An Officer and a Princess (10 page)

“When I called you back here to help investigate my father's kidnapping, I assigned several investigators to continue seeking answers to your father's disappearance.”

“And what did they find?” His chest ached and he realized he didn't even know what he wanted the answers to be.

If his father was dead, and the whole thing had been a tragic accident, then Adam had his good name back, but his father was dead forever. And if his father was a traitor and had flown that plane to another country, then Adam would forever live beneath the shadow of that treachery, but at least he'd know his father was still alive someplace in the world.

“They found the plane, Adam.”

“Where?” The word eased from him in a half breath.

“Off the coast of Sweden, almost buried in the floor of the sea.”

Instantly he understood the implication of her words. His father was dead. He gazed down at the floor and fought against the deep sorrow that ripped through him with this final knowledge. He'd thought he'd been prepared for whatever they might eventually learn, but the pierce of mourning caught him off guard.

“They managed to bring up a portion of the plane, enough to determine that mechanical failure was the reason they were so far off course and was the determining cause of the accident.”

He sensed, rather than saw her approach him. She sat on the floor at his feet and took his hands in both of hers, forcing him to look at her.

Her eyes were the softest green he'd ever seen and he saw the love that resided there…love and compassion for him. He wasn't sure what hurt more, the ache of his father's death, or the ache of knowing she loved him and he would never do anything about it.

“He died a hero, Adam,” she said softly. “Your father and those two pilots died in the line of duty, for the country that they loved.”

For a year, turmoil had bubbled inside Adam and now the emotion he'd kept stuffed so firmly threat
ened to explode outward. He was going to lose it, but he didn't want to do that in front of Isabel.

He stood and quickly pulled her to her feet. He needed to get her out before he lost control. He needed time alone…time to grieve for the father he knew now without question was lost forever.

He saw the surprise in her eyes as he led her to the door…surprise and a touch of pain as she realized he was about to ask her to go. “Isabel,” he said softly. “You have brought me the gift of the truth, but it's a double-edged sword and I need some time alone to assimilate it all.”

“I know you're in pain right now, but I wish you'd let me comfort you.” Those eyes of her were so filled with love. “Adam, I…”

He placed a fingertip across her lips. “Don't say it, Isabel.” He knew she was about to tell him that she loved him and he couldn't stand to hear those words spoken aloud. Not now. Not ever.

“Thank you, Isabel. Now go home and I'll see you tomorrow at the coronation.”

She turned to leave, but he stopped her as she stepped off the porch. “Isabel…I liked being married to you, too.” He said, then closed the door.

He leaned heavily against the door and felt the sting of tears. As he closed his eyes, the tears seeped down his cheeks and he didn't know if he was crying for the father he had lost…or the woman he would never have.

I
sabel couldn't remember the last time she had seen the Edenbourg Cathedral so filled with people. Not only were dignitaries, family members and high-ranking people from Edenbourg present, but the coronation of Luke had also brought a wave of people from the small countries of Wynborough and Thortonburg.

Besides the royalty and prominent visitors, it appeared that most of the country of Edenbourg had turned out for the celebration. Outside the cathedral, throngs of people crowded the streets. Children rode their fathers' shoulders in an effort to get a peek at the new king. Women wore flowers in their hair and carried bouquets in their arms in tribute to the day.

But, what warmed Isabel's heart the most were the many signs and posters she saw with her father's picture on them. Although she knew nobody would overtly rebel against the new king, the people were silently showing where their hearts were…with the missing king and his supposedly dead son.

As people continued to be seated in the cathedral, Isabel scanned the crowd for one particular familiar face. Adam's. Her heart ached for him. She had never known that heartache could hurt so much.

She'd hoped when she'd gone to his cottage the night before with the news about his father that he would throw his arms around her and finally admit his love for her.

She'd hoped the stain on his father's name had been the barrier that had kept him from proclaiming his love. But, apparently, having closure about his father hadn't been enough.

She shifted on her chair, hoping she could get through the day without crying. She'd always believed herself to be a strong woman, but loving Adam had made her feel uncharacteristically weak.

“Are you all right?” Queen Josephine's green eyes met Isabel's.

“Of course, I'm fine,” Isabel replied without hesitation. She wasn't about to do or say anything to ruin the glow of happiness in her mother's green eyes.

Isabel couldn't remember the last time she'd seen her mother look so beautiful. She looked elegant and dignified, but also feminine and happy. It was love, Isabel knew, that gave her that special, wonderful radiance.

Isabel and the members of King Michael's family were seated all together in a little balcony to the right of the raised platform of the altar. There, Luke sat next to his father, along with the clergy and people who would officiate at the coronation ceremony.

Edward's appearance shocked Isabel. She hadn't seen him since she'd gone undercover and his physical deterioration was appalling. He'd lost a lot of weight and looked beyond haggard.

Isabel looked at the men and women surrounding Luke…men and women in high position. Somebody in this cathedral was the traitor who had kidnapped her father and tried to kidnap her brother. Somebody in this cathedral had, without hesitation or conscience, told Willie to get rid of her father's body as if it were nothing more than a piece of unwanted garbage.

Who? She scanned the people who had been closest to her father. Who could be responsible for such a terrible thing?

The priest had just stood to begin the ceremony when a murmur began near the front door. The murmuring built, growing louder, and as the door
to the cathedral opened, Isabel could hear the roar of the crowd outside.

Her heart tightened in anticipation as she heard what was being chanted. “King Michael. King Michael.”

At that moment, her father and her brother strode up the aisle, followed closely by Lieutenant Commander Adam Sinclair, Marcus Kent and Lieutenant Benjamin Lockhart.

Adam…Adam, Isabel's heart cried out. He looked so handsome, resplendent in his crisp uniform. Her love for him ached deep inside her, and she knew no man would ever touch her heart as he had.

When the men got about halfway to the altar area, a silence descended. It was obvious Edward, Luke and the officiating clergy couldn't tell what was going on. Luke stood, and the moment he saw King Michael and Prince Nicholas, his pleasant smile fell away and rage contorted his features.

“No!” His voice seemed to shake the very rafters of the building. “He told me you were dead! You are supposed to be dead!”

A collective gasp filled the church.

“Guards, arrest that man.” King Michael's voice rang out with strength and authority as he pointed to Luke. “Take him into the chancery.”

“My God, Luke, what have you done?” Ed
ward's voice was audible just before the crowd went wild.

As the men disappeared into the nearby office, Isabel, her mother and the rest of her family hurriedly followed. Isabel's heart thudded in horror. Luke. It had been Luke all along.

When they entered the office, Luke was seated next to his father, and Adam stood before him.

“You were the one who made that phone call to King Michael on the day of LeAnn's christening. You pretended to be your father, didn't you?” Adam asked, his gray eyes like tumultuous storms. “You arranged all of it. You've been pulling strings behind the scenes for months.”

“Tell him he's wrong, son,” Edward said softly.

“There has to be a mistake here.” He looked beseechingly at Adam, then at his brother, Isabel's father. “Michael, there has to be a mistake.”

King Michael eyed his brother with compassion. “The mistake was in the words he uttered the moment he saw me. Only one man had word of my death…the mastermind behind the kidnapping.”

“But why?” Edward's heartache was palpable.

“Is this so, Luke? Why would you do such a thing?”

“Why?” Luke laughed, a bitter sound that sent chills up Isabel's spine. His blue eyes glittered cold as ice as he glared at his father. “If you hadn't been
such a stupid fool years ago and moved to the States, then we might have lived as royalty.”

Gone was the affection that had always lit his eyes when he spoke to his father, and in its place was a raging animosity. “The Edenbourg Stanburys had it all…and we had nothing.”

His gaze swept over Isabel's family. “I came here a year ago to visit. But, your guards wouldn't even let me in and none of my phone calls were put through. They thought I was lying about being related to the precious royal family.”

Now that he'd begun speaking, it was as if a dam had burst inside him. “I spent a little time in the King's Men Tavern and met Shane Moore and I made some plans to take back what should have been mine.”

“So, you set up your brother. You made sure Jake would happen upon the crash and become a suspect in King Michael's disappearance,” Adam said, obviously putting together all the pieces of Luke's demented puzzle.

“Good old Jake was supposed to be my fall guy,” Luke said, and with each word his father seemed to slump farther and farther down in his chair. “I requested a copy of the Edenbourg Treatise using Jake's stationery and even forged Jake's signature to add to the evidence pointing towards Jake.”

“But…I don't understand.” King Michael
frowned. “If you kidnapped me and kidnapped Nicholas, you still wouldn't sit on the throne. How were you to know your father would become ill?”

The sly grin that curved Luke's mouth made Isabel's skin feel as if insects were walking on it. “Father loves his cup of tea in the evenings,” he said. “And I never neglected to fix it for him.”

“You've been poisoning him!” Isabel blurted out.

“My God,” Edward gasped. “Was it so important that you rule Edenbourg?”

Luke snorted derisively, his eyes wild with madness. “I don't care about ruling this stupid little country,” he exclaimed.

“Then why? What has this all been about?” Adam asked.

“The Chamber of Riches. Once I was king and had all the treasure, then I didn't care what Shane Moore and his band of men did with this country. I just wanted the wealth…all the treasure.”

He looked at King Michael. “You were kidnapped so I could gain the location and password or whatever to get into the Chamber of Riches. It was Willie Tammerick's job to get you to tell him. Then you had your stroke and couldn't…or wouldn't talk. So, we kidnapped Nicholas. But, of course we actually got Ben Lockhart, who couldn't tell us anything about the Chamber of Riches.”

His gaze slid to Dominique. “When I realized
she might carry a new heir, I had to hurry things up a bit to get my father off the throne and me sitting in it.”

“Get him out of here,” Edward cried weakly. “I can't stand the sight of him. My own flesh and blood would have killed me for money.”

“Take him away,” King Michael told the guards. “And see to it that my brother gets immediate medical attention.”

It was a half hour more before Michael and Josephine stood in front of the crowd in the cathedral, his arms raised as the crowd chanted his name over and over again.

Isabel's gaze went to Adam, who stood just to the right of her father and her brother. As if he felt her looking at him, he returned the gaze and she knew he shared her joy that the guilty party had been found out and would now spend years behind bars.

She also knew that as her father addressed the people, soldiers were on their way to pick up members of the group that had held King Michael. All the intrigue, all the danger to her family was over. Beneath the joy that danced in her heart was her ever-present love for Adam.

“My people,” King Michael began as the roar of the crowd finally subsided. “It has been far too long since I stood before you.” The crowd once again went wild and King Michael raised his hands
for silence. “And in my time of captivity and isolation, I've had much time to reflect on what is important in my life. When everything else had been stripped from me, I realized what was left was love…love for this country and love for my family.”

He reached for Queen Josephine's hand. “I'd like time to spend with my wife…my children and grandchildren.” He smiled at Dominique. “And I understand Edenbourg will welcome a new princess in the future.”

Cheers went up and tears of happiness filled Isabel's eyes as she realized she would have a new niece to love and cherish.

“You came for a coronation,” King Michael continued, “and we're going to have a coronation. I'd like nothing better than to see my son seated on the throne. I know he will rule with justice and compassion.”

“Long live King Nicholas.” The crowd roared.

A new wave of tears burned at Isabel's eyes as she watched the ceremony that would make her brother king. She recognized that a new era was being born right before her eyes. Her father was making a choice of love over duty and again Isabel's thoughts turned to Adam.

She couldn't find him in the crowd and didn't see him again until they left the cathedral and trav
eled to the grand ballroom in the palace for a celebration party.

The ballroom was crowded as Isabel walked in. The mood was joyous and everyone seemed to be smiling or laughing…everyone except Isabel. It was difficult to laugh with a broken heart.

She wandered the room aimlessly, finally stopping near where King Nicholas sat receiving tributes from well-wishers. She frowned as she saw Sebastian Lansbury approaching her. His blond hair gleamed in the light from the dozens of chandeliers and a smooth, practiced smile curved his lips.

“Isabel, my dear. I've been frantic for weeks, ever since your secretary told me you'd gone into seclusion.” His blue eyes seemed to be peering just over her left shoulder and Isabel realized he was looking at his own reflection in the shining marble just behind her.

“Yes, I sneaked away for a couple of weeks with my lover,” she replied flippantly.

That got his attention. His gaze shot to her face. “Excuse me?”

Isabel felt the rise of a blush warm her face. What was she doing? Why had she said that? “Sebastian, I'm sure you are probably a very nice man, but I'd really rather be alone right now.”

At that moment she spied Adam standing alone near a doorway that led out onto a veranda. “Surely you don't mean that,” Sebastian said with a small
laugh. “They are getting ready to start the dancing. Wouldn't you like to dance with me?”

“Sebastian, go find another woman to dance with. I don't feel like dancing and I'm never, ever going to marry you.” In fact, she was trying desperately not to cry. Now that all the drama was over, her father and brother were safe and there was absolutely nothing more to occupy her thoughts, the pain in her heart seemed overwhelming.

She breathed a sigh of relief as Sebastian wandered off. She looked over to where Adam stood talking to her brother. Perhaps she would never marry. She couldn't imagine herself with any other man.

“You're in love with him.”

Isabel turned to see Nicholas's wife, Rebecca, standing next to her. “Who, Sebastian?”

Rebecca wrinkled her nose. “No, I know you have better taste than that. I'm talking about Adam.”

Isabel considered telling a fib, but she couldn't. Her mouth couldn't form a falsehood where her love for Adam was concerned. “Yes,” she finally said softly.

“And he loves you,” Rebecca said. “He looks at you just like Nicholas looks at me, as if you are his world.”

Isabel stared at Rebecca, wondering if it were
possible. “You really think so…you think he loves me?”

Rebecca smiled. “I know he does.” She took Isabel's hand in hers. “And if you are smart, you'll follow your heart, and you won't let him get away.”

Tears rose to Isabel's eyes and she squeezed Rebecca's hand. “You are going to be a wonderful queen for the country.”

Rebecca smiled and released Isabel's hand as the orchestra began to play. “As long as my main job is loving the king, I'll be all right.”

“You'd better go. Nobody will dance until you and Nicholas do.”

A moment later Isabel watched as King Nicholas and Queen Rebecca took the center of the ballroom floor. As they danced their eyes were for one another alone.