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Not that Emerald was at all disturbed at the thought of Alessandro’s mother disliking her. There could, after all, be only one woman in control of Alessandro’s life from now on, and that woman was going to be Emerald.
‘Alessandro didn’t want to be selfish and tell you about our happiness whilst you were having to nurse your cousin, Mama-in-law, did you, Alessandro, darling?’ Emerald answered sweetly for her husband, earning herself an icy look from his mother.
‘Alessandro knows that for me, his happiness comes first, and before anything and anyone else. And besides, what mother would not want to share in her son’s happiness?’
Emerald knew that a challenge accompanied the words, the message within them hidden from Alessandro himself. His mother turned away from Emerald and towards her son, managing to block Emerald’s view of Alessandro and thus effectively coming between them as she did so, to ask, ‘You surely do not think your mother so inhuman, do you, Alessandro?’
It was plain to Emerald what her mother-in-law was trying to do, but she wasn’t going to succeed. Whilst Alessandro was still trying to formulate his response, she stepped in–literally as well as figuratively–getting up from her chair to go to stand at her husband’s side, one hand resting on his shoulder.
Emerald responded for him, ‘Of course he doesn’t. He thinks you are the most wonderful mother in the world. I confess that already I’m feeling rather jealous and hoping that my son will love me as much as Alessandro does you. I shall certainly do everything I can to make sure that he does.’
Now the cold gaze was measuring her and the smooth forehead was marred by a small frown. Emerald smiled, enjoying her triumph.
‘We mustn’t take up too much of your time, Mama-in-law. I know how difficult it must have been for you to leave your cousin’s side when she is so unwell.
’
‘You are a very thoughtful girl, Emerald. I can see already how things will be between us.’
Indeed she could, Emerald suspected. Well, so much the better; she certainly wasn’t going to be intimidated.
‘Now, Alessandro and I have certain matters of state that we need to discuss, which will only bore you. You stay here and finish your tea. I shall make sure to send Alessandro back to you when we are finished.’
Emerald could only applaud her mother-in-law’s briskly confident tone. However, she was more than ready for her, as she smiled sweetly through every poison-tipped word.
‘Oh, no, Mama-in-law, please don’t say that.’ She leaned across and slipped her arm through Alessandro’s, looking up at him adoringly. ‘You see, we just can’t bear to be apart even for the shortest time, can we, Alessandro, darling? I know I don’t know anything about affairs of state, but I do so want to learn. I want to be the best wife Alessandro could ever have, so that you will both be proud of me. I know you will understand what I mean, Mama-in-law. After all, you must have felt the same when you married Alessandro’s father. Alessandro, darling, do tell your mother how important it is to me that we do everything together. Not that we shall be able to stay long, I’m afraid, because we’ve been invited out for dinner tonight.’
The gauntlet had well and truly been thrown down, and Emerald was feeling very pleased with herself when, ten minutes later, she and Alessandro left the Savoy.
So much for motherly love; when it came to choosing one’s weapons, sex won out every time, Emerald decided happily.
Chapter Twenty-Two
‘Of course, I am delighted to hear that you have found a house you like, Emerald, dear.’ A pained expression crossed the princess’s face. ‘Personally, I would have chosen the more substantial house we looked at. That, I thought, was better suited to becoming a royal residence as it would have had room for darling Alessandro’s personal staff, but then it is perhaps rather too much for me to expect a young woman, and newly married too, to be able to think of such things, especially one so very much in love.
‘Tell me, my dear, are you feeling better now? These headaches you suffer from must be such a burden to you. I have always been fortunate in having the strongest constitution, as has Alessandro. Poor health can be such a dismal thing, especially when one is expected to perform so many public duties, but then as you know I shall always be on hand to step in for you should you not be up to things.’
Emerald smiled through her mother-in-law’s vengeful monologue, despite the fact that her face felt as though it was cracking.
‘I wish I had taken your advice with regard to the house, Mama-in-law, but as it is Mr Melrose who will be organising the lease, I felt obliged to listen to him.’
There, let the old witch choke on that! Emerald had been furious when Alessandro had told her uncomfortably that his mother did not think the Laurantian Exchequer would authorise the expense of a London house for its newly married prince, since he would hardly be spending much time in London. Emerald fully intended that they would be spending a great deal of time there indeed, but she hadn’t as yet informed Alessandro of this. Instead, she had quickly turned the situation to her own advantage, insisting that she did not want to be a burden on her darling Alessandro’s little state’s treasury and that she would ask dear Mr Melrose to sanction the money from her inheritance from her father.
‘Well, yes, my dear, I am sure that the house is perfectly suitable in its way, and as we don’t maintain an embassy here in London, you will not be burdened with the worry of having to organise official receptions and dinners. At home, of course, it is different. There we do entertain the heads of other royal families, but you need not worry: naturally I shall continue to deal with all of that, whilst you enjoy yourself.’
Emerald’s smile widened. ‘Oh, no, Mama-in-law, we couldn’t expect that of you. Alessandro was only saying the other day, how much he was looking forward to giving you the chance to retire from your official duties so that you can spend more time with your friends, and how much he worries that at your age it isn’t really wise for you to be doing so much. I’m looking forward to it.’ Now Emerald’s smile was genuine.
Alessandro’s mother, though, was not giving way. Instead she gave Emerald an indulgent smile.
‘Well, we shall see, I’m afraid that being the consort of a royal prince isn’t always as easy as it seems…
‘Now the reason I asked you both to come and have tea here in my suite with me–so sweet of you to suggest that I come to you, Emerald, but as one ages one does tend to prefer one’s own servants around–is that I have a favour to ask you.’
Emerald smiled again, benignly this time, but her eyes were hard. She and Alessandro might have been married only just over a month but it was long enough for her to have realised that her mother-in-law was not going to give up easily her right to control her son’s life.
‘Alessandro, you know that this is the time of year when the finance minister presents his budget to us before it goes before the council. Normally, with you being so newly married and so busy here in London ensuring that Emerald has the house she wants, I would return to Lauranto to deal with this formality myself in my official capacity as regent in your absence, but with my cousin in such very poor health still, I feel I cannot leave her, so…’
The old witch was trying to force them to leave London and go to Alessandro’s wretchedly dull little country where Emerald would have to live under the same roof as her–because she would find an excuse to follow them back there, Emerald was convinced of it. Well, it was not going to happen. They were not going to leave London.
