Chapter One
Cecelia “Cece” Donaldson swept a hand across her head and released a dramatic sigh. She leaned against the wall of her work bestie’s office. “Have you ever met a more boring thirty-year-old than me? Where did I go wrong with life? I need a change.”
“You are anything but boring,” Rachel, Cece’s coworker and close friend, assured her.
Crossing her arms across her chest, Cece stared at Rachel. “I work, go home, go to sleep, repeat the next day. I have no excitement in my life. Zip. Zilch. Zero.”
“You’re in a rut. That’s entirely different from being boring.” Rachel stood and circled to the front of her desk. “It happens to everyone at some point in their life.”
“Daniel isn’t in a rut.” She bit her tongue, wishing she hadn’t said that.
Rachel arched a well-defined brow. “Please tell me you didn’t look up his Facegram page.”
Cece ducked her head. “Maybe. But not on purpose. I promise. He showed up as a person I might know, and I couldn’t help looking.”
“Cecelia Ann Donaldson. Didn’t we agree you wouldn’t, under absolutely any circumstance, look at any of Daniel’s social media pages?” Rachel’s admonishment held equal notes of censure and compassion.
“I know, I know.” Her shoulders slumped. “He’s engaged to Kalynn.”
“I’m sorry.” Rachel gave her a quick hug of sympathy.
“You know the stupid part of it all? Even though I know now that he’s a jerk and cheater and not worth my time, seeing that news still stung.”
“He’s not worth your time, you’re right on that, but it’s natural to still hurt. It’s only been six months, and you were with him for five years.”
Cece blew out a breath. “Shame on me for letting him string me along. When he wouldn’t set a date after a year, I should have known.”
Lifting a hand, Rachel shook a finger at her. “No self-pity allowed. We live and learn. You can still hurt, but you have to move forward in the process of healing.”
“How?”
A large grin spread over Rachel’s face, and her eyes sparkled. “You need to get away. Don’t you have over a month of vacation stored up?”
She nodded. “Six weeks.”
“I know the perfect place for you. Have you ever heard of Finlovia?”
“What?” Cece scrunched her face. “Is that a person, place, or thing?”
Rachel laughed. “It’s a small country in Europe.”
Arching a brow, Cece stared at her friend. “I’ve barely left Virginia, and you’re suggesting I leave the country?”
Still smiling, Rachel returned to her desk chair and began typing on her keyboard. “I read an article about this place last month and it sounds idyllic.”
“Finlovia?”
“Yes, well, specifically Ellington Castle in Finlovia.” Rachel waved her over. “Come see.”
She crossed the room and peered over her friend’s shoulder. Pictures of a large, breathtaking castle and the surrounding lush green lands filled the screen. “That looks straight out of a fairy tale.”
“Doesn’t it? The castle is host to a hotel and events center but get this.” Turning to face her, Rachel’s eyes had a mischievous gleam. “On the first Saturday of every month, they host a ball. Legend says that if you attend with an open heart, you will find your true love within three months.”
Cece rolled her eyes. “Give me a break, Rae. You know that’s only a marketing gimmick to draw in tourists.”
“That’s what I thought, but the castle and its grounds are so beautiful, I kept reading. Did you know Good Morning Now did a segment on Ellington Castle and the legend of love several years ago?”
“How would I know if I’ve never even heard of the place.”
