Page 88 of Duty and Desire

No matter how much I wanted him to be.

“I’ll be fine. And we never did say goodbye properly.”

I could put that right, at least.

Franz shrugged. “As you wish, Your Majesty.” His fingers slid over the screen. A moment later, it buzzed again.

“What does she say?”

“She’ll be here tomorrow. Sorry—they’llbe here tomorrow.”

“Then I’ll inform housekeeping.”

Franz’s eyes gleamed. “You can’t put him in the room next to yours, you know. People would talk. And you don’t need that kind of temptation.”

I stilled. “It’s over, remember? That’s all in the past.”

And by the time Gio left, he’d know that too.

I ignored the ache in my chest, the tightness in my stomach.

This is for the best.

Maybe if I kept telling myself that, I’d believe it eventually.

Franz’s phone buzzed again, and he glanced at it. When his face tightened, I knew what was coming.

I’d been expecting it ever since I’d returned to the palace.

“She’s here, isn’t she?”

I didn’t need to elaborate further.

He pocketed his phone. “Princess Karoline’s car has just pulled into the courtyard.”

The wind picked up, chilling my face.

The thought of what was coming at me chilled my blood.

I stood. “Then I’d better be ready to greet her.”

We walked into the palace, my chest feeling as though it was in a vise. I hadn’t seen Karoline since I left Eisenland for Bora-Bora. She’d attempted to keep in contact, and I’d sent polite replies, nothing that would have encouraged her to visit the island, however.

We’d never been on intimate terms. That was down to me. I’d kept her at arm’s length and had always acted coolly toward her, in the vain hope my father would change his mind if he got the impression we weren’t suited.

I gave an internal snort. If he’d noticed, he’d never said a word.

A seed of hope sprouted in my mind.

What if it isn’t too late?

What if I can make her see that our marriage was my father’s plan, not mine?

What if she loves someone else, and is simply waiting for the opportunity to tell me?

I was clutching at straws, and I knew it.

Karoline stood in the center of the entrance hall, her dark hair braided into an intricate pattern that fell down her back, her dress suit immaculate as always. Her back was straight, her eyes steady with the cool intelligence I remembered. Her posture screamed of a queen-to-be, of duty, of expectations.

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