The sight was so beautiful Lee could hardly believe it was real. But her appreciation was short-lived the moment she saw the “Miami” sign held by a lanky male in dark trousers and a windbreaker.

That would be Philippe, Raoul’s friend. He stood in front of one of those electric cars, the only kind allowed in Zermatt. She thought he looked very French and attractive in his own way, with overly long dark hair and hooded eyes. While his gaze swept the crowd for signs of Sophie, it managed to linger on Lee in male appreciation several times in the process.

With her cap of silvery-gold curls and violet eyes, she’d become used to the stares of men, especially the dark-haired types living in Europe and the Middle East. But to capture the interest of Prince Raoul was something else again.

Hoping her legs would support her, she walked toward the man. “Hello, Philippe,” she said in English. Might as well play the part of the American tourist to make everything real.

His black eyes gleamed with flattering interest. “Hello,” he responded in kind with a French accent. “Have we met before?”

“No, we haven’t. But my best friend told me you would answer to that name and be carrying a sign I would recognize. If we could get in the car, I will tell you everything.”

Her explanation wiped the lazy amusement from Philippe’s expression. After eyeing her speculatively, he opened the car door for her. Once he’d helped her inside, he stashed the sign and her bag, then went around to the driver’s side and slipped behind the wheel.

He studied her as if she were a puzzle that needed solving. “Who are you?”

“My name is Lee Gresham. I’m a close friend of Princess Sophie.”

The lie was about to begin.

“She asked me to accompany her to Zermatt, but she became ill on the train and was forced to return to Geneva. I wanted to go back with her, but she hated disappointing Prince Raoul and begged me to see him in person so I could tell him what happened.”