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There was a knock on the door.
Taking one more deep breath, Elsbeth fixed a smile on her face and brightly called out, ‘Come in.’
CHAPTER TWO
AMADEO’SGUTSCLENCHEDas he crossed the threshold.
As he’d expected, his wind-up doll was waiting in the bed for him, expecting him to do his duty with that irritating vacuous smile on her face.
‘Have I taken the right side of the bed?’ she asked. ‘I will move over if I’ve taken your side.’
It was the first time she’d instigated a conversation between them.
He shrugged his robe off and placed it on an antique armchair. ‘It doesn’t matter.’
Noticing the flush of colour on her cheeks at his nakedness, even though she avoided dipping her eyes any lower than his face, he climbed onto the bed and covered his lap with the bedsheets to spare her further blushes. Why Dominic had assumed the bride being a virgin made her a prized asset was beyond him. It just proved the sickness in Dominic’s own head. Amadeo would be the first to agree that many traditions needed to be preserved to maintain royal mystique but the concept of the virgin royal bride was something he’d long believed consigned to the scrapbooks of history.
He’d have preferred someone experienced. Someone with a hint of nous and personality. But Elsbeth had been offered, and Elsbeth had been a willing pawn in the drive for peace between their two nations.
They were both willing pawns, he thought grimly. His own willingness stemmed only from his desire to kill the existential threat to the Ceres monarchy that a trade and diplomatic war with Monte Cleure would bring. Elsbeth’s willingness came from her desire to be Queen.
God help him.
‘Have you enjoyed our day?’ he politely asked to cut through the tension.
‘Very much, thank you.’
‘Anything you would have changed?’
‘It was all perfect.’
‘Even the coffee profiteroles?’
‘They were delicious.’
‘You ate little of yours.’
The vacuous smile dimmed a fraction. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘Why?’
She blinked as if she didn’t understand the question.
Amadeo hid the fresh swell of irritation. ‘You have no need to apologise for disliking something.’
‘I did like it,’ she assured him, the smile firmly back in place.
Unsure why he wanted to argue this point, he let it go. He sensed Elsbeth would only agree with everything he said, so arguing would be fruitless.
It infuriated him that he even wanted to argue with her. A wedding night should not begin with the groom despising the bride and wanting to shout at her.
He had a job to do. Time to get on with it.
He turned his bedside light off and lay down.
‘Would you like me to turn my light off too?’ she asked.
‘Unless you prefer to do it with the lights on?’
