Honeymoon With a Prince (Royal Scandals) (30 page)

“Funny,” Vittorio answered.
 
They all knew full well the odds were ten to one with an hour to go before the start of the walk, since they’d each sneaked peeks online.
 
And, of course, Alessandro had begged off at the last minute, which surprised none of his siblings.

“More walking, less talking,” came a low, commanding voice from behind them, to which Massimo, Sophia, and Vittorio instantly replied, “Yes, sir.”
 

Queen Fabrizia glided ahead of them, pausing a few meters past the front gates to shake hands with a young family who’d likely been waiting for hours to catch a glimpse of the Barralis, before she moved on to say a few words to a soldier who’d worn his dress uniform for the occasion.
 
King Carlo, satisfied his adult children would now act as he expected, made his way to the opposite side of the street, shaking hands and making small talk as he went.
 

“I’m with Mother,” Vittorio hissed, sending Sophia and Massimo to follow King Carlo.
 
For the next hour, the family slowly made their way along the route, talking to as many people as possible and posing for photos.
 
Many bunches of flowers were handed their way.
 
By the time they reached the reviewing stand, the entire family and the escorts walking behind them had armloads, all of which were set into strategically-placed containers lining the front of the royal box.
 

Massimo clapped along with the rest of the crowd as King Carlo took his usual position in the center of the box.
 
Queen Fabrizia, radiant from the walk, joined him and received equally rambunctious applause from the crowd.
 
At the same time, uniformed solders raised flags on either end of the stand and drumbeats sounded in the distance as the first group of marchers began the parade a little over a kilometer away, near a waterfront statue commemorating the signing of the treaty with Italy that granted Sarcaccia its independence.

“Pomp and circumstance done right,” Massimo commented to Sophia, who stood beside him.
 
“I’ve missed this.”

“And we’ve missed you.”
 
She gave his arm a quick squeeze before turning to face the direction from which the marchers would approach.
 
Massimo put a hand on her shoulder as he surveyed the scene.
 
Since returning home, he’d felt uncomfortable in his own skin.
 
The only exceptions were when he was out on the water with Gaspare or when he’d been with Kelly.
 
But now, with the sun shining and his family around him, he felt at peace once more.
 
A sense of command and surety filled him as he looked beyond the crowd, toward the marina and the water.
 
Stefano had been right.
 
It might take time, but Massimo would find his role and his purpose here.

The first group of marchers came into view, a high school band who’d won a competition for the honor to lead the parade.
 
The sound of trumpets, flutes, and trombones carried along the main avenue preceding them.
 
Onlookers craned their necks for a better look.
 
As Massimo leaned forward, his gaze snagged on a woman on the opposite side of the street.
 

The sight caused his heart to rise into his throat.

Kelly’s head was thrown back as she laughed.
 
Her hand was on April’s forearm, and April had a hand over her own mouth as if to smother a bout of out-of-control laughter.
 
The pair were at the front of the crowd, at the barricade.
 
Kelly wore the same outfit she’d had on in his apartment earlier, but a pair of sunglasses now covered her eyes.
 
She brought her laughter under control, though it was clear the task wasn’t an easy one.
 
He wondered what April had said to draw such a reaction.

He wanted to see it again.
 
Hell, he wanted to be the cause of that abandon himself.

“Is that April?” Sophia asked, following his gaze.
 
“She looks happy.
 
Glad to see she took the afternoon away from work.
 
Hasn’t she been working on your new closet?”

“She has.
 
Should be done next week.”

“Mother will be thrilled.”
 
A moment later, Sophia asked, “Who’s with her?”

He feigned a second look, as if he hadn’t noticed.
 
Kelly was craning her neck to see the approaching parade, a look of anticipation on her face.
 
“Oh, that’s Kelly Chase.
 
She’s the closet designer.”
 
He managed to sound nonchalant, even though the simple act of saying her name sent tension coiling through his chest.

“She’s gorgeous.”
 

When he didn’t respond, Sophia whispered, “Oh, Massimo.
 
Please don’t tell me you like her.”

“Of course I like her.
 
I wouldn’t hire someone I disliked.”
 
He cheered as the band reached the reviewing stand, with the marchers in front holding their high school banner and waving Sarcaccian flags.
 
“On that subject, I like Robert a lot.
 
He can be a bit crusty sometimes, but he’s straightforward and knows what looks good on me.
 
Thanks for finding him.”

“You’re welcome, though Robert wasn’t the subject.
 
Don’t think I didn’t notice you change the topic.”

“We were discussing recent hires, weren’t we?”

“I didn’t think so.”

“Oh.”
 
He paused, then frowned.
 
“Sorry if I confused you.”

“You’re impossible.”
 
She swatted at his arm.
 
At the same time, he noticed a flare in her eyes and followed her line of vision to the bleachers adjacent to the reviewing stand.
 
A lean, elegant blonde stood in the second row.

“That’s Madeline Lockwood,” Sophia whispered.
 
“Scottish.
 
She’s a guest of Father’s.
 
Her mother’s company owns several casinos.”

“I’ve heard of the Lockwoods.”
 
They were wealthy, as one expected the owners of a casino business to be, but they hadn’t been born to it.
 
They’d worked their way up, Madeline’s mother in the casino and hotel businesses, and her father in aviation.
 

“I believe they’re interested in expanding to Sarcaccia.
 
Father said he’d meet with the family, but informally.
 
Hence the invite.”
 
Sophia turned her attention back to the parade and clapped as a large float went by.
 
“Don’t look now, but if you check the row behind Madeline Lockwood, there are the Thyssen sisters from Denmark.
 
The younger one is—”

“Stop.”

“Stop what?”

“You’re matchmaking.
 
Stop.”

A heavy sigh escaped her, though her public smile remained fixed.
 
“All right.
 
But I thought you should know who’s who before tonight’s banquet.”

“Not necessary.”
 
He smiled down at his sister.
 
“But I appreciate the thought.”

When she grinned back, he couldn’t help but think how much lovelier she’d grown during his years away.
 
“Anytime.”

The rest of the parade passed as it did every year.
 
Flowers in every imaginable hue decorated giant floats, dancers in both traditional and modern costumes kicked and spun their way down the boulevard, and bands played patriotic songs as they marched past the royal box.
 
Amongst the crowd, the occasional balloon came loose from a stroller or a child’s fist and drifted skyward.
 
Ice cream, candy sticks, and oversize pretzels were consumed by the cartload as vendors wended their way along the area behind the barricades.
 
Happy banter filled the air.
 
When a group of disabled veterans made their way past the royal family—some on foot, others with canes or in wheelchairs—Massimo saluted them.
 
Though most were close to his father’s age, he picked out a few he knew were his peers, making him wonder where and how they’d sustained their injuries.

I understand
.
 

The words ricocheted through his brain.
 
If he could push the thought to the men and women on the parade route, he would, simply to reassure them that they weren’t alone in their suffering and that their sacrifice wasn’t forgotten or in vain.
 

When a young soldier saluted back from his wheelchair, a sense of gratification filled Massimo’s chest.
 
Even across the distance between them, Massimo could see the spark of pride in the man’s face.
 
It was no different than the pride displayed on the faces of the baton twirlers who came afterward or the equestrians whose horses pranced expertly along the route.

Through it all, Massimo kept watch over Kelly without allowing his gaze to linger.
 
As Sophia had pointed out, there were any number of beautiful women lining the parade route.
 
Those near the reviewing stand, in particular, had taken care with their appearance, as many were invitees to tonight’s royal banquet and hoped to catch the ear—or the eye—of one of the Barrali family.
 
Men, too, were hoping to make inroads with the powerful family.
 
In years past, before he’d been abroad with the military, Massimo used his perch on the review stand to scan the immediate crowd and make his plans for the evening.

But this year, though he managed to look interested in those nearby, his heart wasn’t in it.
 
Even when a friend of Vittorio’s—a gregarious, statuesque brunette from a wealthy, well-connected family—flirted with him, he found it an effort to match her witty repartee.
 
Try as he might, he couldn’t tear his thoughts from Kelly.
 
When Kelly and April disappeared into the crowd, he felt as though a part of him were missing.

Absurd, he told himself.
 
Perhaps as the days wore on, his fascination would fade and he’d rediscover the bounty of Sarcaccia…namely, its astonishing women.
 
Kelly had been the first after a long dry spell while he was on deployment.
 
He’d get over it.
 
He’d have to.
 
She had her life—a mixed-up one, at that—and he had his.
 
They weren’t suited in the long term.
 
Sophia’s disapproving “Please don’t tell me you like her” comment made her opinion on any match clear.

After the last float went by, one filled with schoolchildren singing the national anthem, Queen Fabrizia materialized at Massimo’s side.
 
“Ride back to the palace with me?
 
I’d like a moment to chat before we’re swept up in the banquet preparation.”

“Of course.”
 
It wasn’t as if he had a choice.
 
Taking her elbow, he escorted her down the stairs.
 

He looked to the secured area behind the reviewing stand to see his father and Vittorio entering a limousine with Sophia.
 
Stefano, Megan, and their daughter Anna stood at the curb waiting for the driver of a second car to open the doors for them.
 
A policeman waved to his mother’s driver, urging him to park behind Stefano’s car.
 
The lineup made it plain that she’d sought out Massimo for a private conversation.
 
Whatever it was, she apparently didn’t want to wait for their private dinner tomorrow night.

He wondered what she knew that he didn’t.

* * *

Queen Fabrizia beamed as she waved out the car window.
 
She had the ability to look as if she were greeting a group of dear friends, rather than giving same the dispassionate wave displayed by other celebrities when faced with fans.
 
Her voice, however, was subdued when she finally spoke.

“You seemed at ease this afternoon, Massimo.”

“I was.
 
I’m glad I went.”

She absorbed that.
 
“Does this mean you’ll attend the banquet tonight?”
 

“For you?
 
Of course.”
 
Now that he’d made it through the parade—had actually
enjoyed
the parade—he had no reservations about attending.

“I want you to attend for
you
.
 
Because you want to be there, to be part of the family and the celebration.”

“I do.”
 
He smiled out his window and waved to an excited young boy while using his other hand to pat the queen’s forearm.
 
“You need to stop worrying.”

“Never.
 
It’s a mother’s job.”
 
A moment later, once they’d passed through the gates into the palace courtyard, she turned to face him.
 
“If there’s nothing for me to worry about, then why did you want to have dinner with me?
 
My assistant scheduled it for tomorrow night.”