Chapter Thirty

She'd seen the expression on Massimo's face when he

wasn't aware she was watching him. He reminded

her of a person walking around a zoo and observing

all the exhibits with a wry and faintly disbelieving

look on his face. What if he'd changed his mind about

wanting to marry her, now that he had seen her in her

natural habitat of the royal palace?

She lifted her gaze towards his shadowed jaw and

had been dreading. 'Are you still

still happy for the marriage announcement to be made

tomorrow?"

The look he gave her was unfathomable.

' I gave your brother my vow, didn't I? 

But Toyin took little comfort from his response.

' And I never go back on my word."

Why, that was the most lacklustre endorsement she'd

ever heard! The dance finished and an Antiochda 

nobleman she'd known since childhood stepped for-

ward to take Massimo's place. With a smile, she shook 

her head, taking a glass of punch from the tray of

a passing waitress instead. But she wanted a drink

even less than she wanted a dance. It was more of a

distraction a stalling device something which en-

abled her to observe Massimo as he headed over towards

a nearby beauty to ask her to dance.

The beauty was a Duchess, an ethereal blonde

who'd been sitting near Massimo at the pre-ball dinner,

and she accepted his offer immediately. Toyin felt

her heart plummet. Of course she did. What woman

wouldn't want to be in the arms of Massimo Carter? De-

spite the fact that he had no royal title, he was eas-

ily the most attractive man in the crowded ballroom.

She watched him move the Duchess round the floor,

wondering if she was imagining that he seemed more

relaxed than he'd been during his dance with her. But

could she blame him? It couldn't be much fun danc-

ing with a woman who had suddenly turned to ice

in his arms.

She tried not to react but she couldn't seem to

quash the sheer, blinding jealousy of seeing him so 

close to another woman. She told herself not to be

stupid that it was all completely Innocent. And it

Was innocent. Logically, she knew that. She believed

in his vow of intended fidelity, just as she believed he

was a man who wouldn't go back on his word.

But that was before she had shut down in his arms,

wasn't it? Before he'd seen at close quarters just what Meant to marry into the royal and ceremony of the

Antiochdiam royal family.

Feling as if someone were pressing their fingers

against her throat, Toyin turned away and found her-

in a biding place behind a tall marble pillar, dejec-

tion washing over her as she leaned back against the

wall. Because nothing had changed, had it? Despite

her daredevil stab at gaining some independence, ev-

erything was as it always had been. She had tied up

her future with a man who'd promised her the secu-

rity of marriage but without the cushion of love. Just

as Dam had done.

And she was just as trapped as before!

Only this time it was worse.

Much worse.

She'd known all along that her feelings for Dam had

been tepid, because they'd never been given the free-

dom to get to know each other properly. But she did

know Mas. More intimately than she'd known any-

one. She'd been his lover. She'd shared his bed. She'd 

cooked him meals and vice versa and she'd lain face

down on the pillows of his New York bed while he

had carefully massaged her shoulders and then, af-

terwards, eased himself inside her aching body. He'd

taken her to parties, and shows. They'd shopped to-

gether and walked for miles through the snowy streets

of New York City. And if the truth were known, she'd

fallen in love with him along the way, hadn't she?

Hadn't she?

The music changed to a lively foxtrot as she tried

to tell herself she was panicking unnecessarily. That

tomorrow Mas would slide on the huge ruby and dia-

mond ring they'd chosen together on Madison Avenue would be delighted that

their princess had found her ending at last.

Her own happy 

and the people of Antiochda 

But she hadn't, had she?

She was still that same dumb, docile princess who

thought she couldn't exist without the patronage of

a powerful man. She was about as modern as one of

the ancient suits of armour which stood in the palace

entrance hall! How could she knowingly walk into

such a one-sided relationship and open herself up to

all the potential pain of such a union?

 How could she

force that on Massimo when the agreement had been that

neither of them was asking for love?

Thought those disturbing thought rushed through

her head, but she kept them hidden behind a care-

ful smile as she went through the motions expected

of her. She danced with the prime minister, with as-

sorted Dukes and a visiting Sheikh.

 She even danced

with Mas again, trying not to indulge in a rush of

jealous questions about his many dance partners.

And this was what her future would be like, she

realised. Life with a man who couldn't love her. A

man every woman would see and want and probably

make a play for.

And she would be left watching from the sidelines,

not daring to show him her feelings because they

didn't have that kind of marriage.

'Relax,' he said, his thumb making idle little cir-

cles at her waist.

'I'm trying.'

"Then try a a little harder"

 He smiled. 

"Because soon

this will all be over." 

The decision she'd been trying her best to avoid

could no longer be ignored and Toyin wondered if 

Rafe had any idea how eerily accurate his words were.

'Then talk'

Suddenly she knew she couldn't keep running from 

the truth. Running only got you so far.

Sooner or later you had to stop and face what was

troubling you-and what was troubling her was that

she couldn't let this fantasy marriage go ahead.

 For

all their sakes, she needed to stop it. She swallowed.

' Mas, I need to talk to you.

No. Not here. It's too public. Can we go some-

where more private? Please.' She hesitated. It's im-

portant:

He loosened his hold on her fractionally, pulling

back from her so that his silver-grey gaze clashed

with hers. 

'But the ball hasn't finished.'

It felt like a reprimand. It was a reprimand. How

ironic that the commoner was giving the Princess

a lesson in etiquette. 

'After the fireworks and once

my brother has left, can you meet me in the Ruby

Drawing Room?' she questioned breathlessly. Do

you know where that is?"

He nodded, but now his gaze was thoughtful as it

rested on her. Sure.

Somehow Toyin got through the remainder of

the evening. At midnight the French windows were

opened and everyone moved onto the terrace as bells

peeled out all over the island to celebrate the com-

ing of the new year. It was always an emotional time

but tonight it seemed even more poignant as Sophie

thought about what lay ahead. She could feel the prick

of tears as the sky exploded in a spectacular display

of fireworks silver, gold, cobalt and pink flowering

against an indigo backdrop all reflected in the dark.