Cinderella's Secret Royal Fling. Jessica Gilmore

her husband’s death and she had been trapped into a regency she had neither asked for nor wanted, preserving the small country to hand on to her son. ‘There is so much to do, to plan and arrange. The ballroom could do with a lick of paint and a polish, as could half that wing and some of our staterooms.’

      ‘It’s a good thing we have a castle full of staff, isn’t it? I know the timing is tight, Maman, but our Midsummer Balls were legendary; reviving them is the kind of gesture we need to show we have faith in Armaria, in our past and traditions as well as in our future. It’s the ideal opportunity to make the Claytons fall in love with Armaria, with everything we have to offer. Let Mike Clayton use his heart as well as his head when he chooses us. Speaking of which...’ He hesitated. Once he’d said the next words, there would be no going back. He steeled himself. ‘I think it’s time I got married.’

      ‘Married?’ His mother’s surprise was almost comical. After all, she had been hinting at this very thing for two years now, drawing up lists of eligible and connected young ladies on a regular basis.

      ‘I am twenty-eight, as you keep reminding me. And, as you know, Alex is next in line—how cross would he be if I died without an heir and he had to become Archduke?’

      ‘Dear Alex,’ his mother murmured. ‘He loves that hospital so much.’

      ‘Which is why I need to settle down and have an heir or two so he doesn’t have to worry about hanging up his stethoscope and putting on a crown.’

      The dowager Archduchess’s eyes narrowed as she assessed her son. ‘I didn’t know you were seeing anyone.’ And, her tone implied, if she didn’t know about it, then how could it be happening? ‘And you know how it is. You are Armaria and you have to do what is right for the whole country, and that includes your marriage. You can’t just marry anyone.’

      ‘I wasn’t planning on marrying just anyone.’ He took a deep breath. Once the words were said there was no going back. ‘Mike Clayton has a daughter. Bella. I’m sure you’ll like her. I am considering asking her to be my Archduchess. To strengthen the ties between Armaria and Clay Industries on every level.’

      ‘I see.’ His mother blinked and for one moment the formidable regent disappeared, to be replaced with a tearful mother who only wanted her son’s happiness. Another blink and the regent returned as if she had never left. ‘Oh, Laurent. I do see. And of course it makes sense. The days when we needed to ally ourselves with one of our neighbours through marriage may have gone, but there’s always a new generation of buccaneers in town.’

      ‘I haven’t said anything to Bella or her parents,’ Laurent warned his mother. ‘I wanted to discuss it with you first. Obviously, she might have plans for her life that don’t include a draughty old castle and living in a strange country.’

      ‘Tell me about her. What makes her laugh? What are her dreams?’

      Laurent shifted from one foot to another, uncomfortable with the whimsical question. He was an Archduke. He didn’t deal with dreams and laughter; he dealt with facts and figures and if he decided to propose to Bella Clayton and if she accepted then it would be the oldest trade in the book. He had a country in need of investment and her family had that investment to make. A title and a throne for money or influence or protection, just as his forebears had done time and time again.

      ‘As you know, I’ve stayed with her family twice now and she seems nice enough.’ He didn’t need to see his mother wince to realise how far short those words fell. ‘She’s pretty, possibly even beautiful,’ he tried again. ‘She loves dogs and horses; we spent most of our time together discussing them.’ A mutual love of animals was surely as good a place to start a marriage as any. Many royal couples had less.

      ‘Where was she educated?’

      ‘Nothing to worry about there; she went to an exclusive boarding school and then spent a couple of years at a Swiss finishing school. Since then she has worked for Clay Industries, helping run their charity trust.’ Not that she seemed over-burdened with a nine-to-five; her role there seemed more titular, but the charity angle would go down well with the press and was good preparation for many of the duties necessary for an Archduchess.

      His mother raised an eyebrow. ‘No university? That’s a shame. I do think in these uncertain times a girl needs a good education beyond correct knives and the right curtsey—she never knows when she might end up Regent in an absolute monarchy. A good grasp of mathematics and economics can be essential.’

      A wave of sympathy swept over Laurent for the young Archduchess his mother had once been, barely thirty, widowed and thrust into a position of responsibility on behalf of her young son. ‘Hopefully, it won’t come to that. I’m not planning on leaving her to manage alone.’

      She glanced up, startled, betrayed into an answering smile when she realised he was teasing her. ‘Of course not. But an Archduchess does need a lot of common sense and a thick skin as well as brains. It’s not an easy job.’

      ‘No. It’s not. But she does seem fully aware of the burdens of her privilege as well as the blessings. And her mother made sure I knew that Bella is descended from the Normans on both sides of her family tree—Mike Clayton informally adopted her when he married her mother, but her natural father was a baron, so her background is good enough for those people who care about such things.’

      ‘Yes, it does sound as if her birth and education will do. Laurent, is this idea yours, or have her parents hinted that the two of you might make a suitable union?’

      ‘All my idea. There has been no pressure from Mike Clayton, no hints that his investment is conditional on such a move. But he is extremely fond of his stepdaughter and very family-orientated. I believe he would welcome our marriage and would want to do his best for the place she eventually calls home.’ Bella’s mother, Simone, was a different story; she had made several comments linking Laurent and her daughter during his two visits to the family estate and taken every opportunity to throw them together. Laurent had no doubt that she was hoping for exactly this outcome—and that with a proposal would come her complete backing for Clay Industries’ investment in Armaria.

      ‘And the young lady herself. Does she seem to like you, Laurent? Will she welcome a proposal after so short an acquaintance? Can you be happy with her?’

      They were three very different questions.

      ‘I will be happy watching Armaria prosper,’ he said at last. ‘As for Bella Clayton... I do not believe a proposal will be either a surprise, or unwelcome. She’s twenty-seven and has been raised with an expectation of a place in society. Life here would not be the kind of shock it might be for someone from a different kind of background.’

      ‘Well, then,’ his mother said after a pause. ‘In that case I look forward to meeting her—and her family. When are you hoping that they will arrive?’

      ‘A few days before the ball.’ Walking over to the desk, he unearthed the invitation he had been looking at earlier and handed it to his mother. ‘I had this mocked up earlier. Once we’re happy with the design we’ll get them sent out, so get your secretary to send mine the list of everyone you would like to invite by the end of the week. I know the timing is tight, but this is the first royal ball held at the castle for two decades. I don’t think any guests will worry too much about prior plans, do you? And, hopefully, by the end of the summer Armaria will have both new investment and a new Archduchess.’

      His mother looked around the library, lips pursed. ‘I’ll also make a list of all the work that needs doing between now and then. It will have to be all hands on deck if we are going to open the castle up to hundreds of guests.’

      ‘I’m happy to wield a paintbrush if it gets the job done. Thank you. Don’t worry about the ball itself, Maman. Simone Clayton has recommended an events planner and, all being well, she should be starting at the weekend.’ He hesitated. ‘Obviously, I expect to cover all costs, as the host, but the Claytons do have some additions they’d like to make to the traditional plans—and of course they have their own list of guests to invite. As a result, they