The Prince's Bewildered Bride (The Blushing Brides Book 5) Read online

  The Prince’s Bewildered Bride

  Blushing Bride Series

  Evangeline Kelly

  Copyright © 2019 by Evangeline Kelly. All Rights Reserved.

  No part of this book shall be used or reproduced in any form or by any means without prior written permission of the author. The Prince’s Bewildered Bride is a work of fiction. Names, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locations, or people, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. https://www.esv.org/resources/esv-global-study-bible/copyright-page/

  Table of Contents

  Newsletter Sign-up

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Epilogue

  Other Books by Evangeline Kelly

  Newsletter Sign-up

  Sign-up for Evangeline Kelly’s newsletter and be the first to find out about her new releases. Once you sign-up, you’ll receive her book, Matchmaker, as a welcome gift. Get started now!

  Chapter 1

  Edward

  Marriage was not all it was cracked up to be, but I had hoped it would be better than this. Three weeks. It had been three weeks since Annette and I stood at the altar and said our vows. Afterward, my father gave her the title, “Duchess of Westbridge,” and, once we returned from our honeymoon, she’d avoided me ever since.

  I should have curbed my expectations a long time ago, but I was a romantic at heart and wanted more for us. I desired the kind of relationship my parents never had. As the crown prince of Calais, I’d known from the time I was a young child what my priorities needed to be. I had to do my duty as Grandfather used to say. On his deathbed, he’d begged me to marry wisely, and by “wisely,” he meant someone with enough financial backing to maintain the family home. Preserve our heritage.

  Pull us out of the monetary strain we’d found ourselves under.

  Annette Monroe had been the perfect choice. First, because I loved her, and, second, because her father, John Monroe, provided the money needed to keep the castle and family grounds afloat, and that was an enormous task. Mr. Monroe was a billionaire in his own right and could easily afford it. Annette was offered the title, the position, the grandeur of being married to a prince, and on John’s end, being associated with the royal family was good for business, so everyone gained something from the transaction.

  All that to say, this arrangement as we liked to call it, was mutually agreed upon by all parties involved. I’d thought the marriage was a love-match, despite how it came about, but I was starting to think I’d been deceived all along.

  Perhaps, she never loved me.

  Perhaps, I’d been duped in the most egregious manner.

  Annette was the sweetheart of Calais, known in the media as the socialite with a cause because she always involved herself with charity events and volunteer work. Every man desired her and every woman wanted to be her. Even those with noble blood envied her, though they would never admit it. She was unattainable to everyone—kept her heart closely guarded and her alliances private.

  Yes, I loved her.

  And yes, I’d willingly entered this marriage knowing there would be certain challenges since Annette wasn’t my mother’s first choice, but Annette had seemed willing to work through that.

  I should have known better.

  Maybe some things would always be out of reach no matter who you were.

  I stood at the window of my bedroom suite and looked out at the surrounding grounds and beyond. Where was she? This was starting to become ridiculous. She couldn’t avoid me forever.

  There was a knock on the door and my personal assistant, Raphael, entered and stopped several feet away. “Your Highness, an urgent matter has come to my attention.” He bowed his head and stared at the floor.

  “Yes, Raphael. What is this about?” I glanced at him for a moment and then returned my gaze to the window.

  “I’m afraid you will be most displeased when you hear the details.”

  I turned to give him my full consideration because something in his voice unsettled me. He tightened his lips and stepped back as if afraid the news would set me off in some way.

  “Please,” I said more firmly. “There is nothing to fear. Share what you came to say.”

  “Yes, of course.” He bit down on his bottom lip and glanced behind him at one of the maids, waiting in the doorway. He motioned for her to come closer, but she stayed put like a frightened little mouse. By the looks of her, I half-expected her to bolt down the hallway any second.

  “Remind me of your name,” I said.

  “Sarah, your Highness. Sarah Bromsky.” She stepped into the room, keeping her eyes on the floor the entire time.

  “Sarah, is there something you would like to tell me?”

  She lifted her gaze and winced. “No, your majesty. I mean…yes.” She let out a breath. “I suppose I should just come out with it.” She inhaled a breath as if gathering courage. “I was cleaning the upper rooms this morning when I came upon a note left for the duchess in her suite.”

  “A note? Why were you going through her personal belongings? That’s off limits to the staff—”

  “I didn’t mean to. I was dusting, and the note fell off her desk, so I picked it up and happened to glance at it for a second. I thought it was from you, but then I looked at it again and saw it was definitely not from you.” She held up a note card and closed the distance between us, offering it to me with an unsteady hand.

  I took it and scanned the letter written inside.

  My Dearest Annette,

  Not seeing you these last few days has been torture. You promised you’d find a moment to slip away and meet with me, yet, you have kept me waiting, my love. If you knew how this affected me, you would put me out of my misery and come to me at once. My one consolation is the two days we will have in Monaco next weekend. I made the reservation at the Hôtel Monte-Carlo. You said you would tell Edward you’re making the trip with your aunt. Make sure that’s taken care of so we can be together.

  Until we meet again,

  Leo

  I hastily crumbled the note card in my hand, my stomach clenching from words that made me physically ill. Leo was an ex-boyfriend of hers. In fact, he was the man she’d broken up with in order to marry me. Clearly, she wasn’t over him.

  “Thank you for coming to me with this. I will handle it from here.”

  Sarah and Raphael turned and scurried out of the room like they couldn’t get out of there fast enough, and good thing, because as soon as the door shut behind them, I threw a vase full of roses against the wall and watched as it shattered into tiny pieces, water trickling down the wall to the marble floor.

  Fury unlike anything I’d ever known began to build inside of me, threatening to consume every inch of my flesh, causing my body to tremble in a way it never had before. Heat flooded through my system, and it felt like it would incinerate everything in the vicinity if I di
dn’t get a handle on things. I made a quick call to the Hôtel Monte-Carlo and confirmed that a reservation did indeed exist under Leopold Campbell.

  I let out a breath, despair settling in my chest. Three weeks. Three weeks was all it took to show her true character, to reveal the kind of woman she was. No wonder she was never around. She must have thought me a fool.

  Oh, she’d played the part of a loving wife in front of the cameras, but when all the attention went away and it was just us…

  Maybe it wasn’t too late for an annulment. I didn’t care if it caused a ruckus. Anguish ripped through me at the image that flashed through my head of them together—of him touching her. I nearly doubled over in pain.

  I couldn’t live like this. I wouldn’t live like this.

  I picked up the phone and dialed Raphael. “Find her and bring her to me. Now.”

  Chapter 2

  Annette

  “She’s coming to...give her a minute.” Three men hovered over me, looking grave and concerned. One had broad shoulders and a goatee. He had a darker complexion than the others, and he appeared troubled as he studied my face. He cleared his throat and examined me closely. “Are you all right? Do you know what happened?”

  Was I all right? I had to think for a moment because I wasn’t sure. Blinking, I attempted to form a response but words evaded me. “Who are you?”

  He looked at me incredulously. “You don’t know who I am? I’m Roberto, head of your security team.”

  Oh. Was I supposed to know that? I was flat on my back, looking up at the sky, trying to figure out how I got here. The air was cool around my arms and legs and a strange tingling sensation raced across my skin. When I tried to sit up, Roberto gently pushed me down.

  “Rest for a few minutes. We’re waiting for a medical team to arrive.”

  My hands felt sore, so I lifted them up to get a better look. My palms were scratched and bright red as if I’d fallen face-forward and extended my hands to the ground. “What happened?” I asked, my brows pinching together. My voice sounded unnatural and strange to my own ears.

  “There’s been an incident.” He grimaced and glanced over his shoulder. “Your aunt was severely wounded, but don’t worry, Angus is tending to her. He was a medic in the military.”

  He referred to Angus like I should know who he was, but I had no idea what he was talking about. And my aunt…who was my aunt? I couldn’t remember her. My vision blurred, and I closed my eyes to make the fuzzy images go away.

  “You’re going to be okay,” he said soothingly. “We saw two figures as we approached, but they took off before we got here. Some of my men are searching the area now. Whoever did this…we’ll find them.”

  “What did they do? Where am I?” I opened my eyes.

  “You’re at Dover Lookout. You wanted to be on your own with your aunt, but something told me we needed to come after you. We’re still trying to determine what occurred here.” Roberto put his fingers to the pulse at my wrist. After about a minute, he placed the back of his hand on my forehead. “She’s going into shock. Where’s that medical team?” He took off his jacket and placed it over me. Glancing at one of the other men, his face tightened. “Give me your jacket.” Once he had it, he rolled it up and placed it underneath my feet.

  “Dover Lookout,” I repeated, dazed. “What is that?”

  He exchanged a look with the other men and frowned. “Do you know what day it is?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  “What is your name?”

  My name? I closed my eyes, feeling tired all of a sudden. “I don’t know.”

  There were sirens and lights flashing. Even in my haze, I understood that meant something serious must have happened.

  “She’s disoriented…appears to have some memory loss.” He said it to a woman approaching us.

  “Don’t worry, Ma’am,” she said. “We’ve informed the prince, and he will meet us at the hospital.”

  The prince? What was she talking about? None of this made any sense to me. “I don’t understand. Why is a prince meeting us there?”

  The woman drew back with a wince. “Oh, dear.” She licked her lips and coughed. “I’m speaking of your husband, the Crown Prince of Calais.”

  I must have completely lost my mind because it sounded like she said I was married to a prince. Maybe I was hearing things, or it could be that I was dreaming. That had to be it. Any second I would wake up and all of this would disappear. It was weird how my subconscious had tied me to a prince though. Of all things…that one seemed the craziest. Yes, I was definitely dreaming. There was no other explanation for this. I liked to read fantasy books about old kingdoms and royal kings and queens. I must have locked onto those details and mixed them with reality.

  Weariness overtook me, and my muscles were so tired it felt like a weight pressed me to the ground. My eyelids closed and everything went black.

  ***

  I woke up in a hospital room, and the incessant beeping of a monitor clued me in to where I was before I even opened my eyes. The room seemed cold, and it had a sterile smell that burned my nose. I had this ache…this sadness, but I didn’t understand what it was or why I was feeling it.

  My eyes opened, and the first thing I noticed was how well lit the room was. It seemed overly bright, in my opinion. And then I sensed a person to my right—a presence. Someone shifted, and I turned my head to see who it was. My mouth fell open because the most beautiful man I’d ever seen sat in a chair next to my bed, and he was watching me carefully, his eyes as vibrant as the sky on a clear day. His brown hair was short on the sides and a little fuller on top.

  “You’re awake,” he said.

  “Yes.”

  He ran a hand over his square jaw, and my eyes focused in on the dimple on his chin, then moved upward to take in the high cheekbones and smooth, even skin tone of his face. He was a cross between Warren Beatty and Paul Newman in their younger years, and how I knew who those men were and didn’t know who I was…I had no idea. It was baffling.

  He hurried out of the room. “Doctor, she’s awake,” I heard him saying in the hallway. He returned and stood by my bed. Taking my hand, he peered down at me, appearing relieved. “Annette, I was so anxious. I thought you’d left me. I thought you were gone.” His eyes were both worried and accusing.

  “Annette? Is that my name?”

  “Yes. They said you were disoriented. I didn’t realize it was this bad.”

  “Who are you?” I inhaled and breathed out slowly. “You’re so…”

  His brows drew together. “I’m so…what?”

  “You’re so handsome.” The words slipped out before I had a chance to think them through. “I mean…” I turned away, heat washing over my skin from embarrassment. Why was I telling this perfect stranger he was handsome? I wanted to hide from my faux pas, but at the same time, I had to look at him again.

  He was smiling now and surprise showed in his eyes. Clearly, he hadn’t expected that response from me. “I’ve never heard you say that before with such…wonder.”

  “I’ve said it before?” Oh, dear. I hastily tried to sit up, feeling the need to get my bearings.

  “Hold on.” He picked up a remote and pressed a button, causing my bed to tilt upwards so I had back support. “That’s better.”

  An older man dressed in a white coat walked in. His hair was nearly white and, he had a confident demeanor about him. His full attention was on me as he leaned in. “I’m Dr. Bisset. Do you know why you’re here, Annette?”

  “No, I’m confused.”

  “What is the last thing you remember?”

  “I was outside, laying on the ground. Three men were there. One put his jacket over me.”

  “Okay. Do you recall anything before that?”

  I tried to think but drew a blank. “No. Nothing.”

  “You and your aunt were at Dover Lookout. Do you remember going there?”

  I bit down on my bottom lip and shook my head.

&n
bsp; He nodded slowly. “Tell me about your family.”

  “I…don’t have a family.” Or did I? “Maybe that isn’t right. I can’t remember who they are.”

  “Do you know who this man is?” He motioned to the good-looking man standing next to my bed who was still holding my hand.

  I turned to look at him and the moment our eyes locked, I felt my stomach flutter. “Do you work here at the hospital?”

  The man gave me a pained smile. “I’m Edward…your husband.” There was an edge to his voice, almost as if he thought I’d forgotten him on purpose.

  “My what?” It came out sounding like a screech or maybe a squawk. He’d reduced me to making bird sounds. The fact that this man was my husband…it just didn’t compute.

  “We got married three weeks ago,” he said.

  “Why don’t I remember you?” I squinted, trying to figure out how it could be true.

  “I don’t know.” There was fear in his eyes, and that unsettled me. “You’re still wearing your ring at least.”

  I glanced down at my left ring finger and noticed it there for the first time. How I had missed it before was beyond me since it was so beautiful, I had to suck in a breath. Diamonds surrounded a large oval emerald with smaller diamonds wrapped around the entire band, sparkling underneath the bright hospital lights. “It’s gorgeous.” A sense of awe encompassed me as I stared at it for several long moments and tried to remember receiving such a ring, but it was like looking at someone else’s hand. None of this felt real though I knew it was.

  “We’re going to get to the bottom of this,” Dr. Bisset stated matter-of-factly. “I’ve scheduled a barrage of tests, and we’ll go from there.” He pursed his lips. “Tell me this. What is two plus two?”

  “Four.”

  “Your favorite color?”

  “Red.” I didn’t know how I knew that, but it seemed right.

  “What was your favorite book growing up?”

  “Charlotte’s Web.”