Bride Fit for a Prince

After all the bit parts, she realized this was the big break Ann had been living for all these years, but Callie also knew her sister very well. She could have phoned her with this kind of news. There was something her sister wanted, otherwise she wouldn’t have flown up from L.A. without notice.

“I’m thrilled for you, Ann!”

“Me, too, but there’s just one little problem. Last night I won another contest!”

“That’s a problem? How much was the prize this time?”

Over the years her sister had entered more beauty contests than Callie could count. With those classic features and long legs, she’d won some considerable cash earnings, all part of Ann’s plan to stay afloat while she gained publicity to become a Hollywood star.

“Something really incredible, but I can’t follow through with it, not now that I have to report on the set first thing in the morning. This film is going to launch my career, Callie. That’s why you have to help me out. I’ve got a favor to ask of you.”

Uh-oh. “What did you win?”

“Let’s just say I was picked for something.”

Callie’s expressive brows furrowed. “Picked for what?”

“First I have to explain, so please hear me out. About a month ago I signed up to participate in a Hollywood charity benefit for the homeless called Who Wants To Marry A Prince? I heard about it from some girls while we were auditioning for a role—”

“Wait a minute!” Callie stopped her cold. “You signed up for a benefit like that after you were in that other ghastly, humiliating benefit last year, Who Wants To Marry A Billionaire?”

“It was for the publicity,” Ann defended. “Luckily I wasn’t chosen on that one. But even if he’d picked me, I would have pretended to faint, then refused to get married. The runner-up would have been forced to marry that overweight, over-the-hill American billionaire at his hotel in Las Vegas.

“But this benefit was different! A gorgeous, wealthy European prince was coming all the way to Hollywood to choose the right bride for him. It sounded so romantic and smacked of the days of Prince Rainier of Monaco coming to America to claim the actress Grace Kelly for his bride.”

“What it smacks of is a wolf in prince’s clothing,” Callie remarked in a scathing tone.

“How can you say that? The girls and I agreed that even if we didn’t get chosen, it was for a worthy cause and would give us great publicity because we knew there’d be a lot of talent scouts and film directors in the audience. The exposure might help land us a big movie contract.

“You should have seen this prince, Callie. He was wearing his royal outfit when he appeared onstage after I’d been chosen along with the other finalists. I have a picture of him. Here.” She whipped out a photo Callie had no choice but to look at. “Isn’t he incredible?”

Callie had to admit he resembled every little girl’s idea of Prince Charming. Dark brown hair, warm brown eyes. Dimples.

“I almost fainted when he walked past all of us, then knelt in front of me. He whispered that he’d made his decision the moment he’d seen my picture on the application.

“Before I could blink, he slipped this amazing betrothal ring on my finger. Can you believe that out of all the beautiful women there, he chose moi?”

Actually Callie wasn’t at all surprised. Ann was a raving beauty.

“So—have you informed him the wedding’s off because you’re too busy working on your next film?”

After a telling silence, “Not yet. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. You see, when my application was accepted for the benefit, the host was smart enough to put a clause in the contract I signed that wasn’t in the Who Wants To Marry A Billionaire contract.”

Callie’s black-fringed eyes spit green sparks. “You mean you made the same mistake again and signed another contract before you paraded back and forth in front of the prince like a prize steer at a cattle auction?”

“Don’t be so earthy, Callie. I’ll have you know I was careful to read the small print. It made all the difference. That’s why I signed papers in front of the attorney for the benefit, as well as the prince’s private attorney.”

Callie felt ill. “What did the special clause say?”

“You have to marry the prince within twenty-four hours of your arrival in his country and live with him for one month. If at the end of that time either of you wants to back out of the marriage, you can get a divorce, no questions asked, and the homeless charity still get their money.

“It’s a perfect setup. If you don’t want to stay married, you’ll have won a free trip to Europe and all the publicity that goes with it.”

Her sister was taking a long time to get to the point. When Ann tossed her head back like that, it was the signal that she was really nervous about something.

“I suppose if you actually did fall in love with the prince and he fell in love with you, then you’d stay married and live happily ever after in his palace without having to worry about money again. But only if it’s the life you really want, which I don’t and never did!”

Callie groaned in horror. Her sister’s one track mind had gotten her into some awful scrapes in the past, but nothing as bad as this. The heat of anger filled her cheeks.

“What does this prince do? Go around attempting to get married every few months in the name of charity because he can’t have an intimate relationship with a woman any other way? What’s wrong with him? He could be an ax murderer for all you know.

“Have you considered you could be walking into danger? What if you got pregnant?

“Do you honestly believe the prince would let that thirty day stipulation stand in the way if you were carrying a royal heir? If you think for one minute he’d consider divorcing you and allow you to leave the country with his child, then I know you’ve lost your mind!”

Ann’s identical green eyes gleamed like a cat’s. “There’s no chance of my getting pregnant. Trust me. But that’s not the point. If you saw his pedigree, you wouldn’t have all these misgivings.”

“Misgivings—don’t you know what he’s done is without a doubt the most monstrous, awful, barbaric, ludicrous, absurd thing I’ve ever heard of? Annabelle Lassiter—how could you put so little value on yourself? Selling yourself off to the highest bidder just to get in the movies? Where’s your pride?”

“Pride doesn’t pay my rent,” her sister retorted. “Naturally if I’d known my agent was going to call me last night with news that I’d landed the most coveted Hollywood film role of the year, I would never have gotten myself involved in the benefit in the first place and wouldn’t be in this dilemma now.”

“What dilemma? Tell the benefit committee you’re going to be in a movie so they’ll have to choose one of the other contestants for the prince.”

“I already tried that, but it didn’t work. This morning, before I flew up here, I asked my attorney to look over the contract I signed. He says there’s no way I can get out of it. That’s why you’re the only person on the planet who can help me.”

“Oh, no, you don’t.”

Callie didn’t even want to think about it. She put on her helmet, then started up her motorcycle and rode down the country road toward the Pike’s farm. Their calico cat, Baxter, had gone off his food. Callie had promised to take a look at him on her way back to the clinic.

Unfortunately Ann followed in her rental car. By the time Callie started to unfasten her helmet, her sister had caught up with her and thrust something in her face.

“Take another look at his picture. His name is Prince Enzo Tescotti. He’s twenty-eight, only a year older than we are. You can see there’s absolutely nothing wrong with him.”

“I might have known he’d be an Italian,” Callie muttered. “Oh, brother.”

“Here are the first-class round trip airline tickets to Turin, Italy, where he and his royal cortege will be at the terminal to greet you after you get off the plane.

“You’ll have to fly out of Los Angeles. Luckily you went to England for that vet conference after graduation, so you already have a passport. I’ve also purchased your round trip tickets from San Jose to L.A.

“Since your overseas flight leaves day after tomorrow, you’ll have to fly to L.A. tomorrow. You can stay overnight at my apartment. I’ll drive you to the airport the next morning on my way to the studio.”

Callie shook her head. “Even if I were willing, which I’m not, I can’t leave my work.”

“That’s all been taken care of. When I told Dr. Wood you’d won a month’s vacation in Italy, all expenses paid, he was thrilled for you. He agreed you work too hard and are due a long vacation. I swear he told me he’d get along just fine until you came back. So you’re set!”

“Just like that?” Callie snapped her fingers. “You’re forgetting one thing. I’m not the one in this family who treats life like it’s one big joke.” She handed the tickets and picture back to her sister.

“Maybe that’s because you take it far too seriously,” Ann responded in a quiet voice. “I’m not like you. I hated the way Dad’s death left us in debt. Mom scrimped and still ended up having to sell the farm. You’re just like her.”