Bad Nerd Rising (33 page)

“He was quite interested in
you, Gracia. I seriously doubt he’d have left another male close to
you. And I remember being depressed that night by Maria’s answer to
my marriage proposal. I didn’t remain long at that gathering, and
when I awoke in my bed, I was alone and had been alone all night,
because I barely slept.”

The dawning joy on Gracia’s
face was a sight to behold. There was an answering joy and utter
relief on Aleksi’s. “I had been drinking that night, not enough to
completely forget, but enough. And you and Aleksandr were built
very similarly,” Gracia murmured.

“You said he took you to bed shortly after
that,” Tia reminded her.

Graham nodded. “Aleksandr
told me the same thing. He said he planned to end his parents
deciding who he should marry.” Graham thrust his hand through his
hair.

“He wanted me, but his
parents did not?”

“No, they were old school.
They wanted him to marry some eighteen-year-old debutante from
European royalty. He couldn’t stand any of them. He’d noticed you,
and thought he was too old for you, much less any of those... what
did he call them? Twits.”

“How much older was he than
you?” Tia asked Gracia, not to further the conversation but because
she was nosy.

“Fourteen years. I was
twenty-six, and he was forty when we married.”

Tia wrinkled her nose. “His
parents wanted him to marry an eighteen-year-old?”

Graham snorted, then
nodded. “Yes. His reaction was similar. Especially when he pointed
out that he could be any of those girls’ father. He said Gracia was
also too young, but if he was going to marry, it would be
you.”

Gracia’s eyes had grown
soft and distant as she stared at the ornate molding around the
ceiling. Tia doubted she noticed the intricate woodwork. “He did
pursue me like I’d never been before. I had every intention of
moving to America and becoming a career woman.”

“That’s why you hate
America so much,” Aleksi exclaimed, sitting up abruptly. He held
his head a moment like the rocketing movement made him dizzy, which
it probably had.

His mother grimaced.
“Yes.”

“We thought it was because you were jealous
of Maria,” Tia said before she thought.

Gracia smiled and shook her
head. “I was jealous of the fact that she was well traveled and
knew what she wanted. I had plans, but then Aleksandr came along
and I couldn’t resist him.”

Silence ruled in the room
for a few minutes before Tia shifted in her chair and looked at
Graham. “Was Aleksandr’s goal to get Gracia pregnant, or
potentially pregnant, so she’d have to marry him?”

He nodded. “Aleksandr also
feared he had inherited our grandfather’s prostate problems, which
meant he wouldn’t be able to father children.”

“He did complain about
prostate problems,” Gracia said, staring at Graham. “But he never
told me about them. I always feared...”

Graham nodded. “Of course
you did. If he had talked to you, you would have been certain to
find him help, but he hated to show any weakness in front of you,
Gracia. He loved you so much.”

“Just like you love Maria.
You two are a team,” Aleksi said. He sent Tia a look she couldn’t
interpret.

“We are. I tried to tell
Aleksandr that that’s what Gracia wanted with him, but he never
wanted her to think poorly of him.”

“When his weaknesses would
have made him more lovable to me,” Gracia said, and Tia noticed
silent tears streaking down her face.

“You didn’t love
Father?”

“Oh, no, Aleksi, I loved
him so much it hurt sometimes. Again, no other man could have
talked me out of my plans like he did. I really didn’t want to be a
princess.” Gracia’s mouth pulled down.

“Me, either,” Tia agreed
wholeheartedly and then clapped a hand over her mouth.

“It might be too late for
you, baby,” Graham said and glanced at Aleksi, whose eyes had gone
dark. Her heart tripped a beat.

“It is definitely too late
for her,” he growled. This time she had no trouble interpreting his
gaze. It reeked of possession.

Tia’s cheeks and blood
heated. “I’m not—”

“Be careful of what you
say, love. The de Leos men have a way of talking you out of your
plans,” Gracia warned her with a sweet smile. Her hand covered
Tia’s. “I would advise waiting for your wedding night, though,
before you consummate the relationship. It makes the matter of
ensuring ones heirs much less worrisome.”

“You’ve carried this weight around all your
married life,” Graham guessed.

“Yes. Like you said,
Aleksandr and I didn’t have the type of relationship you and Maria
enjoy. If I could have talked to him about my fears, I would
have.”

“And he’d have told you it definitely wasn’t
me that night, but him.”

“I wouldn’t have left had I
known for certain it was him,” Gracia said with a sad
smile.

“So, does this conclude
that I am definitely my father’s son?”

“I’d say that with
certainty Aleksandr was the man your mother snuck out with.
Aleksandr was pretty possessive of her,” Graham answered Aleksi’s
question.

“He was the only man I’ve
ever responded to. It was hard to imagine my making such a huge
mistake of sleeping with someone else, especially Aleksandr’s best
friend.” Gracia’s smile was relieved and a bit poignant. “I’m
relieved to know it wasn’t you that night. I haven’t been able to
look Maria in the face, because I’ve been afraid all these years
that I poached on her territory, and that seemed so wrong to me. I
knew how much you loved each other, and knew I didn’t love you, so
I’ve felt so guilty.”

Graham patted her hand.
“The man you slept with that night was your husband.”

“Why didn’t Mother have a
physical examination before they wed?”

“Because your father
thought that was the epitome of an insult. He knew your mother, and
her family, so I don’t think he was worried.”

“Doesn’t the princess have
to be a virgin?” Tia asked, curious again.

“Technically that’s better,
and I was, until that night,” Gracia said, but broke off. “If it
was Aleksandr that night, he would have known.”

“There wouldn’t have been
any need for the examination, which Aleksandr would have also
known,” Graham stated, obviously knowing how his friend and cousin
thought. “He also knew it was him, not Gracia, who might be the
cause of them not having children.”

They all thought on that
for a moment before Aleksi broke the silence. “Tia also pointed out
that even if I am not Aleksandr’s son, he raised me like I was. So
back to that technical factor, I would still be his son since he
trained me to be the next prince.”

“Yes, that is true,” his
mother said. “But it sounds like you are definitely
his.”

“The prostate problems
might have prevented you from having other children. That might
also explain why Aleksi doesn’t have siblings. In addition to the
lead poisoning,” Tia commented, as she connected more dots in this
puzzle.

“That’s correct. Our great
grandfather only had one child and our grandfather two, but he
married earlier than Aleksandr. We believe Aleksandr inherited the
problem. And there weren’t good treatments at that time.” He
glanced at Aleksi. “There are now.”

“I didn’t inherit that problem.” Aleksi
wiggled his eyebrows at Tia, who blushed again.

“I wish Aleksandr had told
me these things.” Gracia’s voice sounded so sad. “I could have
helped.”

“He didn’t, because he
loved you.” Tia had to point out the obvious. Theirs had been a
different relationship, and she knew she didn’t want one like it.
She wanted Aleksi to love her like she loved him. And yes, those
feelings bubbling deep inside were the direct result of her love
for him. His illness and anxiety about his parentage, not to
mention the amazing man he was, all cemented her love for
him.

“Yes.” Gracia’s sigh was
soul deep.

“I am relieved to know that
I’m my father’s son,” Aleksi said. “Now that we have cleared that
issue, may I sleep?”

Tia laughed, and he grabbed
her wrist and tugged her down for a kiss. She gave him one and
contemplated another. Maks entered and immediately started an
argument with Aleksi about drinking more fluids. Gracia, Graham,
and she all waved goodbye as they left the patient in Maks’ capable
hands.

“Maks is another reason why I wondered,”
Gracia said to Graham.

“I know. Maria and I are
amazed all the time by how similar they are. But Aleksandr and I do
share the same genes. You know that brother and sister married
brother and sister, so we were first cousins twice over. It would
make sense our children are so similar.”

“I didn’t know brother and sister married
brother and sister.”

“That’s how it was done
back then. Royalty had to marry royalty.”

“I see.” Tia glanced at
Gracia. “You know, Gracia, if you’d like to make that visit to
America, my family would adore hosting you.”

Gracia’s eyes widened.
“I’ve been horrible to you. Why would you extend such an
invitation?”

“You were horrible because
of the lead poisoning. Aleksi said you’re nearly back to normal, as
he remembers you.”

Her eyes softened. “I’m
happy to be back to normal. I had grown weary of myself. I still
must undergo additional treatment. But I responded after a few
days, so that heartened me.”

“You’ve made astounding progress
already.”

“Yes, Gracia, you have. If
you keep this up, you should be fine for the wedding.” Graham’s
lips spread into a knowing smile.

“What wedding?” Tia asked.
Gracia seemed to know what he was talking about, so why didn’t
she?

“Her son’s, of course,”
Graham said complacently. This time both of them sent her knowing
looks.

They also both laughed at
the bright pink color she was sure flooded her cheeks because she
could feel them burning.

Oh, no, pink is not our
best color
, her rational side
moaned.

Doesn’t matter, we caught
the prince
, her irrational side
purred.

Tia made a hasty retreat.

Chapter
25

“How much of that did you
hear?” Aleksi asked his best friend as soon as Maks closed the door
behind his father, Aleksi’s mother, and Tia.

Maks sent him an
are-you-kidding
look.

“All of it, that’s good.
Think it’s why Vlad had that trouble?”

His friend shrugged. “Maybe
he thought Dad also fathered you. But I’m not sure how he figured
it out. Your dad never worried because he knew it was him that
night.”

“Maybe Vlad overheard
something about my mother fearing it was your dad instead of mine
who fathered me.”

“But why would she say that
aloud?” Maks paused to think but then went on before Aleksi could
answer. “It doesn’t matter. Sounds like you are your father’s
son.”

“Did Emerson fill you in on all the
details?”

“Everything he heard your
mother say earlier.”

“Good. I don’t think I
could have told you everything.”

“That must have been a
terrible shock. I’m glad we know everything now.”

“Yes. It was also a relief
to hear that nothing was going to stop him from marrying the woman
of
his
choice,”
Aleksi said. It was a good sign for his own future.

“That sounds just like your
dad.”

Aleksi grinned. “It does.
And makes it easier for me to choose my bride.”

“I think everyone will be happy with
Tia.”

“She said the wells are still
contaminated.”

“She’ll figure it out. No
one doubts her abilities. And while you were sick, she and your
mother handled that pompous jerk from that private island near
yours. He made some trumped up excuse that I don’t remember for
‘stopping by’.”

“He was here?” Aleksi
groaned.

“Yes, and we all left Tia
and your mother to him. They charmed him right out the door. It was
a sight to behold Emerson said.”

“You cowards left the women
to handle things?”

Maks raised an eyebrow.
“We’re not stupid.”

“Wimps, as Tia would
say.”

“She already did. She said
we deserved to have our pay docked. That woman has no
heart.”

Aleksi laughed. “That
sounds like Tia. She’s going to be a fierce princess, you
know.”

“We’re not worried. Hubert
talked her out of her off-with-their-heads mood. He’s a handy boy
to have around.” Maks grinned as he apparently enjoyed the moment
again.

“How long did the jerk stay?”

“Eight hours. Tia, smart
woman that she is, mentioned we were having well problems and
everyone had to carry their own water for bathing and such. He left
pretty fast.”

“What a woman, and she’s
mine.” Pride interlaced his voice.