a whisper, then realized it was the butler.
“Yes, Chauncy?”
“I hesitate to intrude, but I thought it might be wise to point out another factor that might have upset the young lady.”
“And what is that?” Nico sounded just a bit impatient and she could see why. The man sounded conniving to her, too.
“We live in perilous times, Your Highness. I don’t think you can afford to rule out the possibility that she might be… affiliated with the opposition in some way and was shocked to find herself ensconced with the enemy, so to speak.”
“Nonsense. Chauncy, you see enemies behind every bush.”
“Of course, Your Highness. I beg your pardon for speaking so candidly.”
Marisa lay very still and wondered if she was part of the opposition. She didn’t know the answer to that question, but she did know she had to get out of here. Carla had called her a treasure. What on earth had she meant by that? Unbidden, an old Carnethian folk song trailed its way into her mind. The refrain repeated, “Oh what a lucky girl, to be the prince’s plaything.” The phrase was said with bitter irony and added a bad feeling to this crazy mix. Royalty played exotic games in a rarified atmosphere she wasn’t used to. She didn’t belong here.
And something was tugging at her—some responsibility she hadn’t met, or some errand she hadn’t completed. She had to go, even if she didn’t know where.
Reluctantly, she opened her eyes, just as the doctor arrived, but it was the prince’s gaze she met first. The connection that sparked between them made her gasp softly. She hadn’t realized before just how blue those eyes were, or how provocative. She saw something there that set off alarms inside her and sent her heart into a thumping frenzy. But maybe she was imagining things, because a moment later his look was cool and impassive and he was speaking to the doctor as though she were a homeless person he’d found in the street. Which she was, wasn’t she?
The only time he revealed a flash of emotion was when the doctor turned to him almost accusingly.
“This woman is pregnant,” he said, looking sternly at the prince.
Nico’s face hardened and he stared at the man. “I just met her tonight,” he said icily.
It was obvious the two men didn’t care much for each other, but Marisa didn’t have time to dwell on that fact. Dr. Zavier examined her quickly and dispassionately, then declared her well enough for now. He found nothing physically wrong, other than a bump on the head, and prescribed lots of rest and plenty of fluids and promised to look in on her in the morning.
Marisa agreed with that diagnosis. She was fine, really. Just tired and a bit confused. She sat up as the doctor left, then looked hesitantly into the prince’s eyes, wary of seeing whatever that was she’d seen a few moments before, but his gaze was bland, revealing nothing more than vaguely impatient interest, and she relaxed. She was probably being a ninny and she hated that. Squaring her shoulders, she resolved to be stronger from now on. Just as soon as that was possible.
Nico introduced her to Carla, his sister, who immediately took over and ushered her down the hall and up the stairs and into a warm bath, chattering in a friendly manner all the while. Two chambermaids helped and Marisa didn’t have to do a thing. Before she knew it, she was clean and smelling delicious with her dirt-stained clothes exchanged for a silky nightdress that felt like heaven. And finally, Carla led her to a luxuriously plush canopied bed in a beautiful room decorated in peach and gold. By the time Marisa had caught her breath, she knew it was all too much.
“I should go,” she protested weakly, knowing she was in danger of letting herself be seduced by all this cosseting.
“Nonsense,” Carla told her cheerfully, turning back the bed and providing a step-stool. “It’s late. You need to sleep. You can go in the morning.”
“But, my clothes…”
“They’re being cleaned for you. In the meantime, look here.” Carla threw open a tall wardrobe set against the inner wall. “You see all these?” she said, sweeping her hand along the length of the display inside. Bright cloth hung from every hanger. “They belong to my cousin Nadia. She’s just about your age and size. Minus the pregnancy, of course, but you’re barely showing. Feel free to use anything here that you like.”
Marisa shivered. This was beginning to remind her of a fairy tale. Fairy tales didn’t always have happy endings. She could think of a few where the young innocent visitor was lulled into a false sense of security by all the riches laid before her, only to come to a bad end when she finally realized what the evil captors actually wanted from her.
“Uh, where is Nadia?” she asked.
Carla shrugged and pretty much evaded a straight answer. “Good question. That’s something we’d all like to know.”
She drew the heavy drapes closed over the lacy liners at the window and Marisa turned slowly, following her movements. She was hesitant to seem to be looking a gift horse in the mouth, but still….
“I… I don’t really know why you’re being so nice to me,” she said carefully. “I mean, you don’t know anything about me or where I came from or…”
Carla’s good-natured laugh rang out. “Well, neither do you, from what I hear. We’re all playing this by ear, aren’t we?”
Marisa couldn’t help but return her smile. “I guess you’re right,” she said reluctantly.
“You get into that bed and get some sleep,” Carla said, turning to go. “There’s a bell rope if you need anything.”
“Carla,” Marisa said quickly, “thank you.”
Carla stopped at the doorway and looked back. She hesitated, then sighed. “I’ll be honest, Marisa. It’s lovely having you here, but the bottom line is that Nico is in charge when our oldest brother, Crown Prince Dane, is out of town. I’m sure you know—but then, maybe you’ve forgotten—that our father, King Nevander, died last month after a long illness. So now we’re preparing for a coronation. The Crown Prince is in Paris making international alliances. Nico is the de facto ruler here at home for the time being. And Nico gets what he wants. If he thinks you’re welcome here, you’re welcome here. So relax and enjoy it.”
With a wave she was gone. Marisa stared after her. Somehow her last words had not been comforting. The more she heard the prince wanted her here, the more she began to think she didn’t want to be here. Instead of heading for the bed, she turned and hurried toward the wardrobe, reaching in to grab something to wear for a quick escape. She’d barely taken down a beautiful pink sweater when a soft rapping on her door told her this wasn’t going to be quite so easy.
“Come in,” she said, tensed in uneasy anticipation.
Prince Nico entered the room, just as she’d been afraid he would. Funny, but he looked more handsome, taller, harder and just a bit scarier than he had when she hadn’t known he was royal. Biting her lip hard, she tried to hold back any evidence of being swept away. She absolutely refused to seem awestruck. She’d been impressed with him before, but once she realized he was royalty—like it or not, that had its effect. The royals were stars. How could it be any other way?
“How are you feeling?” he asked, gazing curiously at the pink sweater.
“I’m fine. Absolutely fine.” She pressed the sweater to her chest. “I…listen, I’m sorry to be such a bother to everyone.” She gazed up at him earnestly. “Really. I think I should go. You know…”
His handsome face was impassive but his blue eyes shimmered silver in the lamplight. “You can’t go.”
“Oh.” That startled her for a moment. Why couldn’t she go? It didn’t make any sense. Was he just throwing his royal weight around? Or did he have some ulterior motive? She wasn’t sure why she was so suspicious of everyone. But then again, maybe she did have a hint or two as to