CHAPTER THREE
‘THISISLIKE something from a fairy tale,’ Clara enthused. She opened the window and stuck her face out so she could see more clearly the ancient amphitheatre nestled alongside the castle perched high in the rolling Ceres hills. As the car rounded a bend, she saw the amphitheatre separated the castle into two distinct complex stone buildings that were a mishmash of shapes and architecture that was impressively theatrical. Here was classic medieval and renaissance and surrealist architecture blended into something fantastical, and it was huge, both the castle and the grounds. ‘And I thought the house I grew up in was big! Has your family always lived here?’
‘For five hundred years,’ Marcelo answered.
‘I bet you had some amazing games of hide-and-seek.’
‘I’ve never played.’
The car came to a stop as she twisted to face him. ‘Really? Is that because your family is all royal and stuffy?’
His lips twitched. ‘Not at all. We just played different games when I was a child.’
She nudged him with her elbow. ‘Alessia invited me here for the Easter holidays once but I got expelled before it could happen and my brother wouldn’t let me come as punishment. I would have got you all playing hide-and-seek.’
Her door was opened and she jumped out, already itching to explore the place. It would take weeks to explore it all. Months! Bob was just as enamoured, racing in big circles around the lawn that edged the section of the castle they were parked in front of.
Marcelo joined her. ‘I never knew that.’
‘What?’
‘That you were going to stay with us.’
‘Stay with Alessia,’ she corrected, then added kindly, ‘But I’m sure we would have let you play with us. But probably not your brother—Alessia said he was a right bossy-boots.’
‘I would suggest you don’t mention that to him,’ he advised drily.
‘I doubt I’ll be here long enough to meet him but if I do...’ She mimed zipping her lips.
The wide, full lips pulled into a grin. ‘Come on, Clara Chaos, let’s get some food inside you.’
Marcelo couldn’t stop himself from soaking Clara’s reaction to the castle interior. From the private reception room they entered and all the way down the wide corridor that led to his private quarters, her head craned this way and that, and she kept stopping to admire the artwork and, in some cases, pull a face of distaste.
When they reached his door, he unlocked it and indicated for her to enter.
‘Whoa...’ Her eyes were bright as she did a full circle to take everything in. ‘This is yours?’
‘My private quarters, yes.’
‘Has it always been yours?’
‘No, I lived with my siblings in my parents’ quarters until I joined the army. These quarters were given to me when I turned twenty-one to use as a base when I was on leave.’
She grinned knowingly. ‘Was that so you could bring women back and guarantee some privacy?’
Her cheery bluntness took him aback again.
‘I bet women have always chased after you,’ she said, kneeling to put Bob on the floor. Marcelo tried not to wince to see the puppy immediately roll over the thousand-year-old Persian rug.
‘Haven’t they?’
Not realising her comment had required an answer, Marcelo found himself at a loss at what to say. Clara was just too disarming in both her physical presence and her unnerving habit of uttering whatever came into her head.
In the end she gave a nonchalant shrug. ‘You’re a prince, you’re rich and you’re handsome. Stands to reason women would chase after you.’ There was a slight narrowing of her eyes. ‘But I bet you’re a man who prefers to do the chasing himself. Do you ever pretend to be a commoner?’
‘For what purpose?’
‘To see if they still want you without all the trappings. I would. I mean, let’s face it, King Pig only wanted me for my blood—that the future King of England is something like my thirteenth cousin apparently makes me a catch. And I’m poor! Anyway, is it okay for me to take a shower? I feel really grubby.’