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She nibbled her lower lip but did not deny the truth of his statement.
‘Gustav’s concern is unnecessary,’ Eirik assured Arielle. ‘Our stars briefly orbited each other, but from now on our lives are set on different paths. You want to kickstart your career and I will become the ruling sovereign of my country.’
But first there was the matter of his marriage, which would happen sooner rather than later if his mother had her way.
Arielle leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes again, but she had napped for a couple of hours and no longer felt sleepy. When she had boarded the private jet with Eirik, she’d been overwhelmed by tiredness, partly as a result of the shock of discovering that her studio had been destroyed. She was sure that Danny Bray had been responsible, but if she’d reported the break-in to the police, as Eirik had wanted her to do, there had been a chance that he would have learned of her father’s crimes.
Through her half-closed eyelashes she studied the Prince, who was sprawled in a chair on the opposite side of the plane. He had opened his laptop and took no further notice of her. Eirik was an enigma, Arielle thought ruefully. In one breath he’d admitted that he desired her, but he’d gone on to say that when they arrived in Fjernland he would be busy with his royal duties, and they were unlikely to meet again. Clearly he would not find it difficult to dismiss her from his mind, but she doubted she would forget him so easily. It was silly to feel hurt that Eirik planned to abandon her once he had introduced her to the head of the marine research institute, but it emphasised that all he’d wanted was to have sex with her for one night.
Arielle remembered that Eirik had said he wanted to help her leave Cornwall because he felt indebted to her for saving him when his yacht had sunk in the storm. It was hard to believe that she had finally left the cottage in Penash where she had felt trapped by her father’s control over her, and, after he had been sent to prison, by her lack of confidence. She felt a mixture of trepidation and excitement as she tried to imagine herself living and working in Fjernland.
The only other time she had been abroad was when she’d gone to France for her best friend’s wedding. Flora had been in Arielle’s class at school and had also been bullied by some of the other girls because her mother had a reputation in the village for having numerous lovers. Now Flora was happily married to Jean-Luc, who owned a vineyard in Provence. Arielle was glad for her friend, and a little envious. Would she ever meet a man who would love and cherish her? She had often wondered if her mother had loved her father when she had married him. It was hard to imagine that Gerran had ever been kind or loving. Falling in love required a leap of faith, and Arielle’s childhood had left her with trust issues. It was odd then, she thought with a jolt, that she trusted Eirik enough to leave Cornwall to start a new life in his country.
She must have dozed, and she woke to the sound of her name. Eirik was leaning over her and dropped his hand from her shoulder when she stirred. Her gaze meshed with his and she recognised the flare of sexual interest in his bright blue eyes before he straightened up abruptly as if he’d felt as burned by their momentary closeness as she did.
‘We are about to land,’ he told her. ‘I must go to the hospital to see my father, but first I’ll take you to stay with a friend of mine for the remainder of the night.’
‘I can go to a hotel rather than disturb your friend.’
‘Catalina is expecting you. Fasten your seat belt,’ he instructed, giving her no chance to ask further questions as he returned to his seat in preparation for the landing.
A car was waiting for them at the side of the runway. Eirik had explained that Fjernland’s main airport was near the capital city Ved Floden, but they had come to a private airfield. He ushered Arielle into the back of the car and slid in beside her. Gustav got into the front, next to the driver. Arielle felt a definite vibe of disapproval from Eirik’s private secretary. She stared out of the window, but in the darkness she could not make out much, especially when the road wound through thick woodland. Eventually they came to a clearing where there was a large house. The chauffeur opened the door and she followed Eirik across the driveway to the front door, which was opened by a butler.
As they stepped inside, a woman walked towards them. She was exotically beautiful, with long, lustrous black hair. She carried herself with a curiously regal bearing and her kaftan-style dress whispered around her ankles so that she appeared to glide across the floor. The many gold bangles on her wrists gleamed in the light from the chandelier.
‘Caro,’she greeted Eirik warmly and kissed him on both cheeks. ‘It is good to see you.’
‘Lina,’ he murmured softly. ‘I did not expect you to wait up.’
The woman gave a heavy sigh. ‘You know how it is. I do not sleep well.’
‘This is Arielle Tremain.’ Eirik turned to Arielle. ‘May I introduce Princess Catalina of San Sabinus?’
Princess!Arielle had a vague idea that San Sabinus was a principality somewhere off the coast of southern Italy. She remembered her manners and quickly curtseyed to the Princess.
Princess Catalina’s faint smile did not reach her eyes. ‘Gerado will show you to your room, Miss Tremain.’
The butler took Arielle’s bag that Eirik had carried from the car. She hesitated and her heart sank as she wondered if this was the last time she would see him. She wanted to ask him about his friendship with the beautiful princess.
‘I’ll be in contact tomorrow to let you know about your interview at the marine research institute.’ Eirik’s handsome face showed no emotion, and his dismissive tone suggested that he had quashed the spark of desire he’d felt for her.
‘Thank you.’ Arielle kept her tone as cool as his had been. As she followed the butler across the entrance hall, she heard Princess Catalina speak to Eirik.
‘Is there any news on your father?’
‘His condition is not as serious as was first thought.’
‘Thank God you are spared another tragedy,caro.’ There was raw emotion in the Princess’s voice.
The following morning, when Arielle woke up, she was disorientated for a few moments before she remembered where she was. It had been a disturbed night, and she did not function well without a solid eight hours of sleep. A shower revived her somewhat. She had thrown clean underwear and a few other essentials into an overnight bag before she’d left the cottage with Eirik. After pulling on jeans and sweater, she ventured out of her room and went downstairs.
The house was large and rather gloomy, surrounded by thick forest that blocked the light coming through the windows. In the distance Arielle saw the gleam of water. The sound of someone weeping drew her towards the dining room. The table was laid for breakfast, but Princess Catalina was not eating. She had buried her face in her hands and her sobs were heart-wrenching.
Arielle was torn between the need to respect the Princess’s privacy and a deep sense of compassion. ‘Forgive me for intruding,’ she murmured as she stepped into the room. ‘Is there anything I can do to help you?’
‘I am afraid not.’ Princess Catalina lowered her hands from her face. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying. She indicated that Arielle should sit down. ‘So you are the mermaid. Eirik told me how you saved his life,’ she explained, noticing Arielle’s start of surprise.
‘He told me that you are a close friend of his,’ she said stiffly.
