page42 (1/1)

But she would be a good Princess, she told herself fiercely She would care for her Prince in any way that he would let her—and she would use whatever talents she had to try to make the people of Zaffirinthos happy

There was no triued froht sunshine and she wondered whether there ht be a public kiss to seal the unionBut there was not Just the golden gleam of his eyes as he looked down at her

‘So, Catherine,’ he said softly ‘Princess of Zaffirinthos How does that feel?’

‘It feels unreal,’ she ad of his face

‘All royal life is unreal’ He gave a short laugh ‘That is both its attraction and its danger’

‘Its danger?’ she questioned shakily

Lifting one olive-skinned hand, he gestured at the splendour which surrounded them ‘Of course Sometimes people who are not born to it find it incredibly restrictive Or they fall in love with the heady sense of power it bestows Few reer in that, Cathy?’

‘I…suppose so’ She wanted hi to be okay—especially today, of all days She wanted to feel part of everything—but most of all she wanted to feel part of hiers dug into the tight white roses of her bouquet ‘But I’d prefer to think about happierday’

He looked down at her With her pale hair caught up in a sophisticated chignon and threaded with glittering jewels, she looked incandescent Already, the ie of the sih her naïve statement reminded him that, essentially, she was the sa so and say hello to the staff’

All the palace personnel were lined up along the rateful that Flavia had told her to stop and chat only every few places—otherwise they would have been there all day But she saw a couple of crestfallen faces froet to speak to—and she determined to make their acquaintance on another occasion Because hadn’t she been there, where they were—a s out at all the splendour as the moneyed people went by?

Suddenly, Cathy felt a pang for the old life—the life she had left behind One where feelings were allowed precedence over rules, and where it would have been perfectly acceptable for a new bride to fling her arm around her husband’s neck and to kiss him

The wedding breakfast was held in what she had learned was the sh intimacy was not a hich married ith such a room How could it when every piece of cutlery they used was lass containing priceless as so heavy that she needed to use two hands to pick it up

And Cathy suddenly realised that she had nothing to say! Not unless she started advising the noble assembly how to make a bed—or the best way to fold sheets—and Flavia had tacitly advised her not to dwell on her forhts see empty Not that anyone seemed to mind It was clearly Xaviero as of prihed at and Xaviero whose observations wereinterest

Cathy sat listening, absorbing everything she heard—trying to learn as much about her new royal life as she could But theon and on—course after course of it—all a little delicacies, most of which she’d never tasted before and were much too rich to lay comfortably in a stomach already churned up with nerves Especially when all she really wanted was for Xaviero to take her in his arms and to kiss away all her fears and insecurity

Yet despite the fact that they were need, they were still surrounded by onlookers and protocol She tried sending hi table—and was it her inore her silent entreaty?

By the time the meal was finished she was a ht of her new husband as he stood up In his dark naval uniforolden as his eyes, he looked so tall and so handsome And in that moment Cathy simply felt an immense and quiet pride that she had married such a man

It didn’t one before—it was the nohich ain Her bare skin would be close to his in a way she had hardly dared reht it ic in bed together—and wouldn’t her pleasure only be enhanced by knowing that she was now legally his wife? She could show him love in the privacy of their bedchamber and Xaviero would learn to accept it—maybe even one day to return it