by Kate Hardy
But he and Kelly hadn’t talked about their feelings. He was pretty sure Kelly wasn’t in love with him. She liked him, yes, and the physical attraction between them had been obvious in New York. But love? They hadn’t said the words. And it felt wrong to say them now.
What did he do?
If he said no, he’d hurt her family. If he said yes, he’d probably freak Kelly out. It was a tough line to walk; but he was used to having to juggle the two sides of his life. Used to diplomacy, even though he wasn’t as good at it as his sisters were.
He chose his words carefully. ‘As you can imagine, I grew up in a rather different world. One where you pretty much keep your emotions private. Love isn’t something I’m comfortable talking about.’
‘It’s a simple enough question,’ Caroline said, her voice very neutral—but Luc could see the worry in her eyes. ‘Do you love Kelly or don’t you?’
He could feel the tension in Kelly’s frame. To make this convincing as a whirlwind relationship, he knew what he had to say. Yet, if he said it, would Kelly think he was an accomplished liar, someone she couldn’t trust?
It all depended on how you defined love.
Friendship plus physical attraction: under that definition, he loved Kelly. And he’d kept his emotions in check for so long that he wasn’t sure he knew what love felt like any more.
‘Yes,’ he said softly. And he increased the pressure of his arm very slightly round Kelly so she’d know that it was a yes he could explain, and would explain later.
* * *
Either he was lying to her family or he’d been lying to her—and she didn’t think Luciano Bianchi was a liar.
They’d never talked about love. If he loved her, surely he would’ve said the words to her in private, not blurted them out in front of her family?
Then again, her parents had pretty much forced the issue. Whatever he said would be difficult. If he said no and admitted it was a marriage of convenience, all hell would break loose. He chose to say yes. So was this a white lie to make a family feel better about their elopement? Or did Luc actually mean it?
And what did that little squeeze of his arm actually mean? Was it his way of saying they’d talk later, or was he saying sorry he hadn’t said the words before, or was he saying he was stuck and he didn’t want to hurt anyone and he wasn’t putting any pressure on her?
She didn’t have a clue. And it left her own feelings in a complete tangle. How did she feel about him? It wasn’t the same kind of relationship she’d had with Simon—but was this love?
She couldn’t think straight. Could hardly breathe. Couldn’t meet her family’s eyes.
Had she just made the biggest mistake of her life?
‘If you really love my sister,’ Susie said, ‘then I’m happy. I get why you wanted to keep it low-key.’
Because Kelly had had the big wedding, last time round.
‘And all we want is to see you happy. To see you living again instead of just existing for nothing except work. And I’ve seen the change Luc’s made in you. Those photos you sent us from New York, with the two of you on Broadway—you looked so happy. Happier than I’ve seen you in two years,’ Susie continued.
‘So you’re not angry with us?’ Kelly asked.
‘I think,’ Robin said, ‘we’re sad we didn’t get the chance to share it with you and throw confetti and drink champagne and dance very, very badly to the terrible music you girls all love.’
‘But if you’re happy, that means the world to us,’ Caroline said.
‘I’m sorry again,’ Luc said. ‘Maybe we can have a private celebration.’
‘Just the family? That would be nice,’ Nick said.
‘A barbecue,’ Robin said.
‘Done. My place,’ Luc said.
‘Which I assume is where you’re going to be living, now, Kelly?’ Robin asked.
She nodded. ‘Maybe we can do the celebration stuff next weekend.’
‘Perfect,’ Susie said. ‘And please tell us you have some photographs from the wedding, even if they’re selfies on your phone.’
‘You have to wait for twenty-four hours between getting your licence and getting married,’ Luc said, ‘so I managed to book a photographer. I can give you the download link if you’d like to see them.’
‘If?’ Susie said, raising her eyebrows at him. ‘Of course we want to see them.
‘And, um, I have champagne in the car. Maybe we can have a toast while we look at the photographs. And obviously I’ll order any prints you’d like,’ he added. ‘I know it doesn’t make up for you not being there, but we really did want it to be low-key.’
‘Champagne is an excellent idea,’ Caroline said.
Luc fetched it swiftly, and Robin led the toast. ‘To Kelly and Luc. Wishing you every happiness.’
‘Every happiness,’ the others echoed.
Everyone seemed to enjoy the wedding photographs. ‘I love this one on the carousel,’ Susie said softly. ‘You look happy. It’s so good to see the light back in your eyes.’
‘I wish you’d been there,’ Kelly said, hugging her. ‘But if we’d both had our families there...’
‘It wouldn’t have been low-key any more,’ Susie finished. ‘Just as long as you’re happy.’
‘Have you told your own family yet, Luc?’ Robin asked.
‘No.’
‘As the heir to the throne, you’ve deprived your country as well as your family of your wedding,’ Caroline said quietly.
‘They’ve already had my sisters’ weddings,’ he said. ‘And Kelly’s right—my life is complicated. I see myself as a doctor, not a king. I’m not the oldest child, and I think my older sister—who would make a fantastic queen and a much better ruler than I would—should be the one to take over from my father. It’s utterly ridiculous that one chromosome should make so much difference, in this day and age,’ he added, his words heartfelt.
‘I agree with that,’ Susie said. ‘Though I think your family might be upset.’
His parents certainly wouldn’t react with the warmth and openness of Kelly’s parents, Luc thought. Maybe he could learn from Kelly how to make that particular relationship a little easier and less formal.
‘So are you a princess now, Kelly?’ Robin asked.
‘No. As with your royal family, only someone of royal blood can be called a prince or princess after marrying into the royal family,’ Luc answered. ‘My father does have the right to bestow a title, if he chooses.’
‘But that’s not why I married Luc. I’m still Dr Kelly, the way I always was,’ Kelly said. ‘Although I’m Dr Bianchi now.’
‘Still our Kelly,’ Caroline said. She looked at Luc. ‘Welcome to the family.’
‘Thank you.’ Awkwardly, Luc took his arm from round Kelly’s shoulders and went to shake Caroline’s hand.
She hugged him. So did Robin, Nick and Susie. ‘Welcome to the family.’
* * *
Back in the car, Luc sighed. ‘I’m sorry for hurting your family, Kelly.’
‘They’ve forgiven us—now they’re over the initial shock, they just want us to be happy,’ she said. ‘But I think your family will give you a harder time than mine.’
‘We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.’ He raised her hand to his mouth and kissed it.
‘You told my family that you loved me.’
He knew she’d bring that up. ‘If you define love as friendship plus physical attraction, then yes, I love you. I wasn’t lying.’
‘That’s a very clinical way of putting it.’
Especially when those three little words had been said to her by her previous husband, and he’d meant that she was the love of his life. Guilt flooded through him. ‘Most of the time, I have to keep my emotions under wraps. I’m expected to behave with quiet dignity,’ he pointed out.
‘Eloping to New York is hardly quiet dignity.’
‘I know. But it was my idea, so I’m taking the blame.’
‘It wasn’t just you. I could have said no.’
‘Thank you,’ he said, ‘for saying yes. And for being so supportive.’
‘I said I’d help you.’
‘But it’s caused a row with your family—or as near a row as I guess you get to, given how nice they all are—and I really am sorry for that.’
‘They’ll come round,’ Kelly said. ‘Your family, on the other hand, might disown you for what we’ve done.’
He shrugged. ‘Isn’t there a famous quote, “never trouble trouble till trouble troubles you”?’
‘Yes,’ she said wryly, ‘but I have a nasty feeling you might have troubled trouble.’
* * *
Back at Luc’s house, they went into his study together.
‘Here goes,’ he said. He switched on his laptop and video-called his parents.
There was a quick exchange in Italian that Kelly couldn’t follow, and then Luc said, ‘Can we speak English, please, Mamma?’
‘English?’
‘I’d like you to meet someone,’ he said. ‘Kelly, this is my mother, Vittoria. Mamma, this is Kelly.’
‘Pleased to meet you, Your Majesty,’ Kelly said, wishing she’d thought to ask Luc about etiquette before he’d called home.
‘And you, my dear,’ Vittoria said.
‘Is Babbo around?’ Luc asked.
‘He’s in Rome on business. Why?’
Luc coughed. ‘I have some news. Kelly and I work together. She’s a cardiologist. And we went to New York this week together.’
‘I see,’ Vittoria said.
Kelly didn’t have a clue what Luc’s mother was feeling. Now she understood what he meant about keeping his emotion under wraps. Quiet dignity definitely summed up his mother. Quiet enigmatic dignity.
‘While we were there, we got married,’ Luc said.
‘Married.’ Again, that quiet, measured, completely inscrutable tone. ‘I see. And you want me to tell your father?’
‘No—I’ll do that. But I wanted you to be the first to know.’
‘I see.’
Her own family had been upset at first. Kelly didn’t have the faintest idea how his mother was feeling, right now. Horrified? Disapproving? Angry? Hurt? Without a clue how the other woman was feeling, she had no way of reassuring her or making things better. But she wanted to say something to support Luc. ‘Luc’s a good man. An excellent surgeon.’
‘Indeed. He’s also the heir to the throne of Bordimiglia,’ Vittoria said.
‘You know how I feel about that, Mamma,’ he said.
‘Indeed. You know how your father feels, too.’ Vittoria paused. ‘Did it not occur to you to introduce us before you got engaged, let alone married? It’s very discourteous to your wife.’
Kelly really hadn’t expected that, and it made her feel even more guilty. ‘It was discourteous to you, too, and I apologise for that.’
‘I think I know whose idea it was to get married in a rush, child,’ Vittoria said. ‘We will speak later, Luciano.’ And the screen went black.
Luc blew out a breath. ‘That went relatively well.’
Was he kidding? She stared at him in disbelief. His mother had just hung up on him! How on earth could he think it had gone well? She’d be devastated if her mum had hung up on her.
‘Babbo’s on business, so I can’t just call him. I’m going to leave him a voicemail asking him to call me before he speaks to Mamma.’ He sighed. ‘Things might get a little sticky over the next day or two.’
‘Even though I didn’t make any vows about for better or worse,’ Kelly said, ‘I’m your wife and I’ll stand by you.’
‘Thank you.’ He closed his eyes for a moment. ‘I kind of wish we were back in New York.’
‘Rewinding time so we didn’t get married in the first place?’
‘No. I wish we were still on honeymoon. You and me, enjoying the sights of New York with the rest of the world a million miles away.’
On impulse, she wrapped her arms around him. ‘We’ll weather the storm.’
‘Eventually.’ He dropped a kiss on the top of her head. ‘I shouldn’t ask you this, but you haven’t chosen your room yet. Would you stay with me tonight?’
Hold him until they both fell asleep? Common sense dictated that she should find an excuse; they’d both agreed that London would mean a return to Plan A rather than the closeness they’d shared in New York. But she wasn’t going to push him away when he needed her. And right now she needed the comfort of his arms around her, too. ‘We’ve had a long day. Yes.’
He kissed her lightly. ‘I’ll call my father. I guess I’d better talk to my sisters, too. If Mamma hasn’t already done that.’
‘I’ll be here. Even if my Italian is currently limited to yes, no, hello, goodbye, please and thank you, I can at least be polite.’
‘You,’ he said softly, ‘are an amazing woman.’
He left a swift message on his father’s voicemail, and called his sisters. When he’d finished explaining the situation to them, his mobile phone rang.
‘It’s my father,’ he said as he looked at the screen. ‘I’d better take this.’ Again, the entire conversation was conducted in rapid Italian, and Kelly felt very much surplus to requirements. She had absolutely no idea from Luc’s expression how the conversation was going. But eventually he hung up.
‘How did they take the news?’ she asked.
‘My father said we’ll talk after he gets back from Rome. My sisters both say I’m an idiot but they’d like to meet you—sooner, rather than later.’
‘Did you tell them it’s a marriage of convenience?’
‘No. They need to think it’s real.’
‘I’ll do my best,’ Kelly said. ‘But I’m a cardiologist, not an actress.’
‘And all this is well above and beyond the call of what I asked you to do. I really didn’t expect it to get this complicated,’ he said.
‘Me, neither. But it’s done now. We’ll make the best of it.’
He held her close. ‘I’m not sure I’d be quite as understanding if our positions were reversed.’
‘Actually, I think you would,’ she said.
She curled into his arms that night, and his lovemaking was so sweet and tender that it brought tears to her eyes. The next morning, they headed to her flat and packed all her belongings ready for the removal van. But when they returned to Luc’s house, visitors were waiting for them.
Even before Luc spoke, Kelly could see the family resemblance and knew exactly who they were.
‘Elle! Giu! I didn’t expect to see you,’ he said, sounding shocked.
His older sister rolled her eyes, hugged him and cuffed his arm. ‘You are in so much trouble.’
‘Getting married without your family. It’s mean to leave us out,’ his younger sister agreed.
He blew out a breath. ‘That wasn’t the intention. Did Mamma send you?’
‘No. It was my idea,’ Elle said. ‘And we haven’t seen you for ages.’
He winced. ‘I’m sorry. That’s my fault. I do love you all.’
‘But you’re focused on being a doctor,’ Giulia said. ‘We know.’
‘Nice to meet you, Kelly,’ Eleonora said. ‘Now, Luc, go and do something while Giu and I get to know our new sister-in-law.’
‘I’m not leaving her alone with you for you to grill her,’ Luc said.
‘Something to hide, brother dearest?’ Giulia asked sweetly.
‘No,’ Kelly and Luc said simultaneously.
Eleonora and Giulia raised their eyebrows at each other.
‘That’s too swift a denial. They’re definitely hiding something,’ Elle agreed.
‘We’re not. We fell in love and we couldn’t wait to get married. I sent you the wedding photographs,’ Luc said. ‘So you can see for yourself.’
His sisters shook their heads. ‘You’re almost Pinocchio, Luc. Your nose twitches when you lie,’ Giulia said.
‘It does not.’
‘Oh, but it does. We have a theory,’ Elle said casually, ‘that you might have got married to someone unsuitable just to prove to our parents that you’re unsuited to be King and Babbo should disinherit you.’
Luc’s hand tightened round Kelly’s, warning her not to react.
‘Except we saw the press office report, Kelly,’ Giulia said. ‘And there’s nothing remotely unsuitable about you. If you’d been a party girl who’d been in rehab a couple of times, or you had a brother who was in and out of jail, or something else that would make a lot of work for the palace PR team, Luc might have got away with it. But you’re not quite what we expected.’
‘We’re in love,’ Luc insisted.
‘Also not true, because you would’ve told us and got us on your side to help talk Babbo round to the idea of you marrying someone who wasn’t royal. So, basically, you’re busted and you might as well tell us the truth,’ Elle said.
‘You’re right,’ Kelly said to Luc. ‘She’d be a brilliant ruler. She’s scary.’
‘That comes from having two children under the age of five,’ Giulia said. ‘It makes you develop the scary mum radar. So are you going to tell us the truth?’
Luc raked a hand through his hair. ‘I’m the heir. I’m pulling rank.’
Elle scoffed. ‘No. You’re going to make coffee, because we gave Maria the rest of the day off.’
‘Better idea. I’ll make the coffee and some choc-chip cookies to go with it,’ Kelly said.
‘Better idea still,’ Giulia said. ‘We’ll come with you and make cookies, and Luc can go and do blokey stuff.’
‘Bu—’
‘We’re going to have a girly chat. It might involve the menstrual cycle,’ Giulia said.
Luc laughed. ‘I’m a doctor. I don’t get embarrassed that easily. You can talk about menstruation. I might even be able to give you some good advice.’