“Thank you,” she said. “I appreciate that. And I appreciate you standing up for me this morning. The look on your father’s face when you put an end to the discussion was priceless, really.”
Gabriel looked at her with a wry grin. “It was good, wasn’t it? It’s the first time I’ve stood up to him in my whole life and I’m glad I did.”
“Is he always like that?”
Gabriel sipped his sparkling water and nodded. “Nothing was ever good enough for my father, but especially me. I could never understand it growing up. I did everything right, everything he wanted me to do. I went to school where he wanted me to go, took the position at the company he wanted me to have. I let him banish me to South American Operations. After everything that happened there, I almost got the feeling he was disappointed I came back. I’ve never understood why.”
“After everything that happened there?” Gabriel seemed to be alluding to some incident she was unaware of. “What happened?”
With a sigh, he popped the last of his bread in his mouth and shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. What matters is that I learned some valuable lessons. First, that you have to be careful who you can trust. And second, that I’m a grown man who can live and do however I please. These last few years my behavior has just been written off by my family as reckless and selfish, but it’s been good for me. If my father doesn’t approve of me either way, I should do whatever I want to, right?”
Serafia suppressed her frown. How had she not seen how wounded he was before now? The cracks in his facade were starting to show and they made her wonder what had turned the obedient middle son into the rebellious, distant one. He didn’t want to talk about it and she understood. She had dark secrets of her own, but she couldn’t help wondering if his past and its effect on him might hinder his leadership in Alma.
“I never wanted to be king, but now that I’m here, I think this might work out. My father may still disagree with what I do and how, but now I don’t have to listen to it any longer.” Abruptly standing, he pulled some euros from his wallet and threw them down on the table to cover everyone’s lunch tab. Serafia got up as well, placing her napkin on the table.
“Let’s get back on the road.”
Five
“You look very handsome tonight.”
Serafia stood at Gabriel’s side and looked over the railing at the crowd below. There was a sea of people there, all dressed in their finest tuxedos and gowns. A string quartet was in the corner, filling the large space with a soothing background melody. It was a glittering display of marble floors, towering flower arrangements and twinkling crystal chandeliers. Patrick Rowling spared no expense when it came to his home or the parties he hosted there.
They had arrived at the Rowling mansion via a side door and were escorted upstairs to wait in Patrick’s library so Gabriel could make a grand entrance. To their right was an elaborate marble staircase that twisted its way into the center of the ballroom. It just begged for a king to stroll down with a regal air.
Regal was not the vibe she was getting from Gabriel. Her compliment seemed to unnerve him. He shifted uncomfortably under her scrutiny, although there was no reason for him to be nervous. The ceremonial dress had been tailored beautifully and despite his complaints, he looked noble, powerful and very appropriate for a party like this. He had come a long way in the last week and she’d felt a swell of pride in her chest when he stepped out of his bedroom in full regalia earlier.
“I still feel like Prince Charming at the ball. And from the look of the crowd here tonight, all the eligible young maidens have come to land a king for a husband.”
“I did notice that,” she admitted. There were a lot of young women at the party, all painted and coiffed to the max. Decked out in an array of eye-catching jewel-tone silks and satins, they were like parading peacocks among the dark tuxedos. If Serafia had to guess, she’d say that millions of dollars had been laid out tonight in the hopes that they might catch the future king’s eye.
She had gone the opposite route. Her gown was a very soft pink, almost a blush color. The organza ruching wrapped around her body, dotted with tiny crystals and beads. While sedate in color, it still had a few scandalous details like a plunging V-cut neckline and a slit on the side that almost reached the top of her thigh. She wanted to look as if she belonged, but she didn’t want to stand out. She wasn’t here to enjoy a party; she was here to help Gabriel get through his first real event in Alma.