A Dance of Secrets

CHAPTER FOUR 

Elena walked into the breakfast room and stopped immediately. Prince Rafael was sitting at the table. I'm

She'd absolutely no idea that he was here.

At her side, Ben showed on pleasure.

‘Tio Rafael! You came back’.

Ben's expression perked expectantly.

‘Will you play with me ?’

‘After breakfast. Would you like to go swimming with me later?’

‘Yes , please’.

‘Good .well, let's have breakfast first,shall we?

Elena watched as Ben took chatted to his uncle, Tension laced through her instantly.

He must have arrived last night,she had heard nothing.

But now, with Prince Rafael sitting at the head of the breakfast table,it all suddenly seemed horribly real again.

Her eyes has gone to him immediately as she'd entered the room. 

He was the kind of man that drew all eyes instantly.

‘There is a problem ‘

The accented voice was cool . Elena realized that Prince Rafael was looking at her.

 ‘Why are you here? Has something happened?

Her voice sounded abrupt, she didn't care.

He looked at her, obviously he wasn't used to being spoken to like that, Elena thought.

‘I'm here at the behest of my father. For some reasons, that must be obvious even to yourself.

She looked blank. ‘I don't understand’.

‘We will discuss this matter later’. He turned his attention to Ben , shutting her off completely.

How she got through breakfast, she did not know. She could not relax, and although she deplored it, she knew she was grateful that Ben was chattering away to the prince.

The moment Ben had finished,she got to her feet.

‘Come along Ben,’ she said.

‘Tio Rafael said we'd go swimming’, Ben protested.

‘Not straight after eating’, She said quietly.

‘ You will get a sore tummy. she added, taking him out of the room.

After Ben had brushed his teeth,they went back to to the playroom where Ben's toys were.

Prince Rafael was there before then. Elena tensed immediately.

Ben was happily chattering away, talking about his beloved trainset . 

She tried to concentrate on her book, and failed completely.

After what seemed like forever,Ben suddenly stood up.

‘Is it not time to go for swimming yet?’

She got to her feet ,relieved .

‘Good idea, let's get your things’.

She gave an awkward nod to the prince who has stood up when she did.

She scurried off with Ben. But to her dismay , when they came downstairs with the swimming kit and went into the pool room, there was already someone in the water.

The prince's long, lean body cut through the water in a swift crawl, but when he reached the end of the pool,he stopped.

‘Oh,Ben, there you're,’he said. ‘Come in’.

Elena stared in horrified fascination. The prince levered himself out of the water,his arms folded down over the edge.

She could see the water draining off his torso.

It was smooth, and perfectly muscled,toned like a sportsman.

Ben was scrambling out of his clothes as fast as he could, the moment he was fitted,he ran and jumped into the water.

Jerkily,Elena picked up his clothes, and went to sit on one of the padded seats.

The prince seemed ridiculously enthusiastic about entertaining a child.

He ducked ,dived and raced on

Ben like a shark, eliciting squeals of glee.

Rafael helped Ben out of the pool for the last time, and glanced across at where his aunt was sitting.

Her face had become red because of the heat, and she looked worse than ever.

His brother's words came back to him,half mocking, which was Lucians usual attitude towards him on this subject.

‘If there's a female in the equation, you're the expert,mind you. You’ll be immune to her.

He brought himself out of the pool,effortlessly, lifting himself.

The boys Aunt had already busied herself wrapping Ben in a towel and getting him dry.

He strolled off to get changed himself,His mouth set.

‘Settle Ben with some toys please,I shall await you in the library.

‘He has to take a nap after lunch. I'll come down when he's asleep’.

Typically,Ben took forever to go to sleep, and her nerves were stretched thin by the time she could finally leave him, curtains closed,door ajar.

He was,as he has said,in the library. A raft of daily papers, in both English and Italian, were on the low table.

‘please sit down’. His voice was cool.

She sat nervously,her stomach knotting.

‘We must resolve,as a matter of urgency,as I'm sure you will appreciate, the matter of my nephews future.

Ben Will now live his life in San Valderra.

‘No’.

The word was instinctive.

She saw the prince's face tighten,then take on the same expression that it had when she had failed to recognize him.

She didn't care, Didn't care about anything.

Except to refuse absolutely, what she has just heard him say.

Ben and I are going back home.

That's all there's is to it.

Miss Elena, are you being deliberately obtuse?’ The question was rhetorical, for he plunged straight on.

‘There’s no going back.

Your nephew cannot return to the life you gave him. He must come to his own country to live.

Why on earth would your family want to be landed with your late brother's illegitimate child, ‘Love child’. As I suppose the tabloids will coyly call him.

She went on ,trying to be reasonable, even with the adrenaline running in her like a river that is flooded.

Look’, if you're worried that I will speak to the press at any point in the future,then I will sign any gagging papers you want.

The only thing I want for Ben is a happy,unspoilt childhood.

He was just staring at her. She wished he wouldn't do that.

His mouth tightened. Italian broke from him, angry and incomprehensible.

“you do not seem to understand. My brother did not have any affair with your sister.’

‘But you said, she launched.

His hand shot up , silencing her.

‘He married her’.

Lizzy felt her mouth fall wide open. Her jaw dropped like a stome.

‘My sister married your brother?’ Her voice was dazed.

‘Yes. The day before their fatal car crash. I have seen the marriage certificate.

She got to her feet, staring at him blindly.

‘I don't believe it’.

But if her sister has been married to Ben's father, and his father was a prince of San Valderra,then Ben…

She sat down, Her legs felt weightless somehow.

Her voice was faint . ‘Please, say it isn't true, please’

Rafael looked at her .she could not have meant what she'd said, No one could.

She had just been told that her nephew was a royal prince. And yet she was begging him

to tell her it was not true.

Do you really think think I would ever 

,ever allow Ben to be taken from me? I'm his mother, the only mother he's ever known.

You must be completely insane to to think of taking him from me.

How do you even begin to think I would consent to it?

No one takes a child from his mother, No one.

Then slowly,a voice spoke. Deep and resonant.

‘No one will take Ben from you, you have my

word'.