"Wow. Bella. Tell me how you feel."
We both laughed.
"Why is Evander with her if she's always been so nasty?" I asked.
"Let me tell you something about Tamzin and Evander. She's only after Evander for what he can give her. She's been chasing him for years, and when Meg and John died, she saw her opportunity and jumped. I think Evander was just so upset, he couldn't think straight. I know he doesn't love her. But initially she was all tea and sympathy. Once he was hooked, the claws came out. If there's one fault my brother-in-law has, it's his loyalty."
"But surely Tamzin has money of her own."
Bella shook her head. "Not money, Anna. Title."
I swallowed. "Oh."
A look of understanding crossed her face. "That's it, isn't it? That's why you won't come to the party."
I glanced down. "I'm not sure what you mean."
"Oh, please, I'm not daft. How did you find out?"
"I, uh, Googled him."
She laughed. "Of course you did. And that's when you found out that Evander Cartwright is a prince."
I stared at her in misery. "I thought maybe it was a mistake, but it isn't, is it? He really is a prince."
"He is. On his mother's side. Some ridiculously small European principality nobody's ever heard of. He's like twenty-seventh in line to the throne, so he'll never inherit, but Tamzin is desperate to become a princess."
I couldn't believe I'd even dared to dream of being with him. I must be insane. He was so far out of my league, I couldn't even see the field he was playing on.
Bella must have seen some of what was running through my head. "Listen, Anna. You are coming to my party. Understand? Tamzin is not the hostess. I am. And I want you there."
"But—"
"And as far as the prince thing is concerned, Evander has never cared about such things. You should know that."
I swallowed. "That's not what I heard."
She looked confused. "What do you mean?"
I told her about the conversation I'd heard them having the first night I arrived. "And you're right. I'm not like you guys. I don't belong here as anything but the boys' nanny."
"Don't be absurd," she said. "We weren't talking about you."
"You weren't?"
"Of course not. We were talking about Tamzin. Believe me, I've been trying to get Evander to break up with that woman for ages. Now. Say you'll come."
I sighed. "Okay. I'll come."
"Good." She stood up. "Wear that gorgeous dress and knock his socks off. If Evander knows what's good for him, he'll dance the forró: with you tonight."
I shook my head. Evander had been far enough out of reach when I didn't know about his title. There was no way a prince like him would want an ordinary girl like me.
# # #
I could hear the music as I came down the stairs from my room. The party was already in full swing from the sound of it. I'd had trouble getting my hair just right, and that had delayed me.
I paused at the top of the second flight of stairs and smoothed a hand down my new dress. Bella had exquisite taste. The dress fit me like a glove, and the deep purple color made my pale skin glow and turned my blue-gray eyes nearly violet. I knew I looked good, but did I look good enough to blend in with Bella's posh crowd?
Taking a deep breath, I turned the corner and descended, brushing one hand along the smooth, polished railing. Below, what seemed like a sea of faces stared up at me. I recognized appreciation in the gazes. I must look okay.
I searched for Evander and saw him standing in the archway that led into the living room. His gaze drank me in, and I felt my pulse kick into high gear. He began to push his way through the crowd toward the staircase.
Then I caught sight of Tamzin staring daggers at me from the opposite side of the hallway. If looks could kill, they'd be calling the coroner right about now.
"Anna, you look absolutely stunning," Evander murmured in my ear, holding out his arm. "Please. Come dance with me."
I shook my head. "You should dance with your girlfriend."
He glanced toward where I was looking and caught sight of Tamzin. "She's not my girlfriend. I broke it off last night. I should have done it ages ago."
I swallowed. "So you don't have a girlfriend?"
"Not at the moment." His expression was intense, and my heart gave a little flutter. "Dance with me, Anna."
"Is it the competition already?"
"Forget the competition. I just want to dance with you."
As the quartet Bella had hired for the evening struck up another song, Evander led me into the living room. All the furniture had been pushed against the walls, and the huge pocket doors to the dining room had been opened to create one huge room. Bella's employees had draped swaths of sheer white cloth from the ceiling and down the walls, tacking it up here and there with silver and red bows, and glittering orbs that sparkled in the light from the crystal chandeliers. Vases overflowing with pink and red roses graced every table, the mantelpieces, and were tucked into every available corner. It was, in a word, magical.
Evander led me to the middle of the room and took me into his arms. Heat rose in my cheeks as he began to move, slow and sensual. Soon I forgot everyone was staring at us and lost myself in the rhythm of the music and the feel of his arms around me, the intensity of his gaze on mine. Others joined us on the dance floor, but I barely noticed. I was lost in the fantasy.
After a while, the rhythm changed as the band started a new song. Something snazzier, more upbeat. Instead of continuing to dance, Evander took my hand and led me from the room and out through the kitchen into the
