“Ah yes,” Gabriel replied with a nod of recognition. He held up his glass. “Is this a vintage of yours, as well?”
“Yes, Your Majesty, that’s my award-winning Chardonnay. I’m honored to have you drink it and looking forward to hosting your visit with us tomorrow.”
The man seemed harmless enough; then again, Gabriel didn’t see a ring on the man’s hand. He didn’t intend to leave Serafia alone with him.
“I’m looking forward to it, as well. May I steal away Miss Espina?” he asked.
“Of course, Your Majesty.”
Gabriel nodded and scooped up Serafia’s arm into his own. He led her away into a quiet corner behind the staircase where they could talk.
“Is everything going all right?” she asked.
Gabriel nodded. “I think so. My dad is pressuring me to mingle with the ladies, but I haven’t gotten that far yet.”
Serafia sighed and patted his forearm. “You’ve done your fair share of wooing ladies, Gabriel. This shouldn’t be very difficult for you.”
“That was different,” he argued. “Picking up a woman at a nightclub for a little fun is nothing like shopping for a wife. It feels more like a hunt anyway, except I’m the fox. I’m surprised one of the hounds hasn’t ferretted me out from our hiding place by now. Would you stay with me for a while?”
“Not while you dance!”
“Of course not. But go around with me while I mingle for a while. I think I’ll be more comfortable that way. You might remember people’s names.”
“Gabriel, you need to be able to—”
“Please...” he said, looking into her eyes with his most pathetic expression.
“Okay, but you have to promise me you will ask no fewer than two ladies to dance tonight. No moms or grandmothers, either. Eligible, single women of marrying age. And not me, either,” she seemed to add for good measure.
“If I dance with two women who meet your criteria, would you be willing to dance with me just for fun?”
Serafia gave him a stern look, but the smile that teased at the corners of her full lips gave her away. “Maybe. But you’ve got to put in a good effort out there. You’re looking for a queen, remember. If you don’t find a good one, your father will do it for you, like poor Bella.”
“You’ve heard about that?” Gabriel asked.
“Yes. I overheard Patrick discussing the idea of it with Will.”
“How’d he take it?”
“About as well as Bella would, I expect. But my point is that you need to get out there and make that decision yourself.”
“Fair enough.” Offering her his arm, he led them back into the main area of the room. As they slipped through the crowd, he leaned down to whisper in her ear, “Who would you choose for me? Where should I start?”
Serafia looked thoughtfully around the room, her gaze falling on a buxom, almost chubby redhead whose fiery hair was in direct contrast to her personality. She was a shy wallflower of a girl who had barely met his gaze when they were introduced.
“Start with Helena Ruiz. Her family is in the seafood business and they provide almost all the fresh fish and shellfish to the area and to parts of Spain and Portugal, as well. And,” she added, “unlike the others, she seems to be reluctantly hunting for a husband. She reminds me very much of a lot of the girls I work with in my business. Choosing her first might be good for her social standing and her self-esteem.”
Gabriel was pleased with Serafia’s choice and her reasoning behind it. It was one of the things about her that really stuck with him. She wasn’t just concerned about making over his outside, but his inside, as well. In their training sessions, they’d discussed charities he’d like to support and causes he wanted to rally behind as king. Parliament and the prime minister would draft and enforce the laws of Alma, but as king, he would have a major influence over the hearts and minds of the people. He had a platform, so he needed to be prepared to have a cause.
In such a short time, Serafia had not just made over his wardrobe. She had made over his soul. He felt like a better person, a person more deserving of a woman like her. He’d never felt that way before in his entire life. He’d always been second to Rafe, not good enough in his father’s eyes. His mother had recognized the value in him, but even she couldn’t sway his father’s opinion.
Since he returned home from Venezuela after the kidnapping, he’d been a different man. He’d stopped seeking everyone’s approval, especially his father’s. With his mother traveling the world and unable to call him on it, he’d settled happily into his devil-may-care lifestyle. It had suited him well and no one had questioned the change in him. But Serafia had. She had the ability to see through all his crap, and it made him think that perhaps he could open up to her, really trust her, unlike so many others in his life.