Temporarily His Princess (Married by Royal Decree 1)

Or she had. She’d expected him to be elated, or relieved, or best scenario of all, to resume his mind-melting seduction.

He’d done none of that. He’d just taken her hands to his lips, murmured a cell-scrambling “Grazie mille, gloriosa mia” then he’d silently led her to her guest quarters and bid her good-night.

After a night of tossing and turning and pacing her quarters, which looked like something out of a fairy tale, he’d come knocking with a breakfast tray. He didn’t stay, said he had too many things to prepare. He asked her to invite everyone she wanted and to make lists of what she needed for the wedding. It would be in a week’s time.

The first person she’d thought of had been her mother.

And here she was, pretending this was real to the person she was closest to in the world. But there was nothing to be gained by telling her mother the truth. Her mother had suffered too much, and God only knew how long her remission would last this time—or if it would. She would do and say anything to make her mother as happy as possible for as long as she could.

Glenda Monaghan’s silence thickened until it weighed down on her. “Mom, you still there?”

A ragged exhalation. “Yes, darling. I’m just…surprised.”

Her mother had been apprehensive about her first liaison with Vincenzo. She had feared Glory would end up plummeting into the huge gap in power and status between them. But on meeting Vincenzo, Glenda had thought him magnificent and later waxed poetic about the purity and clarity of his emotions for Glory. She suspected her mother had entertained dreams that her daughter would become a princess and had looked devastated when Glory had informed her that the relationship was over.

Glenda must be stunned her dream was coming true after all these years, and so suddenly. When they’d talked four days ago, none of this had been on the horizon.

Glory gave her mother a pretty little story about how she and Vincenzo had met again, rediscovering how they’d once felt about each other and resolving the issues that had separated them. This time, he’d popped the question and wanted to get married right away so he could start his new post with them as husband and wife.

By the time she’d told all those lies, Glory was almost panting, but she forced herself to go on. “Vincenzo will send his private jet for you. If you can come right away, I’d love it! If not, come a couple of days before the wedding if possible, to help me with all the last-minute things. All you need to do is buy something pretty to wear and pack a bag for two weeks or so. You should enjoy Castaldini at least that long.”

When she finished, silence stretched again.

Then her mother whispered, “Is it only me you’re inviting?”

Glory had known that question would come yet still wasn’t ready to answer it.

From the time Glory was a little girl, her mother had tried all she could to defuse her dissatisfaction with her father and brother. Then, in the past few years, she’d fought to reinstate the relationship that Glory had escaped, always ready with an excuse for their latest damaging decisions or exasperating actions. Now the situation was reversed and it was Glory who had to hide the true extent of her father’s and brother’s transgressions from her mother. And she wasn’t sure she could do that if she saw them again now.

But her established disapproval wasn’t grave enough to warrant not inviting them to her wedding. If she didn’t invite them, she’d have to give her mother an explanation why. She couldn’t tell the truth. And she’d already told her enough lies.

But then, why not just have them here? She doubted she’d have enough mental or emotional energy to register their presence. And Vincenzo had stressed she could invite anyone. By “anyone” she believed he sanctioned her father’s and brother’s presence. And she did want to please her mom.

She forced lightness in her voice. “You’re the one I can’t wait to have here, but of course Dad and Daniel are invited.” That didn’t sound as welcoming as she’d tried to make it. Well, her father and brother would just have to make do with that level of enthusiasm.

“Don’t you want your father to give you away, darling? I know it’s been a long while since you thought he was the best dad in the world, but he does try.”

Yeah, he tried so hard his efforts could send him to prison for life. “I’m almost thirty, Mom. I’m perfectly capable of walking down that aisle on my own.”

“I know you can do anything on your own, darling, but your father has dreamed of this day for so long, and—” her mother broke off, as if swallowing tears “—it’ll break his heart.”

Glory gritted her teeth on the surge of familiar guilt she suffered every time she felt she’d been too hard on her father. But once the sentimental reaction subsided she always realized that she hadn’t been. If only she’d been harder, had known the truth earlier, she could have stopped him and Daniel from spiraling that far that they risked their freedom. There was one way out of this for now.

“Listen, Mom, I’m marrying a prince from a kingdom steeped in history and tradition and giving me away might not be part of the ritual here. If it is, I’ll let Dad give me away.”

Another fraught silence greeted her prevaricating promise. For an otherwise shrewd woman, her mother had a rationalizing disease where her husband and son were concerned. Glory barely suppressed her need to tell her mother to open her eyes and see her husband and son for the lost causes they were.

The one thing that had always held her back was knowing how much they loved her mother. Glory had no doubt they’d die for her mother in a heartbeat.

What an inextricable mess everyone was tangled up in.

Sighing, she soothed her mother. “Just pack your men up and bring them here, Mom. It’ll all work out.”

After that, she diverted her mom into talking about the guest list and wedding plans.

By the time Glory ended the call, she felt she’d run a mile.

Now on to the marathon of the next week.

*

After sunset, just as she was getting restless having nothing to do, Vincenzo came into her suite. He introduced the tall, graceful and extremely chic man with him as his valet and right-hand man, Alonzo Barbieri. After greeting her in utmost delight and kissing her hand as if she was his long-lost princess, Alonzo ushered in four other people, two men and two women, each carrying a heavy, ornate antique chest. They opened them on the coffee table then promptly left, leaving her gaping at the contents.