She blinked back tears. For Magnus that was practically a declaration of love. “Me too.” She floated, not walked, with him to meet the next group of people.
A short while later, King Tadeas entered the room, and a hush of excitement ran through the crowd. He thanked all in attendance for coming and made special mention of several for exceptional dedication to the cause. When he finished speaking, Magnus brought Rachelle over to him.
Here, before his people, Magnus bowed his head to his king. “Father, it is my pleasure to officially present Miss Rachelle Westerly to you.”
His father smiled with approval, then turned his attention to Rachelle. “It is good to see my son with someone who is teaching him to smile again. You are always welcome in my home, Miss Westerly.”
Rachelle bowed her head, although she wasn’t sure if she should have curtsied. “Thank you, Your Majesty. The honor is mine for being included in a celebration for such a worthy cause. I did not expect to enjoy my visit as much as I have, but Vandorra is an easy country to fall in love with.”
“Easier than my son?” King Tadeas joked in a tone low enough for others not to hear.
Rachelle blushed and said as softly, “He’s growing on me as well.”
The king laughed and nodded with approval again. “Dine with me on Sunday, both of you. Something tells me we have much to talk about.”
“We do, Father. Sunday it is.”
With that, Magnus and Rachelle seemed to be released from official duties. All attention turned to the king. Rachelle searched the room, startled when she didn’t see Delinda. She was probably in the washroom. “Magnus, I’m going to slip out to speak to my grandmother now.”
“I’m here if you need me,” he said.
“I know, thank you.” The wonder of the man she tore herself away from was that he meant it when he said that. Never had she dared to imagine having someone in her life she could lean on, believe in. Love wasn’t supposed to be this good, was it?
And love was what Rachelle could no longer deny feeling for Magnus. Waking up in his arms made each day feel like a miracle on its own. Alisha had told her love changed everything, but she hadn’t believed her until Magnus. With him on her side, she felt like she could handle whatever life threw her way—even a lecture from Delinda.
When she didn’t immediately see Delinda, Rachelle made her way down the hallway to peer into the other rooms. She was about to step into one of the rooms when she heard a male voice say, “Prince Magnus is brilliant. You’ll never see Vandorra selling off palaces to the public.”
“But an American? And one that has been mocked on every website, in every newspaper? How desperate for money is he?” a female voice asked.
Rachelle’s chest tightened painfully. She wanted to walk away, but she couldn’t. She didn’t want to hear what else they’d say, but part of her had to.
The man said, “Call her whatever you want, that woman is set to inherit billions when her grandmother kicks the bucket. Did you see the way he was fawning all over her? I wouldn’t be surprised if he rushes her to the altar. Hell, when a deal is that sweet, you close it fast.”
“Do you think she’s even his taste?”
“Prince Magnus is a pragmatist. A chinchilla would be his taste if it came with the dowry she has. Royal marriages are always business first, pleasure with lovers after she pops out a few children. Who cares if she’s angry then?”
“Must you be so crude, Joel?”
“Must you be so na?ve, Tatiana? I almost feel bad for her. Unless she’s trading her freedom for a title. Some women are into that.”
Sick to her stomach, Rachelle forced herself to walk away then. She didn’t recognize their names, but that made it worse in a way. They were just voices in the night, slapping her in the face with a potentially ugly reality. All her earlier doubts came crashing back. From the first moment she’d seen Magnus walking down the red carpet toward her, she’d known he was out of her league. Except when it came to an inheritance bigger than his country’s GDP. Eric had warned her that once people knew she had money, she would never again be able to trust anyone.
Every relationship would be doubted, he’d said. Rachelle rushed blindly away from prying eyes. She needed air and a moment alone to think. She ran through the kitchen and out a side door.
In a most unladylike way, Rachelle spent several moments bent over a trash can, fighting to gain control and hoping she didn’t vomit right down the front of her dress.
Luckily, she had her phone with her. “Alisha?”
“What’s wrong, Rachelle? I thought you had a reception tonight. Oh no, Delinda didn’t do something, did she?”
Crap, she never had found her. “No, it’s not her. It’s me. I just heard something, and I don’t want to go where it’s sending me.”
“Are you back in an alley?”
Rachelle looked around at the long three-sided area lined with trash bins. “Yeah. I’m back to that.”
“No. Really?”
Speaking to Alisha calmed Rachelle as only a best friend could. “So, I told you how well things were going.”
“Yes, you did. Magnus sounds amazing.”
“What if he’s not? What if he’s only with me because I have a substantial inheritance in my future?”
“Did he say that?”
Rachelle headed out of the alley. She needed fresher air than the trash area was providing. “No, I overheard some people saying he was brilliant to marry someone like me. You should have heard them talk about Delinda’s money. It was ugly.”
“Fuck them,” Alisha said.
Rachelle let out a surprised laugh, since her friend never normally swore. “So you think I should just forget what they said?”
“That would be impossible, wouldn’t it? Once you’ve heard something, you’ve heard it. What you need to ask yourself is if you believe it.”
“He’s perfect, Alisha. He’s sexy, attentive, funny—even when he’s not trying to be. I’ve met his friends, and they all love him. We’ve worked together this week on real projects and he has valued my opinion at each step. It is good with him, Alisha. So good. Too good?”
“So you’d rather be with an asshole, because that’s the only kind of man who you believe could love you?”
“No. I don’t believe that.”
“Then you think Magnus is a manipulative liar who is driven only by money.”
“No, that’s not how I see him at all.” She thought about the way he cared for his people. He was arrogant, but not greedy. Although he and his father had palaces, he didn’t take money from his people to support them. He was a successful businessman as well as a prince.
“So, what are you going to trust? Two nasty strangers who are probably insanely jealous of you and Magnus? Or your heart? Because I know you love him.”
“I do.” She continued walking down a grassy path. “I just don’t want to wake up a year from now and feel like a fool. Eric warned me that people would want what we have. That has never been true for us, but what if it is now? How awful am I that I’m even considering this?”
Alisha sighed. “Love makes potential fools of all of us. It’s a leap of faith. Brett could come home from work any day and tell me he’s found someone else, but I can’t live afraid that he will—because that’s not living. I’m going to believe in him and in us with every ounce of myself until he gives me a reason not to. I’ve never met Magnus. I can’t tell you if he’s worth the same kind of faith. That’s for you to decide. Is he?”
Rachelle walked on and thought back over the last few weeks. Even at his most infuriating, Magnus had always done what he thought was best for her. From suggesting she leave prostitution to moving her out of a hotel he didn’t think she was safe in, from practically kidnapping Eric to visiting him daily at the hospital—he showed he cared.
“Yes, he is worth that kind of faith. I panicked when I heard those people talking about why they thought he’s with me, but they don’t know me.”
“No, they don’t.”
“And they obviously don’t know him.”