“Yes,ourstairs.”
Ducking into Princess Charlotte, Daffy caught her reflection in the gilded framed living room mirror.
“You’re mad to go off with him.” The confession made her smile. “But you only live once, so why not?”
She figured they’d head toward the lake. Maybe climb the rocks. Or maybe jump in the cold mountain water, clothes and all. Now that’d be crazy.
Instead of her coat, she tugged on her thickest jumper and exchanged her flats for her trainers. Phone in her hip pocket, she made her way to the secret stairs.
They escaped by their usual route. Through the hedges, across wet and muddy grounds, and through the woods. When they hit Centre Street, Gus started toward Wells Line.
“Don’t tell me we’re going to the Belly of the Beast.” She calmed her breathing. “That’s not crazy.”
Their footsteps harmonized as they rounded the corner toward Canal Street. But there, Gus stopped.
“You know, you never seemed like ablushingbride. He was not an attentive groom.”
“I know, and maybe I’d have come to my senses before the wedding, but part of me thinks I’d have settled. We’d have had a good life, done well.”
“The trouble is—” He brushed his hand over her cheek. “You don’t know how extraordinary you are.”
She felt her Prince Gus blush claim her cheeks, her nose, her eyes.
“Ah. There’s my royal blush. I’ve not seen it in a while. You’ve gotten used to me and—”
Daffy stepped back with a sober rebuke. “Gus, don’t. Don’t flirt with me. Tease me.”
He peered toward the channel. “Do you want to go on?”
“And do something crazy?” She started down the Canal Street incline. “Stop me.”
They headed toward the quay, through the narrow lanes of small houses built by Dalholm’s first settlers.
“Are we taking the ferry to London?” While she loved the idea, it would take the day to go over and back.
“Come on, you’ll see.” He grabbed her hand and tugged her through the swirling, gusting wind to the pedestrian path, away from the slow-moving line of disembarking cars.
About halfway across the quay, revelation dawned. The Hand of God. “Oh no, Gus, I’m not going up there.” Just like that, he’d stopped her. Five minutes ago, she believed nothing could. But climb the steep path to the cleft in the rock? No. Nope. No.
“You said you were up for something crazy. Now’s your chance, Daffy. I know you can do this. Climb to the Hand of God with me.” He started forward again, his hand clamped around hers.
“It’s not safe. The wind is vicious.” Daffy hurried to match his strides. “Look at those clouds. It’s going to storm.”
Dark blue cumulonimbus clouds roiled along the morning horizon, promising a storm.
“It’s beautiful up there when it storms.”
They were almost to the rickety footbridge when she finally broke free of his hold. “Gus, I can’t.”
“Yes,you can.I know it. I see everything you want to be. Do this and you’ll know it too. You can be a corporate curator. You can wait for the man who will love you with his whole heart. Climbing to the Hand of God will teach you who you really are, Daff.”
“And if I slip on the rocks and plummet to my death?”
“At least you died doing something thrilling.”
She gaped at him before sputtering a laugh. “What if I take you with me?”
“I’ll try to hit the rocks first. Soften the blow.” Gus gazed toward the looming cliff. “When Coral left, I sailed the Mediterranean alone. It was something I’d wanted to do but had been too afraid to try. That journey started my healing process, Daffy.”
