“Go before they run,” she said, sitting up. “I’m perfectly safe here.”
He began to back away. “Do not attempt to swim,” he ordered. “Your skirts are too heavy. I’ll return shortly with the boat. We’ll get you sorted. Try to peel off your shoes if you can?”
She took a deep breath, brushed her hands together, and stared at her feet. She nodded.
He whipped the hair out of his eyes and looked to the opposite shore. “You lot! Fishermen,” he shouted to the boys. “I’ve an offer for you. Stay where you are, I’m coming to you.”
He assumed the position of a dive and then speared his body into the water. The pond swallowed him with a small splash, and he was gone. She heard noises of shock and awe from the boys on the opposite shore.
Indeed, Dani thought, reaching for the first sodden shoe. She peeled off the satin slipper—they were ruined, to be sure—and glanced up, watching the surface of the pond where he’d disappeared. He crested the water yards out, his face turned to the side to breathe, strong arms arching through the air. He swam with strong, efficient strokes. Geese darted from his path. On the shore, the boys had begun to inch backward.
He was on his feet five yards from the shore, trudging from the depths like Poseidon. Water sluiced down his sinewy body; his shirt was translucent, sticking to his muscled chest. He flipped his hair again, spraying droplets. The boys froze at the sight, huddled together with pails and poles.
Dani stopped watching. He was beautiful and commanding but also the source of so many questions. He’d made this revelation—she could not deny this colossal “thing” had been revealed. But there was so much more to understand.
Across the water, she heard the rise and fall of his voice, but the words were not clear. She stared at her feet. The satin of her second shoe had dyed her foot purple. Or perhaps that was simply the color of her skin when it was puckered by cold pond water. So many things in Dani’s life felt suddenly cold and puckered.
She heard a shout and looked up. The boys were running excitedly into the trees, pails swinging at their sides, and the captain dove back into the water. He cut a fast line to the boat, his strokes strong.
Dani sighed. Of course nothing about her had changed with his great revelation. Her alleged royal identity felt no different than her everyday life. What felt very different—what felt remarkable and exciting—was the presence of Captain Bannock. He had the courage to tell her what no one else had. He listened to her; he seemed to be interested in what she had to say. He would share the potential of Eastwell Park with her. And, of course, he was undeniably attractive; imposing and strong and masculine.
So what came next? Dani had no idea. She wanted to kiss him again but he behaved so strangely every time they kissed. And the details of their betrothal remained vague. She was not against marrying him; even without the promise of Eastwell Park, she was not against it. But she would like to know more about why.
At the moment, she knew only that her hat was lost, her shoes were ruined—her dress was ruined. Her hair was unbound and dripping. Miriam and Whittle would be shocked and appalled but oh, how prepared she was to go toe-to-toe with the two of them. Her future with Captain Bannock might be blurry, but she had twenty years of history with Miriam and Whittle, and this night it would come sharply into focus. The condition of her clothes and hair was insignificant compared to the reckoning the three of them would have.
“Did you remove your shoes?” called the captain from across the pond. He’d recovered the boat and begun to punt in her direction.
“I can wade out to you,” she called back.
“No, no. I’ll land the boat on the beach and help you. Stand back. Mind the rock and driftwood. The water is murky; God only knows what it conceals.”
“Yes,” she said on a sigh, watching him as he pushed his way to her. “Murk. God only knows what it conceals.”
Chapter 12
In the end, Luke paid a man in a passing carriage to deliver Princess Danielle home. After that, he didn’t see her for two days. They exchanged notes instead. It was all he could manage while pulling himself together. The letters were brief, the language spare.
Luke:Are you well?
Princess Danielle:Yes, I am well. Are you well?
Luke:I’m well. Were your parents alarmed by your ruined clothes?
Princess Danielle:My clothes were insignificant compared to our great family reckoning. You were correct, the secrets are no more.
Luke could not, in good conscience, respond to that statement. Instead, he traveled to Maidstone and called to the modest jewelry shop there. The offerings were paltry and the proprietor an opportunist, but he bought a small ring with a thin gold band and a winking sapphire. He had it delivered with no note at all, simply his card.
And now he was the sort of man who bought jewelry for women. In the hours after the ring was delivered, he realized he was also the sort of man who sweated and fidgeted as he waited for some acknowledgment.
Princess Danielle:Captain. The ring. It’s gorgeous. Thank you.I’ve never owned anything so beautiful.
Luke:Fitting, I thought, for a princess.
Princess Danielle:Or perhaps I’m being paid off in the manner of the Beckley boys? I saw them in the village, and they crossed to the other walkway to avoid me.
Luke read the note three times. He could not continue in this manner.
Luke:May I see you? We should finalize plans for the wedding.
