Royal Heirs Required (The Sherdana 1)

Ah, so the old man was pulling his offer to set up a company since his daughter was no longer going to be Sherdana’s queen. Gabriel shrugged. He didn’t really blame the earl for changing his mind.

“She ended it,” he said. “But don’t worry. Christian will find us some other prospective investors.” He sipped the coffee and regarded his father over the brim. “Perhaps one of them will even have an eligible daughter since apparently I’m back on the market.”

The king let Gabriel’s bitter comment pass unanswered. “Naturally, I would like to continue pursuing other companies, but the need isn’t urgent. Darcy is going forward with his plans.”

Gabriel’s cup hit the saucer with a clatter. From his contact with Lord Darcy, he knew the man was a hardheaded businessman. Sherdana was a good choice for expansion, but not his only and not necessarily his best.

Olivia.

This was her doing.

The exhaustion he’d expected to feel earlier washed over him now. Gabriel wavered on his feet. “Olivia must have told him to honor the commitment. There’s no other reason for Darcy to proceed.”

“But if she knows you’re not getting married, why would she persuade her father to honor his commitment to us?”

“Because that’s the sort of woman she is,” Gabriel said. “Honorable. The sort who doesn’t go back on a promise. Unlike me,” he finished in an undertone.

This time, his bitterness was too much for his father to ignore. “You are not reneging on a promise to Lady Darcy,” the king said. “She understands she will never be able to give you an heir and has graciously ended your engagement.”

That’s when it hit him. He didn’t want their engagement to end.

Olivia had promised to marry him. And if she was as honorable as he’d just described, she still would.

* * *

After six endless days in the hospital, with pain and grief her constant companions, Olivia was an empty shell in both body and soul. For the majority of her stay she’d lain with her eyes closed, floating on a tide of pain medication that dulled the ache in her lower abdomen but couldn’t blunt the agony in her heart. With her ability to bear children ripped from her, she shrank from her future. Abandoned by optimism, tears filled her eyes and ran unheeded down her cheeks. Her losses were too much to bear.

On the third day of her incarceration, Libby had smuggled in her favorite chocolate. Olivia had put on a show of courage for her private secretary, but left alone once more, she’d retreated to the dark place where she contemplated what her life had become.

Then, this morning, twenty-four hours before she was scheduled for release, she instructed Libby to bring her files so she could compile a list of all the things she’d committed to in the past month.

“Are you sure you should be taxing yourself with this?” Libby protested, a dozen files clutched to her chest.

Olivia indicated that she wanted the files placed on the rolling tray positioned over her bed. “I’ve got to find something to keep my mind busy, or I’ll go completely mad.”

Libby did as she was told and then retreated to the guest chair with her laptop. “Prince Gabriel...” the private secretary began, breaking off when Olivia shook her head.

“How are Bethany and Karina?”

“They miss you.” Libby opened the laptop and stared at the screen. “Everyone at the palace misses you.”

Not wishing to go down that path, Olivia changed the subject. “Have they found Marissa’s sister yet?”

“I’m afraid not.”

The memory of the woman’s attack had resurfaced a couple days after Olivia had woken up. It hadn’t struck her as odd that no one asked about the incident because she’d assumed Marissa’s sister had fled the palace with no one being the wiser.

When she’d shared the story with Libby, Olivia had learned what had happened after she’d passed out in the bathroom. She’d given herself a couple seconds to regret the loss of her wardrobe and then insisted on telling her story to palace security and the police.

“Her apartment in Milan is being watched,” Libby continued, “but she hasn’t returned there. From what I gather, she hasn’t contacted her friends in six months. But I’m sure Prince Gabriel will not be satisfied until she’s caught.”

“I’ll feel better when that happens,” Olivia said, and opened the file sitting on top of the pile. It was a budget proposal for some improvements to a school she sponsored in Kenya.

The mundane work soothed her spirit. Nothing better for the

soul than to worry about someone else’s problems.

Ariana and Christian visited several times in the next few days and brought regards from the king and queen as well as flowers. But Gabriel had been absent. She’d sent him away and asked Libby to make certain he understood that she wanted him to maintain his distance. Her grief was still too strong. She wasn’t ready to face him. Not until she came to terms with the end of her engagement and her empty future.