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He showed few signs of doing so.
There were a couple of relationships she’d found, although they went way back. A Lady from England and a minor European royal it seemed he had dated for a while. Although on closer inspection she’d seen that it had been close to a decade ago. The press had gone wild with speculation both times, anticipating marriage, but those relationships had quietly faded and Crown Prince Rafael had reverted to his wild ways.
When Aurora had come to collect Gabe, it had been a shaken but resolute Antonietta who’d opened the door.
‘We’ve got five minutes,’ Aurora had said. ‘Nico is just meeting with Francesca. How was Gabe?’
‘Perfect,’ Antonietta had said. ‘He’s sound asleep. How was your catch-up?’
‘You mean how was Rafe?’
‘No.’ Antonietta had shaken her head firmly. ‘I’ve decided you’re right. I won’t be seeing him again, even if he asks. And I won’t—’
‘Antonietta.’ Aurora had interrupted her and plonked herself down on the floor beside her sleeping baby, playing with his little black curls. ‘What if I’m wrong?’
‘You’re not wrong, though! I just looked him up and you gave me good advice.’
‘Perhaps...’ Aurora had sighed.
‘Anyway, he’s leaving.’
‘He gave no indication that he was.’ She’d looked up at Antonietta. ‘Do you remember that night when the whole village was threatened by fire and you knew Nico was back and staying at my parents’...?’
‘Of course.’
‘Everyone had told me to get over Nico, yet you told me to go and fix what I could.’
‘There was something there to fix, though. You and Nico had been promised to each other for ever...’
‘Antonietta, the fact that you like Rafe speaks volumes to me. I don’twantto like Rafe. I want to tell you to stay the hell away from him and I want to tell him the same, but...’
Then Aurora had taken a breath and told her friend something she never had before.
‘When I was in Rome for staff training last year and I ran into Nico he wanted a one-night stand. Another one,’ Aurora had added, and given a mirthless laugh. ‘I denied him, of course. I refused to be used again. And I walked away. I was so proud of myself for resisting him, but by the next morning it had turned into the biggest regret of my life. I regretted it so much that I threw a coin in the Trevi Fountain and pleaded to have that time over again. And I got it!’
‘There’s no future for Rafe and me,’ Antonietta had pointed out, and then she’d given a wry smile. ‘And there’s no Trevi Fountain here.’
‘What I’m trying to say is that even if Nico and I had never come to anything I would not have regretted the time we spent together in Rome.’ She’d looked over to Antonietta. ‘You just have to—’
‘I know what you’re going to say,’ Antonietta had interrupted. ‘If I see him again I just have to hold on to my heart.’
‘No.’ Aurora had shaken her head. ‘Do you trust him?’
Antonietta had thought for a moment.
Oh, there was a whole lot of evidence not to, but while her head told her to be cautious, her heart said otherwise. She thought of her time with Rafe. The man who had taught her to dance and so much more.
‘Yes, I believe that I do.’
‘Then you have to do the bravest thing and let go of your heart.’
