He didn’t wait to see her reaction.
As Carrie watched Nico ease his way through the closely packed tables she longed to chase after him. It was hard to believe he had gone to all this trouble to find her only to walk away. He didn’t turn around once. Shouldering his way through the café door, he crossed the pavement and then jogged through the passing traffic to flag down a cab.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
NICO, the consummate negotiator, Carrie thought as she paced up and down her small living room. He had given her no time to think, because he was only interested in a straight yes or no. Hadn’t he said he could arrange a scan for her tomorrow in Niroli? He had probably flown to London in his private jet and might even have left the country by now….
But she had his mobile number on the back of the menu…She got through to him right away.
‘I’ll take a cab,’ he said briskly, ‘and pick you up on the way to the airport.’
‘Thank you.’ She barely managed that much before the line went dead.
Her appointment for a scan at the main hospital in Niroli was for late afternoon the following day. Having settled back into familiar surroundings at the palace, Carrie expected Nico might join her at some point during the day, but she saw him only twice, and then only through the window. The first time was barely minutes after they had arrived when he swept out in a hurry to see his brother, Max, and the second time was after lunch, when he appeared to be dressed for riding, judging by his breeches and casual shirt.
She felt a pang of jealousy as she watched him stride across the courtyard and then caught sight of herself in a mirror and laughed. Was she jealous of a horse now?
Carrie had thought that coming back to Niroli meant they would spend more time together, but Nico’s schedule was squeezed into ever smaller boxes, and she hadn’t found one with her name on it yet.
The next time she saw him was just before they had to leave for the hospital. She had been ready for ages and was waiting by the door. When the knock came she counted slowly to twenty before opening the door.
‘Sorry this has to be quick,’ Nico said, shouldering past her into the room.
‘Don’t worry, I’m ready….’
‘No—’ he shook his head, all rush and impatience ‘—I mean, there’s hardly any time to give you this.’ Digging into the pocket of his shirt, he brought out a box.
‘What is it?’
‘I realise this is hardly a romantic moment…’ Grimacing, he shrugged and then glanced skywards as if divine intervention might be his only hope. ‘It’s a ring, Carrie….’
‘A ring?’ Her fingers tightened around the small black velvet box.
‘An engagement ring,’ Nico said as if that were obvious. ‘Aren’t you going to open it? Here—’ he was as impatient as ever ‘—let me do it.’ Peeling her fingers back, he removed the jewellery box from her hand, flipped it open and pulled out the biggest diamond Carrie had ever seen.
‘Was this the biggest one in the shop?’
‘Pretty much.’ Nico’s lips pressed down with concentration as he tried to force it on her finger.
‘I meant was that your criteria for choosing it?’ Carrie didn’t even glance at the egg-sized bauble that wouldn’t make it past her first knuckle. She could just imagine the jeweller taking one look at a hunk like Nico, and, knowing he was the grandson of a king, picturing him with some supermodel with pin-thin fingers.
‘I’m no good with jewellery…no practice…’
She should be grateful for that, Carrie supposed as Nico shot her his best winning smile. ‘Nico, take it back,’ she said, wrenching it from her finger. ‘I don’t want it.’
‘You don’t want it?’ He sounded incredulous.
‘You haven’t listened to a word I’ve said to you, have you? I don’t want to marry you and I don’t want your money or what it buys. I don’t want your status, either. I don’t need it. I don’t need any man to support me, or to present me with meaningless gifts.’ Taking the box from him, Carrie carefully secured the ring in its slot. ‘I’m sure you’ll get your money back.’
‘Don’t worry about that—it’s only on approval.’
‘Well, that’s great. I’m really pleased for you.’
At least he had the good grace to colour up.
‘Carrie…I’m sorry, that was clumsy of me.’
‘Yes, it was.’ And this time, sorry wasn’t enough. ‘You managed to fit a little shopping into your lunch break, and you expect me to be grateful, is that it?’ Her look was half sad, half wry. ‘Marriage is a sacred pledge, Nico, and I don’t want my baby growing up only to discover that the reason its parents married was because it was expedient at the time.’