His Majesty's Marriage

Rebecca Winters is the mother of four who was very excited about the new millennium because it meant another new beginning for her. Having said goodbye to the classroom where she taught French and Spanish, she is now free to spend more time with her family, to travel and to write the Mills & Boon novels she loves so dearly.

Rebecca Winters has been nominated for a Reader’s Choice Award for her title The Faithful Bride and was previously voted Utah Writer of the Year! You can visit her Web site at www.rebeccawinters-author.com

CHAPTER ONE

PRINCE RAOUL MERTIER BERGERET D’ARILLAC levered his tall, ripcord-strong body from the car, and strode across the cobblestone courtyard of the seventeenth-century Swiss château nestled in the forest overlooking Lake Neuchatel.

Despite the lateness of the hour, the early July night felt warm and balmy. Perfect weather for him and his friends to enjoy a relaxing climb in Zermatt over the weekend.

Intent on reaching his newly modernized apartments, a surprise from his mother he could have done without while he’d been away climbing in the Himalayas at the end of spring, he didn’t notice a figure had stepped from the shadows of the giant chestnut tree until he heard his name called.

He paused mid-stride and spun around. “Father?”

“I didn’t mean to startle you, my boy.”

Raoul shook his head and walked toward him. “Why on earth aren’t you in bed?”

“I’ve been waiting for you.”

“So I gather. Philippe just got back from Paris this evening. We’ve been discussing a weekend climb of the Matterhorn’s North Face. I’m afraid we lost track of the time.”

In the moonlight, Henri Mertier’s gaze took in the handsome features of his only child, whose complexion had been darkened to teak by the elements on Everest.

He had nothing but praise for his devoted, hardworking, thirty-four-year-old son who not only was a brilliant banker and businessman in his own right, but possessed all the qualities a father could pray for in his offspring.

Temperate in most things, his son had a passion for climbing when he could get away, and he always handled his relationships with women in a discreet manner.

In truth, Henri was tremendously proud of Raoul. That was why a terrible sadness washed over him when he considered what had to be said now. He knew it was the last news his son wanted to hear.

Almost the same height as Raoul’s six-foot-two physique, he put a detaining hand on his shoulder. “Could we talk inside?”

Something important was on his father’s mind. “Of course.”

Raoul fell in step with his parent as they approached the main entrance to the château. He opened the heavy door, with the D’Arillac coat of arms emblazoned in stained glass, and ushered his father through the great hallway to the library.

“Let’s have a drink, shall we? I feel the need of one.”

The odd inflection in his tone caused Raoul to study his father’s sober expression which couldn’t be hidden by his trimmed brown mustache and beard. Only wings of silver at the temples indicated his seventy years of age.

The two men faced each other in front of the hearth with its ancient glazed tiles. Raoul stared at the wonderful man who’d always been his role model. The pale blue eyes held a mixture of sadness and anxiety.

Unsettled by the look, Raoul decided he needed sustenance after all and poured himself what his father was drinking.

“You obviously have something serious to discuss. What is so urgent you couldn’t wait until tomorrow to tell me?”

His father shook his head. His hands were clasped in front of him. He rubbed his thumbs together in an attitude of reflection.

“You’re familiar with the phrase, ‘God’s errand’?”

Raoul didn’t move a muscle, but something unpleasant twisted in his gut-some premonition of dread. He’d experienced it on several occasions climbing in the Alps during army maneuvers. The sudden crack of sound-then avalanche. Lines darkened his features.

“Say what you have to say, Father,” Raoul said with an uncustomary show of impatience. His parent’s comment had begun to alarm him.

“This concerns you and the Princess Sophie.”

A pregnant silence invaded the booklined room with its ornate hand-carved furniture and inlaid floors. Raoul felt as if someone had put a fist to his abdomen, dead center. He ran long, tanned fingers through his dark blond hair, a trait passed down from his mother.

“I thought we had an understanding that until I turned thirty-six she was a closed subject.”

“I’m afraid her father opened it when I received a call from him earlier this evening. He feels Sophie has reached the age where it has become an embarrassment for her to still be single. It seems he insists that the date of your wedding be moved up.”

Henri’s words extinguished any light coming from his son’s piercing blue eyes.

“How soon?”

After a tension-filled pause, “Two months.”

The wineglass slipped from Raoul’s fingers and shattered against the parquetry. All color drained from his face, leaving his lips whitened. He stood there clenching and unclenching his fists.

Henri’s heart went out to Raoul. If anyone understood how his son felt, Henri did. Thirty-five years ago he’d married Raoul’s mother, Princess Louise de Bergeret. They had been betrothed from infancy. Fortunately there’d been an initial attraction on both sides and their marriage grew into a love match.

But, lovely as Sophie was, he knew the fire wasn’t there for her on Raoul’s part. Though he’d had ample opportunity over the years, his son had never sought her company.

“I’m sorry the news is so distressing to you.”

Raoul ran trembling hands through his hair one more time. “I’ve got to be by myself for a while, Father. Excuse me.”

He slipped out the doors of the family château and climbed into the forest beyond the estate. He broke into a run as he left the gentler slopes and made his way through the pines clinging to the steeper hillsides overlooking the lake.

By the time he’d reached his destination, his breath was spent. He flung his body facedown into the bed of wild narcissus and gave way to his grief. Time had no meaning as pain continued to rack his body.

Much later, when he rose to his feet on unsteady legs, the stars had faded from their velvet backdrop.

As a pale yellow dawn filled the sky, he let himself back inside his apartment.

Gripping his cellphone with a hand still redolent of narcissus, he rang Philippe.

“Raoul-” he answered in a gravelly voice. “What time is it?”

“Five-thirty. Can you talk?”

“But of course,” his voice came back, much stronger than before. “You want me to come there?”

“No. Meet me at the pier. We’ll take a ride.”

“I’ll join you in ten minutes.”

A half-hour later Raoul cut the motor of the speedboat. They were far enough away from shore to ensure total privacy. Without preamble he told Philippe about the bombshell his father had just dropped on him.

“Mon Dieu- I thought it was several years away yet.” The two men faced each other. Philippe clamped a hand on Raoul’s shoulder. “You don’t have to go through with it.”

“That’s true,” Raoul muttered. “I can be the only Arillac who ever shrank from his responsibilities in five hundred years.”

“It isn’t fair that a man be born with that kind of a burden. Is it written in stone you must marry the Princess?” When there was no answer forthcoming, Philippe removed his hand. “Forget I said anything.”

Raoul’s eyes narrowed. “You think I haven’t asked myself that question at least once a day since my teens? I prayed that if I put things off long enough Sophie would experience a coup de foudre with someone else by now.”

Philippe grimaced. “Ever since I’ve known you, I’ve hoped you would fall for a woman you couldn’t live without. But it never happened. Probably because you knew what was expected of you and wouldn’t allow yourself to get too involved.”

Letting out the breath he’d been holding, Raoul said, “I don’t honestly know. The truth is, no woman has ever attracted me so much that I could feel my duty being tested.”

“Why couldn’t you have had an ambitious brother?”

They eyed each other soulfully. “It didn’t happen, Philippe.”

His friend shook his head. “How many times have you been with her in the last year, aside from your formal engagement?”

“That was it.”

“Unbelievable!” Philippe smacked his forehead. “And how many times before that?”

“You already know. Half a dozen maybe, since our teens.”

“And you were never alone with her! That’s no foundation for any kind of marriage.”

“By the sound of that, I assume you’ve decided to take my advice and go after Kellie.”

Philippe nodded. “I don’t see I have a choice. She’s become my whole world.”

Philippe had confessed to Raoul that last month he’d fallen hard for a woman staying at his parents’ estate near Paris. Raoul knew his best friend had been enamoured of several women in the past, but evidently this one, Kellie, was different.

“Do you have any idea how lucky you are to feel that kind of desire and know it’s reciprocated?” Raoul bit out fiercely. “If you have that going for you, you can make the rest work.”

“I’ve never wanted a woman so much in my life,” he admitted in a haunted whisper. “However, this conversation isn’t about me. Raoul- I have an idea. Why don’t you ask Sophie to join us in Zermatt?”

“What are you talking about?” he demanded incredulously.

“You two need time together away from your families and protocol. Ask her to come to your chalet. We’ll all take the cable car to Schwartzsee together. A two-hour hike to the Berghaus shouldn’t be too strenuous for her. We could do a less ambitious climb to the summit from the Hornli Ridge. If she doesn’t want to climb from there you cou-”

“What do you mean ‘if’?” Raoul cut in. “She’d be terrified at the thought.”

“That’s the whole point, Raoul. If she has any blood running through her veins, it should put the fear in her to consider marrying a total stranger whose passions she could never understand. The rest of us will go on to the top and leave you two alone. Reserve a double room at the hut. It should terrify her even more to discover that she’s marrying a man who’s not attracted to her in any way-who has no desire to bed her when given the opportunity. You follow me?

“Twelve hours of getting to know the real you will make her realize that neither of you has a damn thing in common. Let her see beneath the veneer to the flesh and blood man who will always be indifferent to her.”

Raoul had been listening to his friend. “Mon Dieu-if I thought for one moment I could get her to call off our betrothal…”

“Then you could marry the woman you want? If she came along?”

The question reverberated in his head. “I don’t know.” His voice shook. “But it’s worth finding out, mon ami.”

As Philippe’s suggestion took hold, the first ray of hope filled Raoul’s being with such powerful intensity he leaped to his feet in reaction, almost dumping them both in the calm blue water.

“Mademoiselle?”

While the six girls who boarded during the summer were impatiently waiting for her to finish passing out the afternoon mail, Lee Gresham looked over her shoulder at the maid. “Yes, Bianca?”

“The Princess Sophie de Ramblet is on the phone for you. It’s urgent. Madame Simoness said you could take the call in her private office.”

“I’ll be right there.”

Afraid she knew the reason why her best friend insisted she come to the phone, Lee told the girls they could go out on the grounds to relax, then hurried from the foyer of Pensionnat Beau Lac to the headmistress’s bureau.

Darting across the Aubusson rug, she reached for the receiver. Out of breath she asked softly, “Sophie?”

“Thank heaven you answered.” Her friend sounded beside herself.

“Your parents didn’t find out about Luciano, did they?”

“No- This is much worse.”

“What’s wrong? Are you alone? Can you talk?”

“Yes, but only for a minute,” she said in hushed tones. “Mother just left my room. She told me Daddy’s upset because I’m not married yet. Apparently he phoned Henri Mertier last night and the matter has been settled. My wedding to Raoul has been brought forward to two months from now!”

“What?” Lee was aghast. “Have you told Luciano?”

“No. Mother was still in here with me when Raoul phoned from Neuchatel. H-he asked me to join him at his chalet in Zermatt on Thursday so we could get better acquainted over the weekend.”

“Better acquainted-” Lee blurted. “Don’t you mean introduced?” Her cheeks went hot. “I’m sorry, Sophie, but this whole thing is so archaic, I can’t understand it.”

“Do you honestly think I feel any differently?”

Lee bit her lip. “No, of course not. When we boarded together here at Beau Lac years ago, it’s ridiculous to think how much I envied you for being a princess. Your betrothal to Raoul sounded like something right out of Sleeping Beauty. I just never dreamed the fairy tale would end up a nightmare.”

“That’s exactly what it is! I don’t dare tell Luciano until I can see him in person and explain what’s happened.”

“How are you going to arrange that? With your marriage imminent, you won’t have a moment to yourself.”

“This is where you come in, Lee. I’ve got a plan. I’ve already arranged for Madame Simoness to give you the time off…”

Naturally. Sophie’s parents donated a fortune to the prestigious boarding school in Nyon on Lake Geneva. They were wonderful people who treated Lee like family. Lee was eaten up by guilt because they had no idea how many times she’d helped Sophie and Luciano get together.

“You want me to go to Zermatt with you,” she said in a wooden voice. It was a statement, not a question.

“Yes. We’ll take the train to Visp, where I’ll meet Luciano. You’ll go to Zermatt from there on the train and make my excuses to Raoul in person.”

Lee tried to swallow, but her mouth had gone dry. “I’d do just about anything for you, Sophie. But to lie to his face-”

“It won’t be a lie. I’m already feeling ill. Please, just listen. To avoid the press, he’s sending one of his friends named Philippe Didier to pick me up in front of the station and drive me to his chalet. The man will be holding a sign that says ‘Miami’ so people will think he’s waiting for an American tourist.”

“But his friend will see right away I’m not you!” Lee’s panic was bordering on hysteria.

“When you inform him you’re there in my place to speak to the Prince, he won’t question it. After you reach the chalet, you’ll tell Raoul I became nauseous on the train and took the next one back to Geneva.”

“That’s it?”

“No. There’s one more thing I need you to do for me. It’s the last thing I’ll ever ask of you, I promise.”

How many times had Lee heard that before?

Knowing this was Sophie, the girl who in the past had got into more trouble than any other boarder at the school, Lee had the distinct impression she wasn’t going to like what her friend was about to suggest. The back of her neck started to prickle.

By the time Sophie had finished explaining her plan, perspiration had broken out on Lee’s body. “You actually want me to come on to him?”

“Yes. Please do it for me! You’ve seen pictures of him and know how attractive he is; it won’t be so hard. If my own best friend can tempt him to spend the weekend with her then I’ll go to my parents and tell them I refuse to marry a man who can’t even be faithful to me eight weeks before the wedding!

“If they want proof, you’ll be able to provide it. My parents love and trust you like a daughter. To hear the truth from your lips will appall them, and Daddy will call off the wedding. It has to be my father who calls it off, Lee.” Her voice trembled. “It’s the only legitimate way the betrothal can be broken. After I’ve gone through a suitable period of grief, I’ll introduce them to Luciano.”

“Sophie-you haven’t thought this through. Raoul will call the château to find out your condition and discover you’re not there!”

“Not if you give him my cellphone number. Then it won’t matter where I am. I’ll think of something to tell my parents so it won’t alarm them if he does call Geneva to check up on me.”

By now Lee was shaking, because it was impossible to say no to Sophie. “And what am I supposed to do if His Royal Highness decides he wants to enjoy a weekend affair with me?”

“Knowing you, you’ll think of a gracious way to get out of it.”

“You mean I’m to blow hot, then cold?”

“Exactly.”

“What if he’s not a gentleman?”

“Then I need to find that out too! I’m sure you’ll know how to handle him. You weren’t the most brilliant girl in school for nothing! I’ll reserve a room for you at the Belle-Vue in Zermatt. I’m sure you could use a few days’ vacation. Who knows? While you’re walking around, you might even meet a man who’ll help you put the past away. It will give us a lot to talk about on Sunday when I join you for the return trip to Geneva.”

Lee shook her head in despair. “I don’t think I can go through with this, Sophie.”

“But you must! There’s only one man I want to marry, and-oh, la la, someone’s coming. I have to hang up now. A car will be waiting for you outside the school at ten on Thursday morning to take you to the train station. We’ll meet on board. Á bientôt, ma chére copine.”

CHAPTER TWO

LUCIANO BERNALDI placed Lee’s suitcase inside the train, then gave her a fierce hug. “Thank you for helping us,” he whispered in heavily accented English. “I’m counting on you.”

Lee shivered at the remark which had come straight from his heart.

After he stepped back on the platform to pull Sophie into his arms again, the two of them waved to Lee until the train moved out of the station. Once they’d disappeared, she picked up her suitcase and found a seat inside.

Sophie’s Swiss boyfriend lived in Ascona, a town in the Italian canton of Ticino. Though he came from a family of wealthy hoteliers, he held no title and could never be on a par with Raoul. The prestigious House of D’Arillac had prevailed over the Frenchspeaking cantons for centuries.

The year before, the two of them had met by chance while Sophie and Lee were vacationing at one of the Bernaldi hotels on Lake Maggiore. When the lift had stuck because of a brief power outage Sophie, who feared heights, had become very frightened.

It was Luciano himself, with his black hair and aquiline features, who had rescued them. Lee might as well have been nonexistent because he and Sophie had fallen for each other on the spot. Over the last twelve months their feelings had deepened until they could hardly bear to be apart.

The man had been begging Sophie to marry him, but she was torn because she loved her parents and couldn’t stand to go against their wishes. Many times Lee had tried to put herself in Sophie’s place, but couldn’t. All she knew was that if she were the one madly in love, she’d probably forget her title and run off with Luciano.

But maybe she could say that so easily because she’d lost all sense of family when her parents and fiancé had been killed. That had been three years ago, a long enough time to stop actively grieving.

At the funeral, Lee’s aunt and uncle from West Yellowstone, Montana, had offered her a home with them. But Sophie had begged Lee to return to Switzerland where she could continue to live and work near her. She’d argued that Madame Simoness needed her, not to mention the girls at the school who would help her forget her pain.

In the end, Lee had chosen to go back to Nyon. Between everyone there, especially Sophie’s parents, she had been able to make it through that agonizing period. Now, sadly, Sophie was asking something of Lee that seemed such a betrayal of the Ramblets’s love and caring.

By the time the train reached the station in Zermatt, she could hardly breathe for the tension that constricted her chest. When the train emptied, she found herself in the middle of a crowd that swept her along the platform to the entrance.

She couldn’t have arrived on a more beautiful, brisk afternoon. The last time she’d stayed here overnight, with the boarders from the school, clouds had obscured the Matterhorn. Today it rose in the distance like a giant snow-covered sentinel, overlooking the lush green valley dotted with chalets and hotels.

The sight was so beautiful Lee could hardly believe it was real. But her appreciation was short-lived the moment she saw the “Miami” sign held by a lanky male in dark trousers and a windbreaker.

That would be Philippe, Raoul’s friend. He stood in front of one of those electric cars, the only kind allowed in Zermatt. She thought he looked very French and attractive in his own way, with overly long dark hair and hooded eyes. While his gaze swept the crowd for signs of Sophie, it managed to linger on Lee in male appreciation several times in the process.

With her cap of silvery-gold curls and violet eyes, she’d become used to the stares of men, especially the dark-haired types living in Europe and the Middle East. But to capture the interest of Prince Raoul was something else again.

Hoping her legs would support her, she walked toward the man. “Hello, Philippe,” she said in English. Might as well play the part of the American tourist to make everything real.

His black eyes gleamed with flattering interest. “Hello,” he responded in kind with a French accent. “Have we met before?”

“No, we haven’t. But my best friend told me you would answer to that name and be carrying a sign I would recognize. If we could get in the car, I will tell you everything.”

Her explanation wiped the lazy amusement from Philippe’s expression. After eyeing her speculatively, he opened the car door for her. Once he’d helped her inside, he stashed the sign and her bag, then went around to the driver’s side and slipped behind the wheel.

He studied her as if she were a puzzle that needed solving. “Who are you?”

“My name is Lee Gresham. I’m a close friend of Princess Sophie.”

The lie was about to begin.

“She asked me to accompany her to Zermatt, but she became ill on the train and was forced to return to Geneva. I wanted to go back with her, but she hated disappointing Prince Raoul and begged me to see him in person so I could tell him what happened.”

His body remained motionless, yet she could tell something of significance was going on inside him.

“Do you mind taking me to his chalet?”

“No, no. Of course not,” he hastened to assure her, but his thoughts had been far away. After a moment he started the car and they were off.

She sat nervously in the seat, frightened to see that, so far, Sophie’s plan was going exactly as she’d outlined.

He drove to the outskirts of the world-famous Swiss village. From there the road wound up into a flowering hillside where she spied a small, charming brown and white chalet with an outside staircase that led to the top story. There were two other cars in the parking area.

Before Philippe could come around to assist her, a man had emerged from the back entrance of the house. Lee would have known the Prince anywhere.

From the time she’d first arrived at boarding school in Nyon she’d seen his picture in the newspapers and magazines. It was no secret that she, along with the other boarders, had pretty well worshipped him the way many teens idolized a famous film or rock star.

After she’d become friends with Sophie, and found out she was betrothed to him, Lee had gone through a period of coveting Sophie’s future intended. But that destructive emotion had ended when Lee met Todd and fell in love.

They would be married right now except for the tragedy that had shattered her life and made her view the world through different eyes.

Having lost everyone close to her, Lee took Sophie’s love affair with Luciano seriously. The two were so besotted it seemed criminal that an accident of birth was forcing Sophie to marry a man for whom she had no feelings. Lee had determined to help them in any way she could.

But talking about Prince Raoul in the abstract was one thing. Meeting him in person for the first time was an entirely different matter.

Beneath the natural gold highlights of his dark blond hair blazed a pair of eyes so hot a blue they rivaled flame. Lines of character and intelligence were carved in a rugged face tanned to mahogany by the elements. He stood at least six feet two inches of lean muscle.

As he approached the car, her heart raced at the impact of his virile masculinity. For sheer physical appeal, he made every male she’d ever met before look inadequate by comparison.

Sophie had to be a different species of female not to have fallen for Raoul on sight!

Closer now, she saw him blink when he realized a total stranger was sitting next to Philippe. He opened the door and lowered his head.

Their eyes met in a long searching glance.

In the heart-stopping silence a thorough scrutiny seemed to be taking place on both sides. Lee was so mesmerized she couldn’t look away. This was the man she was supposed to-

“Raoul?” Philippe interjected, causing her to remember why she was here. “This is Lee Gresham, a close friend of Sophie’s,” he explained in English. “Ms Gresham? This is Raoul Mertier.”

“H-how do you do, Your Highness.” She stumbled over the words, feeling as foolish as any starstruck schoolgirl meeting her ultimate fantasy.

“Call me Raoul.” He spoke English with barely a trace of accent in a deep voice she found as attractive as the rest of him.

“Oh-” Her heart was pounding with a fury that made her feel breathless. “Sophie would be here if she hadn’t become n-nauseous on the train and-”

“Why don’t you come inside the chalet where we can talk?” he interrupted smoothly and helped her from the car. By accident their bodies brushed against each other as he leaned inside to retrieve her bag. She felt as if she’d just come up against a live wire.

Without waiting for him, she hurried toward the house, knowing she couldn’t possibly follow through with a plan that had been flawed from the beginning. One look into those brilliant blue depths of his and she’d realized he wasn’t a man to be trifled with.

This wasn’t going to work. She knew it wasn’t!

As soon as she’d explained about Sophie she would ask to be driven to the hotel where she would phone her friend and tell her she couldn’t go through with the plan.

Raoul managed to beat her to the entrance. “This way,” he murmured, holding the door open for her. On a shaky whisper she said thank you and moved past him, aware her five feet five inches wouldn’t seem very tall to him. Then she chastised herself for thinking any personal thoughts at all.

“Would you care to freshen up in here first?” He’d stopped outside a door halfway down the corridor.

“No, I’m fine. Thank you anyway.”

She felt his gaze travel over her in swift appraisal before he led her to the front room which gave out on a superb view of the storybook surroundings. He placed her bag against the wall.

To her surprise the interior of the chalet was rustic rather than luxurious. The perfect paradise for a skier, with its huge grate hearth and large, comfortable couches made for lounging. There was a set of double doors leading to the dining room. At the end of the living room she noticed a staircase which led to what looked like a loft.

Philippe seemed to have disappeared.

Her palms grew damp. Ill at ease, she rubbed them against her hips covered by her black cotton sweater and matching wool pants. It was an outfit Sophie had insisted made the most of Lee’s voluptuous curves and coloring.

Dear God- What was she doing here alone in this chalet with Sophie’s fiancé? This was madness! Prince or not, he was a man first. One who deserved all the honesty she had in her.

He stood in the center of the room with his legs slightly apart. She noted he had a bearing as splendid as his title. “May I offer you a drink or something to eat?”

She shook her head. “That’s very kind of you, but no.”

“Then sit down and tell me what happened.”

Averting her eyes, so she wouldn’t get caught staring at him again, Lee did his bidding. “Sophie asked me to come on this trip with her. Quite soon after we left Geneva she started to feel ill. She couldn’t decide if she’d eaten something that didn’t agree with her, or if she was coming down with the flu. Finally she alerted her parents that she was returning home and got off the train. When I talked to her a little while ago someone had already picked her up, so I know she’s in good hands.”

Hoping that lightning wouldn’t strike her, she continued, “Sophie refused to let me go back with her. She said it was vital I deliver her regrets to you in person because she hated disappointing you.”

He rubbed his chest in an unconscious gesture. “More than anything, I’m sorry she was distressed enough to have to return home.”

He sounded so sincere Lee found herself loathing this untenable situation. “The thing is, she knew you would have gone to a lot of trouble to make elaborate plans for her. Naturally she didn’t feel that a phone call would suffice. If you’d like to contact her now, I’ll give you her cellphone number, but I would imagine she’s resting at the moment.”

No doubt Sophie was consoling herself in Luciano’s arms while they waited for Lee to carry out a scheme destined for failure. No matter how much she wanted to help them, she couldn’t take this charade any further.

Lee wrote the phone number down on a piece of note-paper from her handbag and placed it on the coffee table. Unable to sit still, she got to her feet and finally dared to look at him once more.

“I-I don’t know what else to say except that I can assure you she’s very sorry. Depending on her condition, I’m sure you’ll hear from her in the morning, if not tonight. Now, if I could prevail on your friend Philippe to drive me to the Belle-Vue, I’d be grateful.”

His hand stilled against his solid chest. “You’re meeting someone there?” he questioned.

“Oh, no. It’s a place to stay for the night before I return to Nyon tomorrow.” No more lies.

His veiled eyes studied her upturned features. “What’s in Nyon?”

“The boarding school where I live and work.”

“It wouldn’t be Beau Lac, would it?”

She nodded. “Sophie and I both attended it for several years. While we were there we became best friends. I stayed on and obtained my university degree in Geneva. Now I’m one of the staff.”

He moved closer, filling her with a fluttery sensation. “Where are you from in America?”

Oddly enough she got the impression he wasn’t making polite conversation. He sounded as if he really wanted to know. She couldn’t understand why he was asking so many questions.

“Jackson, Wyoming.”

His eyes flared a darker blue. “I’ve been there. That’s some of the most beautiful country I’ve ever seen.”

He had the most beautiful eyes she’d ever seen.

“I thought it was paradise until I saw pictures of the Swiss Alps for the first time. When I was old enough to climb the Grand Teton with my father, I pretended I was on the Matterhorn.”

The slow smile that broke the corners of his mouth reached his eyes, illuminating dark places in her soul where she’d thought the light had been extinguished forever.

“Did you find goats and hear yodeling?”

She chuckled in spite of her nervousness. “I’m afraid not.”

“Have you ever been up on the Matterhorn?” came the silken inquiry.

“No,” she whispered, fighting tears because her father had promised it would be their next climb. But that had been right before everything ended…

A strange tension hovered between them.

“How would you like to spend your weekend climbing it with me?”

CHAPTER THREE

SUDDENLY Lee felt the room tilt. Sophie’s words came back to haunt her.

If my own best friend can tempt him to spend the weekend with her, then I’ll go to my parents and tell them I refuse to marry a man who can’t even be faithful to me eight weeks before the wedding!

Except that Lee hadn’t tempted him! In fact she’d gone out of her way to do just the opposite.

Shaken to the foundations by his invitation, she was thrown into a new morass of conflicting emotions.

Part of her was in pain for Sophie, who’d already suspected that Raoul might be unfaithful to their engagement, not to mention their marriage. Already Lee had proof that the Prince felt no compunction in replacing Sophie with the next available female.

Unfortunately there was another part of Lee inexplicably drawn to the exciting male standing too close to her. More than anything she wanted to say yes to him.

It didn’t matter that Sophie had given Lee permission to entice her fiancé into a weekend tryst. The fact that he’d jumped at the opportunity without any machinations on Lee’s part meant that if he and Sophie were forced to marry, their union would be disastrous for them and any children born to them.

Angry at herself, at Sophie, at him, she blurted, “Is that what you were planning to do with the Princess?”

Raoul felt strong emotion coming from those gorgeous eyes flashing purple sparks at him. Obviously his invitation had surprised her as much as it had him. But now that it was out he had no desire to take it back.

The moment Philippe had returned with the breathtaking stranger Raoul had realized his carefully laid plans to put Sophie off the idea of marrying him were dashed for the time being.

At this point he was intrigued to know why she’d sent this American woman to make a personal apology. Sophie could have phoned him with her excuses. Something didn’t add up…

“The answer to your question is ‘yes’,” he answered honestly. “I thought she might like to share one of my favorite sports with me.”

Her beautiful body stiffened. “Climbing the Matterhorn isn’t exactly like playing a set of tennis. If you’d bothered to get to know Sophie better you’d understand she has a terrible fear of heights.”

Raoul was taken aback. Where was all this anger coming from? She sounded like a mother lion defending her cub.

“Is that why the Princess sent you in her place? Because she knows you don’t have the same problem?”

Those heavenly eyes stared straight into his. “I’m afraid her mind wasn’t on mountain climbing.”

His gaze narrowed on her passionate mouth. “You’re sure about that?”

“I’d stake my life on it,” she bit out. “Otherwise she would probably have suggested you meet her in Geneva.”

A tiny nerve was hammering at the base of her throat. What flawless skin she had.

“Apparently the Princess doesn’t have a problem sending her best friend to fill in for her.”

“What are you insinuating?”

“Give me a little credit, Ms Gresham. You wouldn’t have arrived with some fairy tale about having climbed the Grand Teton unless you’d done your homework first.”

Hectic color stained her cheeks. “It sounds like you believe what the tabloids say about the thousands of female admirers who follow your every move and know everything down to the brand of shampoo you use. Give me a little credit for not being part of the adoring horde!”

She wheeled away from him and reached for her suitcase.

Stunned by her fiery reaction, Raoul blocked her path so she couldn’t escape down the hallway.

“Not so fast,” he cautioned, putting his hands on her shoulders so she couldn’t turn and run out the front door. His hands scorched where they held her.

Lee froze in place, remembering another conversation with Sophie.

What if he’s not a gentleman?

Then I need to find that out too. I’m sure you’ll know how to handle him. You weren’t the most brilliant girl in school for nothing.

Right now Lee wasn’t sure of anything. She’d been playing with fire and had let her temper get the best of her. As a result, he held her in his firm grasp, almost daring her to take another step.

With his powerful male body so close she could feel its warmth and smell the fresh scent of the soap he used; she was blinded to the issue at hand. This was so much worse than anything she’d imagined. Especially when she was guilty of almost everything he’d accused her of without realizing it.

“I’m afraid you and I have gotten off on the wrong foot,” he began in his deep compelling voice. His hands seemed to slide away from her upper arms with reluctance. “If it’s all right with you, I’d like to start over.”

Chastened by his conciliatory tone and her own guilt, she backed away from him. “I-it’s my fault,” she faltered. “I’ve lived around Sophie long enough to understand why you’re both suspicious of strangers. You had every right to think and say the things you did. Please tell me you forgive me, then I can leave feeling a little better.”

She heard his sharp intake of breath. “What if I don’t want you to go?”

Lee blinked in shock.

“You admit you’ve accomplished your errand and have little else to do but wait in an empty hotel room until tomorrow. If you would enjoy a good climb, then why not go up on the mountain with me and my friends in the morning? The guys will love it.”

Now what was he saying?

Something was terribly wrong here. She wasn’t supposed to wish that Raoul had said he would love it. The man certainly wasn’t the person Lee had thought he was a few minutes ago. He sounded…honorable.

It was more than apparent that Sophie didn’t know anything about the real Raoul. Swallowing hard, Lee said the first thing on her mind. “What about Sophie?”

He reached for the paper Lee had put on the table. “I’ll phone her right now. If she’s feeling better, I’ll call off the climb and fly to Geneva in the morning to see her. Since you’re her best friend, naturally I’ll take you back with me. Excuse me for a moment.”

In a few strides he reached the stairs, which he took three at a time. Lee noted he moved with the grace of a natural athlete. She let go of her suitcase and sank down on the nearest couch, closing her eyes as if to shut out her fears.

Somehow he’d turned things around, making it difficult for her to back out if she didn’t want him to think she’d lied about everything.

Worse, as soon as he talked to Sophie she would be so overjoyed to discover her plan was working she’d pretend to be ill for the entire weekend and encourage him to entertain Lee.

That meant she would be spending the next few days in Raoul’s company. It appeared that one of her teenage fantasies about being with him was going to come true. Except that in her dreams they’d been strictly alone, and there had been no princess…

Upstairs in the spacious loft, where there were four beds, Raoul spoke with Sophie while Philippe stood nearby. After telling her they’d make other plans once she had recovered, he clicked off the cellphone and stared at his friend.

“What’s going on?” Philippe demanded.

Raoul shook his head. “I wish I knew. Sophie says she’s feeling very sick.”

“Do you believe her?”

“I don’t know. Philippe-do you think it’s possible she’s as horrified over the marriage date being brought forward as I am?”

He shrugged his shoulders in typical Gallic fashion. “I suppose anything is possible. Is that why you invited her best friend to join us on the climb? To see if you could learn the truth from her?”

Raoul looked away, but not fast enough to fool his friend.

“I knew it,” Philippe cried. A wicked smile broke out on his face.

“What do you think you know?” he muttered in irritation.

“I saw the way you were looking at each other out by the car. Mon Dieu-with all that energy you two could have lit up a whole city!”

“You’re jumping to conclusions,” Raoul retorted, raking a hand through his hair in frustration.

“No, my old friend. I have eyes in my head. I know what I saw, what I felt. You’ve just discovered what it’s like to be struck by the coup de foudre. She’s what the Americans call a knockout.”

“You mean like Kellie?”

Philippe’s head reared back. The two men stared at each other. “Touché.”

Raoul didn’t need his buddy to tell him what he already knew. Between Lee’s lovely face and coloring, and the alluring shape of her body, he was forced to admit he felt an overwhelming attraction to her. But it was more than that.

While she’d stood her ground defying him, giving him as good as she got, something had happened to him on a much deeper level. Something he couldn’t explain. All he knew was that he couldn’t let her go just yet.

“Do me a favor?”

“Anything,” Philippe murmured.

“This close to the wedding I can’t afford for the paparazzi to catch me alone with Lee. Would you mind taking her to the Bergsteig Hof right now to get her outfitted for the climb?”

He grinned. “It will be my pleasure.”

“Don’t enjoy it too much.” The warning came out before Raoul realized how that sounded.

Philippe shook his head in amazement. “I never thought I’d see the day when you would say something like that to me. You’re not the same man I left an hour ago to go pick up the Princess.”

“I’m not sure what I am,” Raoul confessed. “Come on back with her when you’re through and we’ll eat here tonight before going to bed.”

“That sounds interesting.”

“She’ll stay downstairs in the master bedroom, of course.”

“Of course,” Philippe imitated him in cruel delight. “Have you informed her of all your plans?”

“I’ll do it now.”

“Do you think she has ever set foot on a mountain?”

“I guess we’ll find out tomorrow.”

If she’d lied to him, then she wasn’t the woman Raoul thought she was, and he’d be able to walk away from her without looking back. But, even as he reasoned that way, the idea that she might have been toying with him sent a feeling of desolation through him he couldn’t account for.

Tormented by thoughts that could get him into serious trouble, he headed downstairs with Philippe. As they made their way, the sound of voices drifted toward them. It appeared Yves and Roger were back from town and had become sidetracked by the latest arrival.

The eager expressions on their burnished faces revealed how enthralled they were with the charming blond American who spoke impeccable French.

Raoul had seen his climbing buddies in action too many times before and recognized the signs of infatuation. But, to his chagrin, this was one time when he didn’t find it amusing.

“It looks like everyone is acquainted.” He broke in on their conversation without the slightest compunction. All heads swerved in his direction but he only had interest in one unforgettable face.

“Lee? If you’d go with Philippe, he’ll take you to get outfitted for tomorrow. While you’re gone I’ll phone the Belle-Vue and cancel your reservation.”

“Oh, bu-”

“It’s all right,” he interrupted her. “I’d prefer you stay in the guest room here to avoid problems with the press. They’ll have heard there was a hotel reservation made in the Ramblet name and be lying in wait.”

He felt her hesitation before she murmured, “I’m sure you’re right.”

“It will be nice to fool them for a change. When you return from town we’ll eat, then turn in early.”

She looked as dazed as he felt before she got up from the couch to follow Philippe out of the room.

No one spoke until the back door closed. Yves turned to him. “What’s going on, Raoul?”

“I heard her tell you the Princess was too sick to come, so now you know as much as I do. Since Mademoiselle Gresham traveled all this distance to deliver the message, I thought the least I could do was invite her on the climb tomorrow.”

Roger looked dumbfounded. “She wants to come?”

“Let’s put it this way. She didn’t refuse.”

The astonishment on their faces was so comical Raoul would have been amused if these had been other circumstances. But the fact that she hadn’t backed out yet raised more troubling questions than it answered.

It didn’t help that his pulse raced every time he thought of being in her company for the next few days.

“Excuse me while I tell Greta there’ll be five of us eating in tonight.”

CHAPTER FOUR

LEE had made other climbs besides the Grand Teton with her father in the Colorado Rockies. She knew what equipment was necessary.

As soon as she and Philippe entered the sporting goods store she proceeded to find the warm clothing and sunglasses she would need. Before her companion could speak for her, she told the older man behind the counter she wanted mountaineering boots with a good profile for crampons.

It didn’t take long to be outfitted with the right helmet and harness. Throwing in a pick ax and rucksack with Thermos, she was ready to check out and pulled the credit card from her wallet.

Philippe covered her hand with his, signaling that she should put it away. “This goes on the Mertier account,” he murmured to the other man who nodded without asking questions. Obviously the staff here could be counted on for their discretion, a highly prized commodity for royals like Raoul.

But Lee wasn’t a person who expected to be taken care of. Her conscience wouldn’t allow her to let the Prince foot the bill for everything.

“This equipment is for me,” she asserted, removing her hand from beneath his to give the clerk the credit card. “I’ll pay for it.”

She’d always paid her way with Sophie, and wasn’t about to take advantage of Raoul’s generosity now. In fact, she’d been having second thoughts about joining him on the climb ever since he’d extended the invitation.

Thanks to Philippe, the business about who would pay for her equipment had served as a wakeup call. She’d be insane to have anything more to do with Raoul!

Unfortunately now was not the time to make a scene by declaring that she’d changed her mind. The only thing to do was wait until she got back to the chalet to inform Raoul. On her way to the train station, she’d return all the equipment.

During their drive back, Philippe remained silent. In fact from the moment he’d learned she was a friend of Sophie’s his behavior had become more reserved. As they drove around the back of the chalet she turned toward him, anxious to say what was on her mind.

“Philippe? Would you answer a question for me?”

He shut off the motor before glancing at her. “If I can.”

“I get the feeling tomorrow’s climb has been ruined for you.”

“Not at all!” he came back with surprising force.

“Be honest-how many times has Raoul invited a woman along?”

He pursed his lips. “This will be the first.”

“I thought so. And he did it without consulting the rest of you. Look-Sophie and I may be close, but that doesn’t place him under any special obligation to me. Since you and I both know this is the last thing he wants, perhaps you could suggest a good way I can get out of it and just go home? I’ll return all these things en route to the station.” Sophie wouldn’t thank her, but Lee couldn’t worry about that now.

“You don’t want to come with us?”

“That’s not the point!” she retorted, before she realized the mistake she’d made. Heat scorched her cheeks. “I mean- Oh!”

Someone had opened the passenger door where she’d been resting. If two familiar male hands hadn’t caught her arms from behind she would have fallen out.

Raoul helped her to her feet. The heat from the contact of his skin through her sweater distracted her so much she forgot what she was going to say. This time when their gazes collided the impact of those blue eyes was even more startling than before.

“I’m glad you’re back. Dinner’s waiting. Come. I’ll show you to your room first so you can freshen up.”

“Thank you.” She followed him inside.

Maybe this weakness she felt around him was the result of an empty stomach. This morning she’d awakened without an appetite. Knowing what Sophie expected of her, Lee had only been able to get down about half a sandwich at one of the train stops. She still wasn’t hungry.

He showed her to a bedroom off the hallway which kept the rustic flavor of the chalet. “The dining room is through the doors you saw in the front room. A hearty meal is what everyone needs before our climb in the morning.”

His eyes were too alive as they wandered over her. She was too aware of him.

Panic-stricken she said, “If you don’t mind, I’m afraid I couldn’t eat anything.”

His brows furrowed. “What’s wrong?”

“I think maybe I’ve come down with the same thing as Sophie. Bed is the only thing that sounds good.”

She could tell he didn’t know what to believe, but it no longer mattered if he thought she was lying through her teeth about everything. The sooner she got away from him, the better.

“I’ll send Greta with a cup of tea.”

“Please don’t bother your staff. I couldn’t tolerate anything right now.”

“If you’re that sick, let me at least help you to the bed.”

“No-” she cried. “I’ll be fine. Please go ahead without me.” She closed the door while he still stood there, eyeing her with a mixture of concern and something else she couldn’t decipher.

Dear God. The guilt.

Deep down she knew she mustn’t go with him tomorrow. If she did, it meant her desire to be with him was stronger than her conscience. That good old conscience which was telling her to get away from him and stay away! Where had it been when she’d agreed to help her friend with this wild idea?

Though Sophie and Raoul had led separate lives up to this point, they’d been raised to do their duty. No matter how much they might want to go against their parents’ wishes, neither of them had acted on those wants, otherwise there wouldn’t have been a formal engagement earlier this year.

After coming to Zermatt to speak to Raoul, Lee was convinced he was a man of honor who would follow through and marry Sophie. As for Sophie, she might be in love with Luciano now, but Lee was equally convinced that, in the end, her friend would submit to the inevitable and become Raoul’s wife.

And proceed to fall in love with him.

Lee groaned in pain as she fell across the bed. That was what was tearing her up inside. The knowledge that Sophie had the right to touch Raoul, to get to know him and love him.

Heavens-he was going to be her best friend’s husband in eight weeks, and all Lee could think about was how it would feel to lie in his arms!

That was because she’d fantasized about him too much at boarding school. When she really thought about it, she realized that her relationship with Sophie had always included Raoul somewhere in the background.

He’d been lurking in Lee’s psyche all these years and had become far too familiar to her. Her mistake was letting Sophie talk her into this ridiculous plan. Meeting him in person had brought him to heart-throbbing life.

Don’t blame Sophie for this, Lee Gresham. You might have wanted to help your friend, but the truth is you wanted to meet the Prince and this was your chance. You’re a wicked girl.

More than ever Lee realized she’d barely been functioning since she’d lost her parents and fiancé. Lee hadn’t felt really alive until a few hours ago when she’d first laid eyes on Raoul. Perhaps some professional counseling was in order to help her come to terms with the past?

One thing was certain. It was vital she leave Switzerland right away so Sophie wouldn’t be able to include her in their wedding plans. The thought of watching them exchange vows in the cathedral with the whole country looking on was anathema to her.

What she needed to do was go back to Jackson and get a life. With the help of her father’s attorney she’d retained the small house her family had once lived in. It was rented at the moment, but she could rent something else until it became vacant. Then she’d look for a job.

Tomorrow she’d return to Nyon and tender her resignation to Madame Simoness. With only a handful of girls staying there over the summer, the headmistress could find someone else to cover Lee’s duties until a permanent replacement was found.

With that settled in her mind, she took a quick shower and prepared for bed. No sooner had she climbed under the covers than she heard a knock on the door.

“Lee? May I come in?”

At the sound of Raoul’s voice she started to tremble. “Yes-” she called out, before sitting up a little and pulling the eiderdown quilt to her chin. He entered the room carrying a mug of tea and crackers which he put on the table by her bed.

To her consternation he placed a hand on her forehead. His touch fueled the fire burning inside her. “You don’t feel hot, but I’ve still half a mind to send for the doctor.”

She fought to stifle a moan. “Please don’t. I feel better just lying down. I think I’ll try that tea after all.” To prove she wasn’t in critical condition, she reached for the hot liquid.

In the process she forgot she was wearing a nightgown whose shoulder strap had fallen down her other arm, revealing enough to his gaze that he probably thought she was being provocative. A deep blush swept over her as she quickly tried to cover herself and hold her drink at the same time.

He grabbed it before too much spilled, but not without his fingers coming into breathtaking contact with her flesh. It was a brief moment out of time that should never have happened.

“Would you like to try it again?”

She knew he meant the tea but, coming on the heels of that sizzling physical encounter, she couldn’t think, let alone function. “I’ll drink it later.”

The tension between them was painful in its intensity.

“Your illness must have come on suddenly,” he said in a husky tone. “Philippe told me you seemed fine at the sporting goods store.”

“I-I thought I was all right too. But I know I can’t go climbing tomorrow. Please-follow through with your plans and don’t mind me. In the morning I’ll phone for a taxi to take me to the station.”

A long silence ensued. The enigmatic look on his burnished features prevented her from knowing what he was thinking.

“If that’s your wish, then I’ll ask Greta to keep an eye out on you. If you need anything, just dial 0 on the phone by the bed and she’ll answer. I’ll have your promise on that.”

She averted her eyes. “You have it.”

“Don’t worry about your gear. Greta’s husband will take it back to the store in the morning.”

“Thank you. You’ve been especially kind to me. So have your friends. Tell Philippe I appreciated him picking me up and running me around.”

“I’ll pass your words along.”

Her heart was hammering so hard she was afraid he could hear it. “I’m sorry things didn’t work out for you and Sophie this weekend, but there will be plenty of others,” her voice trailed. “She’s a very fortunate woman. I-it’s been a privilege to meet you, Your Highness. Take care on the mountain.”

“Sleep well,” was all he said before he left the room.

Lee fell back against the pillow in the kind of physical and emotional pain only the man you loved could take away.

After spending half the night replaying the day’s events in her head until she thought she’d go mad, she sat up and drank the cold tea. She finished off with the crackers and wished she had more.

It was four in the morning, the in-between time that seemed to pass so slowly. Now that she had a plan, she was desperate to put it into action.

Too keyed up to sleep, she dressed in a pair of denims and a dusky blue knit top with long sleeves and a crew neck. All that was left to do was make the bed and pack her bag.

In a few minutes, while she was fastening the lock, she heard the sound of the cars starting up behind the chalet. She left what she was doing and ran over to the window. Pretty soon she saw headlights as Raoul and his friends made their way down the hillside.

They needed to leave this early to get up on the mountain before anyone else. Without her along, no doubt they’d climb the North Face, the most challenging of the approaches. The four men were seasoned veterans. During her conversation with them she’d learned that Roger was a guide who lived in Zermatt year round.

Though she knew Raoul could take care of himself, there was a part of her that feared for him. The Matterhorn had claimed its share. Even in beautiful weather it was treacherously cold with gale force winds at the top. One misstep and a climber could fall thousands of feet, even experts like the Prince and his friends.

Shuddering at the mere thought, she left her vigil at the window and turned on the bedroom light. She needed her purse so she could get out her cellphone to call for a taxi.

When that was done, she wrote a note of explanation to Greta in French and left it on the table next to the empty mug. “I guess I’m ready,” she murmured to herself, looking around the bathroom and bedroom to see if she’d left anything.

It was time to put all thoughts of Raoul away. When she left this chalet she’d be closing the book on that particular fairy tale forever.

After turning out the light, she moved down the hall as quietly as she could so she wouldn’t wake Greta or her husband. Lee would wait for the taxi out in back.

The air was cold, but not freezing. Once the sun came up it would warm everything and illuminate this little portion of heaven on earth. Maybe it was just as well she couldn’t see the village right now. Better to drive away in the dark and forget such a place existed.

She had to forget such a man existed.

Five minutes went by before she caught the sound of a motor. Pretty soon she saw headlights. When the taxi rolled into the parking area, she hurried toward it, anxious to get away before the staff were alerted.

“Merci bien,” she called out to the driver, who opened her door from the inside and put down the seat so she could stash her suitcase. “To the station, please.”

“Oui, Mademoiselle.”

Lee climbed inside and shut the door. She started to thank him for coming at this hour, but a gasp escaped when she discovered who sat behind the wheel.

She’d feared Raoul hadn’t believed her when she’d come back from town pleading illness. Even so, she never dreamed he would forego the climb with his friends to catch her stealing away in the darkness. He wouldn’t have gone to these lengths if he didn’t want answers.

CHAPTER FIVE

RAOUL started up the car and headed out of the parking area. “I’m glad to see you’re feeling better.”

She fought for a steady breath. “I guess all I needed was some sleep.”

“It appears to have done wonders for you. I wish I had been so lucky,” his voice grated.

Lee kneaded her hands, waiting for him to say something else, but he kept her in misery during the drive down to the village.

“Y-you’ve passed the train station.”

“It’s too early for the train. We’re going someplace where we can be warm and completely alone.”

This was the very thing she’d tried so hard to avoid.

“Look, Raoul-I don’t blame you for being disappointed, even angry because Sophie couldn’t make it.”

He flashed her an oblique glance. “If you knew me better, you’d realize anger doesn’t begin to cover what I’m feeling.”

Leaving her to digest the ramifications of that remark, he drove to the other end of the village and pulled around the side of an apartment building.

“This is Roger’s condo. There’s no cook or caretaker here.”

She bowed her head. He’d really meant it when he said they were going to be alone.

After pulling out her suitcase, he helped her from the car. Cupping her elbow, they climbed a flight of stairs. Raoul put the key in the lock and opened the door for her.

If she could be grateful for one thing, it was that it was still dark out. There were no paparazzi around to take pictures of them. She could imagine tomorrow’s headlines labeling the blond mystery woman Prince Raoul’s latest lover. It would help Sophie’s case with her parents, but Lee couldn’t imagine a worse punishment.

Roger had left a lamp on. His place contained the same rustic feel as the chalet. However the dozens of pictures, some including Raoul, had turned it into a home.

Over at the entertainment center she noticed a pile of video cassettes on top of Roger’s VCR. The label on the top one caught her attention.

“You climbed Everest this year!”

“In the spring,” came the deep voice behind her.

“Th-that’s incredible. I’d like to see it.”

“Perhaps after breakfast.”

Not wanting Raoul to get anywhere near her, she moved out of the way and took off her jacket, laying it over a chair. There was an odd gleam in his eyes as he studied her actions.

Frightened that he could read her mind, she blurted, “You obviously brought me here for a reason. Please-” She swallowed hard. “Tell me what it is you want to know.”

“I think we’ll save that until we’ve eaten. The kitchen is beyond the archway. After you.”

Lee didn’t need to be urged. She was famished and Raoul knew it. Besides, the way she was feeling right now, the kitchen was a much safer place for the two of them.

As it turned out, the small dining nook provided enough space for two people. He told her to sit down at the drop table and he’d serve her.

It was her turn to watch him navigate the room. He pulled things out of cupboards and the refrigerator as if he were at home, evidence of a long-term friendship with Roger.

Seeing him like this, you’d never know he came from a titled European family that had specific expectations passed down from father to son. The life of Prince Raoul was one of privilege. That made him forbidden to a woman from the American West whose impoverished ancestors had come to the New World in order to survive.

Lee looked away, suffocated by this kind of proximity to a man who was off limits to her for more reasons than his engagement to Sophie.

Before long he’d treated them both to a feast of warm brioches, ham, hard-boiled eggs, fresh fruit, yogurt-literally anything she wanted. Despite the heavy tension in the room, food had never tasted so good. She ate everything.

His eyes glittered over the rim of his coffee cup as he watched her munch on a banana for dessert. No doubt about it. He was fattening her up for something that could put her friendship with Sophie in grave jeopardy.

Lee struggled to find interest in anything other than him. But it was impossible not to take the occasional glance. In a navy turtleneck, his coloring and rugged features made a devastating impact on her senses. If her heart would just behave long enough to let her see this through and get on the train, away from him…

“Another roll?”

She shook her head. “I couldn’t. Thank you anyway.”

“Then I suggest we go in the other room.” After wiping his mouth with a napkin, he got to his feet and came around to help her.

“Sh-shouldn’t we put things away first?” she stammered as she started to get up from the chair. The action inadvertently brought her cheek against his. When she jerked away from the contact, she lost her balance.

His quick reflexes saved her from falling, but in the process his strong arms went around her, bringing their faces within centimeters of each other. She never heard the answer to her question.

Suddenly their mouths and bodies were gravitating toward each other, seeming to possess a will all their own.

“Raoul-” She moaned his name, helpless to stop her response as he coaxed her lips apart and then began kissing her with a shocking hunger that matched her own. Long, drugging kisses that couldn’t possibly be viewed as tentative or accidental.

Deep inside she’d been wanting this, and could no more call back her desire than she could stop breathing.

“Lee…I’ve needed to taste you like this since the first moment I saw you,” he confessed on a groan before before reclaiming her lips.

Lost in sensual ecstasy, she gave herself up to Raoul, never wanting him to stop. As time passed, their kisses grew more passionate. Her craving for him was becoming insatiable.

Forgetting where it could lead, she clung to him, wanting fulfillment from this man more than she’d ever wanted anything in her life.

It wasn’t until she felt her back against the kitchen wall that she remembered this was Sophie’s betrothed who was kissing her into oblivion.

In eight weeks her best friend would be the woman who had the right to get tangled in his arms, delirious with longing.

In panic, Lee wrenched her mouth from his. “We can’t do this!”

“We already are.” His breath sounded ragged. “It’s the reason you’re here with me. Don’t be afraid to admit it.” He covered her face with kisses before burying his lips in her silvery-gold curls.

“I admit Sophie sent me here on a mission,” she whispered in anguish. “If you’ll let me go, I’ll swear I’ll tell you everything.”

He eased away from her. The moment she was free, she ran out of the kitchen. He followed at a slower pace.

Now they stood in the living room facing each other like adversaries. Those incredible eyes had narrowed until she couldn’t see the blue. He lounged against the built-in bookcase. It didn’t seem possible that a minute ago they’d been so enthralled with each other they’d forgotten the world for a little while.

“Any time now you can begin telling me about this mission of yours.”

It was maddening to her that he could sound so in control when she was a writhing mass of emotions.

She realized that what she was about to do would sever her relationship with Sophie for good. But she’d reached the point of no return. So had Raoul.

“The Princess doesn’t want to marry you,” Lee confessed in a quiet voice. She didn’t dare tell him about Luciano. Sophie would have to do that herself when the time came.

He stared at her for an endless moment, yet his enigmatic expression gave away nothing of his thoughts.

“Why couldn’t she have told me that herself instead of deputizing you to speak for her?”

Lee needed support and found the nearest chair. Her heart had started to run away with her and wouldn’t slow down.

“She sent me to Zermatt for the express purpose of getting you to come on to me.”

At those words Raoul moved closer. “For what end?”

“S-so I could report back to her parents that not only were you unfaithful during your engagement, you didn’t care if the woman in question was Sophie’s best friend. She counted on my testimony to carry weight with her parents so they’d call off the wedding.”

Lines darkened his striking features. “It appears your loyalty to the Princess knows no bounds.”

“This time it went too far. I’m deeply ashamed.”

“You shouldn’t be,” he mused ironically. “Sophie knew exactly what she was doing when she sent you. I congratulate you on a very convincing performance. Incredible to think that what went on in the kitchen was playacting from start to finish.”

Nervousness caused Lee to clasp and unclasp her hands. “I admit I got carried away in there. You’re the first man I’ve been with s-since my fiancé was killed three years ago.” She averted her eyes. “It felt good to be in a man’s arms again. Obviously I’m more vulnerable than I realized.”

Please God, let that be the truth. Otherwise I’m in over my head.

“Not so vulnerable that you didn’t stop us in time,” he said in a thick-toned voice. “I’m afraid if it had been left up to me we’d have graduated to the bedroom and wouldn’t have surfaced until Roger demanded entrance.”

Flame scorched her cheeks. He shouldn’t have said that. It had started up a familiar ache that would never go away now.

“Raoul-” She tossed her head back to look at him. “Whether you believe me or not, I would never have gone to Sophie’s parents to tell them anything.”

His penetrating eyes searched her features, as if looking for something elusive. “Then why bother with any of it?”

“Because I didn’t know I would back out of this impossible charade until…after,” came her lame explanation.

Something flickered in the depths of his eyes. “After what?” he persisted.

Don’t ask me anymore.

She took a deep breath. “After you opened the car door and discovered that Philippe had brought me from the station instead of Sophie. I knew then it wasn’t going to work.”

“I must confess you came as a surprise.”

“Yes, well, the whole idea was ludicrous. Sophie should never have asked me to do it, and I should have had the courage to tell her no.”

“Why didn’t you?” he asked in a husky tone.

With adrenaline surging through her body, Lee couldn’t remain seated. What she had to tell him was hard to talk about, but it was probably the only way he would understand her bond with Sophie.

“My father was a colonel in the Army. When I turned seventeen, he was assigned to the Middle East. Mother and I left Jackson to join him. Unfortunately there were no good schools for me there, so they investigated other avenues. Someone recommended Beau Lac and the arrangements were made. Sophie and I hit it off from the first day and grew close, like sisters.”

She paused to catch her breath. “Three years ago Mom and Dad were living in the Middle East. I’d just been to visit them and my fiancé, who was also in the military. He happened to be my dad’s driver. Sophie had come to Beau Lac to welcome me back. We were in the salon when a military man arrived to inform me that my parents and fiancé had been killed in a terrorist raid.”

“Mon Dieu-”

She looked up at Raoul, fighting more tears. “There are no words to describe how I felt.”

He folded his arms across his chest. “I can’t imagine the horror of it.”

“If Sophie hadn’t been there for me, in all the ways of a true friend, I’m not sure what I would have done. Between her and her parents they saved my life, and have been like family to me ever since. The thing is, Sophie can be wilful, but when it comes to her betrothal to you I can understand why she has rebelled against marrying a man her parents picked out for her from birth, even if he is a prince.

“I-it’s nothing personal,” Lee hastened to assure him in a tremulous voice. “She doesn’t know you. And you must admit that over the years you’ve shown absolutely no interest in her either. But of course maybe you were-are interested in her. If that’s the case, she has no idea!” Lee hastened to add.

When he didn’t say anything, she felt more confused than ever and rushed on. “I’m pretty sure she’s lived in denial that the day would ever come when the two of you would actually have to do your duty. But her father didn’t like the idea that she wasn’t married yet, and I guess he talked with your father. So-when she asked me to do this favor for her, although I didn’t like anything about it, I saw no way I could refuse her.”

He nodded solemnly. “After what you’ve told me, I can understand that she put you in an impossible position.”

Lee rubbed her arms nervously. “What’s really ironic is that, after meeting you, I’m beginning to think that if the two of you hadn’t been betrothed and could have met by chance, you might be looking forward to your wedding. Besides being attractive, you’re both intelligent, wonderful people who are kind at heart.”

“There’s only one problem with that scenario.” Raoul’s voice grated. “Without the spark that drives a man and a woman into each other’s arms, the rest isn’t enough. Obviously you have already found that out.”

Her chin lifted. “What do you mean?”

“You say you haven’t been intimate with another man in three years. Judging by the behavior of my friends, who fell all over you vying for your attention, it’s not for a lack of attractive, intelligent, kind, wonderful male admirers. But, as you’ve learned…if you don’t feel the fire, the rest is meaningless.”

He was right… She was so on fire for him she knew in her heart there would never be another man for her. Her feelings for Todd were tame by comparison. That was what was so frightening to her now.

As she looked away, it suddenly dawned on her Raoul might have been telling her something else…

Sophie might have misread the whole situation.

Was it possible Raoul had never felt Sophie reach out to him in desire, so he’d withheld his true feelings? Had her rejection of him wounded more than his pride?

The Princess was a real royal beauty, who caused men’s heads to turn every time she went out in public. Maybe all along Raoul had nursed a secret longing for her, yet had always sensed his betrothed’s uninterest.

Heavens-it was entirely possible that he’d been hoping marriage would awaken her desire for him! It would explain why he’d allowed himself to become officially engaged a few months ago.

The more Lee thought about it, the more she wondered if Raoul hadn’t wanted to take Sophie up on the mountain as an excuse to get close to her.

If that was the case, then how awful it must have been for him to find someone else besides his intended sitting in the car with Philippe!

A shudder passed through Lee’s body when she realized what she’d said to him minutes ago.

The Princess doesn’t want to marry you.

How cruel that must have sounded, especially if in the depths of his soul Raoul had been looking forward to his marriage.

This was agony in a new dimension. Not only for him, but for Lee, who couldn’t imagine the bleakness of her life without him now. Their passionate interlude in the kitchen had probably been his way of venting his pain and frustration. But it had been a lifechanging experience for her.

She had to get away from him!

“I’ve been as honest with you as I know how to be. If you don’t mind, I’d like to leave for the train station now.”

He studied her for a moment through shuttered lids. “What will you tell Sophie?”

“Even if it costs me her friendship, I’ll tell her the truth-that I couldn’t go through with something that is strictly between the two of you and nobody else.”

“And what will you tell her happened between you and me?” he drawled.

Was he afraid? He didn’t have to be. Lee would go to her grave with their secret.

She faced him bravely for the last time. “Nothing happened between us, Your Highness.”

CHAPTER SIX

T HEhell it hadn’t!

“Since you’ve been so honest with me,” Raoul muttered, “the least I can do is handle the matter with Sophie in a way that won’t jeopardize your relationship with her.”

His comment caused the mask to slip from her face. It fascinated him the way her eyes darkened to purple. “Wh-what do you mean?”

Pleased to hear the uncertainty in her voice he said, “What do you think I mean?”

He watched her swallow hard. “I guess what I meant to say is, do you have to do anything? Can’t we leave things alone?”

What was she frightened of? “I’m afraid that would be impossible now.”

Her complexion lost some of its color. “Please don’t say that-I’ll just tell her that after you phoned her I lost my nerve and stayed at a bed and breakfast while you left on a climb with your friends. That way she’ll never have to know about wha-about anything else…”

You mean like the way we were communicating a few minutes ago?

Raoul groaned, still shaken by what had just transpired. No matter what she’d said about her fiancé, Raoul could have sworn there had been no one else in that kitchen but the two of them.

Mon Dieu, the taste of her still clung to his lips. The fragrance of her hair and skin still enveloped him. It was all he could do not to reach for her and finish what they’d started. Yet in his gut he knew it would never be enough. He’d want her over and over again. He wanted her now.

“Raoul- Please listen- Sophie will forgive me because she knew it was a foolish plan in the first place. I beg you not to do something that could hurt either of you or your families.”

Her earnestness reached out to him like a tangible thing. What was really going on inside her?

“Were you lying about Sophie’s feelings?” he demanded.

Her eyes filmed over. “How can you even ask me that question?”

“Then how can I not do something?” he reasoned, as calmly as he could. “You’re her best friend, the woman who’s been in Sophie’s total confidence for years now. At great risk, you’ve just told me the Princess has no desire to be my wife.”

He moved closer to her. “You think, after hearing that kind of news, I’m such a heartless swine I would condemn her to a loveless marriage?”

“No-of course I don’t think that,” she whispered. “But you’re not ordinary people. You have your duty to remember, which makes everything much more complicated.”

“More than even you can imagine,” he agreed. “But if she was desperate enough to send you here, then desperate measures are called for.”

She searched his eyes anxiously. “What desperate measures?”

“You’re going to spend the rest of this weekend with me out in the open. We’ll give the press the kind of copy they’ve been trying to get on me for years. I can guarantee that by Sunday night Sophie’s parents will be calling my parents to demand an explanation. When that happens, all hell will break loose.”

Lee stared at him in horror. “I couldn’t do that to them.”

He gritted his teeth. “You mean after going this far you refuse to do the one thing guaranteed to help Sophie escape? She’ll thank you forever.” Driving the point home, he said, “Your friend’s plan wasn’t foolish. Her only problem was she sent the wrong woman to get the job done.”

“Wrong woman?” Lee cried out, as if stung by his remark.

He nodded. “You folded before you’d carried out your mission. My plan will ensure nothing goes wrong.”

She paced the floor, then spun around. “Have you considered how your parents will feel?”

“Of course, but of necessity they can’t be my first priority right now.”

“But they should be!” she blurted heatedly. “A-and what about you?” The color had come back in her cheeks.

He’d been wondering when she’d get around to the personal.

“If you mean, how do I feel knowing my betrothed would do anything to avoid marrying me, then I’m surprised you would have to ask.”

A sound of exasperation came out of her. “Your whole life has been aimed at marriage to Sophie. Aren’t you even a little hurt by what you’ve learned, especially when you were officially engaged earlier in the year? I know I would be,” she admitted in a quiet voice.

“Maybe my pride,” he lied.

If she had any idea of the excitement he was feeling she would call him inhuman. But all she had to do was slide her hand over his heart, as she’d done in the kitchen, and she would feel it thudding with emotions he couldn’t take the time to examine right now.

“What is it going to be, Mademoiselle Gresham? Do I take you to the train? Or are you willing to help me make your best friend’s dreams come true?”

While he waited for her to make up her mind, he decided to add the qualifier.

“If you can’t find it in you to help me, then I’ll meet with Sophie’s parents later today and tell them I don’t want to marry their daughter.”

Her eyes widened in disbelief. “You mustn’t go to them!”

“Why not?”

“Because long ago Sophie told me her father would have to be the one to break your engagement, otherwise your title is in jeopardy.”

“It’s too late to worry about that now.”

“You can’t mean it!” She sounded frantic.

“Lee-without your intervention I would have exchanged vows with her, ignorant of her true feelings. We’re talking about marriage for a lifetime. In our case, ignorance would not be bliss.”

Another moan escaped her throat. “I wish to heaven I’d never come here.”

“But you did come. If you agree to my plan, it’s probable Sophie will get out of our betrothal gracefully, and I may yet live to retain what has been mine up to now.”

“At what price? Even if everything works out, you’ll have to live with a tarnished reputation, especially when the media finds out I’m Sophie’s best friend.” Her haunted eyes searched his. “I couldn’t bear for you to have to live down a scandal like that.”

With those words, he’d been given a glimpse into her soul. It humbled him.

“You’d have to be prepared to suffer the same fate.”

“I’m a nobody from America. It doesn’t matter about me. You’re the Prince!”

“You think I give a damn about it when Sophie dreads the thought of marriage to me?” he demanded.

His question tore Lee apart. If he was in pain, he didn’t let it show and was a master actor.

“No,” she finally whispered, with tears in her voice, because in her mind’s eye she could see Sophie running into Luciano’s arms outside the station in Visp. The joy on their faces was something she would never forget.

But their happiness would come at great sacrifice to Raoul, who, at this moment, was showing more character and nobility than anyone would ever know, especially if he was grieving.

She ached with love for him.

“You th-think you can do this and still retain your title?”

“I don’t honestly know. What I can tell you without equivocation is that without the right woman at my side it would all be meaningless anyway. Help me, Lee.”

She struggled with an impossible decision. “I-I guess if there’s no other way out-”

A minute must have gone by before he said, “Besides everything else, you’re a courageous woman. No wonder the princess has clung to your friendship. She’s very lucky you came into her life.”

Lee raised her eyes to his. “Believe me, I’ve been the lucky one.”

“I’d like to hear more about you two. Why don’t you come in the kitchen and talk to me while I do the dishes?”

He was putting on such a brave front she had no choice but to go along with him, hoping to help him feel better. But of course that would be impossible.

“I’m embarrassed to say I forgot all about them. Let me help.”

Together they made short work of them while she told him about some of her more outrageous escapades with Sophie at Beau Lac. His deep laughter was contagious.

How sad that Sophie would never see the Prince being the man of the house, drying the dishes, emptying the wastebasket. How hard it was for Lee to hide her true feelings when these precious moments with him made her so happy.

For a little while she could pretend Roger’s condo was their home, that Raoul was her husband. As a little girl, she’d often played house with her friends. Little had she dreamed that one day she’d grow up to play house with a real prince.

After they’d cleaned up the kitchen they went back to the living room, where he put the mountain-climbing video in the machine. While he sat in a side chair, Lee curled up on the end of the couch to watch.

For the next hour she sat enthralled as she watched Raoul and his friends make their ascent from the base camp to the summit. She couldn’t contain her noisy exclamations of fear and excitement.

“You faced so many dangers it’s a miracle any of you made it back. I could never do it.”

“Are you the same woman who wanted to climb the Matterhorn?” he teased.

“Yes. I know my limitations. It’s a shame my father isn’t still alive. He would have loved talking to you about your experience. Everest was his dream. But when he was young and fit enough to make such a climb he had a family he didn’t dare leave and a demanding military career.”

Raoul shot her a penetrating glance. “If I’d had a wife and daughter who depended on me, I wouldn’t have gone either.”

He got up from the chair opposite her and turned off the machine. Eyeing her from a distance, he said, “What did you do for fun in Wyoming-besides climb with your father?”

“I rode horses in the summer, skied in the winter.”

“Did your fiancé share those interests?”

His question surprised her, yet, oddly enough, she didn’t mind talking about the past. She wondered when she’d stopped grieving.

“He might have done. Todd was from Laguna Beach, California, and loved to surf, but he had a dream to see the world. We met in the Middle East. He planned to make the army his career.”

“What about his family? Are you still in touch with them?”

“Not as much as they’d like. In my darkest time, Sophie encouraged me to look forward, not back. I think she was right.”

“The more I’m learning about the Princess, the more I want to help her get out of our engagement without any blame being attached to her.”

Lee rose to her feet, loving him all the more for the selfless gesture he was about to make for Sophie.

“I still wish there were another way to do it that wouldn’t harm you.”

“In case you haven’t noticed, I’m a big boy now and can take care of myself.”

I’ve noticed.

“Shall we go? I’d like to drive back to the chalet. We’ll pick up your things to return to the sporting goods store, then play tourist for the rest of the day. I’ll be buying you some things-don’t be alarmed,” he cautioned when she would have protested. “This is for Sophie’s sake. I already know from Philippe that you wouldn’t allow me to pay for anything yesterday. But what we’re about to do is strictly business. It will show the world I’m taking care of you.”

Lee had no defense for that.

“I’m looking forward to it more than you know,” he added with a half-smile that dissolved her bones. Then he opened the front door for her.

She made the mistake of glancing at him, and felt herself falling into those fjord-blue eyes.

“Do you realize this will be the first time in my life I couldn’t care less how many photographers follow us around?”

Lee knew those weren’t idle words. The journalists were the bane of Sophie’s existence. For Raoul, that aspect of his royal life had to be a nightmare.

Too soon Lee’s picture was going to be linked with his. She shuddered to think how the news would affect both sets of parents.

After he’d helped her with her jacket, his hands lingered on her shoulders. “It’s going to be all right.” He read her mind with uncanny perception. “I’ll protect you. You won’t have to say a word.”

CHAPTER SEVEN

“B ONJOUR, Greta.”

“Bonjour,” the housekeeper replied, then stopped her sweeping to look up. When she saw the two of them in the kitchen doorway, her blue eyes rounded in surprise.

“Mademoiselle! I just read the note you left me.” Her gaze darted to Raoul. “I thought you went climbing. What is going on?”

Already Greta could sense something different in the air. This was only the beginning. He could feel Lee tremble, but he wasn’t about to let her out of their bargain now.

“We decided we’d rather spend the time in town than up on the mountain.”

Greta’s gaze grew more guarded as it swerved to Lee. “You must be feeling much better.”

Raoul chuckled inwardly to see the housekeeper he’d known for years behave like a mother hen watching out for her royal chick. “It was your tea that did it,” he interjected. “She’ll be staying with me through the weekend.”

While Greta mulled over that unexpected bit of information with disapproval, he turned to Lee. “Go ahead and freshen up in the bedroom. I’ll meet you here in half an hour.”

“All right.”

As soon as she hurried away, he gave Greta his attention once more. “We’ll be eating out tonight and tomorrow night. You and Franz are welcome to take both evenings off if you’d like.”

She looked shocked. “What about the Princess?”

“You needn’t worry about her. She’s not coming. I’ll be in the loft if you need me.”

He bounded up the back stairs three at a time and pulled out his cellphone. The note with Sophie’s number was still on the end table. After punching the digits, he sank down on the bed and waited for her to answer.

“Allo?”

“Bonjour, Sophie. C’est Raoul.”

The soft gasp spoke volumes. “Raoul-”

“How are you feeling today?”

“Not very well.”

“I’m sorry. Perhaps what I have to say will improve your spirits.”

After a hesitation, “What do you mean?”

“I’ve spent time with Lee. She broke down and told me everything.”

“I-I don’t think I understand.” There was a distinct tremor in her voice.

“You’re an intelligent woman. I think you do.”

A long, telling silence ensued.

“Please don’t be angry with her, Raoul. She was only doing what Luciano and I asked her to do.”

Luciano.

Raoul relaxed, falling back on the pillow in complete joy. So that was what Lee had been hiding from him. She’d been afraid to tell him there was another man in Sophie’s life. Dieu merci. He couldn’t help but admire her more for her caring, and her discretion.

“If you and I handle this right, there’s no reason why you and Luciano can’t be married before too much longer.”

Sophie let out a cry of happiness. Then he heard muffled sounds which meant she was informing her lover.

“Raoul?” She came back on the line. “You’re not furious with me?”

“Far from it.”

“Truly? I pray this means you’re interested in someone else too.”

“Yes.” Most definitely yes.

“But this is fantastique!”

“We have Lee to thank for everything.”

“I know. I admit I used her shamefully, but I felt so trapped and knew you must feel that way too. Lee didn’t want to do it. It doesn’t surprise me she couldn’t go through with the plan.”

“You’re lucky to have such a devoted friend.”

“She’s extraordinary.”

His eyes closed tightly. “I agree. Don’t worry about anything. I’ll accompany Lee back to Nyon. By Monday I would expect your parents to have called off our wedding. Enjoy your weekend. Á bientôt, Sophie.”

“Wait, Raoul! How is that going to happen now?”

“Read tomorrow’s headlines and you’ll find out. Ciao.”

“Wait! Raoul-”

He hung up, then looked in the directory for the number of the Alex Grill and made the call. Journalists lurked in the hotel foyer waiting for celebrities to pass through.

When Reception answered, he made reservations at eight for His Royal Highness Prince Raoul Mertier Bergeret D’Arillac and guest. Would they please put the best champagne in the house on ice?

Within five minutes the word would be out that he was dining in the village. Fortunately Lee had been around Sophie long enough not to be unnerved by reporters. At least he hoped she wouldn’t be too dismayed by the barrage of questions and camera flashes. Tonight he was pulling out all the stops, something he’d never done in his life.

He turned off his cellphone and reached for the house phone. It took a minute before Lee picked up.

“Hello?” She sounded out of breath. No doubt she’d been in the shower.

“Lee-what are you wearing to town?”

He heard her hesitate. “I only brought two outfits with me so I don’t have much of a choice. It’s either what I had on this morning, or the black sweater and trousers I arrived in yesterday.”

“Would you wear the latter? I have a reason for asking.”

“All right,” she said in a subdued voice.

“Are you about ready?”

“Yes.”

“Good. I’ll see you downstairs in a few minutes.”

As soon as she’d hung up, he phoned the kitchen. “Greta? Do you know where you put my mother’s black cable knit cardigan with the gold family coat of arms emblazoned on the breast pocket? She left it here on her last visit.”

His father had had it made for his mother, but she’d never worn it in public because she’d felt the crest made it too ostentatious. With Lee’s gossamer hair, she would look stunning in it while they walked around town.

“Yes,” the older woman said tentatively. “It’s in the storage closet near the base of the back staircase.”

“Merci.”

Raoul cast off his turtleneck and walked over to the closet to slip on a white fleece pullover. It was the only article of sportswear he owned that had the initials of His Royal Highness monogrammed near the right shoulder. He’d worn it once for an official family photograph.

He tucked the hem into the waistband of his jeans. When he’d pocketed his phone and wallet, he hurried down the stairs, eager to join the woman who’d transformed his life in the last twenty hours.

The woman in the mirror staring back at Lee had the same face as always, but she was a different person inside. In a few minutes her whole life would change when she stepped out of the chalet as Raoul’s girlfriend. Once the news broke, she’d be labeled that woman.

For Sophie and Luciano’s sake, Lee could handle it. By next week she’d be in Jackson, far away from any gossip that could hurt her. But she had a pit in her stomach over Raoul, who would have to bear the brunt of disgrace with no place to run.

No matter how he’d brushed off her concerns, he risked ruining his own life and everything his family stood for. Lee loved him too much to let him throw ev-

“Lee?” The rap on the bedroom door startled her. “I’ve put the gear we’re going to return in the car. Are you ready?”

Help me, her heart cried.

She walked over to the door and opened it. Her breath caught. The elegant white pullover that could only belong to Raoul with those royal initials provided the perfect foil for his brilliant blue eyes. Combined with his striking features and stature, he looked every inch the prince he was.

“Would you come in for a minute and shut the door?”

He scrutinized her thoroughly before moving inside, nudging the door closed with his boot. “What’s wrong?”

“I know we talked everything over, but we can’t go through with this. Look-I’m not backing out because of me. I already agreed to help. But-”

“Then there’s no problem,” he muttered in a forbidding voice she didn’t recognize.

“I’m afraid for you, Raoul. I’ve lived in Switzerland long enough to know you’re loved and revered by the people. There has to be another way to do this. Why don’t you and Sophie meet and discuss everything? You could call your parents together and plead with them to consider another solution so no one gets hurt.”

His handsome features hardened. “You don’t understand. Even if Sophie’s parents wanted to let her marry Luciano, royal protocol wouldn’t allow them to dissolve our engagement without clear justification.”

Lee was so shocked to hear him mention Luciano’s name she barely assimilated the rest.

“You know about him?”

“I just got off the phone with the Princess.”

She shook her head. “That means you’ve told her what you’re going to do, and she’s still willing to let you destroy your life for her?” Lee cried out, aghast.

Sophie’s revelation about Luciano must have devastated Raoul. He had to be in terrible pain right now.

“She realizes it’s the only way out for both of us,” he said in his deep voice.

“I can’t believe it.” Lee’s eyes implored him. “Raoul-your life will never be the same again. This is all my fault!” Her eyes glistened over. “Oh, why did I ever come to Zermatt?”

“Thank God you did,” he said emotionally. “As I told you at Roger’s, Sophie knew what she was doing.” His eyes seemed to pierce her soul. “If you’d been on the phone and had heard her cry of happiness as she told Luciano the good news, you would know I can’t disappoint her now.”

It was too much. She looked away from him. “If you’re this determined to do this there must be another woman you could find to help you.”

“I know several from the past who would pretend to be my latest lover without giving it a second thought.”

He’d had other lovers. Of course he had. There was probably someone here in Zermatt who’d expected to be with him this weekend! Why did it hurt so much?

“But, as Sophie’s best friend, you’re the only woman on the planet her parents will take seriously. They’ll know you and I had special access to each other through their daughter, and will assume we’ve been meeting secretly.”

She shuddered. “That’s horrible.”

“It has to be horrible to give her father a reason to sever all ties with me.”

“He’ll denounce you!” she almost shouted. “You really think you can live with that when all of it’s untrue?”

“We both want Sophie to be happy, otherwise you would never have come to Zermatt in the first place.”

Lee couldn’t argue with those facts.

“But it’s so unfair!” she groaned the words.

“Life’s unfair, as you’ve found out.” He grasped her hands and held them against his chest. “Look at me,” he whispered.

Slowly she raised her eyes to his.

“I need you, Lee.”

She tried not to be affected by his words, but it was impossible when she could feel his whole being calling out to her. She’d been the messenger, now she had to finish playing the part to the bitter end.

“If you’re sure,” she whispered back.

His eyes darkened. “I’ve never been so certain of anything in my life.”

CHAPTER EIGHT

“WHAT can I show you, Your Highness?”

The attractive saleswoman in the boutique could scarcely contain her excitement. The same thing happened no matter where Raoul took Lee. Everyone recognized the Prince, but it was the female population that went crazy over him.

Lee had thought the attention bad enough when she’d gone out in public with Sophie, but nothing could compare to this. Journalists and tourists alike hounded him along the street, yet he took it all in stride and was cordial. At the hotel, where they ate a raclette lunch, people applauded as he escorted Lee out to the terrace.

“We’ve been to half a dozen shops, but none of them had a dress to match her eyes.” His gaze fastened on Lee. “They’re lavender or violet, depending on the light.”

The clerk had been concentrating so hard on Raoul it took her a minute before she realized she was supposed to be looking at Lee. After his personal observation, Lee felt equally dazed. Her legs were about as substantial as mush.

“We do have a dress. It just came in. Follow me.”

When they reached the fitting room Lee noticed how the other woman kept staring at the black cardigan Raoul had thrown over her shoulders earlier to keep warm.

“I’ll be right back, mademoiselle.”

Left alone, Lee removed it before taking off her other clothes, wondering what was so fascinating. Raoul had muttered something about his mother accidentally leaving it behind after a visit. She gasped the second she realized the D’Arillac royal crest had been embroidered on the pocket.

Hundreds of people would have recognized it. To be wearing such a garment would show the world Raoul had put his personal claim on her. Short of kissing her in public, he couldn’t have done anything that would have conveyed his disregard of his fiancée as completely.

Already there’d been a moment after lunch when he’d helped her up from the table and his lips had grazed her cheek. The contact had sent scorching heat to her face. The tabloids would love that kind of press. She could be thankful they hadn’t caught a photo of him kissing her senseless in Roger’s kitchen.

“Here we are, mademoiselle. I showed this dress to the Prince. He said it’s perfect. In fact he would like to see you in it, and suggested these heels to match.”

Lee took the articles from her. “Thank you. I won’t need any help.”

As soon as the other woman walked away, Lee put it on. The purple affair with spaghetti straps, an Italian creation in a soft crêpe de Chine, was stunning. The lines made the most of her figure without being immodest. But she couldn’t face Raoul right now. There’d been too much intimacy already.

She dressed quickly in her other clothes and walked out to the counter. “It’s all very lovely,” she murmured, avoiding Raoul’s eyes.

“You need hose, mademoiselle?”

“Yes, and a slip.”

Before long she had her packages. Raoul ushered her out to the street amidst a barrage of camera flashes. Some reporter in the crowd called out, “Prince Raoul? Is the rumor true that you’re not marrying Princess Sophie after all?”

Lee cringed, but he just smiled and waved before helping her into the car.

Once they were on their way, he glanced at her. “You couldn’t have gotten much sleep last night. I have to assume that’s the reason you wouldn’t give me a preview in the shop, so let’s get you home for a nap.”

“That sounds good.”

“I thought it would. You can sleep until seven-thirty. We have dinner reservations at the Alex at eight. Afterward, I’m planning to dance the night away with you.”

At the thought of being in his arms again she felt her heart take up a furious tattoo.

“Don’t look so alarmed,” he muttered. “It’s the thing to do at night in Zermatt.”

“I-I haven’t danced in a long time.” Her voice faltered.

“The place will be so packed all you’ll have to do is hold on to me and I’ll take care of the rest.”

That was what she was afraid of.

Six hours later, after a sumptuous dinner from the grill followed by champagne, Raoul guided her into a disco bar. It wasn’t Lee’s scene, but it was exactly the kind of place Sophie would have loved because the music ‘rocked’.

Once again Lee heard whispers as people recognized Raoul. The manager was all smiles and arranged the best table for them, but her companion seemed totally oblivious. He relieved her of the chic white wool dress coat he’d bought for her while she’d been in the fitting room.

In the next instant he spirited her on to the floor, drawing her arms behind his neck before sliding his hands around her hips to rest against her back.

There wasn’t a centimeter of air between them. Lee trembled so hard, he had to feel it. They might as well have been making love standing up.

“I told you there was nothing to this kind of dancing,” he said in a husky tone. The warmth of his breath on her temple shot sparks of desire through her system, electrifying her.

“You warned me it would be crowded, but I didn’t realize we wouldn’t be able to breathe.”

He chuckled softly. “That’s the whole idea.” His hands roved over her back where skin met skin. “Have I told you yet how sensational you look in this dress? I’m the envy of every man here.”

Lee had been thinking the same thing about Raoul. He looked drop-dead gorgeous in his tux, a breed apart from any other man. The women in the room couldn’t keep their eyes off him.

“Thank you for the compliment.”

She lost track of time as one dance turned into another. It was the only legitimate excuse she had to cling to him. But as the night worn on she realized this was too dangerous a game to play. It was vital she put distance between them.

“Raoul?”

“Umm?”

“Do you think we could leave now?”

“You’re not enjoying yourself?”

If only you knew.

“It’s not that, but I couldn’t sleep this afternoon and-”

“And now you’re exhausted. That’s fine. We’ll go.”

People made a path for him as he drew her through the crowd to the exit. Until more flashes went off, blinding her, she’d forgotten the paparazzi. They never let up, not even at two in the morning.

She was a throbbing mass of emotions on their drive back to the chalet. “Today has been like a page out of a fairy tale. I feel like Cinderella who got her dance with the Prince.” She had to keep things on a light note or she might break down and tell him how she really felt.

“How have you liked your role so far?”

He was letting her know not to get too carried away.

“Knowing it’s temporary, I’ll be honest and tell Your Highness that I’ve loved every second of it. But the thought of it being on a permanent basis is ludicrous. Your world and mine are so far apart as to be beyond comprehension.”

After the slightest hesitation she heard him say, “Nevertheless the enchantment isn’t over yet, and you still have both glass slippers.”

In other words, he intended for the public charade to go on through tomorrow night as well. But it wasn’t necessary. She was convinced they’d given the reporters more than enough material for Sophie’s family to call off the engagement. In one day Raoul had destroyed all the good he’d spent his life building.

As for Lee, any more time in his company would only bring about her final destruction. However, tonight was not the time to tell him she was through playing the role of his lover. Otherwise he’d insist on another one of his talks, where she always came out the loser. She couldn’t risk that.

Still high on the feel of his arms around her, Lee’s only salvation was to run inside when they arrived, and go to bed without stopping for a breath.

When they drew up behind the chalet, she saw another car parked there. Beyond it she spied Philippe, descending the outside staircase from the loft.

She heaved a sigh. “I’m glad your friends are home safely.”

“Me too,” Raoul murmured before levering himself from the car. As he came around to open her door she heard the two men greet each other.

Relieved because Raoul had been distracted for the moment, Lee nodded to Philippe, then slipped past them and darted into the house. She couldn’t reach her bedroom fast enough.

CHAPTER NINE

RAOUL let out a groan as he watched Lee’s whiteclad figure disappear in the darkness. This wasn’t how he’d planned the night to end. Inside he rebelled against Philippe’s timing until he saw the smile that lit up his friend’s face.

With it came the dawning realization of what it meant. Raoul’s heart did a violent kick. “The news is out?”

Philippe let go with a cry of excitement. “I not only heard it-I saw it with my own eyes on TV! It’s the major story on every network! They all say the same thing. ‘A beautiful blond American woman appears to have captured the heart of Prince Raoul. There’s no official word yet, but it’s rumored that he and Princess Sophie will not be getting married after all.’”

He clapped Raoul so hard on the shoulder he almost knocked him over. “When I think it was less than a week ago that I received a call from a man who sounded like he’d come to the end of his life. You’re no longer that person.”

They stared intently at each other in the moonlight. “No, I’m not.”

“Have you told Lee know how you feel about her yet?”

“If you’re talking physically, we almost lost it at Roger’s condo.”

“Things have progressed that far already?” Philippe asked incredulously.

Raoul nodded. “But the situation is complicated because I don’t know if I’m fighting the ghost of her dead fiancé.”

“Mon Dieu.”

“He was killed three years ago. At the moment she believes she’s doing all this for Sophie’s happiness.”

Philippe shook his head. “If ever two people looked like they were in love, it’s you and Lee. After what I saw on television tonight, your broken engagement is a fait accompli. I’m beyond happy for you. But what about your title? Is it in the past now too, my friend?”

“I have no idea.”

“It’s not a small thing you’ve done.” Philippe eyed him soulfully. “The main reason I came out here was to tell you your parents have been calling the chalet every half-hour since I arrived. Your father wants you to phone him no matter the hour. When I saw your cellphone on the dresser, I realized you’d left it home on purpose. He asked me to wait up for you.”

“I’ll call him.” Suddenly Raoul clasped his arm. “Thank you for being my friend. Without your inspiration, I would never have thought to ask Sophie to join me here. It has set a process in motion. I don’t know where it’s going to lead, but it has already changed my life. For that you have my undying gratitude.”

“You had mine when you saved me after that helicopter crash on the mountain years ago.”

Raoul breathed in the crisp night air. It didn’t matter what he had to face. After being with Lee, he had a sense of well-being nothing could diminish.

By tacit agreement they started walking toward the stairs. “How was the climb?”

“Good. Naturally it would have been better if you’d been along, but I’ll forgive you this time.”

A smile broke the corner of Raoul’s mouth. “I didn’t know I could feel like this.”

“That’s what I’ve been telling myself since I met Kellie,” Philippe confessed.

“Then don’t let her get away. Do whatever it is you have to do.”

“I intend to.”

After what had transpired here in Zermatt, Raoul realized anything was possible. Right now his whole purpose was to make Lee see that too. Physically and emotionally, they were attuned. It was her mind that had to get past the prince part to the man.

After what she’d told him on the drive home, that part wasn’t going to be easy. She’d been around Sophie long enough to see past the trappings to the kind of life required of a royal. Obviously it held no appeal.

But he couldn’t worry about that right now. At least when he woke up in the morning she’d be under the same roof and they’d spend another glorious day and night together.

He climbed the stairs after Philippe, aware the adrenaline surging through his body wouldn’t allow him to fall asleep for hours.

Now was the time for the talk with his parents.

For the first time in his life, they weren’t his first priority. He had to count on their understanding that what they’d seen and heard on the news tonight had happened for a specific reason. He prayed that because of the strong bond of love and trust that had always existed between the three of them they would reserve judgement until they’d heard from him.

He planned to tell them the truth of everything. Destiny would have to take care of the rest.

“Madame Simoness?”

The older woman looked up from her desk. “Lee-you’re back a day early from Zermatt. I didn’t expect you home until Sunday night. Come in.”

“Thank you, madame.”

Lee shut the office door and took a seat opposite the desk of the headmistress who’d always been so good to her. She was close to eighty, but madame’s wise gray eyes still regarded her as shrewdly as ever.

“What’s wrong, ma chére?”

“I’m sure you’ve heard the news by now.”

“Yes. My phone hasn’t stopped ringing.”

“I knew that would be the case. Madame? I happen to know Mademoiselle Lambert would give anything to have my job. Would you consider letting her take my place until you find someone permanent?”

“Why would I do that?”

“I’m going back to America. There’s an eleven a.m. flight to Brussels from Geneva this morning. I have to be on it.”

“Lee-if you thought I would fire you over this, you’re very much mistaken.”

“No. You’re too kind for that.”

“Then it’s true-”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ve fallen in love with Sophie’s prince, haven’t you?”

So many emotions had welled up inside Lee she couldn’t stop the tears. They gushed down her face until she was convulsed.

“I-I’m sure you think I’m a wicked person.”

“Nonsense. As soon as I read this morning’s headlines I saw Sophie’s hand somewhere in all this. Remember, I’ve known the two of you for a long time. She was always the one at the bottom of any trouble around here. The poor thing had too much to rebel against.”

Madame Simoness understood a lot about life. That was what made her such a remarkable substitute mother for the girls at Beau Lac.

“Why don’t you begin at the beginning and tell me everything?”

It felt so good to confide in someone Lee trusted, and it all came pouring out. Everything except for the interlude in Roger’s kitchen.

“…so as soon as Raoul brought me home from the disco bar I realized I couldn’t stay in Zermatt another second. I left the things he’d bought me on the bed. Then I packed my bag and walked down to the village station.”

“In the dark?”

“Yes. I wanted to be on the first train back to Visp. From there I rented a car and drove straight here. It won’t be long before he discovers I’m missing. Madame-I don’t want him to find me. I’ve played the part he asked me to play. Now it’s over. There are other titled women his family will suggest he marry in place of Sophie. At this point it will be much better for Raoul if I disappear. I’m so sorry to run out on you like this, but I can’t stay here! I simply can’t.”

“Is this to be a permanent move on your part?”

“Yes.”

“I see.” After a brief silence, “Of course you’re free to go. Whenever you wish.”

“You mean it?” she cried out.

“Bien sûr. Even when you were mourning your family, you never let up in your duties. I worried about that. It wouldn’t surprise me that it has all caught up with you. I’ll phone Mademoiselle Lambert right now and ask her to come over.”

Lee jumped up from the chair and rushed around to hug the older woman. “Thank you, madame. I’ll never be able to repay you for everything.”

“Nonsense. You’ve been through a lifechanging experience far too early in your young life. I want you to find happiness, ma chére. I had hoped it would be here in Switzerland, but evidently that’s not the case.

“If you’re going to make that flight, you need to leave for Geneva in the next few minutes. On your way out, come back in here. There’ll be a check for you on my desk.”

“I don’t deserve your kindness.”

“Of course you do. You’re the best assistant I ever had. Don’t worry about your things. The maids can pack up your belongings and I’ll have them shipped to your address in Jackson. It’s still in my file.”

“If you wouldn’t mind, could you ask them to take them up to the attic? You see, my parents’s house is being rented at the moment. Their things are in storage. I’ll probably stay in Montana with my aunt and uncle until I’m free to move back to Jackson. Even then I may sell up and move somewhere else. When I’m settled in a place for good I’ll send for my things here. Right now e-everything’s so up in the air I can’t make definite plans.”

“Of course not. I’m just thankful you have relatives who love you and will be happy to see you. Promise me you’ll stay in close touch?”

“I swear it.” She sniffed. “Madame? There’s one more thing. I’ve written Sophie a letter and put a stamp on it. Will you wait a week and then put it in the post?”

“Consider it done.”

They embraced once more before she hurried from the office and raced up to her room on the third floor. All she needed to do was put a few more blouses, jeans and shorts in her suitcase. She wouldn’t need anything else until she knew what she was going to do about the rest of her life.

For the moment nothing was as important as putting an ocean between her and Raoul.

Philippe finished off his croissant with another cup of tea. “You keep pacing the floor like that and you’re going to wear a hole in it, mon ami. It’s only nine-thirty. After a night of dancing, I wouldn’t be surprised if she slept till noon.”

Raoul’s frown turned into a grimace. He eyed his friend. “I doubt she could sleep anymore than I could. I’m going to phone her.”

He walked across the kitchen to the house phone on the wall and rang the guest bedroom. After four rings he decided she could be in the shower. When he’d counted twenty of them, he knew something was wrong and hung up.

Filled with alarm, he left the kitchen and raced down the hall. “Lee?” he called out before opening her door.

His gaze fell on the purple dress and shoes laid out neatly on top of the made-up bed. Alongside them were the coat and his mother’s sweater. He groaned as if someone had just planted a fist in his gut.

“She’s gone!”

Philippe was right behind him. “Maybe she went out the front door for a walk.”

“You don’t believe that anymore than I do.”

“I’ll contact the taxi service and find out when she left.”

While Philippe phoned from the bedside table, Raoul picked up one of the shoes she’d worn dancing. As he dangled it by its dainty strap, a certain conversation came back to him in full force.

I feel like Cinderella who got her dance with the Prince.

Except that the enchantment isn’t over yet.

Mon Dieu, how wrong could Raoul have been?

Philippe hung up the receiver. “There’s been no call made from the chalet.”

“She might have gotten a ride with Greta and Franz on their way to mass,” Raoul theorized, but he didn’t believe it.

“We didn’t go this morning.”

At the sound of his housekeeper’s voice, Raoul spun around.

“Franz isn’t feeling well.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. Greta? Do you know anything about Lee’s disappearance?”

“Nothing.” She turned and went back down the hall, mumbling.

“I’ll phone Roger,” Philippe volunteered. “Maybe she asked for his help.”

“Thanks, but you’d be wasting your time. He would have let me know if she’d tried to use him. It’s evident Lee sneaked out of here on foot. The question is, when did she go?”

“Probably while you were on the phone to your parents.”

“I told them I was bringing her back to the château to meet them,” Raoul muttered.

His mother and father had been more understanding than any son had a right to expect. Touched by Lee’s allegiance to Sophie, and the tragedy that had befallen her family and fiancé, they had urged him to bring her home so they could get acquainted.

He checked his watch. “If she left that long ago she ought to be arriving at Beau Lac any time now.”

“Then let’s fly you to Nyon right away!”

“You’re reading my mind.”

Philippe pulled out his cellphone and punched some numbers. “I’ll alert the guys to have the helicopter ready for us.”

CHAPTER TEN

THE sight of the Tetons had thrilled Lee all her life. But as her rental car rounded a bend in the highway, and she glimpsed those glorious mountains tinted an orange-pink by the setting sun, they brought back such powerful memories of Raoul she was staggered by the pain.

Why did I come this way? She groaned.

During the last month and a half she’d been living in a kind of limbo with her mother’s sister and family. Between their love and a busy schedule guaranteed to keep her distracted, she’d managed to keep her heartache simmering beneath the surface.

After this long, she’d actually thought she was doing better. But one glance at the Grand Teton, reminiscent of the Matterhorn knifing through the thin atmosphere, and her agony came rushing to the fore, raw and unbearable.

She could never live here! There was no way. Lee needed to move to a part of the country where there’d be no possible reminder of Raoul.

During her time with the family she’d talked to her aunt about moving to Sacramento, where there was an opening at a private college for a teacher with her foreign language skills and experience. Though she couldn’t imagine ever being happy again, she had to make a new start somewhere.

After checking into the Mount Moran Inn in Jackson, Wyoming, Raoul got back in his rental car and followed directions to the Greshams’s modest ranchstyle home a mile away. Thanks to Madame Simoness, he’d been given an address.

He got there in time to watch an elderly couple drive away from the empty house in a U-Haul truck. Over the last six weeks he’d badgered them for Lee’s whereabouts. They’d insisted they didn’t know anything about her. But during one of his many phone calls from the château Raoul had found out they’d be vacating the house on the twenty-eighth of August.

That was the news he’d been waiting for.

Knowing the date, he’d made arrangements to leave Switzerland for as long as it took to find Lee and take her back with him. Her disappearance had created a living nightmare for him.

If the headmistress of Beau Lac had been able to give Raoul even one clue where to look for Lee in Montana, he wouldn’t have left a stone unturned tracking her down.

To compound his pain, Sophie and her parents had left Geneva that same weekend as Lee, to go to an undisclosed location. Sophie had remained incommunicado. The last he’d heard, she had married Luciano and had gone on an extended honeymoon.

Without her help, Raoul had been left with no choice but to wait for Lee to show up in Jackson. It had been agony, and it wasn’t over yet.

He got out of the car and walked up to the front porch. There was no Realtor sign or “For Rent” card anywhere. No phone number he could call.

That familiar sinking pit in his stomach was growing. He descended the steps and explored around the back of the house. Beneath a hot noonday sun his gaze took in the property that held so much meaning for her. From tiny baby to a seventeen-year-old, this had been her world, where she’d known happiness with her family.

Mon Dieu- How long did she intend to torture both of them? He knew in his gut she was far from indifferent to him.

Where are you, Lee?

He checked his watch. Two detectives from a local PI firm he’d contacted would be meeting him here in a few minutes. He was having the house put under surveillance to make certain he didn’t miss her.

She had to come back here sometime. Until then, he wasn’t leaving town.

By the time Lee reached Jackson it was dusk. Every motel had a “No Vacancy” sign. As usual the town was filled with tourists taking advantage of the last weekend in August before school started.

Since she’d made reservations at the Mount Moran Inn from her aunt’s house, it didn’t matter when she checked in. While there was still some light, now would be a good time to drive by the house for one last look. She had no desire to go inside and dredge up childhood memories.

Tomorrow she’d ask her attorney to put the house on the market. Then she’d leave for California.

As she drove through Jackson she noted that it had grown some over the last few years. Maybe six or seven thousand people made up the town. But the street where she’d once lived hadn’t changed.

The old ranch-style home came up on the left. She pulled into the driveway and sat there for a while.

Was there anything emptier than a house without people in it? Especially when you’d loved those people and knew you wouldn’t see them till the next life?

Her emptiness grew as her thoughts flicked back to Switzerland and all that she’d left behind.

“Raoul-” His name burst out of her on a sob before they began in earnest. Great heaving sobs that shook her whole body. “Dear God, how am I going to make it through this life without you?”

She buried her face in her hands.

Eventually the tears subsided enough that she could start the car and go back to the inn.

After checking in at Reception, she took the card key and walked down the left hallway to room twenty-five.

“Lee?”

A masculine voice that sounded achingly familiar caused her to drop everything: the card, her purse, the overnight bag.

She spun around, wondering if she was hallucinating. But the second her gaze fused with those riveting blue eyes she couldn’t doubt the incontrovertible proof of his presence.

It was Raoul. He was here in Jackson, not Zermatt or Neuchatel.

Shock made it difficult for her to think.

“H-how-?”

“I followed you from the house.”

“I mean-”

“Madame Simoness.”

“You were there?” Lee was so dazed nothing was coming out right. “She gave you my address?”

“Yes,” he answered in a solemn voice. “I would have tapped on the car window, but I didn’t want to frighten you.”

Lee started to tremble. Had he heard her cry out his name?

“What are you doing here?”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

She shook her head in disbelief. “But why have you come? Has something terrible happened?”

His handsome face darkened with lines. “Yes. It’s something so serious we have to have a long, uninterrupted talk about it.”

Lee swallowed hard.

“You’re in pain.”

“Yes. It has become unendurable.” His voice grated.

“I was afraid of this. Oh, Raoul-” She moaned. “I warned you, but you wouldn’t listen.”

“You’re right. As a result, the situation is more precarious than ever. You see, my wedding is still on.”

“To Sophie?” she cried in astonishment. “Then she didn’t marry Luciano! Thank heaven!”

A strange look crept over his striking features. “What are you saying?”

“You don’t have to pretend with me, Raoul. I know that, given time, your marriage to her will work, and you’ll be able to win her love. She won’t be able to resist you-”

“I think we’re talking at cross purposes.” He broke in on her abruptly. Shadows darkened his eyes. “I need to speak to you, but I’d rather do it in private than out here in the hall.”

“Yes. O-of course. Come in.”

He plucked her things from the floor and opened the door for her.

Like before, her arm brushed against his chest on the way inside. But this time it was like fire devouring her flesh. Lee would go up in a lick of flame if he so much as touched her again.

She heard the door close behind her. The click reminded her they’d shut out the world. It was just the two of them.

Her heart turned over at the sight of his tall, whipcord-lean physique dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. He had a hungry look around his eyes and mouth. She thought he might have lost some weight, yet he was more appealing to her than ever. His searching gaze took in the knit top and shorts she was wearing.

“I’m glad you’re sitting down.”

His remark set off more alarm bells. “Don’t keep me in suspense any longer,” she begged.

“I don’t intend to.”

He closed the distance between them and hunkered down in front of her bare legs.

“What are you doing?” she whispered in an unsteady voice as one of his hands went to the calf of her right leg while the other removed the sandal off her foot.

His dark-blond head was lowered in concentration.

“Raoul?”

The feel of his hands created an erotic sensation that wound its way to the very core of her being.

“I wanted to see if this would fit.” A flash of purple and gold caught her eye before she felt him slide the other shoe onto her foot. It was one of the dainty high heels that matched the dress she’d left behind.

“I told my parents I would marry the woman who’d worn this dancing with me, and no other.”

Marry?

Her thoughts reeled.

Surely she hadn’t heard him correctly.

His head came back up. She found herself staring into eyes that blazed blue fire. “You’re that woman.”

Lee sat very still. “This isn’t a joking matter, Raoul. I-I know you’re hurting. So am I. But I left all playacting behind me when I boarded the plane for the States.”

“So did I,” his deep voice grated. “Tell me why you’re still hurting. Is it because of Todd?”

“Todd?” she cried out in surprise. “Heavens no! I can’t imagine why you would bring his name up at all. It’s your pain I’m worried about.”

“I hope you mean that,” he whispered rather emotionally, “because you’re the only person who can take it away.”

“But Sophie-”

“What about her? She’s on her honeymoon with Luciano.”

“They’re married?”

“Yes. Several weeks ago, as a matter of fact.”

His slid his hands up her legs, as if he couldn’t help himself. She almost fainted from the pleasure of it. Then he reached in his pocket and pulled something out. “I’ve come here so the real game of life can begin for us.”

She gasped when she saw two different rings in his palm. He lifted one to her astonished gaze. It was a dazzling amethyst solitare.

“If you choose this ring you’ll live in Jackson, Wyoming, with your husband and you’ll be known as the wife of Mr Raoul Mertier. He’s a banker and businessman with holdings in Europe and America which he intends to expand in order to take care of his family. He wants three or four children. They’ll travel to Switzerland as often as they can to see their grandparents.”

When Raoul pressed the ring in her palm, it began to sink in that he was proposing to her. If she was dreaming, she never wanted to wake up.

“I brought another ring. One I know you don’t want, but it’s important to me that I tell you about it.”

He lifted it so she could see the bejeweled royal crest. “If you were to choose this one, you’d be the wife of His Royal Highness Prince Raoul Mertier Bergeret D’Arillac. There would be certain public duties attached to being my consort. You’d have private duties as well.” His eyes had kindled with desire. “You’d live in our own wing of the Château D’Arillac in Neuchatel. Any children born of this marriage would automatically be a prince or princess. They’d have constant access to their grandparents.”

He folded that ring in her other palm.

“Weigh them both very carefully, because once a decision is made there’s no going back.”

“I-I can’t make a decision!” she cried in pain. “You’re a prince- You’d never be happy living here.”

Before she could say anything else, he’d cupped her face in his hands. “Without you, I’ll never know another moment’s happiness. I’m in love with you, Lee Gresham.” His voice trembled. “That soul-deep, painful kind of love that won’t ever go away. It happened so fast and hard I’m still reeling. You were there when it happened, so you can’t possibly deny it. Tell me you love me,” he begged. “I need to hear the words.”

Joy had welled up inside of her until she thought she might expire from too much happiness.

“You know I love you,” she cried from the depths of her soul. “I can’t believe you love me back.”

“Mon amour-” he cried, before their mouths met and clung with voracious hunger. He pulled her into his arms and then they were on the floor, bodies, legs and arms entangled. The rings tumbled on to the carpet.

Swallowed up in a state of europhia, Lee covered his face and hair with kisses. Again and again she found his mouth, relishing its taste and feel.

“I don’t think you have any conception of how much I love you, Raoul. At my house tonight, I sat there sobbing because I didn’t know how I was going to go on without you.”

He lifted his head to look down at her. His fingers tangled in her silvery-gold curls. “I wanted to comfort you because I thought you were grief stricken that your parents weren’t there anymore.”

“Darling-you have to understand. I wasn’t grieving for them. I’ve gotten past that stage. Of course I’ll always miss them. They were wonderful. But it was you I was mourning.” Hot tears trickled on to her temples.

“Lee,” he whispered emotionally.

“I thought deep down you cared for Sophie, that she’d hurt you. I couldn’t bear it.”

“Let’s get something clear. We never loved each other, and never made any pretense about it. When I invited her to Zermatt I did it hoping she’d be so turned off by me she’d do whatever it took to break our engagement.”

“What?”

“If you don’t believe me, ask Philippe. It was his idea. You could have no idea of the feelings running through me when I saw you in the car instead of Sophie. Part of me was in agony, because it meant my plans had been dashed. But another part felt this compelling attraction to you that went more than skin deep. Within seconds I realized I couldn’t let you go.”

“I didn’t want to go.” Tears glistened in her eyes. “My behavior was so shameful, but I couldn’t seem to help myself.”

“Thank heaven for Philippe’s inspiration. We owe him everything,” he murmured huskily. “Do you have any idea how wonderful you are? How incredibly beautiful you are?”

“I could say the same thing about you. The memories of what we shared in Zermatt have been tearing me apart. I’ve relived every moment with you until I’ve made myself ill with longing.”

His powerful body trembled. “We’ve both been tortured,” he admitted. “I almost ravished you in the bedroom of the chalet when I brought you the tea.”

“I wanted you to,” she confessed honestly. “Believe me, it would have been mutual.” She stared back at him. “I love you so much. Since I’ve been home, I’ve found out what it’s like to ache for someone day and night.”

“I know the feeling,” he ground out. “There were times whe-”

“Don’t say it!” She silenced the rest of his words with her mouth. “All these weeks I’ve been terrified your parents would have picked another woman with a title for you to marry. I’m still having trouble believing any of this is real.”

“Didn’t I give you two rings to prove this is no dream?”

“Yes.”

“I told my parents you’re the princess of my heart. They know the truth of everything and are looking forward to meeting you as soon as possible.”

Lee sat up in his arms. “They don’t hate me?” Her voice quivered.

“When they found out you were willing to subject yourself to public ridicule for Sophie’s sake, you won them over.”

She had trouble swallowing. “Is the talk against you very bad, Raoul? A-are you a condemned man?”

“Far from it. If anything, my popularity has risen to new heights now that Sophie’s surprise wedding to Luciano Bernaldi has already taken place.” He smiled before kissing one corner of her mouth. “Right now they’re in Greece. My palace sources tell me public sentiment is demanding to know the identity of my mystery lover. So what I think we’ll do is fly home and get you acquainted with my family, so we can make wedding plans. The only thing they have to know is that you’re going to be my wife. Without you, there is no life.”

His voice rang with truth. She could no longer doubt the depth of his love. Flinging her arms around him, she burrowed her face against his neck. “I feel the same way. I love you, Raoul. I love you beyond comprehension.”

“Thank God.” His voice shook. After kissing her long and hard, he finally relinquished her mouth long enough to say, “Here. Madame Simoness had this couriered to the palace before I left Switzerland.”

Lee examined the letter he extended. “This is Sophie’s handwriting.” She tore the envelope open and began reading aloud.

“‘My beloved friend-I will keep the beautiful letter you sent me forever. If you’re reading this, it means Raoul found you, and you’ve put the past away. I’m so happy for the two of you, and of course for me-’”

Both of them laughed at her unique brand of honesty.

“‘I cry all the time. Luciano thinks there’s something wrong with me. He just doesn’t understand what it’s like to be let out of the prison I’ve been in all my life. Only Raoul could possibly understand.’”

“She’s right,” he murmured into Lee’s silky curls.

“‘If you’re surprised that I know everything, don’t be. Madame Simoness is my friend too. Of course we both know she loves you best’.” Lee shook her head. “That’s not true! ‘Because you are the best. Raoul already figured out you have all the qualities of a real princess. That’s why he knew it was true love the moment he set eyes on you.’”

He kissed her neck. “It was true love,” he whispered.

It was impossible to concentrate with Raoul’s mouth doing the most marvelous things to her.

“‘The only thing you lack is a title. That’s because you were born on the wrong side of the Atlantic.’”

“Sophie!” Raoul’s chuckling had turned to laughter.

“‘I wasn’t cut out to be his princess, but you are. It just goes to show you that, given time, la créme always rises to the top. Marry him and go live in his castle, the way you used to dream. You always wanted Raoul. Now he’s yours with my blessing.’”

Lee blushed a deep scarlet and tried to hide the letter from him. But he pulled it away from her and finished reading it while he held her crushed in his arms.

“‘You think I didn’t know about your secret fantasies? Ma chére, you were transparent over that gorgeous man from day one. That’s when the idea came to me to get the two of you together. But I had to bide my time until Daddy decided on a wedding date before I could put a plan into action. Raoul’s invitation for me to join him in Zermatt couldn’t have provided a more perfect set-up. I knew he’d get one glimpse of those pansy eyes and fall like an avalanche.

“‘After you’re married, the four of us will be able to get together whenever we want. But I have to tell you-I can’t wait to see you riding in the carriage next to your prince after you come out of the cathedral. Luciano and I will be watching and waving. Blow us a kiss, chérie. Madame Sophie Bernaldi. P.S. Mother and Father don’t blame either one of you. They know two people can fall in love very innocently. In fact Mother said she wasn’t the least bit surprised, since she’s always been a little in love with Raoul herself. P.P.S. They love Luciano because he’s been willing to take me on and still loves me.’”

Lee burrowed against Raoul, trying to hide her tears of happiness.

Raoul ran his hands through her silken curls. “It looks like Sophie’s problem is contagious. But I have a remedy. Let’s get out of here. My private jet is standing by at the airport. We’ll have dinner on the plane and you can sleep all the way to Geneva. We need to be married to each other, mon amour. I don’t want to waste anymore time.”

“I don’t either.”

“Then that’s all that matters.”

She cherished those words, but in her soul she knew it wasn’t all that mattered.

Lee had fallen in love with an extraordinary man who had a special destiny. While she’d been reading Sophie’s letter it had come to her that it was her responsibility to see he fulfilled it.

“Darling,” she murmured, “before we leave, there’s something important I need you to do for me first.”

He pressed a passionate kiss to her mouth. “Anything.”

Lee reached around for the rings and handed them back to him. “Will you put the amethyst on this ring finger?” She lifted her right hand.

His hands trembled as he did her bidding.

“I’ll wear this in remembrance of a prince who was willing to give up his kingdom for me. And now-” her voice caught “-if you’ll put the other ring on this finger?” She held out her left hand.

His beautiful blue eyes looked dazed. Finally he slid it home.

“This ring I’ll wear in remembrance of the man who’s going to be my husband, the father of our children, the man I’ll love and adore through eternity.” Her eyes fused with his once more. “It will be my joy and privilege to come live with you in your kingdom. Sophie spoke the truth. You’ve been the prince of my heart for a very long time, Raoul. You always will be.”

“Lee-”

He gathered her against him. For a long time they simply rocked back and forth. She felt the moisture on his cheeks with a sense of wonder.

It made her feel a special kinship with Luciano, who’d also dared to reach out for an impossible love. One day they would have to compare notes. But not now.

Now Lee had all she could handle while she held her destiny in her arms.