Page 9

The next morning

I want to see him again.

Sera wondered where she would wander today to catch a glimpse of the mysterious Alex.

There was something exciting about remaining purposefully strangers, yet she wanted to know more.

She longed to slowly discover the man beneath the mystery.

For that, she needed to escape her parents’ discerning eyes.

“What do you think, dear?”

Sera blinked at her mother when the lively chatter that filled the drawing room quieted, and three pairs of eyes turned to her. “About what?”

“Returning to London sooner.”

What? No! That would be… horrific! “I want to stay a bit longer,” she replied rather abruptly, perhaps even too eagerly, causing her father’s brow to furrow.

“Why?” her father asked.

Well… She wanted to kiss a certain someone again.

Perhaps.

But not just once.

Ah! How bothersome one’s memory could be!

She hadn’t planned on kissing him yesterday.

But when she looked up, his eyes met hers with such an expression that even she could not explain but that sent shivers down her spine, all thought of propriety vanished.

That is to say, propriety had never been there in the first place, but whatever little remained had scattered.

And stars, the touch of his lips, confident yet subtly tender, was enough to set her whole world spinning.

And the strangest part? For the first time in her life, she felt truly alive, as if her spirit had broken free from the cage of expectation that confined it.

The cage that formed the moment she became engaged to a prince.

And it had solidified over the years to the point of restraining her in every way.

The low murmur of her family’s voices drifted from the sitting room, but Sera lingered by the window, her fingertips brushing the cool pane.

The sea stretched endlessly beyond, wild and unrestrained, so unlike the tidy fate laid out for her.

Her stomach tightened at the thought of a prince she’d never met, his name a hollow echo of someone else’s decision.

Here, in Cornwall, she was herself—barefoot on the sand, salt in her hair.

No amount of elegance could quiet the tempest inside her.

She craved something real—love, fire, and…

Alex.

She cleared her throat and said to her father, “I wish to enjoy the breezes of Cornwall a bit longer.”

Her father arched a brow. He was not fooled, even though he might be indulgent. “A few days won’t do any harm, I suppose.”

“What about a lifetime?” Sera countered.

“The royal family expects complete loyalty.”

“But Papa—”

“I know your reservations, Seraphina,” her father interrupted. “But this family cannot break an engagement on your whims. You haven’t even met the prince yet. I’m sure he will be to your liking.”

Isabella sent her a look before asking, “But what is he like, Papa? Is he handsome? Heroic? Charming?”

“He is a prince.”

Sera made a face at that dry answer.

Sera’s mother glanced at her with a small smile. “Darling, like your father said, he’s a prince. Third son of a distinguished family with ties to the Imperial German Empire, Hungary, and even France. And marrying a prince is a rare and great honor.”

“Then why don’t you marry him?”

“Seraphina,” her father warned. “That’s enough.”

Sera folded her arms, her brow creasing. “Fine, but has anyone asked me if I even want this honor?” She tried to keep the bitterness out of her voice, but she was certain everyone caught it anyway. “What if I don’t want to marry this prince?”

“You deserve the best, dear,” her father said.

“I don’t want the best. I want what’s best for me.” Sera crossed her arms.

“I know what’s best, and that’s a prince.

” Her father had that tone he used when business was at stake.

It was always about business, wasn’t it?

Not about what she wanted or matters of the heart.

Even the book only served to foster lucrative liaisons, not the passionate and sincere ones like…

Alex’s warm gaze came to mind again, and Sera broke into goosebumps.

Her mother paled. “Sera, you know you can’t simply break an engagement to a prince! Not even if we tried.”

“Why not?” she challenged, not only feigning innocence but also mocking. “If these shipping routes are so important, why doesn’t Papa marry one of the ships to him? Why me?”

Her mother gasped, clasping a hand over her heart as if struck. “Sera! That is an outrageous suggestion! What has gotten into you? You have never voiced any protests before.”

Not like this, no. She had been able to pretend that something might happen on the royal family’s side that would cut the engagement.

After all, it was not a fairy tale. Princes didn’t marry commoners no matter how rich their fathers were.

She could practically feel the imbalance of power just with this betrothal.

She didn’t want to imagine how many times that would increase once she married the man.

She’d have no say in this union.

The weight of it pressed down like an undertow, pulling her farther from the shore of her life with every thought of the man she’d never met.

No matter how fiercely she struggled, the waves would drown her voice, leaving her adrift and silent in a sea not of her choosing.

Just like those waves sucking her to the bottom of the ocean.

If it hadn’t been for Alex…

But there would be no Alex once she married. There would be no one to save her. She could only save herself.

Her father, clearly not in the least bit amused, cleared his throat. “I understand you feel a certain amount of reluctance. But your duty to this family is not to be trifled with. It is admiral, even.”

Admiral her derriere!

“Oh, duty, yes,” Sera mused, a faint smile teasing the corners of her lips. “How ‘duty’ so marvelously aligns with what benefits you , Papa. At the cost of my life and happiness?”

“Sera!” Her mother looked positively scandalized, and Isabella stifled a laugh.

“You don’t know that the prince and his castle won’t make you happy.” Her father, on the other hand, appeared unperturbed. “What benefits me, benefits the family.”

And lock me away as an accessory to some prince’s life. I’d have to leave everything I love behind.

What an unpleasant truth—that her life was not her own to shape.

That she was merely a gambling chip, moved strategically to secure alliances and wealth, her happiness an afterthought.

It stung, bitterly so. And yet, it wasn’t entirely unexpected.

And it was a truth she might have accepted unquestioningly had she not nearly lost her life in the ocean.

However, her engagement to the prince loomed over her like a storm cloud. She couldn’t simply break it. The repercussions for her family would be immense, the shame to her mother and father unbearable. But the prince could. And that, at least, gave her hope.

She had tasted the sharp edge of mortality and realized she didn’t want to spend her life merely accepting and settling .

She wanted more.

On that much she was clear.

So, she would just have to make sure the prince broke their engagement.

She would have to give it her all.

“Of course, Papa,” Sera murmured, deciding to let it go. Her father would never give in, so it was no use in arguing over the matter. “How irresponsible of me to forget.”

Isabella winked at Sera. “We are all allowed one or two irresponsible moments.”

Her mother scowled. “Not you, too, Isabella!” She puffed out a breath. “If you’re going to be irresponsible, please keep it to Cornwall. In London, I expect you both to be on your best behavior.”

Sera almost laughed.

She could do that… She could keep her irresponsible actions to Cornwall. In fact, that suited her quite well. And Alex… He might just be the very key for her to accomplish her goals.

And set her heart free.

*

Alex pulled the brim of his hat lower over his eyes. He wore the plainest of his clothes—simple black trousers, a white shirt, and a black coat—not wanting to stand out as he strolled through the streets of Cornwall.

He had a mission—one that had proven frustratingly elusive.

He had checked the lake, circled the orchard, and even waited at the beach despite the chilly breeze. Not a single glimpse of her. The “her” in question, of course, was the enchanting water nymph who had stolen his senses—and his reason—back in the orchard.

Sera.

It was silly, really.

A single kiss had turned his Cornwall visit upside down.

A kiss that still haunted him with its simplicity and its promise of more.

A kiss he should forget, given his obligations.

Yet here he was, wandering aimlessly through a bustling market in search of her, as if she might be strolling down the street with cherries in her hand and a smile on her lips.

There was something remarkable about how she moved through the world—entirely unencumbered by titles or formality.

He had watched her stop to chat with a shepherd, her hands brushing over a lamb’s wool as if it were the softest silk.

She crouched beside a group of children to show them the proper way to whistle through a blade of grass.

There was grace in her gestures, but no haughtiness—just ease.

It was humbling to see a woman who carried herself with both warmth and dignity.

Alex hadn’t known anyone quite like her.

And he couldn’t wait to find her again.

He kept his head down, scanning the crowd beneath the brim of his hat. His gaze flitted from one woman to another. He couldn’t quite say what had drawn him here, since he didn’t believe this was the sort of place Sera would come to willingly, which was why he called her a water nymph.

There was no large or small body of water in town besides the Thames, and that was dirty—not at all a place for nymphs.

He paused by a stall selling ribbons and lace, his fingers brushing over a length of green silk that reminded him of Sera’s eyes. The stall keeper, a portly man with a thick mustache, perked up immediately.

“A fine choice, sir!” the man said. “Perfect for a lady’s bonnet.”

Alex cleared his throat, taking a step back. “I’m just browsing.” He had no business buying ribbons for ladies. And come to think of it, he had only once seen Sera wearing a bonnet before. Granted, he’d only ever met her twice.

The man’s eager smile never faltered. “Of course, sir.”

The back of his neck prickled. As if… Alex’s brows furrowed. As if someone were watching him.

His gaze swept over the crowd.

Nothing.

Moving on, Alex found himself drawn to a small bookshop nestled between a bakery and a tobacco shop.

He probably won’t find Sera today. What a pity.

The bell above the door jingled softly as he entered, and the scent of aged paper welcomed him.

Shelves crammed with volumes of various sizes lined the walls, and a young woman sat behind the counter, engrossed in a novel.

Alex drifted through the rows, his fingers grazing the spines of books without truly seeing them, his mind elsewhere.

A book caught his eye: Mythes et Contes de L’Eau .

He pulled it from the shelf, smirking at the irony.

Myths and Tales of Water . How fitting. Was she his water nymph, luring him into the depths with no hope of escape?

“An unusual choice,” came a voice from behind him.

Alex turned to find the woman behind the counter had set her novel down, eyeing his selection with curiosity. “It reminds me of someone.”

“Water?” she explained, glancing at him with a knowing smile. “Well, if she’s from Cornwall, I wouldn’t find that surprising.”

He hesitated. “Who says there’s a ‘she’?”

The woman shrugged. “Your face.”

Alex grunted.

The shopkeeper tilted her head, studying him as though trying to discern something. “Well, if you’re looking for enchantment, Cornwall is full of it. The cliffs, the sea, even the market square—there’s magic everywhere if you know where to look.”

Green eyes swam to the surface of his mind.

Yes, he might have already found a bit of it. “And orchards,” he murmured.

“Orchards?” The woman scrunched her brows. “I believe the ones around here are private property, all owned by a wealthy merchant. I’d steer clear of them.”

“I see.” Alex placed the book back on the shelf. Could the orchard be a clue to Sera’s identity? “I’ll keep that in mind.”

As he exited the shop, the woman’s words burned into his bones.

There’s magic everywhere if you know where to look.

Magic…

The rational part of his mind urged him to return to the hotel, to abandon this foolish quest. He had obligations, a future carefully mapped out long before he’d met her.

A future that didn’t include stolen kisses in orchards or an impulsive search through an English town.

Like a fool. Yet he couldn’t shake the hope that he might turn a corner and find her there, smiling at him as if she’d been waiting all along.

A flash of dark hair caught his attention. His heart leapt, but the woman turned, and it wasn’t Sera. He sighed. This was madness. He couldn’t spend the entire day chasing shadows. He clearly didn’t even know where she lived.

Alex admitted to himself that he knew nothing about her—but he knew himself well enough to want all of her.

A hand suddenly snatched his wrist.

Alex turned, his eyes locking with hauntingly familiar green ones.

Sera.

Finally.

“I’ve been—”

“Come,” she interrupted him, pulling him down into an alleyway.

Alex didn’t resist. After all, this was the little bit of magic he had been looking for all morning.