Was that Princess Katerina rubbing her bare feet?
I double blinked. It was her. She was wearing a stunning tiara. Sapphires and star diamonds. Nearby, her fancy, silver high heels lay abandoned on the ground.
“Come in, please,” she said, trying to smile.
What woman doesn’t know the pain of high heels? I thought. But a princess? Isn’t there a royal decree against that?
I let that silly thought wander through my brain, something, anything to get my head on. I couldn’t believe I was actually meeting Princess Katerina in the dressing tent. A private audience. Just her and me. The royal family would do a meet and greet with everyone in the show before the circus finale.
Ricco escorted me here and then left us alone. Two bodyguards stood watch outside.
“I’ve been dying to meet you, Miss Lane. You were amazing tonight!”
Wow. Don’t let it go to your head.
“Please call me Afton, Your Royal Highness,” I said, wondering if I should curtsy now or wait until she put her shoes back on.
“Call me Kat.”
My eyes widened. “No, Your Royal Highness, I couldn’t.”
“Please,” she said, wincing as she put on her high heel. “I love my royal family more than anything in the world, Afton, but I’m just like you. A girl who found her true love who just happened to be a prince.”
“Me? I haven’t found anybody. I mean, not like that.”
“That’s not what Ricco says,” she insisted. “From what I hear, he’s madly in love with you.”
“Are you sure?” I stammered. “I mean, he’s . . . gorgeous. And women throw themselves at him. Beautiful women . . . princesses even.” I clammed up. Fast. Now you’ve done it, stuck your foot in your mouth. “No offense, Your Royal Highness.”
“None taken.” Princess Katerina laughed, nodding her head. I imagine she knew all about the Russian princess that Ricco dumped. I was dying to ask her, but I didn’t have the courage.
A cool breeze blew into tent, along with my favorite scent of a man.
Ricco.
“She thinks I’m a rogue, Kat, and I can’t convince her otherwise. I was hoping you could help me.”
I shot around to see Mr. Velvet Voice Monterra himself. Had he heard every word? Of course, he had. He was a master magician and could turn up anywhere. I wanted to die. And I would have if I hadn’t been afraid of keeling over and landing on top of the princess.
I could see the whole thing trending on Twitter with the hashtag: #Phillygirlscrewsup.
Still, I had to know the truth. If I left Monterra and I didn’t give Ricco a chance, I’d always regret it. That didn’t mean I believed what he said about being in love with me. In my book, he was an equal opportunity heartbreaker.
“Hey, Ricco!” I said, trying to act normal, as if hanging out with a count and a princess was normal. “What are you doing here?”
“Trying to convince you that I love you.” He turned to the princess, who was enjoying my true confession exposé as much as the performances. Her eyes sparkled and a sly smile curved over her lips.
“So that’s why you asked me to meet Miss Lane—Afton—in private,” she said. “You’re almost as sneaky as Nico. I’ll never forget the time he got my phone number from my best friend Lemon and then left me a message in Italian!”
“I have to be,” Ricco admitted without batting an eye. “Afton is not an easy girl to convince that I care for her as much as I do.”
Princess Katerina laughed. “I thought the same thing about Nico. I couldn’t believe it either that he liked me, but you Monterran royals don’t give up. Have you tried your magic on her, Ricco?”
“Yes,” he said, frustrated, “but sometimes even a magician needs help.”
I took a step back in this fairy tale. I couldn’t believe it. Ricco was asking the royal princess, the next queen of Monterra, to convince me that he liked me.
Princess Katerina—Kat—laid a hand on his arm in a friendly manner. “You’re a good man, Ricco, and my husband thinks the world of you. I’ve never seen anyone work harder than you do with the children at the clinic.” She turned to me, a pretty smile on her face. “Now, Afton, where should I begin?”
“Well . . .” All the questions and the gossip that had flitted through my brain since the moment I laid eyes on Ricco melted after her glowing praise. I was too shy to ask. I cringed like a witch dissolving into green goo.
Kat sensed my reluctance, but she wasn’t letting me off the hook. She looked at me, her eyes dancing with secrets she was dying to share. I loved it that this American girl turned royal princess hadn’t changed, that she was as nice as Ricco said she was.
“I’ve only known Ricco since I came to Monterra,” Kat said, “but everyone loves him. He’s traveled the world with his magic, working with the poor and the needy, giving away gifts and money to those who need it with his magic tricks.” She looked at me closely. “Imagine you just lost your job and suddenly you find your empty change purse filled with euros. Or the plate at Sunday services is ten times what it usually is. He’s amazing, Afton. I only hope you realize what a lucky girl you are.”
Lucky? I’ll be lucky if I don’t pass out from nerves before this is over.
“Okay, I’ll bite,” I said, arms folded. “I heard he broke a Russian’s princess heart. True or tabloid?” This time, I wasn’t leaving until I got an answer.
“Ricco, you naughty boy,” Kat said in a playful voice, waving her other high heel at him. “Haven’t you cleared that up yet?”
“I couldn’t. I promised Svetlana I’d wait until she was safely married.” He turned to me, took my hands in his. That wasn’t fair. His warmth pinged my heart. “The princess and I have known each other since boarding school and she knew she could trust me with her secret.”
“Secret?” Now I was more curious than ever.
“She fell in love.”
“With you?”
“All the women love me, bella. You said so yourself.” He was having fun with me and I admit I asked for that.
“Stop teasing the poor girl, Ricco,” the princess said, poking him in the ribs.
“Your wish is my command, Kat.” He turned back to me. “Svetlana fell in love with a commoner, but she couldn’t marry him.”
“Why not?”
“Her family line goes back to the twelfth century and royal decree mandates that she marry a man of noble birth or her family will lose their title,” Ricco explained, then added: “Unless her affianced breaks the tie.”
“Wow,” was all I could say.
“She didn’t want her brother, the next in line, to suffer because she fell in love with a commoner,” Ricco said. “He’s a great guy, but the only way they could be together was if Svetlana and I became engaged. Soon after, I broke it off, setting her free but creating a scandal. The last I heard the two lovebirds were planning to elope to Paris.”
“Double wow.”
He gave me a few moments to take in everything before he continued. “I never dreamed at the time that I’d fall in love with an American girl with such a good heart and a beautiful soul, a girl who wants the same things I do and puts family first.” He grinned. “By the way, the children from the clinic asked about you. They want to know if you’re going to be my assistant forever and ever.”
I blinked. He thinks he can get to me through the kids. Well, he can. I love kids.
“Okay, I believe your story about the Russian princess,” I said, “but what about all your assistants who quit?”
“Yes, Ricco,” Kat said. “I’d like to hear about that, too.”
“Ah, yes. Unfortunately, since I’m in the public eye, I attract women eager to assist me in my act . . . until they realize how much work and dedication it takes to move through the fascinating world of magic.” Ricco looked at me with admiration shining in his dark eyes. “Then I met you, bella. I’ve never seen a woman take to getting sawed in half so quickly.”
“It’s magic,” I said, winking at him.
We all had a good laugh over that, but I still felt awkward sitting here with these two royals who knew who they were, where they were going. I didn’t. Doubt mixed with the sweat of my fear. The promise of a future that was beyond my wildest dreams scared me. A heady perfume taking me to the edge of reason and beyond. Things like this didn’t happen to a girl who lived in a red brick row house. Worked part time slinging pizzas and spoke lousy Italian. But I wasn’t ready to let him go. I enjoyed his closeness, drawing his musky scent into my nostrils when he took my hand in his.
I didn’t pull away.
“So you see, ma bella Afton, you have no more excuses why you can’t stay in Monterra. Give me the opportunity to show you that I’m sincere. ”
I shook my head. “I can’t.”
“I don’t understand,” Ricco said, squeezing my hand. “Kat has graciously invited you to stay at the royal palace—”
“It’s Emma,” I blurted out, not daring to ask if my sister could come, too. What if the princess said yes? Was I ready for this? I honestly didn’t know, so instead I said, “I can’t stay here and send her back home without me. You’ve already done so much for us, Your Royal Highness. Emma and me. I haven’t properly thanked you for paying for my sister’s expenses to come here—”
The princess’s cell chimed. She looked at her phone. “It’s Nico. I have to go.” She showed the text to Ricco. “He says your phone is turned off and asks for you to meet him at the reception tent.”
So Ricco tuned everybody out to talk to me. Can you believe?
He nodded. “I’ll see you there, Afton,” he said, but he didn’t look me in the eye. That was strange. A minute ago, he was begging me to stay, now he couldn’t wait to leave.
I had the weirdest vibe I’d just opened up a can of royal worms.
Kat slipped on her other high heel and smoothed out her dress. She was stalling. Something was wrong. She looked lovely in a pale rose silk trimmed with cream lace, but I could see she was confused. Her brow furrowed. “As much as I’d like to take credit for helping your sister, Afton, I’ve seen the expense account for the performers. Emma’s expenses were taken care of by a private donor. I thought you knew that.”
“No, I didn’t. Then who . . . how?” I was at a complete loss to explain it.
Before I could ask her any more questions, her two bodyguards hustled her away, but not before Kat gave me a big hug. It didn’t register in my brain until later that I had just gotten a feel-good hug from a princess. For now, a troubling sixth sense zapped my brain. Put me in an alternative universe where I didn’t want to be. Finding out that I hadn’t solved the mystery of our unknown benefactor brought up a situation I had to deal with before I could even think about staying in Monterra.
If Princess Katerina didn’t pay Emma’s expenses, I thought, pondering the idea over and over in my mind until I couldn’t think straight.
Then who the heck did?
* * * * *
I was still trying to take in what the princess said as we all queued up in the receiving line in a special tent to meet the royal family. Waiting my turn, I fidgeted with the sequins on my costume, trying to look cool like a film star you’d see in old black and white newsreels. The king and queen went down the line, stopping to chat with each performer, everyone listening to every word as they made way for the regal monarchs. You couldn’t help but admire Queen Aria for pushing her husband’s wheelchair. The love in her eyes for her husband was awe inspiring. King Dominic reached back to touch his wife’s hand more than once as he laughed or made a comment with a royal-struck singer or dancer. Musician or crew member. The royal couple treated each of us like we were special.
Prince Nico and Princess Katerina followed, smiling and shaking hands. Though I swore she wobbled in her high heels. I gave her a knowing look and she smiled back at me. You’d never know her feet were killing her. The young princesses followed, giggling and skipping from one performer to the next, along with several other royal gentlemen I didn’t know, but they were all tall and handsome.
Everybody in the show was so excited, trying to curtsy like the English do. Finley had it down perfectly. That didn’t surprise me. Katee did a grand plié and Savannah gave it her best with a big, Southern Nice to meet y’all smile that won everybody over. I wondered where Sloan was. She’d been acting strange ever since her reading performance. When she finally joined me in line, I heard her mumbling, It can’t be true. How dare he show up.
A bigger question, however, hung on my mind. One that still puzzled me. If the princess didn’t pay Emma’s expenses, I had no idea who did. I was certain it wasn’t the school where I worked. A charity? No, it had to be someone here in Monterra. Not Ricco. He had no idea who I was before that day we met in the train station.
Or did he? Was the whole thing planned?
No. I already knew the answer. It wasn’t him, but I wish it was, then I wouldn’t have to face the truth. I looked around for him and saw him in a tête-à-tête with Prince Nico, the two men laughing and slapping each other on the back. I could feel the warm camaraderie between them. I was still reeling from Kat going to bat for the magician. I’d have time to digest all that later after the finale.
I admit I was scared to think I might really have a chance with him.
That would have to wait. I would soon have to face something I’ve buried so deep inside me for so long, it would tear me apart. And it scared the hell out of me. What did make sense about how Emma got here was too unreal for my brain to handle. I had to focus on my routine. We still had the circus finale to do and I was nervous about doing the one arm swing-overs.
More than ever, I couldn’t disappoint the crowd.
By the way, where was Emma?
I swiveled around. She was here a moment ago, lamenting in sign language about how she didn’t want to leave Monterra, and then she disappeared with Marianna. Were those two BFFs already? I’d better find out what she was up to, though I wasn’t worried. Ricco’s sister had a bodyguard following her everywhere.
I was about to go change into my circus costume when—
“Oh, my God, he found me,” Sloan said, rushing over to me and grabbing my hand. Hers was cold. She smiled sweetly when the king and queen greeted us and we exchanged a few words. They were big fans of mine, they told me. Another awesome thing I couldn’t quite wrap my head around. The royal entourage continued down the line to meet the rest of the cast, but Sloan looked absolutely panicked.
“Who?” I asked, curious.
“The Duke of Sarzocco. He’s a bigger scoundrel than your magician.”
She pointed to a man heading our way. A GQ royal if ever there was one. The pin-stripes on his midnight blue suit so perfectly aligned, they didn’t dare wrinkle. There was no mistaking the confidence he exuded in his dark, playboy looks. Yet he had a rugged appeal about him that pulled you in and didn’t let go. Broad shoulders, a sexy scar on his right cheek, and an aristocratic nose that had been set more than once, all screamed that here was a man who could take care of himself.
“You know him?” I wondered if he was the inspiration for the duke in her novel.
“Yes, I mean no. Once upon a time, but that time is over. Quick, I can’t let him see me.”
“Why not?”
“Because I swore I’d never talk to him again.”
It was too late. The duke was at Sloan’s side before she could slip away. I watched and listened, for once keeping my mouth shut.
“Signorina Harcourt . . . Sloan . . . when I heard you were reading from your novel tonight, I had to come.” He made a move to kiss her hand, but she snatched it away.
“Afraid you might recognize yourself as the villain?” Sloan said.
“Actually, I saw myself as the hero.”
“I would expect nothing less from you. You always did believe that no woman would dump you.”
“You did.”
Sloan lowered her eyes, then stared at her phone. “We have nothing to say to each other, Roberto.”
“Don’t we?”
“No.”
“You haven’t changed, Sloan,” he said, getting his dander up. “You’re still obstinate and pigheaded. Fine with me. I’ve moved on.”
Obviously, he didn’t like being dumped, but most women would find him so appealing, they’d forgive him anything. I would have found the whole thing amusing, but my friend was hurting over something he’d done to her and that bothered me.
“Me, too,” Sloan said. “I’m . . . engaged.” She wasn’t. She had confided in me, she wasn’t seeing anyone.
The duke heaved out a big breath. “I see. Ciao, Sloan. If ever we meet again—”
“We won’t, Dukie.”
Then she ran off, leaving me with a very handsome but very unhappy duke. I tried to make small talk with him, but I could see he wasn’t interested. He kept looking for her in the crowd, but she’d disappeared.
“You American women baffle me, signorina,” the duke said, his eyes dark and sorrowful.
“We do?”
“You say you want to fall in love, but when a man tries to win your heart, you walk way.”
Funny. Ricco said the same thing to me.
“No more. I give up!” The duke threw his hands up in the air. “Pleasure to meet you, signorina,” he said, attempting a smile, but I could see it was tinged with regret. Then he stomped off in the opposite direction.
I couldn’t stop thinking about Sloan and the duke. For all their bickering back and forth, I sensed something very real between them. What was up with Sloan? She had it all. Big job in a fancy New York City law firm. Her own Upper East Side apartment. No family issues. I didn’t get it. I so wished I could help get them back together, but it wasn’t going to happen.
At least, not now.
I’m leaving tonight for New York, Sloan texted me a few minutes later. A case came up and it can’t wait. Can you take over my clown spot in the finale?
Sure, I texted back. By the way, your dukie still likes you.
No answer. Then finally . . .
I’ll be in touch soon. Then she wished me well and signed off with: Follow your heart, Afton. I wish I had followed mine. Now it’s too late.