Page 9

"Be gone," I shouted, feeling my cheeks turn crimson. I sank beneath the water.

He snatched the nearest dress from a tree and took off into the forest. I could hardly follow in my state. Luckily, my sister’s gown remained. She hurried from the water, wrung out her hair, and shimmied back into her gown, grinning. "Don’t worry. I’ll chase him down yet."

"That’s not what I was worried about," I breathed as I watched her retreat. I was not worried for myself but for her. I should never have gone along with this swim. Now, my only remaining sister was traipsing through the dark alone.

I clung to the dock, my heart in my hands.

I didn't wait long. Moments later, I heard my father’s booming voice in the distance. "What are you doing out here? Is your sister with you?"

"No, papa."

"Then where is she?"

"You know her. She snuck back to her room to read by candlelight."

He grunted. "Get back to the palace immediately. Go through the servants’ entrance. If your departed mother could see you..."

I heard footsteps as they walked away. There was no help coming now. I would have to find my way back to our mansion in my shift.

Foolish. Reckless. I chastised myself.

The party must be nearly over if father had excused himself to find us. Perhaps, I could sneak up my trellis and through my window, as if I were but sixteen when I was twenty years old.

I swam a few laps, considering my options. There was nothing for it. I could not stay here.

Then I heard someone clear their throat. I looked around, expecting my sister or perhaps that beast Eldon. Instead, I saw a tall man with piercing green eyes and an adorned cloak. He was handsome.

Suddenly, I came to my senses. I was dressed in a shift, and from where I stood in the water, my collarbone and the tops of my bosom were exposed. The fabric stuck to my silhouette, leaving no curve to the imagination. Any hint of modesty or decorum was lost. I felt my face and chest flush in embarrassment.

Before I could speak, he said, "Forgive the intrusion."

"I should be the one apologizing," I said in a rush of breath. "It’s just so hot out this evening, and my sister and I?—"

"Ah, the girl with wet hair. I saw her at a distance."

My heart quickened. "Was she okay?"

"Naturally. She was near the palace doors when I turned onto this path. What’s happened to your gown?"

"It was stolen," I admitted, my cheeks flushing.

His lip quirked upward in a sliver of a smile. "Stolen? It’s unusual to see highway robbers so far from the open road."

Was he teasing me?

"I’m afraid I do not have a spare gown. However, I am more than happy to lend you my cloak."

His eyes were striking, a bright green, and his hair was as dark and shiny as a crow’s wing.

Without thinking, I waded toward the shore, my shift clinging to my body and nearly see-through. My bosom, stomach, and strong thighs were visible. Finally, I stepped onto the bank and reached out a hand to accept his cloak. Then I pulled back, realizing what I had just done. What had come over me?

I caught the faintest flicker of a smile before he turned his back modestly and held out his cloak.

I accepted it from his long, nimble fingers. My hands swept gently against his. His were smooth, not the sort that did hard labor. He was a noble, royal, or gentry. Not a commoner. Not staff. As his hand brushed mine to hand me the cloak, I could feel the buzz of more than alcohol on my skin. Pure electricity. He excited something within me. Something dormant until now. Something wild.

Who was this man? If he was a guest, a noble, a suitor, perhaps my fate was not so glum as I had imagined. I shook my head. Was this all it took to shake my resolve? One handsome face. One small act of kindness.

I would not give up on my dream. Somehow, I would find my lost sister. Then she could marry and rule. I would be more than happy to return to my rightful place as the middle sister. Pretty enough but easily eclipsed in style and charm.