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‘I will not listen to this foolish nonsense. Tourists bring money into the country and naturally, we have to lure them here by providing them with the kind of facilities they are used to.’
‘Whilst some amongst our people go without them?’ Marco challenged him coolly. ‘Angry young men do sometimes behave rashly. But surely it is our duty to equip our subjects with what they need to move into the twenty-first century? Our schoolchildren cannot learn properly without access to computers, and if we deprive them of the ability to do so then we will be maintaining an underclass within the heart of our country.’
‘You dare to lecture me on how to rule?’ the king bellowed. You who turned your back on Niroli to live a life of your own choosing in London?’
'You're the one who has summoned me back. Nonno.' Marco reminded him. lowering his voice and deliberately using his childhood pet name for his grandfather in an attempt to soften the old mans mood. It was easy sometimes to forget his grandfather was ninety, yet still immoveable about what the right thing was for Niroli and its people. Marco didn't want to upset the king too much.
‘Because I had no other choice.' Giorgio growled. You are my direct heir. Marco, for all that you choose to behave like a commoner, rather than a member of the ruling House of Niroli. At least you had the sense to leave that...that floozy you were living with behind when you returned home.'
Anger flashed in Marco's eyes. It was typical of his grandfather to have found out as much about his private life in London as he could. It also infuriated him that Giorgio should refer to Emily in that way and dismiss their relationship.
Worse, it felt as though, somehow, his grandfather had touched a raw place within him that he didn't want to admit existed, never mind be reminded about. Because, even though he didn't want to own up to it he was missing Emily. Marco shrugged the thought aside. So what if he was? Wasn't it only natural that his body, deprived of the sexual pleasure it had shared with hers, should ache a little?
As to what we agreed, it was simply that I should initially return to Niroli alone.' Marco pointed out.
Immediately the king's anger returned. What do you mean, "initially"?'
When Marco didn't answer him the old man bellowed. You will not bring her here. Marco! I will not allow it. You are my heir, and you have a position to maintain. The people—'
Marco knew that he should reassure his grandfather and tell him he had no intention of bringing Emily to Niroli but instead he said coolly. The people, our people, will. I am sure, have more important things to worry about than the fact that I have a mistress—things like the fact that ten per cent of them do not have electricity.'
‘You are trying to meddle in things that are not your concern.' the king told him sharply. Take care. Marco, otherwise, you will have people thinking that you are more fitted to be a dissident than a leader. To rule, you must command respect and in order to do that you must show a strong hand. The people are your children and need to look up to you as their father, as someone wiser than them.’
This was an issue on which he and his grandfather would never see eye to eye. Marco knew...
‘Emily, why don't you call it a day and go home? No one else will come into the shop now and you don't have any more client appointments. I know you hate me keeping on about this, but you really don't look at all well. I can lock up the premises for you.'
Emily forced herself to give her assistant an I'm-all-right smile. Jemma wasn't wrong, though she didn't like the fact that the girl had noticed how unwell she looked, because she didn't want to have to answer questions about the cause. It's kind of you to offer to do that. Jemma.' she answered, but...'
But you're missing Marco desperately, and you don't want to go back to an empty house?' Jemma suggested gently, her words slicing through the barriers Emily had tried so desperately to maintain.
She could feel betraying tears burning the backs of her eyes. She had tried so very hard to pretend that she didn't mind that she and Marco had split up but it was obvious that her assistant hadn't been deceived.
It had to end given Marcos royal status.' she told Jemma trying to keep her voice light. Initially, she had worried about revealing the truth of Marco's real identity. But in the end she'd had no need to do so because her assistant had seen one of many articles appearing in the press about Marco's return to Niroli; most of them had been accompanied by photographs of his cavalcade and the crowd waiting to welcome him. ‘I just wish that he had told me the truth about himself. Jemma.' Emily said in a low voice, unable to conceal her hurt.
