A nervous giggle bubbled up in the back of her throat. She choked it down. She had to keep her composure, even if she was a jittery ball of nerves on the inside. What was it about this man that had her losing her calm, collected demeanor?
CHAPTER TEN
TWO LIT CANDLES.
Two wine glasses.
And this wasn’t a date?
Bianca turned a questioning gaze to Leo, finding him sitting closer than she’d anticipated. When his dark, probing gaze met hers, her mouth grew dry. Did he have any idea how his close proximity made her heart pound? What exactly did he have in mind for this evening? Was she going to be dessert?
“Did you have a question for me?” Leo asked.
Act professional. Don’t let him see how he gets to me.
She swallowed, hoping her voice didn’t betray her. “Um, yes, I’m not sure how this is going to work. Are you planning to have input into the wedding? Or are you just looking for an overview?”
“An overview.”
Thank goodness. There were already enough people fighting to have their way with the wedding. “Would you like an overview of everything? Or is there a specific area you’re interested in? Such as the disagreements between the queen and the princess?”
His eyes widened with her last question. “I would be most interested in the differing opinions.”
Bianca nodded. “Will you make the final decision in those cases?”
A thoughtful look came over his face. “Am I to take it that you would prefer if I were to take on a more active role?”
Bianca resisted the urge to shrug her shoulders. Though the prince had taken on a friendly persona with her, she realized their relationship was still grounded in business. And as a professional, she tried to maintain certain standards that left out shrugging.
She swallowed. “I believe if you were to take on such a role it would help alleviate some of the tension flowing between mother and daughter.”
He nodded. “Then I will do it. Anything to bring some peace back to the palace.”
“Great.” She picked up her tablet. Her finger moved over the screen, searching for the photos she’d taken earlier. “The first disagreement is about the setting for the ceremony.”
The prince sighed.
Bianca paused and turned to him. “Have you changed your mind about being the deciding voice?”
“No. Continue.”
“Your sister is interested in having a small, intimate ceremony. The queen says she has a long list of relatives and dignitaries that must be allowed to attend without insulting anyone. I can see both points of view.”
Frown lines bracketed his eyes. “I really want my sister to have the wedding of her dreams, but I know there are a lot of influential people that will expect an invitation.”
“Would you mind if I made a suggestion?”
“Please do.”
“What if we were to have the ceremony in the cathedral as your mother wants, but in order to create a cozy intimate ceremony, we can dim the stained-glass windows with curtains and we could use candles to illuminate the aisle and the front of the church. The focus then would be on the happy couple and the wedding party.”
Prince Leo paused as though considering all sides of the scenario. And then he looked at her. “I like it. Do it.”
“Your mother might not like it—”
“Leave her to me. Make the arrangements. Now, what else is there?”
They went over the guest list, trying to trim it back to the size to fit in the cathedral. The princess and the queen couldn’t agree on who should be cut on the list so the formal invitations could be sent out. Surprisingly, Leo was able to glance down over the list and cut the necessary names.