Playing the Royal Game

‘What’s going on?’ His mother came out of the lounge, nursing a brandy, as too often she did these days, her only comfort at night. Alex stood still.

‘Nothing.’

‘It didn’t sound like nothing.’

‘She’s just upset.’ Alex was not about to discuss his love life with his mother! ‘She’ll be fine in the morning.’

‘She’ll remember her place, you mean?’ Alex blinked at the snarl in his mother’s voice. ‘Why don’t you talk to her?’

‘She ran off.’

‘Go after her then,’ Zoe said, but he just stood there. ‘What is it with this family? I thought you were happy, Alessandro. I thought when you brought her home that you wanted a marriage that was worth fighting for.’ She gave in then—Zoe, too, did not want to discuss her love life with her son. ‘I’m sure she’ll be just fine!’ she said shrilly, and retreated back to the lounge.

Alex stood—looked up at the stairs—and knew that somehow he had to tell her.

‘Leave me alone,’ Allegra called as he knocked on the bathroom door. She’d picked up the stupid nightgown that had been laid out on her bed and stormed into the bathroom and even the nightgown enraged her tonight, made her want to spit she was so angry—there were probably hundreds of them, Allegra thought as she undressed. It was probably like a hospital laundry down there, with hundreds of Santina lace nightdresses all whizzing around and around. She hated the mould she was being poured into—had there been scissors in the room she’d have chopped herself a new fringe! She was so angry! As she undressed she almost fell over as she took off her panties then pulled on the beastly gown.

Why, why, why did he have to be like this?

What had happened to the man she had met, the man who had held her, the man who had come so close to making love to her?

Allegra caught sight of herself in the mirror and let out a low moan, because just the thought of that night and his hands on her and her body was leaping with desire, her angry blush burning darker as she recalled the bliss of his touch. All this, all this, she could take if she had Alex at night, had the man she loved, the man she craved.

‘Allegra.’

She swung around.

Shocked, appalled, embarrassed, because he walked in uninvited. ‘What on earth are you doing here?’ she hurled.

‘We need to talk.’

‘I’ve said everything I’m going to.’ She wanted him out of there, hated that she craved him like she never had another. Even angry, even furious, even loathing, she was so turned on she could sink to her knees right now, but furious tears shot out instead.

‘I’m going tomorrow.’

‘You can’t.’

‘Just watch me,’ she snarled. ‘I’m sick of Santina—sick of living with a family who haven’t even got the energy for a decent row, who can sit at the most amazing concert completely unmoved.’ She glared at him. ‘You can’t even pretend to love me—you didn’t even hold my hand.’

‘You don’t understand.’

‘I don’t want to!’

‘You have to!’ he shouted. ‘For tomorrow our wedding date is to be announced.’

‘Well un-announce it!’ she hissed.

‘It’s too late for that—you know it. You will marry me....’

‘No.’ She went to brush past him. ‘I’m calling my father.’

‘That’s another thing...’ He blocked the doorway, wondered if she might kick him. But he had to be harsh or he would take her right now in his arms. ‘Allegra, you need to remove yourself further from your family.’ This he found incredibly difficult. ‘You are marrying royalty.’ His voice was firm. ‘It’s not fitting...’ He tried to find the words, tried to state out what a royal bride-to-be should already know. Had she been born for this, groomed for this, then it would not need to be said.

‘Let me past.’ She was furious, completely over this madness. She kicked and she pushed, but he stood firm, held her wrists and told her how it would be.

‘If Izzy and Matteo continue, you will see plenty of her.’ She knew what he was saying, had known it in her heart, had kidded herself that the lack of contact with her family was just because she was so busy with the wedding and all the things going on in their lives. But in reality she knew that they were being slowly peeled apart and she knew that it must be killing her father, that stepping back to do the supposed right thing must be breaking his heart.