Page 29

Later that afternoon

S era sat on the wide window seat, her bare toes brushing against the rug as she leaned her head against the cool pane of glass in the sitting room. A gentle breeze stirred the edges of the curtains, bringing with it the faint scent of black tea from the pot in front of her.

She took another sip from her cup, but nothing could warm her in London as much as Alex’s touch had in Cornwall.

Even though it wasn’t windy, she didn’t feel the same ability to breathe.

She had abandoned time for the moment, wondering how she’d extricate herself from the ball and her family long enough to meet Alex at Vauxhall.

Before that, however, she had to face the prince.

Sera felt a twinge of anxiety. Soon, summer would be over, and she hadn’t made much progress in losing a prince—only her heart.

Since leaving Cornwall, her mother had kept a hawkish eye on her.

And when she couldn’t, there were always maids hovering nearby.

She hadn’t been able to leave the house even once!

The sharp crack of the door opening drew her attention, and the butler announced her friend. Ashley swept in, her slightly flushed cheeks brightened by the ivory day dress she wore. She brought all the energy of someone bursting with news.

“You’ll never guess who I met at the Langleys’,” Ashley started, unpinning her wide-brimmed straw hat and flinging it onto a nearby chair.

Sera shifted, tucking her feet beneath her as her curiosity stirred. “Don’t say? Please tell me the prince is awful.”

“I met him, yes, and his brother and sister. They are quite lovely, by the way. So educated and accomplished. I mean, the way they speak and—” Ashley’s smile deepened, a playful glint in her warm brown eyes as she plopped down in a chair, “and his smile.” She fanned herself.

That had nothing to do with her.

However…

Her heart sank slightly at the announcement. If he was good, he might be “good” and forgive her. If he was heroic… Well, then he might not accept the broken engagement! She didn’t want him to be good . She wanted him to be a bad man, extraordinarily picky.

She caught her friend’s look. “What? Is he a toad?” she asked, her tone half-teasing but edged with hope.

“Why?” Ashley asked. “Would you marry him if he is handsome?”

Sera scoffed. “Of course not! I’m just afraid my mother might marry him off to Isabella after I break off the engagement. My mother melts at a beautiful face.”

Ashley laughed and then said, “The man is no toad.”

“Ah well, what about his intelligence? Is he empty-headed?” Sera pressed, leaning forward slightly, as though trying to will an unfavorable answer with her intensity. “Mama has a thing for beauty, and my Papa has a thing for brains.”

“I’m afraid not even a little bit slow-witted,” Ashley said with a shrug.

Very bothersome, indeed.

Sera crossed her arms, pouting. “Then he must be rude and haughty.” Anything.

Ammunition she could use to justify to her parents the reason beyond “I gave my heart and flower to someone else.” She clung to this possibility, needing there to be some flaw in a man who had surely been bestowed every privilege imaginable.

Ashley’s reply came quickly, dispelling the notion with a shake of her head.

“He’s none of those things, I’m afraid. He’s…

well, young. Quite charming, actually. Some would even consider him perfect. ”

Very well, but still perfectly wrong for her.

“And from what I heard, he’s very capable.

He’ll be assisting the Langleys in resolving some diplomatic issue—something to do with a treaty, I believe.

His sister, the princess, is apparently brilliant herself.

She drafted some documents, a charter of sorts,” Ashley admitted thoughtfully.

Her friend waved a gloved hand in the air, laughing a little.

“It all went completely over my head, but everyone seemed impressed.” She pulled off her gloves and helped herself to a cup of tea.

But Sera had lost all ability to swallow.

Her fingers tightened around the hem of her skirt.

Whoever this prince was—and his brilliant, impossibly perfect brother and sister—was undoubtedly the center of admiration for everyone present, lifting him higher while ensuring others remained firmly in his orbit, gazing up.

She shifted on the window seat, her gaze flicking toward the lace-covered glass.

She would be a pariah if she broke off the engagement.

“I suppose he has the favor of the entire ton now,” Sera muttered after a moment of uncomfortable silence.

“I imagine so,” Ashley replied, tilting her head slightly as she studied her friend. “What about this man you met in Cornwall?”

Sera grinned, thinking about Alex. “Where do I begin? He is the exact opposite of what you say about the prince.”

“So, a peasant, then?”

Sera tossed a pillow at her friend. “What peasant? He is a man of the sea.”

“A sailor?”

He probably could be. “I’d wager he’s probably the captain.”

Ashley’s back shot straight. “Dear me, do you even know?”

“I know he’s the one!”

“Sera! Are you telling me you slept with a man you don’t know?”

Well, when Ashley put it that way… it did seem a bit reckless. But what in love isn’t reckless? “His name is Alex.”

“Ah, so it’s Alex. What about his last name?”

“I imagine it’s just as sweet as his kisses.”

Ashley’s eyes sparked with disbelief. “What do you really know about him?”

“I know everything I need to. He saved my life, Ashley. He could have died in the process. He is a good man. And I love him so.”

“And where is he now?”

“He has business in London. We’ll meet soon at Vauxhall. By then, my engagement should be broken.”

“What if he’s a deckhand with no home or land?”

Sera shrugged. “I have a house and land. If titles and riches were all I wanted, I could marry a prince, couldn’t I? I don’t love him for his fortune; I love him for who he is.”

“So long as you know what you’re doing.” She suddenly leaned closer. “How was it? You know, that?”

“A lady never tells.” The smirk tugged at her lips before she could stop it, like letting a secret slip for the fun of it.

A spark of satisfaction flickered in her chest, brief and fleeting, before it gave way to something heavier.

She exhaled softly, though the sigh pressed harder within her than what escaped.

Even as she carried the lingering warmth of mischief, there was a knot curling low inside her, one she ignored with practiced ease.

“Is this the part where I point out you’re not a lady and you’ll never be now?

” Ashley arched a brow, but her smile was conspiratorial and playful as always.

Another pillow flew across the room. “I’m a lady at heart.”

Ashley laughed. “And a hoyden in bed, right?”

“Ashley!”

“What? Prince and court versus sea man and beach. You chose a sea man at the beach! It’s scandalous!” Sera’s breath hitched, because her friend was right; she had betrayed her station quite badly.

But then Ashley winked at her. “I, future countess of Linsey, will support you. The beach is far better, anyway.”

That brought a genuine smile to Sera’s lips. “You’re right,” she agreed, the words fitting like a secret just between them. “The beach is far better.”

No prince, charming or not, could replace the feeling of sand beneath her feet or the sound of waves crashing in her ears.

No prince could replace Alex. Her sea man.

Poseidon, truly. He was built like the Greek ruler of the seas from mythology books and had the heart of a prince, even if he lacked the title.

But as she reassured herself, a question lingered in her mind—would Alex have belonged in a world like that, among titles and treaties?

And if so, could she have fit by his side?

“This is what I propose: I’ll arrange a little gathering and invite the Langleys, you, and a few other friends. The prince will be invited, and you’ll have a chance to see him before you make up your mind.” Ashley folded her hands primly on her lap and looked pleased with her idea.

“That’s a terrible idea!” Sera sighed. “I don’t need to make up my mind. I have a mind; it’s made, thank you very much!”

“Perhaps you’d like to change it? Or at least give yourself the option?”

“Would you want to give yourself another option? An alternative to Thomas?”

“Of course not!” Ashley rose from her seat. “Never!”

“Aha! Then why should I?” The mere thought made her want to claw up the walls.

“I know. I just want you to be sure. If you meet the prince, at least you’d have a chance to pick the better man.”

“First of all, Ashley, I don’t need to choose a man; I choose love. And besides that—”

“Just think about it carefully, please. That’s all I’m asking. Because you don’t know if your sea man will show up at Vauxhall. I’m just afraid you lost your man in Cornwall without even realizing it. Don’t ruin your entire life on a gamble. But even if you do, I’ll still be here for you.”

“I didn’t lose him in Cornwall; I left my heart safely with him, and I will only ever feel complete when he returns to me.”

Ashley exhaled sharply and buried her face in both hands. “I hope you’ll find him again. And until then, be there on Wednesday at four o’clock. Meet the prince.”

“Very well.” And then she would end it for good.

*

Cloverdale House on Abbotsberry Road had many bedrooms and truly suited its purpose as a rehabilitation center for nobility splendidly. Except that Alex wished he and Thea didn’t need to be there to keep their brother company because he was a patient. It reminded him of times he’d rather forget.

“I can’t believe he injured you, Stan. It looks terrible,” Alex tried not to flinch when the doctor carried a tray of bloodstained bandages out of Stan’s room just as Alex entered.

“It’ll heal. I’m in good hands with the doctors and nurses from Harley Street. You know they’re all here—”

“Yes, but it’s the Prussian pest of a baron who shouldn’t be here. And yet, he got to you.” Alex ran both hands through his hair. “When you wrote me, I expected some sort of diplomatic crisis, not a life-threatening infection you’re battling while trying to keep up appearances.”

“Why do you think I am pretending?”

“Oh please, Stan. You’re my little brother. I can read you like an open book.” Alex never hesitated to use the eleven-month age difference as if it were his trump card.

“Listen, von List is dangerous. That’s why I’m here and I called you for help. We have to protect our family and what we stand for.” Stan’s tone revealed his concern.

But what Alex feared was bringing Sera into this family, always on the lookout for enemies.

The truth was, she was a part of his heart; it was inevitable.

Then there was that dratted engagement to the other woman.

They were meeting at Vauxhall in a few days, and this mess couldn’t have come at a worse time.

Untangling the knot of his engagement while keeping the family safe from the baron’s relentless assaults gave him a severe stomach ache.

“Stan,” Alex interjected, pushing away from the wall, “Langley said that von List has allies at St. James Palace?”

“Yes, the bailiff. Self-appointed from Vienna.”

An international crisis. Alex sighed.

“That girl from Cornwall—can she protect herself from von List?” As soon as Stan spoke the words, Alex’s heart plummeted to his knees. “You know, they caught Thea. They’re trying to get to anyone we’re close to.”

“She’s not part of this,” Alex said, more forcefully than he intended. “And I’ll make sure she stays out of it. There’s no way he could find out.”

Stan’s expression softened slightly, but his voice remained firm. “If she matters to you, then she’s already involved. You can’t forever divide your life into neat little corners. Sooner or later, these worlds will collide.”

His brother was right.

Alex’s mind raced. Both the immediate threat of the baron and the meeting with Sera were impending.

Breaking his engagement was non-negotiable.

Sera deserved more than half-measures, and he couldn’t move forward with her while bound to another.

Draci , he couldn’t go forward with life without her.

And the baron and all the dangers surrounding the House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen were part of that life. At least for now.

But even if the baron weren’t, there were always enemies lurking. He couldn’t hide her from them or them from her.

“So,” Alex said. “What’s the plan? What do we do?”

“We remain alert and wait till he strikes,” Stan said, his gaze flicking to Alex. “We’re not going to attack him or else the German Emperor could come after us.”

“But you’re injured, Stan.”

“I’ll heal. Just make sure you’re not spreading yourself too thin, brother. We can’t afford to lose focus—on any front.” In other words, don’t let emotions cloud his judgment.

“I won’t.” I already did.

Perhaps it was a family thing—leaping toward their hearts’ direction. And his pointed only one way.

Stan chuckled. “We are representing our entire family, Alex. If there’s one thing we’re good at, it’s clawing our way out of impossible situations. Just remember what we’re fighting for.”

Love.

He was fighting for love.

For Sera.

For the chance to love without regret. And he wouldn’t let anything—or anyone—stand in his way.