cheerful, interested and polite. They ate their dinner early—a damper they’d made together and a thick Irish stew. Kelly settled him into her big bed and his eyelids drooped.
Fatigue was sapping his courage. He was half a world away from his people.
‘I want Uncle Rafael,’ he murmured.
‘He’ll come,’ Kelly said. ‘But he said he might not be able to return until late. I’ll have him come in here and say goodnight the minute he arrives.’
‘Do you promise?’
‘I promise.’
‘I miss Aunt Laura,’ he said fretfully. ‘I miss Ellen and Marguerite. I want to go home.’
Her heart twisted. Home. Home was where the heart was.
Her home was right here. Her home was with this small boy, who was so alone.
The Crown Prince of Alp de Ciel.
‘Let me read you a story,’ she said, and she found an ancient book she’d loved when she had been his age, a book she’d held on to just in case, just in case…
The Poky Little Puppy.
The book was battered and dog-eared. It had been given to her by her grandmother when she had been just Matty’s age. She’d loved it.
So did Matty. He relaxed, snuggling into his pillows. She so wanted to lift him into her arms, to cuddle him to sleep, but she knew he wasn’t ready for that. She was a stranger even if she was his mother.
She had to get to know him slowly.
Could he stay on the diggings with her?
‘My Aunt Laura will like this story,’ Matty murmured sleepily. ‘Can you read it to Uncle Rafael when he comes?’
‘I…yes.’
He had his own people. His own family.
Where did she fit in?
She didn’t know.
He came at nine p.m., after she’d almost given up on him. She’d expected a call from security at the gate, but instead there was a soft knock on the door.
She opened it and there he was.
But it wasn’t the Rafael she’d seen before. This was… This was…
His Royal Highness, Prince Rafael, Prince Regent of Alp de Ciel. He was wearing full dress regalia. A deep blue-black suit, immaculately cut. A slash of gold across his chest. Rows of medals and insignia at his breast and a dress sword at his side.
She took an instinctive step back. Kass…
‘Gorgeous, aren’t I?’ he said and any resemblance to Kass flew out of the window. Kass, laughing at himself? No way.
‘I…yes. Very pretty,’ she managed and he grinned.
‘Can I come in?’
‘Where’s the rest of the royal entourage?’
‘I gave them the slip,’ Rafael said. ‘You have no idea how much trouble I had getting back here.’
‘Maybe jeans and a windcheater might be more appropriate for creeping round after dark.’
‘Yes, but I wouldn’t have had my sword for coping with bogeymen.’ He grimaced down at his gorgeous self. ‘Don’t worry, Kelly. I hate this as much as you do. Politics demanded that I bring it, however, and politics demand that I talk to you now. Can I come in?’
She stood wordlessly aside as he walked in, hauled his jacket off, unbuttoned the top three buttons of his stiffly starched shirt and set his sword by the door.
Royalty off duty.
‘So you thought you might change into dress uniform… why?’ she asked faintly as he opened the fire box on the stove and held his hands out for warmth.
‘Press conference and hastily organised civil reception,’ he said briefly. ‘With your mayor. You can’t imagine how excited everyone is.’
‘Um…why?’
‘Alp de Ciel is known for its gold-mining,’ he said blandly. ‘We’ve heard that this is the best theme park in the world for showcasing historical events. What could be more natural than the Prince Regent of Alp de Ciel—needing a little breathing-space from the demands of his royal duties—doing a little exploring?’
‘They never believed it.’
‘They did,’ he said. ‘The press believe what they want to believe. This makes a fabulous story. Prince found incognito in local theme park. Prince agrees to have dinner with local bigwigs for photographic opportunity. Prince excuses himself towards the end of dinner pleading jet lag but everyone’s got their photographs by now. So I slipped away.’
‘You had your dress uniform with you just on the off chance of a photographic opportunity?’
His smile faded. ‘I did suspect,’ he said, ‘that this journey might be discovered. Like it or not, I’m now head of state of Alp de Ciel. For me to come to Australia and not give a press conference at least would be an insult. The palace officials told me that in no uncertain terms. So yes, I brought my royal toggery. No, I didn’t want to unpack it but here it is, in all its glory.’
She was staring at the medals, fascinated.
‘So tonight,’ she said. ‘You just…slipped away from your royal reception. You called a cab—wearing that?’
‘Yes, it was hard giving everyone the slip but the limousine driver’s currently miffed because I took a cab and a cab driver’s happily pocketed a fare and a half for dropping me in the middle of nowhere and saying nothing. It was only a mile or so down the road and I kept to the shadows.’
‘Wearing your dress sword.’ She couldn’t keep her eyes off his chest. It was some…chest.
‘Aprince has to be prepared,’ he said patiently. ‘In case of bogeymen.’ His smile deepened. ‘Stop looking like that. Pete let me in and he’s under instructions to say no one’s come. He’ll admit no one else.’
She shook her head in disbelief. ‘You think you’re clever,’ she said wonderingly.
‘I do,’ he said smugly.
‘Matty wants you to wake him and say goodnight.’
His face stilled. ‘He was okay with you?’
‘Yes.’
‘But he was asking for me?’
‘He loves you. You and your mother.’
‘I guess that hurts,’ he said cautiously.
‘I can’t expect anything else.’
‘He’ll learn…’
‘I don’t think he can stay here,’ she whispered and something in her face had him crossing the room to
her in two swift strides and taking her hands in his.
‘Kelly, don’t look like that.’
‘Like…like what?’
‘As if you’re tearing yourself in two.’
‘I’m not. I’m not. Go and say goodnight to Matty.’ She pulled away from him roughly. For a moment he stood, looking down at her face, obviously troubled, but she wouldn’t look at him.
Finally he wheeled away. He disappeared into the bedroom. She stood, feeling lost, bewildered, distressed, listening to the sound of the two faint voices. Matty must have only been snoozing. He’d been waiting. Waiting for his Uncle Rafael.
He’s a good man, she thought. This was no Kass. She could trust him with her son.
Matty’s