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‘Yes.’ That was only a partial lie. Despite the loneliness, she’d come to quite like having a home to call her own and being able to relax in it. These quarters were hers in a way nothing had ever belonged to her before.
‘My brother thinks I’ve effectively abandoned you. Do you agree with him?’
‘Our living arrangements were agreed before our marriage.’
‘That’s not an answer.’ Rubbing the back of his neck, his shoulders rose. ‘If there’s anything that makes you unhappy, you must tell me. I cannot read minds, and my sister would be the first person to tell you that I cannot read women.’
Amadeo’s effort at humour brought no response. ‘Are you unhappy?’ he pressed.
‘No.’
Truth or lie? He didn’t know her well enough to be sure. He didn’t know her at all. The brief flare of emotion—hadit been fear?—he’d seen in her eyes had been shuttered behind the usual vacuity with such speed that he wondered if he’d imagined it. If his honesty had affected her, she’d done a wonderful job in hiding it, holding his stare without looking away, movement in those baby blue eyes but nothing to read in them.
‘Are you happy with your quarters?’
‘Yes.’ The emphasis she put in this affirmation rang true.
‘And are you content with your life here?’
She was equally emphatic. ‘Yes.’
Damn Marcelo for planting ideas in his head. His brother had palpitations when he spent more than five minutes apart from Clara, but that was because his brother was ‘in love’ and ruled by hormones and emotion. Marcelo couldn’t appreciate just how different Amadeo and Elsbeth’s marriage was, that in essence it was one of convenience. Even if Amadeo had married a woman he actually liked, his marriage would still have been in a similar vein. It was usual for royalty to have separate bedrooms if not separate quarters. His siblings were the anomaly in that.
All the same, Amadeo could appreciate that his brother might have a point about Elsbeth being lonely.
‘We have a full schedule of engagements this week.’ Elsbeth’s easing-in period was over. From now on their itineraries meant their weekdays and a couple of evenings each week would be spent together. Chances were Elsbeth would be as sick of the sight of him as he would be of her and relish the evenings and weekend days spent apart. ‘Are you going to be well enough to do them?’
Dark colour stained her previously pale cheeks. ‘I’ll be fine by Monday. The pains normally only last a day.’
‘Have you taken anything for it?’
She raised her glass and gave a wry smile. It was the first smile from her that didn’t revolt him.
He rubbed his neck again. ‘If I’d known you were unwell, I would have cancelled our engagement.’
‘It’s just cramps,’ she said quickly. ‘I was fine. There is no need to cancel anything on my behalf.’
‘Have you seen a doctor about it?’
Her cheeks turned so dark he had the impression she was on the verge of spontaneously combusting with embarrassment. ‘It’s only menstrual cramps.’
‘I’ll get Dr Jessop to see you. He’s my mother and sister’s gynaecologist.’ Pulling his phone out of his inside pocket, he called his private secretary.
When he was done, Elsbeth was staring at him in wary shock. ‘Are you getting the doctor to see menow?’
‘It would be rather pointless having him see you when you are well,’ he riposted drily, then nodded at the glass in her hand. ‘Another drink while we wait?’
He caught a flash of gratitude in her eyes, her smile soft. ‘Yes, please. And thank you. It’s very kind of you to bring the doctor to me.’
His chest tightened in a way he’d never felt before. After a beat, he said, ‘Don’t ever feel you have to suffer in silence.’
Two days later, Elsbeth hit the ground running with her first full week of engagements. Their teams—hers and Amadeo’s—had arranged timings for maximum efficiency, the royal couple and their entourage moving from one engagement to the next with fluid precision. Her first proper evening engagement came on her first day too, an award ceremony for Ceres’ most successful and innovative young entrepreneurs. She was given an exact two-hour window at the castle to prepare herself. Her beauty team were waiting for her and sprang straight into action. As a result, she and Amadeo arrived at the awards venue at the exact appointed time.
After posing for the press photographers, they were taken straight to their table for the preceding four-course meal.
Now knowing what was expected of her, Elsbeth turned to the gentleman on her right, the event organiser, who also happened to be Ceres’ youngest billionaire, and struck up a conversation.
As fascinating as the man was on paper though, she found herself having to concentrate hard on their talk, every inch of her painfully attuned to the man sitting on her right. Amadeo.
