Matrimony With His Majesty

But Darrell received an unexpected jolt when Phillip took one glance at Alex and went pale with fright. She recognized that look. What on earth?

His gaze switched to Darrell. “Is this that counselor you were talking about?”

Aghast, she said, “No, sweetheart. No—This man—” She struggled. “This man—”

“What your mother is trying to say is that I’m Phil.”

With those words, Darrell felt a strange charge in the atmosphere followed by a stillness that fell over Phillip.

He studied Alex for such a long time, Darrell wondered if he’d slipped into some kind of catatonic state.

“You’re my dad,” he finally muttered because he could see part of himself in the imposing stranger whose candor took Darrell’s breath.

“I’m sorry it has taken us so long to meet.”

Phillip’s body started to tremble in reaction. His eyes filled. “I hate you.”

“Phillip—” Darrel was horrified.

“I don’t blame you,” Alex responded with a calm she could only envy.

“I’d hate me, too, if I were in your shoes. But there’s something you need to know. My father’s brother was in a serious boating accident while I was on vacation in Colorado Springs thirteen years ago with my cousin Chaz. The doctors weren’t sure he was going to live.

“When we got the news, we flew straight home. Fortunately he pulled through. I would have come back to Colorado later, but my father had other plans for me. By the time I tried to reach your mother by phone, it was fall and she didn’t work at the dude ranch anymore. For security reasons no one would give me any information about her. I’m afraid time and circumstances separated us through no fault of our own.”

During Alex’s explanation, Phillip’s hands kept forming fists. Suddenly he dashed out of the room. Darrell heard him run up the stairs and slam his bedroom door.

She shook her head. “I can’t believe he said that to you.”

“After knowing what he’s been thinking all these years, I can. In fact I would have been surprised if he’d said anything else.”

“He’s changed so much from the darling, funny boy who used to play jokes and tease.”

She almost choked on her tears. “I—I’d better go up to him.”

“Let’s let him work this through on his own. He’s just sustained an enormous shock and will come around when he’s ready.”

Alex had a lot more confidence in the situation than she did. Maybe it took a man’s perspective in a crisis like this. Except that Alex wasn’t just any man.

Darrell eyed him covertly. Though he hid it well, she knew Phillip couldn’t be the only one shaken. Alex had just come face-to-face with a son he didn’t know he had until a few hours ago.

Her heart warmed to him because he’d given his son certain information to make him feel better about the circumstances surrounding his conception.

She’d seen Phillip’s eyes flare in surprise at the unexpected explanation. It remained to be seen if he would accept what his father had told him.

At the crucial moment Alex had known exactly what to say to disarm him. It was the master stroke of a man who put out fires every day in his role as king.

She was still unable to credit that he was willing to risk the fallout from the public scandal this would create in order to be united with his son.

Even if he tried to keep the news quiet, it would come out. His sterling reputation as the ruler of the canton would be tainted.

The woman he was betrothed to would suffer anguish.

He talked about his mother being thrilled with the news once she heard she was already a grandmother. But that wasn’t the way it was likely to work. His mother would not be thrilled or anything close to it!

Darrell was frightened for him.

Her anxiety must have shown on her face and in her body language because he said, “Relax, Darrell. I know what I’m doing. While we wait for him to reappear, how about feeding a starving man.”

He wanted food at a time like this? But then she remembered that Phillip could always eat in a crisis. It was one telling example of the ties that bound this father to this son.

“I have tacos left over from dinner. I’ll warm them up for you.”

“Sounds delicious. What can I do to help?”

“There’s instant coffee in that cupboard.”

“I’ll make it,” he offered. “It’s something I’m good at.”

The man was good at so many things, Darrell was in danger of losing her perspective altogether.

They worked in harmony, then sat down at the table like two ordinary people. But there was nothing ordinary about this situation or him!

Terrified of what was going on upstairs, she sipped her coffee without tasting it.

Alex on the other hand seemed to devour the six tacos with relish. After drinking several cups of the steaming brew, he made a sound of satisfaction.

“The Valleder Canton is renowned for its excellent cuisine, but I have to tell you they don’t serve anything this good.”

The secret to not falling apart right now was to keep making small talk.

“Yes, they do. I had a fondue bourguignonne dinner to die for at the Hotel Otter. But I must admit authentic Mexican food is hard to come by outside the western part of the U.S.”

When her cell phone rang, she jumped up from the table and hurried over to the counter to get it out of her purse. She checked the caller ID. It was Danice who no doubt was trying to make final plans for the Fourth.

Darrell couldn’t talk right now. Later on tonight she’d return her call.

Alex took the dishes over to the sink. “If you want privacy to talk to the man you’re involved with, I’ll be happy to go in the living room,”

“I’m not involved with anyone right now, but thank you anyway.”

He studied her briefly. “Being a good parent is a full-time job.”

“For Phillip to say what he did to you doesn’t make me sound like a good parent or anything close. I’ve never seen him that rude to anyone in my life.”

She was about to ask Alex how he knew about the trials of a parent when he said, “My cousin-in-law, Evelyn, is raising two boys on her own. They run her off her feet.”

The comment about something from his personal life made her hungry to hear more. “What happened to her husband?”

A bleak look entered his eyes. “Chaz was flying his light plane when he ran into bad weather over the Alps and crashed.”

“Oh how awful,” Darrell whispered, strangely moved by everything he said or did.

“It was one of the worst moments of my life,” he confessed.

She could hear the pain in his voice. “How old are his children?”

“Nine and ten.”

“Such vulnerable ages. My heart goes out to them and their mother.”

In the midst of the silence they heard Phillip say, “What are their names?”

They both turned in his direction.

Alex had been right to leave him be. His curiosity over his father had won out. No telling how long he’d been listening on the other side of the doorway. Darrell didn’t dare breathe while her son’s whole attention was focused on his fascinating father.

Alex glanced at him while he finished rinsing off the plates. “Jules and Vito.”

“One of the guys in my French class is named Jules. We all had to pick a name.”

Alex folded the dish towel. “What did you choose?”

“Philippe.”

“That’s your grandfather’s name.”

“I thought that was your name.”

“It’s one of them. But my mother and closest friends call me Alex so there’s no confusion.”

Phillip took another step closer. “Is he still alive?”

“No. He died six years ago. But your grandmother is very much alive. Her name is Katerina.”

“If you could never find my mother, how do you know about me?”

“Because I went searching for your father,” Darrell declared.

Phillip looked at her in disbelief. “But I thought you didn’t know anything about him.”

“I didn’t. But he gave your mom a very unique ring. I’d forgotten about it until a few weeks ago.”

That was a lie of course. The ring had haunted her for years, but it would still be in her old coat pocket if Phillip had let go of his pain.

“I decided to have it traced…and found your father.”

“When?” Phillip demanded.

“Yesterday.”

His astounded gaze switched back to his father. “You live in Chicago? I thought you were from New York.”

Darrell shook her head. “No, sweetheart. I never went to Chicago or New York.”

“I don’t get it.”

“Maybe this will help.” Alex pulled the ring from his pocket and handed it to Phillip who took it and began examining it with interest.

“This looks like a knight’s shield.”

“That’s exactly what it is,” Alex asserted. “My cousin, Chaz, gave it to me when I turned sixteen. He had it engraved. It says, ‘More than a cousin.’ The shield represents the coat of arms of our family.”

Finally Phillip raised his head. “Where do you live?”

“Switzerland.”

Surprise and wonder broke out on Phillip’s face. “That’s where they speak four different languages. I learned about that in my French class. Which one do you speak?”

“All of them,” Alex answered.

“Even that funny one called Romanish or something?”

Alex smiled broadly, causing Darrell’s heart to flip over. “Especially that one.”

“How come?”

“Because my home is in Bris, the heart of the Romanche-speaking Canton. It might interest you to know there are five forms of Romanche, a language dating back to Roman times.”

“Do you speak those, too?”

“Yes.”

It was too much for anyone to absorb, especially a young American teen who’d just been united with the father he’d always wanted to meet.

“When I had to leave Colorado, I gave that ring to your mother to remember me by. It’s a family heirloom. Now it’s yours, Phillip. No one else in the world is entitled to wear it unless they’re a Valleder.”

“A Valleder?”

“Yes. If your mother and I had married, your legal name would be Phillip Collier Valleder. If you’ve got some tape, I’ll fix it so you can wear it now.”

“There’s some in the drawer.” Phillip opened it and handed the dispenser to Alex. In a minute the ring slid on his finger and stayed put.

Her son’s eyes squinted up at him. Darrell could hear his mind working. “What’s your legal name?”

“Alexandre Rainier Juliani Phillip Vittorio Valleder.”

“Whoa.”

A deep laugh escaped Alex’s throat. It was so contagious Phillip smiled. Darrell hadn’t seen one like it in years…

But when the laughter died down, Phillip grew sober again. “Do you have a wife and kids?”

Alex’s eyes were hooded as he said, “You’re my only child.”

“But at the end of this month he’s getting married to a woman named Isabella,” Darrell informed her son to make certain he understood the situation in no uncertain terms.

After reflection Phillip said quietly, “Did you love my mom?”

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