page60 (1/1)

She turned the corner into her street and then stopped, her heart ha outside the front door of her house Ridiculously, her first impulse was to turn and walk away, but he had already seen her and he alking towards her

'What are you doing here?' she demanded when he reached her 'I've only just seen you on television! Marco, you cant give up the Crown Why have you? It isn't—'

'It isn't your decision,' Marco told her cal ranation speech at eleven a by, another personal decision, before you ask’ he added dryly

‘It isn't fair of you to do this and to say publicly that its because ofto have enough to cope with, without the added bla responsible for—'

‘We can’t discuss this out here' Marco interrupted her Where are your keys?'

Helplessly Emily handed them over and let him open the door for her

The snised, also realising how much he had missed her Soon, no doubt, the air around her would be filled with the scent of baby powder With every ht hiht decision had grown and now recognising howpart of the family unit they would for behind hier had any relevance to his life and another opening that had everything to do with it

‘There was no need for you to abdicate Marco’ Emily burst out as soon as they were inside ‘I kno , so why?’

‘If you had heard my speech in its entirety, then you would have knohy I decided to step down, and why it was necessary for me to abdicate’

‘Because of our baby? Because he ht not be perfect? Because you're asharandfather don't want him associated with Niroli?'

‘What? Asha If there's anyone I'nise what really nise it but tried to pretend that I didn't E your scan and I saw our baby I knew beyond any kind of doubt that you and he are thecould ever or would ever matter more Actually, I think I knew a little of that when I

first came to Niroli and I missed you so much I had to come back for you I certainly knehen you tolda way to keep you with me I couldn't and wouldn't accept that it wasn't possible forand to have you and our child And then you told , and it was as though you had unlocked a door inside me Behind it lay the memories of randfather to provide me with a normal childhood, my own sense of aloneness because of what I was and I knew unequivocally that you were right not to want that for our child'

‘But you wanted to be King! You had so ive that up'

‘I don't intend to I can still do all those things without being King In fact I can do therandfather would never really release the reins of governht for supremacy would not aid our people I can do far ship, and I can do those things with you at my side I love you Emily'

There was so much she wanted to say so many questions, so many reminders to him of times when he had not seemed to love her at all But so her with a fierce, de passion that said more clearly than any amount of words what he truly felt

‘I still cant believe this is happening’ Emily whispered to Marco half an hour later She was still in his ar side by side in her bed The way Marco had controlled his need to possess her been gentle to protect their child, had brought emotional tears to her eyes and flooded her heart with the love for hi

‘You want estively, his hand cupping her breast

‘Maybe’ she agreed mock-demurely

His ‘Right, coet dressed’ wasn't the response she had been expecting and her chagrin showed, h