Playing the Royal Game

‘No!’ How could she not know? ‘Why doesn’t anyone tell me anything?’

‘I guess they figure you’re busy,’ Bobby answered, and was silent for a moment before going on. ‘He’s a cold fish that fella of yours.’

Allegra smiled because she’d used the same term. ‘Only around his family,’ Allegra said, which was almost true, because when Alex was nice... She looked at her ring, remembered the kiss that had come with it and the conversation before.

‘Zoe’s nice though.’

‘Zoe?’ Allegra frowned. ‘You mean the queen? You can’t call her Zoe.’

‘She said I could,’ Bobby said. ‘We had a cuppa together. I got lost when I went jogging the morning after your party.’ Allegra couldn’t help but giggle; it was the first laugh she’d had in ages. ‘She was taking tea out on her little balcony,’ Bobby said. ‘Alone...’ It was then that Allegra’s eyes opened and she put down the cup she was holding. She had a sudden vision of her future, for already it was happening. ‘It’s criminal if you ask me,’ Bobby said. ‘A good-looking woman like that...’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Well, there was no king in sight. Just her in her little silk nightdress.’

‘Dad!’ Allegra gave a loud whisper, had an appalling vision of the butler listening in. ‘You can’t say that.’

‘What! I can’t talk to my own daughter?’

‘You weren’t flirting with her....’ She was still whispering. ‘Dad, tell me you did not flirt.’ Oh, God! Alessandro was right, her family were shocking.

‘I didn’t do anything,’ Bobby said. ‘We had a cup of tea and a little chat—she’s a lovely lady.’

‘You mustn’t speak about this with anyone,’ Allegra said. ‘Dad...’

‘I’m not speaking to anyone—I’m talking to you! Anyway, I’ve got to get on. I’ve got an interview to go to.’

‘An interview?’

‘I’ll tell you about it when I know more.’

She hated not knowing what was going on, was positive things were being kept from her. She was just so sick of the confines that as the maid returned, so, too, did Allegra’s fire.

‘Could you have a car arranged?’ Allegra asked, and when the maid just blinked, she upped her order. ‘In fifteen minutes.’

‘A driver?’ the maid asked, and Allegra knew better than to completely break with tradition, at least within the palace walls. ‘Yes, a driver—I’d like to see a little of the island. Thank you.’

Of course her phone rang a few minutes later with an aide wanting to clarify a few things.

‘I don’t want a bodyguard. I just want a driver and a discreet car so I can look around Santina.’ Which saw her half an hour later sitting behind blacked-out windows in an unmarked royal car, streaking along the beach and up through the winding villages, through the town. She wanted to open the window, to smell the herbs and garlic, to hear the chatter of the Santina people.

‘Here will do.’ She opened the door at a small set of traffic lights, gave the driver a beaming smile. ‘I’ll make my own way back.’ She ducked out of the car and walked briskly into a shop, straight through it and out the other side, finding herself in a marketplace. She started walking again, picking up her pace, checking over her shoulder and hoping she hadn’t gotten the poor driver into too much trouble. Heaven! The air tasted so sweet, and the simple bliss of walking into a café was incredible.

But her anonymity lasted all of about twenty seconds, the owner blinking and double taking as she walked in.

‘Benvenuto!’ He welcomed her so warmly, told her to take a seat, but Allegra wanted to see the cake selection for herself and it was bliss to stand and choose. The owner was marvelous; he was thrilled to have such an esteemed guest and did not want crowds ruining it, so he hastily closed his shop, allowing only the present patrons to remain.

She chose the house specialty, a kind of cannoli filled with pecan ice cream and dusted with icing sugar, and had the best vanilla latte she had ever tasted. She sat alone and read a magazine and it was wonderful. Wonderful to hear the chatter around her once people had gotten over the initial shock of her being there.