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Of Royal Blood
Carolyn Zane
FROM THE DESK OF LUC DUMONT, HEAD OF SECURITY ST. MICHEL DAY 12Still no sign of any missing heir. Must speak with Queen Simone about the longing looks her granddaughter, the beautiful Princess Marie-Claire, is giving that aristocratic Sebastian LeMarc. He seems too worldly for her innocence, but the protective and personal touches he gives her leads me to believe something is brewing between them…. I see how he watches her as she laughs with her sisters–and the way she looks at him as he dances with others. But is their budding relationship true enough to withstand rumors that Sebastian's ties to the royal family might be stronger than we think?
Praise for Carolyn Zane
“Carolyn Zane provides readers with very funny scenes and lighthearted banter that will surely put a smile on your face.”
—Romantic Times
Sebastian was claiming to be the missing heir to the throne of St. Michel?
Marie-Claire stood in the doorway, not sure that she’d heard correctly. His words hung in the air.
Why had he never told her this before? And, if he were the missing heir, wouldn’t that make him the Crown Prince? And, if he were the Crown Prince, wouldn’t that make him Philippe’s son, which would then make him—
Marie-Claire’s ears began to buzz. Her face caught fire and bile rose in her throat. Suddenly, the enormity of this moment hit her like a ton of bricks and she felt as though she would faint.
But it was her heart that refused to believe what he was saying. Because with the feelings she had for Sebastian LeMarc, there was no way he could be her brother.…
Dear Reader,
Calling all royal watchers! This month, Silhouette Romance’s Carolyn Zane kicks off our exciting new series, ROYALLY WED: THE MISSING HEIR, with the gem Of Royal Blood. Fans of last year’s ROYALLY WED series will love this thrilling four-book adventure, filled with twists and turns—and of course, plenty of love and romance. Blue bloods and commoners alike will also enjoy Laurey Bright’s newest addition to her VIRGIN BRIDES thematic series, The Heiress Bride, about a woman who agrees to marry to protect the empire that is rightfully hers.
This month is also filled with earth-shattering secrets! First, award-winning author Sharon De Vita serves up a whopper in her latest SADDLE FALLS title, Anything for Her Family. Natalie McMahon is much more than the twin boys’ nanny—she’s their mother! And in Karen Rose Smith’s A Husband in Her Eyes, the heroine has her eyesight restored, only to have haunting visions of a man and child. Can she bring love and happiness back into their lives?
Everyone likes surprises, right? Well, in Susan Meier’s Married Right Away, the heroine certainly gives her boss the shock of his life—she’s having his baby! And Love Inspired author Cynthia Rutledge makes her Silhouette Romance debut with her modern-day Cinderella story, Trish’s Not-So-Little Secret, about “Fatty Patty” who comes back to her hometown a beautiful swan—and a single mom with a jaw-dropping secret!
We hope this month that you feel like a princess and enjoy the royal treats we have for you from Silhouette Romance.
Happy reading!
Mary-Theresa Hussey
Senior Editor
Of Royal Blood
Carolyn Zane
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
For Rita Dubenko, neighbor, friend,
one dang fast race-walker, and sister-friend
of whom it is said, “She is faithful.”
Thanks to You, Lord, for Your amazing faithfulness.
Do not be afraid of sudden terror, nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes. For the Lord will be your confidence.
—Proverbs 3:25-26
Books by Carolyn Zane
Silhouette Romance
The Wife Next Door #1011
Wife in Name Only #1035
* (#litres_trial_promo)Unwilling Wife #1063
* (#litres_trial_promo)Weekend Wife #1082
Bachelor Blues #1093
The Baby Factor #1127
Marriage in a Bottle #1170
It’s Raining Grooms #1205
† (#litres_trial_promo)Miss Prim’s Untamable Cowboy #1248
† (#litres_trial_promo)His Brother’s Intended Bride #1266
† (#litres_trial_promo)Cinderella’s Secret Baby #1308
† (#litres_trial_promo)The Rich Gal’s Rented Groom #1339
† (#litres_trial_promo)Johnny’s Pregnant Bride #1402
† (#litres_trial_promo)The Millionaire’s Waitress Wife #1482
† (#litres_trial_promo)Montana’s Feisty Cowgirl #1488
† (#litres_trial_promo)Tex’s Exasperating Heiress #1494
Of Royal Blood #1576
Yours Truly
Single in Seattle
How To Hook a Husband (and a Baby)
Silhouette Books
The Coltons: Brides of Privilege
“Destiny’s Bride”
The Coltons
Taking On Twins
CAROLYN ZANE
lives with her husband, Matt, their preschool daughter Madeline and their latest addition, baby daughter Olivia, in the rolling countryside near Portland, Oregon’s Willamette River. Like Chevy Chase’s character in the movie Funny Farm, Carolyn finally decided to trade in a decade of city dwelling and producing local television commercials for the quaint country life of a novelist. And even though they have bitten off decidedly more than they can chew in the remodeling of their hundred-plus-year-old farmhouse, life is somewhat saner for her than for poor Chevy. The neighbors are friendly, the mail carrier actually stops at the box and the dog, Bob Barker, sticks close to home.
Contents
Chapter One (#ufb348195-9ea0-5fa6-a9db-f784034b148a)
Chapter Two (#u8efca28c-5444-57a7-a4e9-58fca04af14b)
Chapter Three (#ua5646c8b-958c-50b2-818f-f529af6ae91a)
Chapter Four (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)
Epilogue (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter One
Princess Marie-Claire de Bergeron—third daughter of Philippe de Bergeron, king of St. Michel, a small nation just north of France—squeezed between her two older sisters in order to better view the amazing physique of Sebastian LeMarc: playboy, aristocrat, successful import/export trade businessman. Clutching her sisters’ arms to keep from falling too far back in the crowd, she watched with rapt fascination as he paused in his approach to the seventeenth hole to sign an autograph for a giggly young fan.
In St. Michel, Sebastian was a local celebrity. A good-natured philanthropist, a sex symbol and an all around hotty.
“Hotty, hot-hot,” Marie-Claire murmured, loving faddish American slang nearly as much as she loved American movies, TV and cheeseburgers.
“Get away, Marie-Claire.” Her oldest sister, the newly married Lise batted at her. “You are breathing down my neck.”
Obligingly, Marie-Claire popped up over her middle sister, Ariane’s, shoulder and allowed her gaze to follow the handsome Sebastian as he signaled his caddie.
In homes all over the globe, golf enthusiasts followed this action on a cable sports channel. Color and comment announcers strained toward a bank of television monitors and murmured, “He’s approaching the tee…uh-oh.” Muffled laughter.
“We seem to have a bit of a problem on the course. Sebastian LeMarc’s caddie has taken a spill.”
“That’s right, Frank. Looks like it’ll be a minute.”
“From what we are able to gather here in the press box, LeMarc’s regular caddie was under the weather…”
“Too much celebration after yesterday’s rounds?”
More male laughter. Papers rustled.
“Rob, the caddie pinch-hitting for LeMarc today is, believe it or not, the son of the de Bergeron palace gardener, eighteen-year-old Eduardo Van Groober from St. Michel. Eduardo was on his high school’s golf team last year and hopes one day to be the next Tiger Woods.”
“Let’s see if he can stay on his feet.”
More chuckling.
“I think he was distracted.”
“The king’s daughters would do that to the most seasoned caddie, I’m afraid.”
On television, cutaways of Marie-Claire and her attractive sisters filled the screen.
Marie-Claire watched as the flame-faced Eduardo fumbled with the golf bag, rushing to insert the clubs and frantically searching for one to offer Sebastian.
Sebastian found a club lying on the ground and, stepping over the still-flailing Eduardo, moved to the tee.
“Frank, Sebastian LeMarc looks to be using a seven iron, an excellent choice. With his powerful swing and ability to focus, this next shot could put his team in the lead.”
Marie-Claire wriggled with excitement, but when a thoughtless member of the press obscured her view, she dropped down and poked her head under Lise’s elbow, only to receive a glare of exasperation for her effort.
“Stop skulking around beneath us, Marie-Claire,” Lise admonished in low tones. “Your hair is so filled with static, you look as if you’ve been electrocuted.”
I feel that way, Marie-Claire thought, catching an exhilarating glimpse of her hero from between the reporter’s lanky legs as Sebastian took a few practice swings.
“Ouch! What in heaven’s name are you doing?” Ariane demanded as Marie-Claire’s knees found the tips of her toes.
“Trying to see…him.”
Ariane guffawed. “He’s got to be what, twenty-eight? Twenty-nine?”
“Thirty-two.”
“Mon Dieu! You’re too young for him.”
“I am not.”
“Are too. Just look at you now.”
“He’s noticed me before.”
