with the washing up or being grilled by a bossy older sister is one to keep hold of,’ Susie said. ‘We all just want to see you happy.’
‘I am,’ Kelly promised.
In a weird way, this thing with Luc was helping her to move on. She’d never forget Simon and she’d always love him, but she was starting to think that she could move on and find happiness again.
* * *
On the Wednesday, Luc’s patient Maia Isley was scheduled to have the new personalised external aortic root support treatment. Kelly had already been involved in the scans where they’d made a 3D computer model of Maia’s heart, and Luc was happy with the tailored mesh support that he was going to wrap round her aorta. His colleague from his old department had come over to lend a hand with
the operation, and Sanjay joined Kelly to watch the operation.
‘So today we’re making history,’ Sanjay said.
‘It’s wonderful to be part of new developments,’ Kelly agreed.
And it was wonderful to watch Luc operating. She noticed how deft his hands were and how his confidence and clear direction made the rest of the team relax. Maia had agreed to let them film the operation to use for training in the department, for their colleagues who couldn’t be there to see it.
‘It’s amazing how far we’ve come since I was your age,’ Sanjay said.
She grinned. ‘You’re not that old, Sanj.’
‘Sometimes I feel it,’ he said. ‘I’m glad Luc’s joined us. I did worry that we might have a problem with press intrusion, but his PR team has been excellent.’
She’d remember to tell that to her parents and Susie later, to help ease any worries they might have. And what she and Luc were planning might still have an effect on the hospital; but hopefully Luc’s team could spin it positively.
‘Are you OK?’ Sanjay asked.
‘Sure. Just a bit overwhelmed by what we’re doing here today,’ she said. Which was true... Just not the whole truth.
‘You and Luc seem to be getting on really well,’ Sanjay said.
‘He’s a good man. I like him a lot.’
‘Agreed,’ Sanjay said.
And if her boss had noticed that they were getting on well... Then hopefully they’d manage to convince everyone at work that their marriage was real.
CHAPTER SEVEN
THE FOLLOWING WEEKEND, Kelly sorted out the final arrangements for New York with Luc.
‘Do you want me to pack hand luggage only?’ she asked.
‘No. Bring whatever you like,’ he said.
‘Are you sure? Packing luggage for the hold means we’ll have to wait around for the plane to unload.’
‘Not quite,’ he said.
She frowned. ‘How come?’
‘We’re using a private jet,’ he explained.