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My grandson speaks without thinking' she told hiood boy and as devoted to the king as anyone’

The youth’s friends were hurrying him away and Marco allowed himself to be escorted back to his li the old woer in his heart now pressing down on hiht Niroli's royal family was the richest in the world and yet so lives of utine how upset and shocked Emily would have been if she had witnessed what had just happened The leather purse felt soft and warm to his touch

He was the one who should be giving to his people, not the other way around His tied hied, and so to like what he had in mind

Huddled into an ar room of her small Chelsea house, a prettily embroidered throrapped around her like a couish take her over What was the point in trying to fight it or escape it? The reality was that Marco, no Prince Marco, soon to be King Marco, she corrected herself one, not just from her life, but from Britain itself, to return to his home, his throne and his people Ultimately her place in his life would be filled by someone else

She gave a small low cry as rily that the man she loved did not exist; he had been a creation of her own i they had shared had been based on lies; every ti the whole of herself to hi of his true self

But even knowing this, as the nu shock of her discovery of the truth rose and retreated, she was left with the agonising reality that she still loved him

Asable to cease wanting him because she knew just how much he had deceived her, her self-contempt could not drive out her love

What was he doing now? Was he thinking at all of her? Missing her? Stop it, stop it, all her inner protective instincts deony She one, and that she had to find a way of living without hi able to look back and know that they had shared so very special It was over, they were over, and her pride was deet on with her life

She was as hts now as she had been for letting hi for sure: he would not be thinking about her He would not have given her a single thought since she had walked out of his apart that dreadful discovery and the bitterly corrosive row that had ended their relationship

What a total fool she had been for deluding herself into thinking that he would ever return her love

CHAPTER SEVEN

SO MARCO, what is this that the Chief of Police tellsthreatened by some wretched insurrectionist from the mountains? Probably one of the Viallis Mind you, you have only yourself to blaet out of the car it would not have happened YouIt is not wise to court danger’

There wasn't any real danger The boy—for he was little —‘

‘His hostility to the throne!’ King Giorgio interrupted Marco angrily

His grandfather had aged since he had last seen him but the old patriarch still had about him an awesome aura of power Marco ader particularly impressed Marco—he had power of his oer that carandfather sensed this in hi his grandson to task over the incident at his welco parade

‘My feeling was that the boy was more frustrated and resentful than hostile’ Marco watched his grandfather There was a larger issue at stake here than the boys angry words, one which Marco felt was essential, but which he kneasn't sorandfather would be happy to discuss

Nevertheless Marco had been doing sohlighted potential proble before they developed intoconflicts

The boy was co about the lack of an electricity supply to his village He resents the fact that visitors to our country have benefits that sorandfathers fist ca down on the desk between them