Chapter 14
“Everything’s settled then, no need to spend even a night in Calais,” Adam said to Linette and Estelle as he climbed back into the carriage, his voice raised above the din of the bustling wharf. “Louis procured us passage aboard a ship bound for Falmouth that sails within the hour. We’ll hire a coach from there to take us the rest of the way to Porthleven.”
Within thehour.Estelle sighed forlornly and leaned her head back against the upholstered seat as Linette squeezed her hand, her sweet sister not having left her side for the remainder of their journey to Calais.
“It’s probably for the best,” Linette murmured as the carriage jerked into motion to take them further along the wharf to where their ship was docked. “Lingering here another day or so would onlymake things harder for you, Estelle, truly.”
She gave a small nod, knowing Linette was right even though the thought of a ship carrying her so soon away from Valentin made her heartache all the more unbearable.
Yet she knew, too, that somehow she needed to be strong to get through the journey home, if only for Linette and Adam, who felt so terribly for her. Dark smudges had appeared again beneathher sister’s eyes, no doubt from worry, and here Linette had been looking so happy until the night of the ball.
“This must be our ship,” Adam announced as the carriage rumbled to a stop not far from where they had started moments ago. He’d raised his voice again, the activity along the pier jutting out from the main wharf at a fever pitch as all was made ready for the three-masted vessel to sail.
To Estelle, it seemed to take only moments and she had disembarked from the carriage to climb the gangplank, a strange numbness enveloping her as she followed Linette while Mattie and the other two personal servants brought up the rear. Adam stood upon the pier overseeing the loading of the last of their trunks, while Louis had said his goodbyes and retreated to the wharf to watch their departure.
Estelle barely heard the commotion of sailors shouting on deck, or the captain barking orders, and nearly tripped over a thick coil of rope. Gasping, Linette grabbed her hand to draw her to the railing where they would be out of the way.
“Estelle, are you all right?”
Dazedly, she nodded, but she wasn’t all right. She would never be all right again. She heard Linette gasp again as Adam sprintedup the gangplank just before it was drawn onto the deck, the ship shifting almost imperceptibly beneath her feet.
Dear God, were they leaving already?
Trembling, Estelle looked from the blue expanse of open water back to the wharf, where another commotion seemed to be brewing not far from where they had stopped to purchase their tickets. At least thirty mounted soldiers swarmed in front of theship’s office, their horses neighing and snorting, one man dismounting to rush inside.
A tall man with blond hair that shone in the sun breaking through the clouds, Estelle’s heart suddenly in her throat.
Linette must have seen him, too, for she grabbed Adam’s arm. “That was Valentin! I swear I just saw Valentin!”
Again, the ship seemed to shift and creak beneath her, Estelle pressing closerto the railing as the man burst from the ship’s office and vaulted onto his horse.
And not just any horse, but a powerful black stallion that Estelle recognized at once as Valentin’s.
Valentin’s!
“Adam, quick, you must speak to the captain!” Linette shouted even as Estelle ran to where they had pulled up the gangplank.
Her heart clamoring, she stared transfixed as Valentin and his soldierscame galloping down the wharf toward their ship, dodging carriages and wagons as people scrambled out of the way. She heard Adam crying out for the captain to hold the ship, everything else seeming to cease around her as the gangplank crashed a moment later back down upon the pier while Valentin had dismounted to run alongside the ship.
His eyes anxiously searching for her among the other passengerslining the railing, until he spied her, intense relief upon his face as he cried out her name.
His voice hoarse, but no more than Estelle’s.
“Valentin!” She half-stumbled down the gangplank to reach him while he lunged upward toward her, and caught her in his arms to hug her fiercely, lifting her from her feet.
“Estelle…oh, my love, Estelle.”
She could not have said how long they held eachother, Valentin easing his embrace only a little to kiss her cheeks wet with joyous tears, her eyelids, her smiling lips…until Adam strode down the gangplank to loudly clear his throat behind them.
“Well, Your Serene Highness, I take it we’ll be disembarking from the ship?”
“At once if you would, Lord Linley,” came Valentin’s lighthearted reply as he released Estelle and took her by the handto lead her down the rest of the way to the pier. “If you will kindly see to Lady Linley, I will escort my beautiful bride-to-be—”
“Bride-to-be?” Estelle gaped at him as he nodded and grew sober, the intensity in his steely blue eyes taking her breath away. “What about your privy council and Princess Hortense?”
“Handily overruled by my people after they filled the streets to voice their displeasureon your behalf…not that her confession and that of her accomplice hadn’t already convinced every member of my council to change their minds—”
“Confession?”
