He shook his head. “They don’t know Prince Nikolai—he has never made any public appearances.”
Callie nodded. Rupert was ashamed of Nicky’s limp.
Captain Kordovski continued. “I am sure they will come to love Prince Nikolai, but you, Princess—you are very special to us. Zindaria has never had a princess so much loved by the people.”
“Me?” Callie was amazed.
“The whole country is in mourning at your loss.”
“For me?” Callie couldn’t believe it. “But it was Rupert they loved. I saw it whenever I went out in public with him. The people always cheered and waved and some threw flowers.”
Captain Kordovski shook his head. “It was for you, Princess, only for you. Prince Rupert was greatly respected, but he was never loved, not like you. And that is why we need you, as well as Prince Nikolai, back in Zindaria.”
All the Royal Guards bowed and clicked their heels and gave her speaking looks to show their agreement.
Callie smiled mistily at them all. She’d had no idea. She still could not quite believe it, but one thing was clear, she had no choice. She had to go back. “Thank you. We will return soon, I promise.” She did not look at Gabe.
The stone in Gabe’s chest turned to lead. She was leaving him.
They returned to London a lot more slowly than they’d left. Partly that was due to the inferior quality of the horses they’d hired, but also everyone was tired. It was just on dawn.
To Callie’s great disappointment, Harry drove her and Nicky back in the curricle. She had thought, hoped, that Gabriel would have, but he’d been withdrawn and kept himself away from her, organizing horses and men and paying the innkeeper. And ordering his brother to drive them home.
“Will you really return to Zindaria?” Harry asked her after a while. Nicky was asleep, his head in Callie’s lap, both of them wrapped in the fur cloak.
“I have to,” she said. “Nicky is the crown prince. His future is there.”
“And what of Gabe?”
She sighed. “I don’t know. I don’t know what he wants anymore.”
“What do you mean?”
“He barely even looked at me just now. All that time in that horrid little inn, he didn’t so much as touch me or even come near me.”
Harry frowned. “But you know why. I told you before.”
She was bewildered. “No, I don’t know why!”
“He failed you. He expects you to be disappointed in him.”
“But why? Nicky is safe. It’s all all right now.”
“Yes, but Gabe lost him in the first place, and then he didn’t rescue him.”
Callie stared at him in disbelief. “You can’t possibly mean that! That’s ridiculous. As if I would hold that against him. I don’t care how Nicky was rescued, I only care that he’s safe.” She smoothed her hand over her son’s sleeping body as she spoke. “Not that it would have made any difference to how I feel about Gabriel anyway. As I said, love is not a series of tests.”
“You really do love him, don’t you?”
“Yes, of course. And why do you keep asking me that? Is it so hard to believe? Gabriel is a very lovable man.” She sighed. “He’s a wonderful man.” And she didn’t know how she was ever going to be able to live without him.
Harry gave her a searching look. “I used to think you were using my brother for your own ends.”
“I was. I am,” she said guiltily. Love was an end, wasn’t it?
His face softened. “Yes, but you do love him. It makes all the difference. I don’t want to see him get hurt. Women can do terrible things to a man.”
“Men can do them to women, too,” she said.
