“I want to be there, beside you, when Andrea Waters starts asking the questions.”
He turned her hand over, kissed the backs of her fingers, one by one. “I was hoping you would say that.”
“Are we going to New York?”
“No. She will come here, to Montedoro. There will be a tour of the palace as part of the broadcast. And then we’ll sit down, the three of us, and chat.”
“Chat.” Sydney shivered.
“Are you cold, my darling?”
“With your arms around me?” Her green gaze didn’t waver. “Never. But I am a little scared.”
“Don’t be. It’s going to go beautifully. I’m sure of it.”
“Kiss me, Rule.”
And he did, for a very long time.
Epilogue
Her Royal Highness Liliana, Princess of Alagonia, Duchess of Laille, Countess of Salamondo, sat alone in her bedroom in her father’s palace.
She wore a very old, very large green The Little Mermaid T-shirt, bought on a trip to America years before—and nothing else. Perched cross-legged on her bed, she held a delicate black plate decorated with yellow poppies and piled high with almond cookies. Lili intended to eat every one of those cookies. It was her second plate of them. She’d finished the first plateful a few minutes before.
Also, close at hand, she had a big box of tissues. Already, she’d used several of those. The discards littered the bed around her.
She was watching the television in the armoire across the room. It was Andrea Waters Tonight, an American program. Andrea Waters was interviewing Rule and Sydney.
Lili thought the interview was absolutely wonderful. Such a romantic story. She’d had no idea. Rule, a sperm donor? She never would have imagined that, not in a hundred thousand years. And Sydney’s little boy, Trevor—he was Rule’s all along.
Of course, Lili should have guessed. The resemblance was nothing short of striking.
And didn’t Sydney look adorable? She was such a handsome woman. And she sat so close to Rule, holding his hand. And the glances those two shared …
That. Yes. Exactly. Lili wanted that, what Rule and Sydney had. She wanted real love, strong love, true love, forever, with the right man.
Unfortunately, that she would ever find the right man was looking less and less likely. Especially after what had happened with Alex.
Really, how could she?
With Alex, of all people?
And now, just look at the mess she was in.
Lili ate another almond cookie, whipped out another tissue and blotted up tears. Unceremoniously, she blew her nose.
And then she sighed.
Rule and Sydney. They looked so happy. They were so happy. And Lili was happy for them.
Yes, it was true. She’d been something of a fool over Rule for all those years. He was so handsome and such a good man and he’d always treated her with warmth and affection. She’d let her vivid imagination carry her away. She’d dreamed of being Rule’s bride.
She’d thought that she loved him. And she did love him. But now, at last, she understood that the love she felt for Rule wasn’t the kind of love a woman feels for the man to whom she binds her life.
Again, Lili wondered if she would ever find that man.
It was beyond doubtful. Maybe even impossible, given her current condition.