The Playboy Prince and the Nanny (Royal Duology 1)

Rose frowned and pinned Stephani with a look. “What do you mean?”

Stephani took the bag and hung it on the closet doorknob, then came back, took Rose’s hand, and led her to the bed, where they sat side by side. “It’s no secret that you and Diego are . . . friends.”

The way she said “friends” let Rose know they hadn’t been fooling anyone.

“Which is exactly why I shouldn’t go.” She pulled her hand away and sighed. “It’s so inappropriate. And I wanted to believe in the . . . in the fairy tale. When we’re together, it’s so easy to think it’s just the two of us. But it’s not. The nanny cannot be the prince’s girlfriend. We all know it.”

“Why not?” Stephani scowled. “Don’t you deserve happiness?”

&nb

sp; “It’s not about that.”

“Of course it is. And doesn’t Diego? The office staff talks too, you know. He’s in the office every day, on top of things. Smiling, happy. With a purpose. You didn’t know him before, but Rose, you’ve been so good for him.” Stephani halted, then met Rose’s eyes. “I’ve worked for Raoul for a long time. He underestimates his little brother. But you don’t. You’ve given Diego a sense of pride in himself.”

Heat crept up Rose’s cheeks. “Surely not.”

“People in the palace see more than many think. If you care about each other, why shouldn’t you be happy? Diego’s broken rules before, and for less-exalted reasons.”

Stephani patted her hand. “Rose. Everyone worried about the children after Ceci and Mariana died. This beautiful castle was like a tomb. And then you came. And they stopped crying. And people started smiling. And we heard laughter again, and Raoul stopped tiptoeing around, and Diego . . . he asked Raoul personally for you to come to the party with the family. You should have heard him speak of you, Rose, telling his father and brother how important you are. He admires you very much.”

Not just kissing and flirting, then. Butterflies took wing in her stomach as she remembered the long talks and glasses of wine they’d shared, the romantic night on the battlements, the touch of his lips on hers. And if what Stephani said was true, maybe he hadn’t told his father and brother they were seeing each other, but he spoke of her as if she was special.

“I don’t like to hope,” she murmured, staring at her hands. “It’s always led to disappointment. Besides, we both agreed the other night. This can’t be a . . . a thing. He’s not ready for us to be a real thing. I said I wasn’t comfortable keeping this from the king and from Raoul, but he wants to ‘ease’ our way forward. It’s impossible.”

Stephani was quiet a moment, and when Rose looked up, she saw a strange, wistful look in the other woman’s eyes. “But what do we have without hopes?” Stephani asked. “Without dreams? Not everyone has theirs offered to them. You have an obligation to grab at your chance of happiness, don’t you think?”

That sounded rather like the voice of experience, and Rose wondered what lay beneath Stephani’s perfectly polished and professional exterior.

“I still don’t want to be his secret. His . . . girl on the side.” It sounded awful but honestly, that was how she felt. “If he was really sure, he’d say something, don’t you think? I mean, not publicly, but to his family?”

Stephani hesitated. “Rose, this is the first event to be held at the palace since Ceci died. It’s in Raoul’s honor. Over the years, Diego’s frequently made himself the center of attention. If he’s staying quiet, perhaps it’s because he wants Raoul to have this one day without Diego . . . what’s the saying? . . . stealing his thunder? Maybe he wants you there but wants to find a better moment to talk to them.”

Rose hadn’t considered that this was Raoul’s night. Stephani’s words also echoed Diego’s from the other evening, saying he wanted to find the right time. She wondered if she was asking for too much; after all, Diego had navigated these waters before and probably knew what he was doing. “Are you going to be there?” she asked Stephani, hesitantly letting herself dream just a little bit.

“Of course. I’m planning it and have to make sure everything runs like clockwork.” She smiled. “So you’ll have a friend there. And another member of the working class, so to speak.”

Rose was so tempted. She looked over at the white bag hanging on the closet door. How long had it been since she’d really dressed up for a fancy dinner? Would she look back on this and kick herself for not going when she had the chance? Not everyone got an invitation to the Crown Prince of Marazur’s birthday party. “I’ll try the dress on. No guarantees, though.”

Stephani’s face brightened. “Go do it now. I want to see how it fits. I picked it out myself.”

Excitement prickled a bit as Rose got up from the bed and went to the closet. The bag was heavier than she expected, and she hurried to her bathroom to try it on. When she unzipped the bag, her breath caught. It was stunning—a twenties-style rose-pink dress with silver beading and fringe along the hem. She’d been expecting a little black dress. Something understated and elegant. Not this. It was too . . . obvious. But beautiful enough that she couldn’t resist slipping it off the hanger and onto her body.

But not before she saw the designer label. There was a distinct moment, as she did up the side zipper, that she had the feeling that she was Cinderella and Stephani was her fairy godmother.

She stepped out of the bathroom and Stephani’s eyes lit up. “Preciosa,” she whispered, putting a hand to her chest. “Oh, Rose. It’s perfect. Do you like it?”

Rose nodded. “I shouldn’t. It’s from Italy, isn’t it? It’s too much.”

“No, it’s not. Besides, I’m wearing a Versace. It’s expected. It’s not like you can go shop off the rack for the crown prince’s birthday party.”

“Oh, this feels like such a mistake.” She reached for the top of the zipper, starting to panic all over again.

But Stephani rushed forward. “It’s not. And besides, this is the first event since Ceci’s death for the children, too. They’ll be more comfortable with you there. Emilia especially. I think that sweet little girl will like having you by her side.” She smiled. “And Max is all boy. He’ll need watching or he’ll sneak too much cake.”

Rose might have refused, despite the dress, except Stephani brought up the one reason she would do anything: the children. It was her job to watch them, but even if it wasn’t, she’d want to make sure they not only got through the evening but enjoyed themselves, too. They shouldn’t suffer because of her confusing personal life. She would do it for them and deal with the rest like a grown-up.

Stephani sighed. “Please accept it and come. I have shoes for you, too, arriving tomorrow. Silver ones, to match the beading. Tell me you can be bribed by Manolos.”