She told herself to speak to Mason about going to the beach as soon as possible. Perhaps they could walk together, perhaps they could?—
Her thoughts stilled. There, in the distance, she saw him. Mason was already walking along the shore, his boots sinking into the damp sand, the morning light gilding the dark waves of his hair. His hands were clasped loosely behind his back, his gaze fixed on the horizon as though deep in thought.
Without another moment’s hesitation, she dressed quickly, her fingers working at the fastenings with a clumsy eagerness. She pulled on her half-boots, not even bothering to fix her hair with the same care as usual, and slipped from her room.
The air outside was fresh and cool, carrying the tang of salt and the faint cries of gulls. The soft crunch of the path gave way to the yielding give of sand, and her pulse thrummed faster with every step. She was going to him, to the sea, to the morning that felt entirely theirs.
Cordelia broke into a run, her skirts gathering in her hands to keep from tangling about her legs. Mason turned at the sound ofher approach, and the moment his eyes found her, his face broke into a smile, one of those quiet, unguarded smiles that made her chest feel uncomfortably warm.
She slowed as she reached him, the sand soft and cool beneath her feet. Turning in a slow circle, she drank in the wide, glittering expanse before them.
“It’s wonderful,” she breathed, her voice tinged with awe. “To actually be at the beach…”
“It is,” Mason agreed, his gaze not on the sea but on her, watching her with an amused curl to his lips as she glanced down and began tugging at the laces of her half-boots.
He raised a brow. “You don’t mean to?—”
“Oh yes, I do,” she interrupted, grinning as she slipped her shoes and stockings off, setting them neatly on the sand.
Mason stared as though she had announced she intended to leap straight into the depths. “Cordelia?—”
But she was already picking her way toward the edge of the surf, her skirts lifted just enough to free her stride. The first wave swept over her feet, cool and tingling, and she let out a delighted laugh. Another followed, climbing higher, darkening the fabric of her gown at the hem. She didn’t care in the slightest.
“Oh, it’s wonderful!” she called over her shoulder, eyes bright as the sunlight caught them. “It feels like the whole sea belongs to you for a moment.”
He strode closer, shaking his head. “Cordelia, you’ll catch your death, it’s freezing!”
“You need to live a little, Your Grace,” she teased, turning toward him with the faintest of smirks. “Come, enjoy yourself for once.”
He looked at her as though she had just suggested he commit some outrageous breach of propriety, but her laughter danced on the wind, and the glint in her eyes made it difficult for him to protest. He hesitated only a heartbeat longer before tugging off his boots and stepping into the water beside her. The moment the icy waves rushed over his feet, he made a low, startled sound which was half a growl, half a gasp.
“Good heavens, it’s freezing,” he declared, his voice full of mock outrage.
Cordelia’s laughter rang out bright and unrestrained. “Oh, you’re being dramatic,” she teased, and with a mischievous flick of her fingers, she sent a small spray of seawater in his direction.
He stepped back with a look of exaggerated betrayal. “That’s not fair!”
She only laughed harder, her amusement bubbling over. For a few blissful moments, there was nothing but the splash of waves,the salt air curling between them, and their shared laughter as they waded in the shallows.
Eventually, Mason tilted his head toward the shore. “We ought to go back before you turn completely blue,” he said, though his lips still quirked in a smile.
They made their way up the sand, her skirts heavy with water, his stride easy and unhurried beside hers. Halfway to the house, his tone shifted suddenly to something deep and grave.
“I’m afraid I have some terrible news,” he said.
Cordelia stilled, heart thudding as she turned to look at him. “What is it?”
He met her gaze with the most solemn expression she’d seen from him yet. “We have no food in the house.”
For a beat, she simply blinked at him then the absurdity of it hit, and laughter spilled from her lips in helpless waves. The image of his earnest expression paired with such a ridiculous declaration was too much, and she pressed a hand to her mouth, still laughing as they continued toward the estate.
Chapter Twenty-Six
“Istill say it was a poor excuse for a dinner,” Mason remarked as they followed the winding path from the estate toward the village, wearing clean and dry clothes once again.
Cordelia glanced at him with a smile that carried both amusement and warmth. “I told you, I enjoyed it very much. Candlelight, wine, good company… what more could I want?”
“Actual food, for one,” he countered though there was no edge in his tone. “You barely ate last night.”
