The Royal House of Niroli Collection. Кейт Хьюит
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I checked I was a free man,’ he returned coolly. ‘Now, if you’ll excuse me I’d better take that call.’
Amelia watched as he shouldered open the theatre change-room door, his arms now stiffly by his sides.
‘There’s a message for you, Amelia,’ Lucia informed her as soon as she returned from her afternoon tea break later that day. ‘Signora Gravano wants you to call on her this afternoon after your shift finishes, as if you haven’t got enough to do.’
‘It’s all right,’ Amelia said, wondering if the old woman had had another fall and reopened her leg wound. ‘She’s lonely with her daughter living abroad. I’ll go straight there after I finish.’
Once her shift was over Amelia left a message for Rico at the front desk in case he arrived to pick her up before she got back, and made her way to the old lady’s house.
There was no sign of movement at Alex’s cottage although it appeared as if he or someone had done some preliminary work in the garden. The brambles had been trimmed back and the sweet smell of newly cut grass filled her nostrils on the way past.
Signora Gravano didn’t really need her leg redressing but seemed in want of a chat, so Amelia sat with her for a while, all the time trying not to glance at the clock on the wall. Rico wasn’t the most patient of young men and she knew if she didn’t come out on time he would leave without her. There was a bus that took her as far as the turn-off to the cottage, but that still meant a walk of at least five kilometres.
‘I have heard some disturbing rumours I think you should be informed of if you haven’t already heard them,’ Signora Gravano said just as Amelia finally made a move to leave.
‘Oh?’ she said, wondering why the old woman had waited until now to state the real reason for her request to see her. ‘What rumours are they?’
‘People are saying that Prince Alessandro is not dead after all,’ Signora Gravano informed her.
Amelia hoped her face wasn’t showing the panic and dread she was feeling. ‘That seems rather far-fetched,’ she said. ‘I mean, the child’s grave is at the palace for anyone to see.’
‘I know, but there could be another explanation for that—some other child put in his place, for instance.’
‘I suppose that’s a possibility, but you know what these rumours are like. They come and go and are best ignored,’ Amelia said.
‘I have heard the king’s medical advisors noticed a startling similarity to Antonio Fierezza when they were researching the new technique Dr Hunter is pioneering. Dr Hunter’s photograph was in the medical journal they had researched and they began to wonder if he was in some way related to the family.’
Amelia sat back down, not because she wanted to but because her legs were threatening to give way. ‘Is that why he received a royal summons?’ she asked.
‘It makes sense, does it not?’ the old woman said. ‘The king does need heart surgery, of course, but this was a way of bringing Dr Hunter to Niroli to see if the likeness was something that needed further investigation by the royal officials.’
‘It is said we all have a double somewhere in the world,’ Amelia said, trying to put some rationality in place. ‘It’s just one of those things.’
‘Perhaps, but if what they suspect is true, there will be hell to pay.’
Amelia moistened her dry-as-dust mouth. ‘You mean for whomever is responsible?’
‘I would not like to be that person,’ Signora Gravano said, her black eyes suddenly very direct. ‘They have been responsible for a terrible crime for which they have never been charged.’
Amelia forced her shoulders to relax. ‘It is surely a better outcome than the original verdict of murder…I mean, if the prince is in fact still alive…somewhere…’
‘Yes, indeed, but how will the prince feel once he finds out his true identity? His biological parents are dead. He will never have the chance to meet them in person. And what of Prince Marco, who for all this time has grieved the loss of his twin?’
‘I am sure the prince can’t even remember his twin brother,’ Amelia said, recalling her conversation with Alex. ‘He was far too young.’
The old woman grunted. ‘He has lived with his parents’ grief, which would have no doubt affected him and his sisters.’
‘Is Alex Hunter aware of any of this…er…speculation?’
‘I am not sure. He is going to the palace this evening to meet the king. Perhaps the subject will be raised then,’ Signora Gravano said.
‘Someone should prepare him.’ Amelia got to her feet, testing her legs, which still felt watery. ‘It would be unfair to surprise him with this information without some sort of lead up.’
Signora Gravano smiled sagely. ‘That is why I asked you to come, Amelia. You will understand much better than the palace staff about the sensitive nature of this. Dr Hunter should be home by now. Why not go around and talk to him now before he leaves for his meeting with the king?’
Amelia ignored the short cut and made her way past Alex’s hire car to his front door, her hand visibly shaking as she lifted it to the brass knocker.
There was no answer.
She frowned as she looked back at the car parked in the shade. He must be somewhere about. He had finished at the hospital at least two hours ago.
‘Are you looking for me?’ Alex asked from the other side of the front step.
She swung around to face him, her throat closing up at the sight of him dressed in running shorts and T-shirt, the perspiration from his workout plastering the material to his toned body. ‘Er…yes…'she said. ‘I was hoping to catch you before you left for the palace.’
One of his dark brows rose in an arc above his right eye. ‘Why?’
She shifted from foot to foot. ‘I wanted to speak to you—privately.’
Alex held her anxious gaze for a lengthy moment. She looked tired and he felt a little ashamed of his attitude earlier. He blew out a breath and motioned for her to go inside. ‘Come on, I’ve got something I need to say to you too.’
He waited until she was seated and with a cold drink in front of her before he took the chair opposite, giving his face a quick rub with a hand towel. ‘So who’s going to go first?’ he asked.
‘I don’t mind.’ She chewed her bottom lip momentarily and added, ‘You can if you like.’
‘Right,’ he said as he pushed the towel to one side. ‘I have an apology to make. I was an idiot last night. Simple as that. No wonder you gave me the heave-o.’ He sent his fingers through the damp thickness of his hair, a small frown beetling his brows. ‘I don’t know why I came on so strong,’ he continued. ‘I know you’re not going to believe this, but it’s really not my style at all.’ He gave her a sheepish look and added, ‘I guess it’s been too long between relationships or something.’
She twisted her mouth wryly. ‘I bet it wasn’t as long as eleven years.’
‘No.’ He laughed lightly. ‘More like eleven months, but long enough to make me a bit trigger-happy.’
‘It’s all right. I understand.’
‘I wish you did.’
‘I do,’ she insisted.
‘Believe me, you don’t.’
‘How do you know what I feel?’ she asked.
He smiled at her then. ‘Yep, that vow of silence would never have worked.’
She started to purse her mouth but thought better of it. ‘I didn’t come here to argue with you,’ she said.
‘Where