Crown Prince, Pregnant Bride! / Valentine Bride: Crown Prince, Pregnant Bride! / Valentine Bride. Raye Morgan

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СКАЧАТЬ shook her head, worried and not sure how to deal with this. “But, Kimmee, it’s not like that. You know I’m going to marry Leonardo and…”

      “All the more reason you need a gorgeous man. No one said it had to be a forever man.” Her smile was impish. “Just take some happiness where you can. You deserve it.”

      She looked at her maid in despair. It was all very well for her to be giving shallow comfort for activities that were clearly not in good taste. But here she was, hoisted on her own petard, as it were—taking advice that could ruin her life. But what was she going to do—beg a servant not to gossip? Might as well ask a bird not to fly.

      Of course, Kimmee was more than a mere servant. In many ways, she had always been her best friend. That might make a difference. It had in the past. But not being sure was nerve-wracking. After all, this was pretty much a life-or-death situation.

      She closed her eyes and said a little prayer. “Kimmee,” she began nervously.

      “Don’t worry, Pel,” Kimmee said softly. She reached out and touched her mistress’s arm, her eyes warm with an abiding affection. She’d used the name she’d called Pellea when they were young playmates. “I’m just happy that…” She shrugged, but they both knew what she was talking about. “I’d never, ever tell anyone else. It’s just you and me.”

      Tears filled Pellea’s eyes. “Thank you,” she whispered.

      Kimmee kissed Pellea’s cheek, as though on impulse and nodded. Then suddenly, as she noticed Monte coming into the doorway to the library, she was the dutiful servant once again. “Oh, miss, let me take a look at that gown.”

      Monte leaned against the doorjamb, his shirt open, his hair mussed, looking for all the world like an incredibly handsome buccaneer.

      “Hey, Kimmee,” he said.

      “Hello, sir.” She waved, then had second thoughts and curtsied. As she rose from her deep bow, Pellea was behind her and Kimmee risked an A-OK wink to show him plans were afoot and all was going swimmingly. “I hope things are going well with you,” she added politely.

      “Absolutely,” he told her. “I’ve just had a nice little meal and I’m feeling pretty chipper.”

      She laughed and turned back to her work, completed it quickly, and turned to go.

      “Well, miss, I just wanted to check on the gown and remind you I’ll be here to help you get into it in about an hour. Will that suit?”

      “That will suit. Magda should be through by then.” She smiled at the young woman. “Thank you, Kimmee,” she said, giving her a hug as she passed. “I hope you know how much I appreciate you.”

      “Of course, miss. My only wish is for your happiness. You should know that by now.”

      “I do. You’re a treasure.”

      The maid waved at them both. “I’ll be back in a bit. See you.”

      “Goodbye, Kimmee,” Monte said, retreating into the library again.

      But Pellea watched her go, deep in thought. In a few hours, she would be at the ball, dancing with Leonardo and preparing to have their engagement announced. People would applaud. Some might even cheer. A couple of serving girls would toss confetti in the air. A new phase of her life would open. She ought to be excited. Instead, she had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.

      “Get over it,” she told herself roughly. She had to do what she had to do. There was no choice in the matter. But instead of a bride going to join her fiancé, she felt like a traitor going to her doom.

      Was she doing the right thing? How could she know for sure?

      She pressed both hands to her belly and thought of the child inside. The “right thing” was whatever was best for her baby. That, at least, was clear. Now if she could just be sure what that was, maybe she could stop feeling like a tightrope walker halfway across the rope.

      And in the meantime, there was someone who seemed to take great delight in jiggling that rope she was so anxiously trying to get across.

      CHAPTER FIVE

      TURNING, PELLEA MARCHED into the library and confronted Monte.

      He looked up and nodded as she approached. “She’s a good one,” he commented on Kimmee. “I’m glad you’ve got such a strong supporter nearby.”

      “Why didn’t you tell me you’d seen her, actually chatted with her?” Pellea said, in no mood to be mollified. “Don’t you see how dangerous that is? What if she talks?”

      He eyed her quizzically. “You know her better than I do. What do you think? Will she?”

      Pellea shook her head. “I don’t know,” she said softly. “I don’t think so, but…”

      She threw up her hands. It occurred to her how awful it was to live like this, always suspicious, always on edge. She wanted to trust her best friend. Actually, she did trust her. But knowing the penalty one paid for being wrong in this society kept her on her toes.

      “Who knows?” she said, staring at him, wondering how this all would end.

      It was tempting, in her darkest moments, to blame it all on him. He came, he saw, he sent her into a frenzy of excitement and—she had to face it—love, blinding her to what was really going on, making her crazy, allowing things to happen that should never have happened.

      But he was just the temptor. She was the temptee. From the very first, she should have stopped him in his tracks, and she’d done nothing of the sort. In fact, she’d immediately gone into a deep swoon and hadn’t come out of it until he was gone. She had no one to blame but herself.

      Still, she wished it was clearer just what he’d been doing here two months ago, and why he’d picked her to cast a spell over.

      “Why did you come here to my chambers that first time?” she asked him, getting serious. “That day you found me by the fountain. What were you doing here? What was your purpose? And why did you let me distract you from it?”

      He looked at her coolly. He’d finished the chicken and eaten a good portion of the little loaf of bread. He was feeling full and happy. But her questions were a bit irksome.

      “I came to get the lay of the land,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “And to see my ancestral castle. To see my natural home.” He looked a bit pained.

      “The place I was created to rule,” he added, giving it emphasis that only confirmed her fears.

      “See, I knew it,” she said, feeling dismal. “You were prepared to do something, weren’t you?”

      “Not then. Not yet.” He met her gaze candidly. “But soon.”

      She shook her head, hands on her hips. “You want to send Leonardo and his entire family packing, don’t you?” That was putting a pleasant face on something that might be very ugly, but she couldn’t really face just how bad it could be.

      He shrugged. “There’s no СКАЧАТЬ