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“You told my father we?” Is that how he knew? she wondered
“No, of course not I merely asked if he had heard fro on Mara’s behalf He said you had told him you were very busy with school, too busy to write or call often”
Pain and guilt chased across Juliana’s face “I did tell hihts of you that II really didn’t want to focus on anything else just then Not my classes Not evento hear from you” She started to tell Andre her father had known all along anyway, but he spoke before she could
“After ain you did not pick up” Regret over lost chances was obvious in his expression “So I wrote to you a third ti with the UN peacekeeping force in Afghanistan Desperate to hear fro you to tell nant, even though that had never beenyou were not pregnant Just that One sentence”
She shook her head vociferously “I didn’t!”
“I know that now But at the time? And yet, it did not sound like you Part of me was sure you would tell o to Virginiain a combat zone in defiance of my father’s wishes by that time, and I could not desert my post I could not even request teent fronant I was both relieved and disappointed”
“I don’t understand”
He smiled sadly and raised a hand to caress her cheek once before letting it drop back to his side “Relieved for your sake, little one I wanted you to attend college, to see so of the world before” His eyes held hers “Disappointedthat was forour child It would have been all the excuse I needed to bring you back to Zakhar and ”
“Why didn’t you? You knew I loved you, so why?”
“I enty-two You were eighteen You had led a sheltered life, and II had already known for two years I loved you Had already denied row up” His eyes were bleak “I needed you to be sure of your love I needed you to understand hoas for me
“But then you ca, evenme your love so sweetly I had no power to resist I should never have taken what you offered that night—I know that But I was too arrogant to know then that wanting is not enough Even loving is not enough, not if there is no pledge for the future And to ive you that There are sos a man does not do, Juliana Not if he is to live with hihed without humor and said under his breath, “I have paid bitterly”
She was barely able to get the word out “How?”
His face contracted, and his lips tightened “The tabloids love nothing better than to print scandal, especially about European royalty If they cannot find a true story, they willup stories about me for years, about the latest woman in my life I merely had to look at a woman and the world was told ere lovers But there is a reason the tabloids must make up stories—there is no woman in my lifeand has not been for eleven years”
At her a expression, he added drily, “No man, either And yes, those rumors have been whispered in some circles because I do not use women for pleasure” He smiled in self-mockery “No one wants to believe a man can remain faithful to thehis path No one wants to believe he can reht”
“Forme?” Juliana asked in a hushed voice
“Only for you”
Chapter 17
Juliana’s eyes squeezed shut in pain as she co For any heterosexual o feth of ti monarch whose as law in his country, wealthy beyond most men’s dreams, virile and in the prime of his life—just how virile she had ample proof—it was beyond co the truth