He handed Elethia into the carriage, then assisted Pricilla. See? He could handle both. And where the hell was Arnald?
Alessandro released Cinderella's hand with an too-teethy smile. The sight set Prince's own teeth on edge. Prince refused to move, forcing de Lecce to step away. He took Cinderella's gloved hand. Warmth seeped through like a soothing balm to his frustration. Falling into her dark eyes gave him the notion that everything would find its way. The atmosphere filled with shimmering particles ready to burst into luminous sparks. The world beyond his peripheral vision ceased to exist. Only he and she.
"…how will we all fit…" Edlynne's voiced crashed through his consciousness. Her eyes blinked in series of expeditious flutters. Prince realized he still gripped Cinderella's fingers. He snatched his hand away and stepped back.
"Alessandro and I shall accompany the party on horseback," he said gruffly. He glanced around. No one seemed to have noticed his faux pas.
Mon Dieu, he wanted to grab her hand and never let go. He squeezed his hand into a fist so as not to tug his collar from his neck, no matter how tight and hot it seemed. He sketched a brief bow to Alessandro. "If that meets with your approval, Signore?" The question was rhetorical, Alessandro had no choice but to agree.
Prince led Alessandro north in a piqued fit. Envy did not sit well with Prince, but he couldn't seem to help himself. de Lecce's sultry foreign tongue was impossible to compete with.
The trail moved into fields of open rolling hills until Prince spotted the large striped tents in the distance. The lake was shaded by tall trees. All very picturesque. The first of the guests disembarked thirty minutes hence.