When he faced her again, he caught a twisting, curling lock of her hair with his finger. “One night I was caught in a storm, which was my worst nightmare about sailing. I was terrified. But I didn’t give in. Didn’t give up. I steered the ship through. In the morning, I was spent. But the sunrise never looked so beautiful. I’d conquered. I’d overcome. That’s when I knew I could go home again and start living.”
“And then… Robbi.”
“An ordeal that drove a new nail of doubt through me. Like you and Thomas, I knew it wasn’t right, but the fact that she broke it off—”
“And not you.” She pressed her hand to his chest. “I feel you. I do.”
Someone blasted a car horn. “Prince Gus! Hello! Over here!” A woman aimed her phone and snapped a picture.
“That’ll be on social media in sixty seconds,” he said as another car horn sounded. Then another. He took Daffy’s hand. “Let’s go.”
“Wait.” She pushed her heels into the sidewalk. “If I climb up there, what are you going to do that you can’t do now? I’m not going unless you put something on the line too.”
More car horns. A few motors stopped so people could get out for a better shot.
“Your Royal Highness…”
“Prince Gus! Over here.”
“Can I get a selfie?”
“NowI wish I had Hemstead.” He tried to move toward the footbridge, but Daffy leaned back, anchoring in.
“Come on… I want…a mutual deal. What scares you, Gus?”
“At the moment, you. Do you want to be mobbed?”
Overhead, thunder cracked.
“Tell me. Come on.” Another crack of thunder and a flash of lightning.
“We have to go.” He was too strong for her and pulled her forward. Daffy ran with the prince as a few of the spectators followed. This was madness.
As they approached the footbridge, several of the quay officers noticed them and intercepted the gathering crowd, ordering them to their motors.
“You’re holding up the schedule. All of you, get on now. Leave the prince be.”
Across the footbridge, which was as rickety as Daffy imagined, Gus cut through tall waves of grass to find the narrow path up and around the sheer North Sea wall of granite.
There was no room for error. A wall of rock to her left. A straight drop to the rocks on the right. Not even a blade of grass to grab on the way down.
“Daffy.” Gus framed her face with her hands. “Keep your eyes level and on me. Don’t look to the right or the left. Fear is the most perilous part of the journey.”
She had no reply. Only fear pulsing in her ears.
Releasing her, he swung two fingers from his eyes to hers. “Eyes on me. Understand? If you slip, drop to your knees and lean forward.”
She nodded. Her mouth was dry. Her legs shaking. But she followed as Gus started up. With her first step, she slipped, yelped, and dropped to one knee, gripping the path with her fists.
“Eyes on me,” Gus commanded without stopping, without looking back. “You won’t fall if you look ahead.”
“That’s exactly how I’ll fall.” She stood and dragged her left hand over the sharp, damp rock face. “How will I know where to step?”
“Because you’re following me. If I fall, stop walking.”
“And be the one to tell the queen you’re dead. I’ll get sacked for sure.”
“Good, you can pursue your dreams.”
