“But Papa was never in line and Rini’s father is dead. So is Rini’s elder brother Paolo, who would have been named Crown Prince if he hadn’t been killed at a young age. That left Rini and he’s back to his old self. Face it, Mamma, none of it was meant to be for me. I was the last resort after the King thought Rini couldn’t function, but no longer. With a baby on the way, the succession will be ensured.”

  “It isn’t fair,” she said in a withering tone. “I can’t bear it.”

  “You’ve talked to Valentina?” his grandfather asked the important question.

  “I’ll call her in a little while.”

  His grandmother looked stunned, but said nothing. His mother buried her face in her hands. “This is going to come as the most terrible news imaginable to Valentina and the Visconti family.”

  Yes, Vincenzo mused. Valentina and her parents had expressed their joy that he’d been installed as the Crown Prince. To think that one day soon their son-in-law would become King of San Vitano; moreover, the Visconti family would hold valuable shares of timber stock they’d never been able to get their hands on. Those were huge considerations anticipated by that family.

  But all that had changed now. His marriage would take place here in Scuol instead of the country of San Vitano. Without the incentive of Valentina being Queen one day, this latest news had to be a severe disappointment to her. But Vincenzo knew the real reason for the marriage. Stefano wanted to get his hands on the timber business. Valentina was the sacrificial lamb to accomplish it.

  “I wish Bella were back from vacation,” his mother moaned. “She’s going to be terribly upset too.”

  No. Bella knew the truth of Vincenzo’s feelings and would be thrilled he no longer had to perform that duty. She’d told him more than once that he should never have promised their father he’d marry Valentina. She’d thought it cruel of their mother to force their father to elicit that promise from him.

  “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll go to my study and call Valentina. We need to talk before it’s announced on TV and the newspapers. I’ll check in with you again later.”

  The dog followed him out of the room and down the hall. Vincenzo didn’t look forward to his conversation with Valentina who’d been caught up in the knowledge that one day she would be Queen. The day after Rini’s reported death, Vincenzo had been informed that he was now the Crown Prince. When Rini was later found alive but having lost his memory, Vincenzo had had no option but to retain the title. Knowing that Leonardo’s life was coming to an end, it appeared that becoming Queen was all Valentina could think about.

  Her interest seemed to have grown into an obsession. That was because for reasons of her own, she hadn’t wanted their arranged marriage. He imagined she thought that being Queen might compensate for what was missing between them. That’s what came from not being in love. Who knew what her reaction would be when he got her on the phone?

  * * *

  Six o’clock in the evening rolled around at the vet clinic. Francesca splinted the dachshund’s leg. She would love a dog, but it didn’t pay to be in a rush when she’d barely settled here. Another few weeks and she’d find a darling dog to love and take care of. Her landlord had agreed she could have a pet. Of course, it would have to come to work with her, which meant she needed to discuss it with Daniel.

  After the patient left, Francesca removed her uniform and put it in the laundry bin at the back of the clinic. Just then Daniel walked in. “How did it go today?”

  “I had a surprise visitor named Karl.”

  He chuckled. “Vince’s dog.”

  “Yes. He brought him in because Karl has a fleshy mass under his right eye. I could have opened him up, but instead I gave him an antibiotic and suggested he come back if it didn’t get better.”

  The older vet nodded. “I’d have done the same thing. He’s slowed down so much he’s not going to be around soon. No point hurting him unnecessarily. His death will be a blow to Vince.”

  “The deaths of my dogs almost killed me.”

  “You lead with your heart. That’s one of the reasons I hired you.”

  She admired this man so much. “Good night, Daniel. See you tomorrow.”

  On that note Francesca walked outside to her yellow Volkswagen and headed for her apartment in an eight plex. She lived on the second floor with a window box full of daisies outside her front room. En route she stopped to buy some groceries. She wanted something simple to fix and eat, like a ham omelet and toast.

  After washing up, she cooked her meal and sat down on the couch to phone her parents. She owed them a call, but had been too busy until now. Her brother Rolf was finishing up his studies in Paris. Her parents had become empty nesters. They talked for a long time before hanging up, then she turned on the TV.

  When the ten o’clock news came on, she found herself staring at a clip of Prince Rinieri Baldasseri. After meeting Prince Vincenzo this morning, what a coincidence to see his relative on the screen! The Baldasseri men were sinfully gorgeous.

  A miracle has happened in San Vitano. Prince Rinieri Baldasseri, who lost his memory in an earthquake at the Baldasseri Gold Mine, has recovered it completely. To the joy of his grandparents, the King and Queen of San Vitano, today he has been proclaimed the Crown Prince once again. Congratulations to him and his wife, Princess Luna, who are expecting their first baby.

  The Prince’s second cousin Prince Vincenzo Baldasseri has been serving in that position and is also to be congratulated. No longer Crown Prince, he can attend to his duties full time as head of Baldasseri Royal Timber Enterprises in Scuol while he prepares for his nuptials to Princess Valentina Visconti of Milano, Italy.

  Francesca turned off the TV, trying to imagine what it would have been like to have amnesia, then suddenly remember everything. Incredible. She got up and walked to the kitchen for a drink of water.

  The news meant that Prince Vincenzo was no longer the Crown Prince. How did he feel about that? No doubt he’d have more time to prepare for his wedding.

  As Francesca got ready for bed, she knew that if or when she ever got married, she planned to spend as much time with her husband as possible. Being the wife of a king would make it difficult to spend enough time together to suit her.

  She considered it a plus for Valentina who was engaged to one fabulous man with a very sick dog.

  Francesca’s own parents had always been in love and enjoyed a close, wonderful marriage. She would never settle for anything less.

  July turned to August. On Tuesday morning Francesca got busy vaccinating Mrs. Corsin’s three healthy Bernese Mountain Dogs. The twelve-week-old pups were Francesca’s favorite breed and too adorable for words, especially the one male she ended up cuddling. He licked her several times. His sweetness reminded her of Karl.

  “What’s the name of this one?” she asked the owner.

  “Artur.”

  “Artur...” She spoke to him. “I could take you home with me.” He was so cute.

  “Do you have a pet, Dr. Linard?”

  She put him in the crate. “Not since I moved here about three weeks ago, but it won’t be long before I get one.”

  “I have a tentative buyer, but it might fall through. Would you be interested? Artur seems to have taken to you.”

  That did it. Francesca didn’t hesitate. “I would love a call. I’ll give you my number.” When that was done she heard a knock on the door. Haida poked her head in. “Sorry to disturb.”

  “I’m just leaving.” Mrs. Corsin gathered the crate with her puppies and left the room.

  Haidi smiled at Francesca. “You have a patient waiting without an appointment.”

  “I’ll be right out.”

  Her brows arched. “It’s an important patient, if you get my meaning,” she murmured with a glimmer in her eye before she hurried down the hall. Haidi was only a few years older than Francesca and a lot of fun.

  The word important could only mean one thing. Francesca’s heart ticked over in reaction, surprising her. She washed her hands and headed toward the front desk. The Prince sat in one of the chairs, studying something on his phone. Karl lay at his feet. When the dog’s brown eyes saw Francesca, he made a sound and slowly got up.

  “That’s a wonderful greeting, Karl.” She hunkered down to ruffle his fur and received another lick. “How are you feeling?”

  “Not so well,” his master responded and stood up. Once again the deep voice curled through her body, stirring her senses. Her gaze flicked to the Prince dressed in a tan crew-neck shirt and jeans that molded to his long, powerful legs. His dark wavy hair and hot blue eyes took her breath.

  “I’m sorry to hear that.” She patted the dog and got to her feet. “Come on. Let’s go take a good look at you.”

  Karl followed on leash. When they reached the examination room, she lifted the dog’s head and took another look at the fleshy mass. “You poor darling. I’m afraid there isn’t improvement, so I’m going to open it up and see what I find.” She eyed the Prince. “If you’ll put him on the table and steady him, we’ll get this over.”

  She noticed the play of muscle across the Prince’s broad shoulders as he handled his dog with gentleness and care. You could tell a lot about a person’s character by the way he treated his pet.

  Francesca deadened the mass and felt around. “There’s no bone or object in there. It appears to be sheer infection.” She finished up the procedure and gave his dog another injection. Then she took Karl’s vital signs.

  “What’s the verdict?” he murmured.

  She lifted her head and their gazes locked. “I have to be honest, Your Highness. He—”

  “Daniel told you who I was?” he interrupted.

  “No. I’ve seen you on TV several times and on the videos featuring you discussing conservation efforts at the biosphere. Dr. Zoller suggested I watch the latest ones. I was going to say that Karl is in a bad way.”

  He studied her features for a moment, causing her chest to flutter. She wondered what he’d been thinking. “I know I should have put him down, but I can’t bring myself to do it yet.”

  She heard his pain. “Since I’ve been through the experience with my own dogs growing up, I know what an agonizing decision that is. Take my advice and think about it a little longer, but not too long. You’ll know when the time is right and you can’t bear to watch him suffer any longer. Then phone the clinic. Whoever is on call will come.”

  He swallowed hard. “I want his passing to be peaceful, so I’ll ask for you. I wasn’t wrong the other day. He likes you.” Everything he said was getting to her which was absurd. She’d met attractive men before; however, the engaged Prince was off limits in every conceivable way.

  “Your dog is precious.” Francesca fought to keep her voice steady and kissed his head. “See you soon, Karl.”

  The dog made a whimpering sound before his master picked him up. “Thank you, Dr. Linard. You have a special way.”

  She watched him carry his dog toward the front of the clinic. His hard-muscled silhouette with the dog in his arms was a sight she’d never forget.

  The Prince remained in her thoughts all day. When your beloved pet wouldn’t be on this earth much longer, the heart hung heavy. She knew what it felt like. Between memories of Mitzi and now Karl, she’d told Mrs. Corsin she’d buy Artur if he were available.

  While Francesca fixed herself a salad for dinner, she took a call from the brother she adored. “Rolf—What’s new? Are the Parisian girls more exciting than Gina?”

  “No way.” He laughed. “Right now I’m working on my French and will tell you more once I can string a conversation together.”

  “I know what you mean. Romansh isn’t the easiest language to learn.”

  “You were always a whiz at everything. I bet you’re fluent already.”

  “Don’t I wish. So what’s new?”

  “That’s why I’m calling you. When I was home Sunday to see Gina, I heard the folks talking about some problem to do with the other side of the family that involved Valentina. They didn’t realize I’d overheard them talking. Do you know anything about it?”

  “Yes. It was on the news. Prince Vincenzo is no longer the Crown Prince of San Vitano.”

  “Yeah. The amnesia that Prince Rinieri suffered and recovered from is all the talk everywhere.”

  “Stefano is undoubtedly upset because Valentina won’t be the Queen after all. That side of the family cares too much about titles. It’s why Papa broke with them in the first place and has rejected all claims to his.”

  “Smart man, our father.”

  “I couldn’t agree more, Rolf. Do you want to know a secret?”

  “I’m all ears.”

  “You have to keep this to yourself. Swear you won’t tell anyone?”

  “I promise.”

  In the next breath she told him about Karl. “He’s this wonderful Bernese Mountain Dog. Guess who he belongs to?” Then she told him.

  Her brother whistled. “So you’re the Prince’s vet?”

  “Daniel is his vet, but he had another patient so I took care of his dog. Amazing, huh. But the folks don’t know, and I’ll never tell them. It’s a good thing I was prepared with a new name. A Romansh one at that, thanks to you.”

  “Funny how you were worried about this.”

  “I’m thankful the Prince doesn’t have a clue I’m a Visconti or that I’m Valentina’s cousin. He never will. So how is Gina?”

  “We miss each other.”

  “I can only imagine.”

  “Hey—I’ve got to go. Do me a favor, Francesca. If you hear anything more from Mom and Dad about what’s going on, call me. I can’t help but be curious.”

  “That works both ways,” came her honest response. “Ace those engineering tests, bro. Talk to you soon.”

  Francesca hung up and watched TV before getting ready for bed. After all these years she was amazed the subject of Valentina and her fiancé had come up at the same time Francesca had been treating his dog. The strange coincidence made it difficult for her to fall asleep. She especially couldn’t put the picture of the Prince out of her mind. It alarmed her that he remained there through the rest of her work week.

  CHAPTER THREE

  BECAUSE OF BAD TRAFFIC on Friday after leaving Milano to see Valentina, Vincenzo arrived late in Scuol for a meeting with his personal solicitor and high-powered attorney Marko Fetzer. He hurried inside his private office at the Baldasseri Timber Company.

  “Marko? Forgive me for not being on time.”

  “No problem, Your Highness. I haven’t been waiting long. You said it was urgent.”

  “Extremely.” He sat down in his leather swivel chair and eyed him. “This is about the papers you’ve been arranging for the transfer of a hefty percentage of Baldasseri timber stock to the Visconti account.”

  He nodded. “Everything is ready.”

  “I can always count on you. But there’s been a change in plans. I want you to shred them.”

  The other man leaned forward in surprise. “Is that because you have something else in mind?”

  “No. The news I have to tell you isn’t meant for another soul’s ears yet.”

  “You have my word.”

  “I know that. The fact is, my engagement has been permanently called off.”

  The miracle he’d been praying for had happened. Valentina had accused Vincenzo of neglecting her over the last year, of not even pretending to be in love. He knew it was a ruse to cover what was really going on with her. Now that he wouldn’t be King, there was no point to their bogus engagement and she had returned the ring he’d given her.

  Vincenzo realized she too had been working on a way to get out of the sick alliance their parents had concocted. Hallelujah! The wedding wouldn’t be happening! He was free! Stefano must be in a complete frenzy, but it was no concern of Vincenzo’s.

  Silence followed before Marko said, “I’m so sorry, Your Highness.”

  “Don’t be. These things happen. I have no doubt it’ll be announced on the news at some point.”

  If Marko only knew the joyous state of Vincenzo’s mind. He got to his feet. “Thank you for having taken the time to prepare the transfer. You’re so good at what you do, expect another bonus for your service.”

  Now that their meeting was finished, Marko smiled and stood up. They shook hands before he left the office.

  Vincenzo followed him out, anxious to get home to Karl. He’d left him in his mother’s care. His dog’s welfare and Dr. Linard’s loving care were all he could think about as he drove to the palace and raced up the stairs to his own suite. Released from the ghastly vow he’d made to his father, Vincenzo could live again and intended to!

  “Hey, buddy.” He hunkered down to pet Karl who lay in his dog bed. He licked Vincenzo and moaned, letting him know he was glad he was back.

  “I came as soon as I could.” He kissed his head.

  The sound of footsteps caused him to turn his head. “Mamma.”

  “Oh, good—you’re back! Why didn’t you come to Alfredo’s bedroom? Your grandparents and I have been waiting hours to hear from you.”

  “I had to see Karl before doing anything else.” And stop at the office for a vital private business transaction that would send Stefano into a new uproar. The timber stock was still out of his reach and always would be. “Has he eaten anything?”

  “No, but he drinks every so often.”

  The condition of his dog had deteriorated since the last visit to Dr. Linard. “Thank you for watching over him. I’ll carry him and we’ll all talk.”

  With care he picked Karl up and walked through the palace to the suite where his grandfather was the most comfortable. Vincenzo sat down on the love seat with Karl next to him and ruffled his fur.