Prologue
Eldenbridge Palace, 2nd July 1918
The steady ticking of the clock echoed in the quiet private chamber of Eldenbridge Palace, amplifying the tension in the room. Henry, Earl of Aberford, stood before the Queen, the weight of his title and lineage pressing heavily on him. Today, he would shed that title for good.
The Queen, poised and unyielding, sat across from him. She was known for her strength and composure, but today, he caught a flicker of something else in her cool gaze, a trace of disappointment that made his stomach tighten with guilt.
‘Henry’—her voice was precise, each syllable layered with authority—‘I trust that you’ve come to your senses. Alexandra has been more than patient and I expected your return from Puffin Island to bring with it a renewed sense of duty. It is about time an announcement was made.’
Henry swallowed. His time out on Puffin Island had offered a fleeting reprieve, a taste of the life he secretly longed for. In the quiet simplicity of island life, he’d found solace, free from theweight of titles and expectations. But he couldn’t explain that to the Queen. She wouldn’t understand.
‘Your Majesty,’ he began, steadying his voice, ‘I’ve made my decision.’
The Queen’s gaze sharpened, her lips thinning as she took in his words. ‘What decision, Henry?’
‘I intend to end my courtship with Alexandra.’ The words hung in the air for a moment before he forced himself to continue. ‘The engagement… I cannot marry her. It would not be right. For myselforAlexandra.’
Queen Eleanor’s face remained composed, but he saw the faint clenching of her hands. ‘You’ve been seeing the princess for months. What’s changed?’ She paused, her eyes hardening. ‘What happened on that island?’
Henry tensed, suppressing another pang of guilt. ‘It’s me. I’ve changed. I’m not the man Alexandra deserves and so I cannot go through with this.’
A heavy silence settled between them. The Queen’s gaze bored into him, sharp and unreadable. ‘You’re making a grave mistake, Henry. Do you fully understand the consequences for the family? This could bring scandal upon us all.’
‘I do,’ he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.
She studied him, her tone cooling even further as she continued. ‘Then why? What could you possibly want that this life, this family, cannot give you?’
Henry’s heart clenched, but he kept his voice even. He knew exactly what this life could not give him, but he couldn’t tell Her Majesty the truth. There was too much at risk. ‘I want a different life, ma’am. A life of my own choosing, away from all this.’
For a moment, her expression softened, then her face steeled again. ‘And Alexandra? You think you can simply discard her after all this time? She’s been good to you, loyal. She deserves more.’
‘I’ll take full responsibility and ensure it’s clear that she is at no fault for this change in circumstances,’ he said, his voice firm. ‘And…’ He hesitated. ‘I think it’s best if I quietly disappear so Alexandra can get on with her life. If that means walking away from my title, then so be it. I have cousins who can inherit it.’
‘And where will you disappear to?’
He didn’t answer; he didn’t need to. They both already knew the answer.
The Queen regarded him in silence for some time, and he felt the finality of her gaze. ‘I’m sorry to tell you, Henry, but it is not possible for you to relinquish your hereditary title.’
‘Then what do you suggest?’
‘If you are hellbent on going through with this then I propose that you set your title aside and leave it for your heirs, should you have any, to take up the mantle in time. Move into the next stage of your life as simply Henry Aberford.’
Henry thought about it for a moment and nodded.
‘You’ve made your choice, Henry, but understand this: when you walk away from this titled world, you leave it for ever.’
He nodded again, accepting the terms he had expected. ‘I understand.’
He turned to leave, the burden of his choice still settling on his shoulders, when the Queen’s voice, now soft, called after him.
‘Henry,’ she murmured, her tone carrying a trace of a motherly warmth he’d rarely received from his own mother. ‘It is my firm belief that you are making a mistake, but I will not stand in your way for your new life. I have always been very fond of you, and though it may not be the done thing, once in a while…’
He nodded, grateful for her kindness.
And with that he left, the life he had always known fading behind him. Ahead lay the freedom he craved. His heart mightbe weighed down with both relief and an aching regret, but there was no turning back now.
Chapter One
