Wedding Vows: Say I Do. Rebecca Winters
His comment hurt me. When I asked him why, he said, ‘That’s the definition of a king.’
“I didn’t understand what he meant, but I do now. No matter what decision you make as sovereign, you’re going to hurt someone.
“By recognizing my son, I dare say I don’t have a friend left, starting with the great men I’ve let down assembled in this historic conference room.
“But when I met Phillip for the first time and he said, ‘You’re my dad,’ something went through me I can’t describe. All I know is, I wanted to be all the things I could see in his eyes.”
He cleared his throat. “Thank you for coming, gentlemen. That’s everything.”
On his way to his inner office to phone Darrell, Carl intercepted him. “Your Majesty? While you were in conference, Ms. Collier phoned to say that in case you were wondering, she and your son have gone into town to do some shopping for a few hours.”
Disappointed they weren’t immediately available, he thanked Carl before ringing Rudy. “How long ago did Ms. Collier leave the castle?”
“The car just pulled away.”
“Alert the guard at the outer gate to prevent them from leaving the grounds.”
Without conscious thought Alex left his office via a private staircase. Summoning his driver, he climbed in the back of his limo and told him to head for the north gate. He didn’t expel a breath until he saw the limo between the security men’s cars stopped at the gate.
Alex jumped out of the car before it had pulled to a stop.
“Hey, Mom? There’s Dad!”
Darrell’s hands clutched the armrests. What a fool she was to think she and Phillip could slip away from him, even for a few hours. At this point she was afraid to spend any more time with him.
When he suddenly climbed in the limo and sat across from her next to Phillip, the blood pounded in her ears.
His gaze narrowed on her face. “I got your message, but you can’t go shopping yet or you’ll spoil my surprise.”
The car started to move, but instead of going to the castle, it appeared to be headed toward another part of the grounds.
Darrell’s body trembled. She couldn’t take another one of his surprises, let alone handle being in his presence a second longer.
“Will I like it?” Phillip teased.
“It’s guaranteed.”
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll find out.”
Eventually the limo pulled up to one end of the stable.
Phillip darted her an excited glance. Darrell had an idea Alex was going to give him his own horse. The boys each had a pony.
Alex turned to his son. “Go inside that door. It leads to the vet’s office. He’s waiting for you.”
“The vet?”
“Yes. I’ll be along in a minute.”
On a new burst of energy, Phillip climbed out of the limo and sprinted inside.
“Alex—I’m glad we’re alone because there’s something important I have to tell you, and—”
“Isabella has called off the wedding,” he broke in on her.
“Permanently.”
“Oh, no—”
The stabbing pain of guilt drove Darrell from the car. She headed blindly for the castle, running faster than she’d ever run in her life. But she couldn’t outrun the limo. It drove alongside her until she slowed down and Alex urged her to climb back in.
Embarrassed to have caused a scene, she did his bidding. He didn’t say anything until they’d arrived at the castle and he’d escorted her to the apartment she and Phillip had barely vacated. Once he’d opened the door for her, he followed her inside.
She whirled around, wet-faced. “Let me talk to Isabella in person. I can fix this.”
He shook his handsome head. “This can’t be fixed.”
“Of course it can! She’s in pain and frightened. Any woman would be. I don’t care if she was raised a princess. She’s never been married, and she wants it to work! I need to reassure her she has nothing to fear from Phillip.”
He studied her through veiled eyes. “It’s not Phillip she’s worried about.”
“Then what?” She kept wiping her eyes.
“I’m afraid it is I she doesn’t trust.”
“Of course she does. Otherwise she would have broken her betrothal to you long ago. Please let me try to appeal to her. I’ll be happy to fly there right now if she wants.”
“That would be like pouring acid on an open wound.”
“Why?” she cried out aghast.
He rubbed the back of his neck. “You really need me to spell it out?”
“Yes!”
His gaze played over her features. “She says I’m different since coming back from Denver. She senses something she’s never felt before.”
“That’s because you just found out you’re a father. Of course you’re different. Your entire world has been turned upside down.”
“True, but this is something apart from Phillip.”
She feared what was coming but she faced him without averting her eyes. “What exactly?”
“Contrary to what you overheard the desk clerk tell that tourist the day you were checking out of the Hotel Otter, Isabella and I were never a love match. But both of us were willing to fulfill our royal duty in the hope that love would grow.”
She swallowed hard. “Didn’t you ever sleep together?”
“No.”
“Because of rules?”
“No.”
“Didn’t she ever want to?”
“Yes.”
Darrell reeled from his blunt honesty. His admission brought her indescribable joy, but she could never let him know that.
“When I told her I had a son, it changed how Isabella feels about me.”
“But that was thirteen years ago when you were only what? Twenty? Did you tell her Melissa died so she doesn’t need to feel threatened?”
He didn’t answer right away.
Her eyes widened. “She still thinks I’m that woman doesn’t she!” Darrell’s body started to shake. “How could you do that to her? To me?” She thumped her chest.
“I need to tell you a story first.”
“I don’t want to hear it!” she raged while he stood there as calm as a summer morning.
“You’ll want to hear this one. The whole good of the monarchy hangs in the balance.”
Put like that in such a solemn tone, he’d left her little choice but to listen.
“Let’s go out to the balcony.”
She didn’t want to go anywhere with him, but he left her alone in the drawing room, expecting her to come to him. She could either comply with his wishes or string this out until she had a heart attack.
Defeated, she chose the former and found him staring out over the placid water that had formed whitecaps in yesterday’s storm.
He must have sensed her presence. “I wish you could