‘That is not an answer. I can see that Prince Luca has plenty to gain by marrying you, but what do you get out of it? He has no idea when it comes to romance. I imagine he attempted to woo you with some vulgar display of extravagance?’
‘Well, I wouldn’t call it that, but—’
‘It’s only because he doesn’t know any better. Prince Luca chose to make his home in a barracks, and no doubt imagined that a grand gesture was required when it came to his bride. Don’t be too hard on him. He’s a good man, and if anyone can soften him, I believe that person is you.’
‘A snap judgement?’ she suggested.
‘That’s why he keeps me at his side. I haven’t been wrong yet,’ Domenico told her.
‘I only wish I had your confidence.’
‘You should. You’re beautiful, and you look stunning in this gown, but, more important than that, you have a good heart and a brave spirit. I’ve done my investigating too.’
‘It seems we’re all sleuths around here.’
Domenico smiled warmly. ‘Turn around and take another look at yourself in the mirror, and then tell me that you’re not a princess.’
She did as Domenico suggested, and found herself looking at a stranger who seemed so poised. The stranger was exquisitely dressed, as if she had stepped out of the pages of one of the fairy tales Samia’s mother used to read when Samia was a little girl.
If only her mother had lived to see this day...
Straightening her spine, she lifted her chin. Her beloved mother was gone. She couldn’t change that, but she could remember one of the last things her mother had said, which was, the best way to cope with loss was for the survivor to continue playing the role she always had.Be my daughter. Make me proud. Hold on to that, because then you’ll have a purpose that will help you climb out of the dark into the light.That was what she would do. This was not a time for doubt, but a time to remember she had a father to care for and a life to live. And why not this life? She would embrace the role of Princess wholeheartedly as she did everything else. She’d only ever wanted to help and love and give, and now she had that chance. This new life would be like her column, where her purpose had been to find solutions for other people’s problems and make things right, and now she could do that for Luca and his subjects.
‘Just your veil now...’
She realised Domenico was still standing there patiently as he waited for her to come out of her temporary trance. He needed to finish helping her dress, and had a band of fresh flowers resting on his perfectly manicured hand, and a foam of twinkling tulle draped across his arm. ‘Sorry to keep you waiting,’ she apologised with a smile. ‘Daydreaming is a terrible habit of mine, and I can’t seem to shake it.’
‘You should never do so,’ Domenico insisted. ‘Without dreams, what are we? Without them we’d never strive.’
‘Agreed,’ she said, ‘but must I wear a veil? It hardly seems appropriate under these circumstances, and I’d rather leave my hair free. I’m not even sure I can keep a veil on if we go on deck. Knowing my luck, it will probably blow away.’
‘I’d say your luck is about to change for the better.’
‘Luca!’ At the sound of his voice, she swung around in surprise.
‘You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do,’ he confirmed. ‘Thank you, Domenico,’ he added pleasantly. ‘You can leave us now.’
Breath hitched in Samia’s throat as she looked at the man she was about to marry. His hair was still damp from the shower, and his stubble was growing rapidly in spite of a recent shave. Luca Fortebracci was any woman’s dream. Tanned, ruggedly good-looking, and built like a gladiator, he was a most imposing sight, a prince amongst men in every sense of the word. In a crisp white shirt and a beautifully tailored pale linen suit, he was impossibly good-looking. So how could she hesitate?
Because she was the girl from nowhere, whose only talent lay with words. And yet, the fact that this man was determined to rush her into this marriage seemed more of a blessing than a curse.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
‘YOULOOKBEAUTIFUL,’Luca murmured as he held her gaze.
And breathe, she instructed herself firmly as he stopped in front of her—though a disappointingly ‘sensible’ distance away, as her old headmistress might have said. There were documents in his hand, she registered belatedly. It was time to come out of her dazzled trance and face reality.
‘I can’t believe this is happening.’
‘Rest assured, it is, and to mark the occasion, there are some documents for you to sign.’
To seal our deal, she thought as her happiness dropped away. And why was she surprised, when she had always known what she was getting into? She couldn’t think of a single useful thing to say as her heart squeezed tight. If it had been china, it might have shattered into tiny pieces. Luckily for her, she was made of sterner stuff. ‘Thank you,’ she said, reaching for the papers. ‘I’ll read them through.’
As she closed her fingers around the stiff vellum, Luca maintained his grip so they were joined by the sheaf of legal papers. Better than nothing, she reflected as they stared into each other’s eyes.
‘My legal team has already been in discussion with your father, and all things are settled, though he has made one request that, I must admit, I hadn’t anticipated.’
‘Oh?’ She was still shuffling the cards in her brain, only to have this curveball thrown into the mix. ‘I’m surprised you didn’t tell me sooner.’
