No. She wasn’t even that, he thought. She was the product of his aunt-by-marriage’s affair with someone they knew nothing of.

It didn’t matter. She was gorgeous.

‘What about Julianna?’ he asked, looking for catches. ‘You can’t convince her to do the right thing?’

‘Julianna won’t speak to me,’ Erhard said.

‘But you?’ he asked Rose. ‘You’re her sister.’

‘She doesn’t speak to me either,’ Rose said sadly. ‘I know it’s dumb, but there it is.’

‘So this really is a serious proposition.’

‘It seems like it.’ She smiled ruefully into her empty wine-glass. ‘You know, I swore I’d never marry again.’

‘That’d be a waste.’

‘Says you, who’s never married at all,’ she retorted, suddenly sounding angry.

‘I’m sorry.’ But his thoughts were elsewhere. ‘I wouldn’t need to stay in Alp de Montez,’ he said slowly.

‘You would for a few weeks,’ Erhard said. ‘Could you use a holiday?’

A holiday. Strange concept. With Rose?

She really was the most extraordinary woman. Stunning.

‘Maybe I could,’ he said. ‘And you?’ he queried Rose. ‘How long would you have to be away from your vet practice?’

‘A year,’ Erhard said, answering for her. ‘At least. Maybe longer. I’m sorry, Rose, but it’d be more your commitment than Nick’s. You’d rule jointly, but it’s you who’s first in line. Unless anything happened to Julianna…’

‘Which isn’t going to happen,’ Rose said, and shivered. And then braced herself. ‘No matter. I’d have to close my doors anyway, and there are…reasons why that’s not such a terrible idea.’

‘I guess the idea of playing princess for a year would be fun,’ Nick ventured, and she frowned.

‘Now you’re being insulting,’ she retorted, and he paused.

Maybe he was.

There’s not so many times in your life that you’re presented with an option that just might be for the greater good.

She met his look with calm indifference, almost scorn. His gaze fell to her hands. Here was another difference-a huge difference-from the women he dated. This woman’s hands wouldn’t have looked out of place on a woman twenty years older. Work-worn hands, not something he saw a lot of.