But then she did not stay up late. In the strange, dislocated days she had spent here she had always retired with Ben, after supper, and once he was bathed and asleep she would spend the time in their room reading. The house came with a wellstocked library, and she was grateful for it. She had made a point of not watching television, quite deliberately. She had not wanted to catch anything of whatever the press might be saying by now about her sister and Ben. She didn’t want to think about it.
But now, with Prince Enrico sitting at the head of the breakfast table, it all suddenly seemed horribly real again.
Her eyes had gone to him immediately as she’d entered the room—but then it would have been difficult for them to do otherwise, prince or no prince. He was the kind of man that drew all eyes instantly. She felt again that squirming awkwardness go through her, and wished that she and Ben had got up earlier, and so missed this ordeal.
Not that Ben thought it was an ordeal, evidently. He was chatting away with his uncle, and Lizzy felt her mouth tighten with disapproval.
‘Ther
e is a problem?’
The accented voice was cool. Lizzy realised that Prince Enrico was looking at her.
‘Why are you here? Has something happened? Something worse?’
Her voice was staccato, and probably sounded abrupt. She didn’t care.
A frowning expression formed on his face.
‘Is there more bad news?’ Lizzy persisted.
‘Other than what was expected? No. Did you not see any of the coverage?’
‘No. It was the last thing I wanted to do. But in which case, if nothing worse has happened, why are you here?’
He looked at her. He had that closed expression on his face. Obviously he wasn’t used to being spoken to like that, thought Lizzy. But she didn’t care. Tension bit in her.
‘I am here at the behest of my father. For reasons that must be obvious even to yourself, Miss Mitchell.’
His words were terse.
She looked blank. ‘I don’t understand.’
His mouth pressed together tightly, and he looked impatiently at her.
‘We will discuss this matter later.’ He turned his attention back to Ben. Shutting her out.
Dismissing her.
Anxiety and tension warred within her.
How she got through breakfast she did not know. She could not relax, and, although she deplored it, she knew she was grateful that Ben was chattering away to the Prince, making it possible for her to swallow a few morsels of food through a tight throat.
The moment Ben had finished, she got to her feet.
‘Come along, Ben,’ she said.
‘Tio Rico said we’d go swimming,’ Ben protested.
‘Not straight after eating,’ she said quietly. ‘You’ll get a sore tummy. And anyway, you need to brush your teeth,’ she added, steering him out of the room.
As she gained the large hallway, she felt her stomach sink. Oh, God, now what? Why had he come back here? And why should it be obvious to her? Nothing was obvious to her. Nothing. Only that she was desperate for all this to be over, and for her to be able to go home with Ben.
But it seemed that she would have to get through another morning here.
After Ben had brushed his teeth they went back down to the drawing room, where Ben’s toys were.
Prince Enrico was there before them. Lizzy tensed immediately.