Lizzy swallowed, and gave a sort of half nod. She couldn’t look at him—not look him in the eye and know that last night, in some unreal, disorientating, panicked ceremony, she had become this man’s wife.
She pulled out a chair and sat down.
‘Did you sleep well?’ There seemed to be genuine enquiry in his voice.
She swallowed, and nodded again. Jerkily she reached for a jug of orange juice and began to pour herself a glass. Ben was chattering away to his uncle.
His stepfather? A stepfather who could take him away from her—
The breath tightened in Lizzy’s throat as the realisation hit her. It was followed by panic. Blind, gut-wrenching panic. Was this another trick? A trap like the one that had brought her to San Lucenzo, with one object only, to take Ben from her?
‘Don’t look like that.’ His voice was low, but it penetrated her panic. Her eyes snapped up. Locked with his. ‘It will be all right. It will be all right. There is no need for you to fear anything now.’
She felt her throat tighten unbearably.
‘Trust me,’ he said.
His dark eyes were looking into hers. ‘I promised you,’ he said slowly, clearly, as if to a frightened child, ‘that I will keep you and Ben safe, together, for as long as is necessary. I will never allow you to be separated from him. You have my word.’
And slowly, very slowly, Lizzy felt the panic still, the fear drain from her. He held her eyes for one moment longer, and then, with a slight, humorously resigned twist to his lips, he turned to Ben, who was tugging at his sleeve to get his attention back and find out whether he could get down to the beach right away.
‘Breakfast first, young man,’ he said. ‘Then we’ll go exploring. When I’ve got some clothes.’ He looked across at Lizzy, who was sipping her orange juice. ‘I am having some new clothes sent up to the villa. They should be here soon. The palace may send my own on; they may not. In the meantime, the on-site boutiques by the marina here can supply whatever we want.’ His eyes flicked to her and Ben. ‘They’ll get you two sorted out as well.’
‘Oh, no—please. I’m sure I can cope with what I’ve brought,’ Lizzy said hurriedly.
‘That will not be necessary.’ His expression stilled a moment. ‘I know this is hard for you, but everything is different. However…’ his voice changed again ‘…today we shall spend very quietly, giving us time to get used to what has happened. I think we deserve some calm after the storm, no? So, tell me, what do you think of the villa?’
‘It’s unbelievably beautiful,’ Lizzy said.
Rico nodded. ‘I agree. Jean-Paul chose well. It’s also one of the most remote villas on the Capo D’Angeli estate. Not that we need to worry. Security on the whole estate is draconian. Everyone who stays here wants privacy above all—even from each other. And by the same token,’ he said reassuringly, ‘you do not need to worry about the staff. They are used to all guests wanting absolute discretion. We can relax completely here—I have even sent Gianni off to take a well-deserved holiday.’
He smiled encouragingly.
On cue a manservant appeared, bearing a tray of fresh coffee and breakfast rolls. Ben needed no encouragement, and was swiftly tucking in.
‘He seems to have taken it all in his stride,’ said Rico contemplatively. ‘I think he will like it here.’ He glanced across at Lizzy. ‘I think we will like it here.’
She met his eyes. It was getting easier. Not easy, but easier.
‘Thank you,’ she said, in a low, intense voice. ‘Thank you for what you have done.’
‘We did what we had to do. There was no other way. No other choice. And now—’ his expression changed ‘—I want to hear no more on it. We have been through a great deal—we deserve a holiday. And this is a good place for one.’
He grinned suddenly, and yet again Lizzy felt that hopelessly inappropriate reaction. She crushed it as muc
h as she could, but dread went through her. How was she going to cope? It was impossible—just impossible.
She steeled herself. Prince Rico was going to have to cope, and so was she. If he could use his upbringing to handle any situation, then she would too. She would force herself.
‘What…what will happen today?’ she ventured.
‘Today? Today we take things easy. Ben must go down to the beach—we’ll have a revolution on our hands if we don’t take him. The cove at the base of the villa gardens is private to us, so we will not be disturbed. There is a swimming pool here too, of course, on the level below this one. As for toys—well, the villa comes with a fully stocked children’s playroom, and for anything else the internet is a great provider. So, you see, we shall have everything we need for the perfect holiday.’
He smiled at her again, then turned his attention to Ben.
‘How are you at building sandcastles?’ he asked him.
‘Really good,’ said Ben enthusiastically. ‘At home we build them when the tide comes in, and then we make big walls to stop the waves. But the waves always win in the end.’