Becoming the Prince's Wife (Princes of Europe) Read Online Free PDF Page A

sent to your room, and I’ll collect you in an hour. We’ll ride around the grounds. It’s someplace safe and close to Abby, who’s hoping you’re having a good time. But if you’re afraid of what happened to my sister while she was riding, we could play tennis.”
    “I’m not afraid, but to go riding must be a painful reminder to you.”
    “I’ve worked my way through it. Accidents can happen anytime. To worry about it unnecessarily takes away from the quality of life. Don’t you think?”
    Her eyes suddenly glistened. “Yes,” she whispered with such deep emotion he was more curious than ever to know what was going on inside her, and found himself wanting to comfort her. Instead he had to tear himself away.
    “I’ll be back in an hour.” Reaching for his towel and phone, he left the apartment and hurried through the palace to his suite. Maybe by the end of their ride today, he’d have answers...
    * * *
    Carolena stood in the living room surprised and touched by his decency. He’d thought she’d been assaulted by a man and wanted to show her she didn’t need to be afraid of him while he entertained her. No doubt he felt an obligation to her with Vincenzo and Abby indisposed.
    He was sensitive, too. How many men would have worried she might be afraid to ride after what had happened to his sister? She’d gotten killed out riding, but he didn’t let that stop him from living his normal life. His concern for Carolena’s feelings increased her admiration for him.
    So far she’d been a perfectly horrid guest, while he was going out of his way to make this trip eventful for her when he didn’t have to. This wasn’t the behavior of a playboy. The crown prince was proving to be the perfect host, increasing her guilt for having offended him.
    Within the hour he came for her in a limo and they drove to the stables across the vast estate. Once he’d picked the right mare for her, they headed out to enjoy the scenery. In time, he led them through a heavily wooded area to a lake. They dismounted and walked down to the water’s edge.
    “What a beautiful setting.”
    “We open it to the public on certain days of the month.”
    “Abby used to tell me she felt like a princess in a fairy tale growing up on the palace grounds in Arancia. If I lived here, I’d feel exactly the same way. You and your siblings must have spent hours here when you were young.” On impulse she asked, “Were they interested in volcanology, too?”
    His eyes swerved to hers. She had the feeling she’d surprised him by her question. “Quite the opposite.”
    That sounded cryptic. “What’s the real reason you developed such a keen interest? It isn’t just because Etna is there.”
    “It’s a long story.” There was that nuance of sadness in his voice again.
    “We’ve got the rest of the afternoon.” She sank onto her knees in the lush grass facing the water where an abundance of waterfowl bobbed around. “Humor me. Last night I was up until one o’clock looking at video clips of Etna and other volcanoes. They were incredible. I really want to know what drove you to become so interested.”
    He got down on the grass next to her. “My father had a sibling, my uncle Stefano. He was the elder son and the crown prince, but he never wanted to be king. He fought with my grandfather who was then King of Gemelli.
    “Uncle Stefano hated the idea of being betrothed and having to marry a woman picked out for him. Our country has never had a sovereign who wasn’t married by the time he ascended the throne. It’s the law. But Stefano didn’t ever want to be king and left home at eighteen to travel the world. I knew he had various girlfriends, so he didn’t lead a celibate life, but he never married.
    “In time, volcanoes fascinated him and he decided he wanted to study them. To appease my grandparents, he came home occasionally to touch base. I was young and loved him because he was so intelligent and a wonderful teacher. He used