‘It seems the lady doesn’t need protecting,’ Senor Rodriguez said, smiling his relief as Jenny disappeared below deck and Ramon’s security guards appeared on the docks.
Ramon shook his head. ‘I should have been there for her.’
‘She’s protected herself. She’s done very well.’
‘She shouldn’t have been put in that position.’
‘I believe the lady could have stayed below,’ the lawyer said dryly. ‘The lady chose to take them on. She has some courage.’
‘She shouldn’t…’
‘She did,’ the lawyer said, and then hesitated.
Senor Rodriguez had been watching on the sidelines for many years now. His father had been legal advisor to Ramon’s grandmother, and Sofia had kept him on after Ramon’s father died, simply to stay aware of what royalty was doing. Now he was doing the job of three men and he was thoroughly enjoying himself. ‘Your Highness, if I may make so bold…’
‘You’ve never asked permission before,’ Ramon growled, and the lawyer permitted himself another small smile.
‘It’s just…the role you’re taking on…to do it alone could well break you. You’re allowing me to assist but no one else. This woman has courage and honour. If you were to…’
‘I won’t,’ Ramon snapped harshly, guessing where the lawyer was going and cutting him off before he went any further. He flicked the screen off. There was nothing to see but the press, now being dispersed by his security guards. ‘I do this alone or not at all.’
‘Is that wise?’
‘I don’t know what’s wise or not,’ Ramon said and tried to sort his thoughts into some sort of sense. What was happening here? The lawyer was suggesting sharing the throne? With Jenny?
Jenny as his woman? Yes. But Jenny in the castle?
The thought left him cold. The night of his father’s death was still with him, still haunting him.
Enough. ‘We have work to do,’ he growled and headed back to the room where the Heads of State were waiting.
‘But…’ the lawyer started, but Ramon was already gone.
CHAPTER TEN
HE MANAGED a few short words with her that night as he passed the supper room. It was all he had, as he moved from the evening’s meetings to his briefing for tomorrow. To his surprise, Jenny seemed relaxed, even happy.
‘I’m sorry about today,’ he said. ‘It seemed you handled things very well.’
‘I talked too much,’ she said, smiling. ‘I need to work on my serenity.’
‘Your serenity?’
‘I’m not very good at it.’ Her smile widened. ‘But I showed promise today. Dr Matheson would be proud of me. By the way, I hope it’s okay that Gordon and I are staying here tonight. The boat’s up on the hard, and who wants to sleep on a boat in dry dock? Besides, staying in a palace is kind of fun.’
‘So I can stay tonight?’ she prompted.
He raked his hair. ‘I should have had Senor Rodriguez organise airline tickets.’
‘Senor Rodriguez has better things to do than organise my airline tickets. I’ll organise them when I’m ready. Meanwhile, can I stay tonight?’
‘Of course, but Jenny, I don’t have time…’
‘I know you don’t,’ she said sympathetically. ‘Senor Rodriguez says these first days are crazy. It’ll get better, he says, but I’ll not add to your burdens tonight. I hope I never will.’
Then, before he could figure how to respond, a servant appeared to remind him he was late for his next briefing. He was forced to leave Jenny, who didn’t seem the least put out. She’d started chatting cheerfully to the maid who was clearing supper.
To his surprise, the maid was responding with friendliness and animation. Well, why wouldn’t she, he told himself as he immersed himself again into royal business. Jenny had no baggage of centuries of oppression. She wasn’t royal.
She never could be royal. He could never ask that of her, he thought grimly. But, as the interminable briefing wore on, he thought of Jenny-not being royal. He thought of her thinking of the palace as fun, and he almost told the suits he was talking to where to go.
But he didn’t. He was sensible. He had a country to run, and when he was finally free Jenny had long gone to bed.
And there was no way he was knocking on her door tonight.
He missed her at breakfast, maybe because he ate before six before commencing the first of three meetings scheduled before ten. He moved through each meeting with efficiency and speed, desperate to find time to see her, but the meetings went overtime. He had no time left. His ten o’clock diary entry was immovable.
This appointment he’d made three months ago. Four hours every Wednesday. Even Jenny would have to wait on this.
Swiftly he changed out of his formal wear into jeans, grabbed his swimmers and made his way to the palace garages. He strode round the rows of espaliered fruit trees marking the end of the palace gardens-and Jenny was sitting patiently on a garden bench.
She was wearing smart new jeans, a casual cord jacket in a pale washed apricot over a creamy lace camisole and creamy leather ballet flats. Her curls were brushed until they shone. She looked rested and refreshed and cheerful.
She looked beautiful.
She rose and stretched and smiled a welcome. Gianetta.
Jenny, he told himself fiercely. This was Jenny, his guest before she left for ever.
A very lovely Jenny. Smiling and smiling.
‘Do you like it?’ she demanded and spun so she could be admired from all angles. ‘This is the new smart me.’
‘Where on earth…?’
‘I went shopping,’ she said proudly. ‘Yesterday, when we finally escaped from that mob. Your security guys kindly escorted me to some great shops and then stood guard while I tried stuff on. Neat, yes?’
‘Neat,’ he said faintly and her face fell and he amended his statement fast. ‘Gorgeous.’
‘No, that won’t do either,’ she said reprovingly. ‘My borrowed ball-gown was gorgeous. But this feels good. I thought yesterday I haven’t had new clothes for years and the owner of the boutique gave me a huge discount.’
‘I’ll bet she did,’ he said faintly.
She grinned. ‘I know, it was cheeky, but I thought if I’m to be photographed by every cameraman in the known universe there has to be some way I can take advantage. She was practically begging me to take clothes.’
‘Gordon said you were upset.’
‘Gordon was upset.’
‘I should have been there.’
‘Then the cameramen would have been even more persistent,’ she said gently. ‘But I have clothes to face them now, and they’re not so scary. So…I pinned Senor Rodriguez down this morning and he says you’re going to see Philippe. So I was wondering…’ Her tone became more diffident. ‘Would it upset you if I came along? Would it upset Philippe?’
‘No, but I can’t ask you…’
‘You’re not asking,’ she said and came forward to slip her hands into his. ‘You’re looking trapped. I don’t want
