The Accidental Prince

by Michelle Willingham

  ‘As my lord commands,’ Gerlach said, lowering his head to acknowledge his orders.

  ‘Captain Feldmann,’ von Meinhardt continued. ‘If she isn’t found, the king will hold someone to blame. It won’t be me.’

  The implication wasn’t missed on Gerlach, and he bowed. He’d known the risk in aiding the princess, but he’d wanted to do what was right.

  ‘I’ve ordered the arrest of your wife,’ the freiherr informed him. ‘She will be held prisoner in your place, while you find the princess.’

  The ground seemed to disappear from beneath his feet. Was that man that heartless to arrest an innocent woman?

  ‘My wife has done nothing wrong,’ Gerlach protested. ‘You’ve no right—’

  ‘No, you had no right to ignore the king’s orders. And perhaps this will motivate you to find her sooner.’

  Gerlach gritted his teeth to hold back words he was going to regret. The freiherr was a dangerous man, especially when angered. And he didn’t know if the baron was aware that they had a son. If he mentioned the boy, he sensed that von Meinhardt would imprison him, as well. He couldn’t hide the fury and resentment on his face, his hands clenching into fists.

  ‘You’re dismissed, Captain,’ the freiherr said. ‘The sooner you find the princess, the sooner we’ll release your wife. And take you in her place.’

  Chapter Four

  The fürst quickened his pace, keeping his hand around her waist. Serena knew it was merely to ensure that she kept up with his stride, yet the warmth of his hand felt too familiar. She tried to move away from him, but his hand only curled around her in a protective grasp.

  ‘Please,’ she said softly, ‘don’t touch me.’

  She expected him to ignore her request; instead, his hand dropped away, his face sobering. He waited for her to say more, but Serena felt her cheeks redden. What could she say? That any kind of touch bothered her, reminding her of the beatings she’d endured? His penetrating gaze pushed down her defences, leaving her to feel desperately uncomfortable.

  The prince took the edges of her fichu and parted them, revealing her bruised throat. ‘This was why you left the palace. Wasn’t it?’

  He knew.

  Serena couldn’t find the right words to answer so she remained silent.

  ‘Who did this to you and why?’ he demanded.

  She flinched at his harsh tone. Without answering, she took the edges of her fichu, and used the lace scarf to cover her neck.

  There was a flash of anger in the prince’s eyes before he returned his gaze back to the house. Though he hadn’t pressured her for the answers, she sensed that he was only biding his time.

  The prince led her to the back entrance of the house, locking it tightly behind them. As they continued through the maze of rooms, the silence continued. At last, they reached the drawing room.

  The fürst’s posture was rigid as he walked over to a carved wooden clock that hung upon the wall. After checking the time on his pocket watch, he adjusted the hands of the clock and swung the pendulum.

  ‘While you were with the dressmaker, I spoke with one of the other islanders. He said that they have been without a governor for weeks. With hardly any provisions left, some have resorted to stealing.’

  ‘Frau Bauherzen told me about the hardships. I think you should send word to your father and appeal on their behalf.’

  The prince reached for the clock key and inserted it, winding it up. But even after he swung the pendulum a second time, there was no sound of ticking from within the clock. ‘I agree. I’ll have the king send troops to restore order and help with supplies.’ He folded his arms and stared at her. ‘It would be best if we married today or tomorrow, before we leave. I can arrange it this afternoon, if that would suit.’

  It took an effort to keep her mouth from dropping open. He spoke of marriage as if it were having afternoon tea. ‘I’m not going to marry you.’

  ‘I promised I would keep you safe,’ he said quietly. ‘Marrying you is my means of doing so. Surely you understand that it will silence any gossip about us. We’ve no choice in the matter.’

  Serena had no intention of surrendering her freedom to his whims. Although he was right that her virtue was already destroyed by being with him, she had no desire to wed any man. It didn’t matter what people believed, for she intended to disappear and live where no one would find her.

  She straightened and walked over to him. ‘You will return to Lohenberg. And I’ll go to my grandfather’s hunting lodge, as I’d planned.’ It wasn’t the truth, for she hadn’t decided where to go, but it was all she could think to say.

  ‘You can’t go there. Your father’s men would bring you back to the palace within hours.’ He closed the clock door and turned to face her. ‘Unless that’s what you want.’

  Most definitely not. If they found her, she would bear the full brunt of her father’s temper. Serena closed her eyes at the thought.

  ‘Who were you running away from?’ he asked. His gaze fixed upon her throat, and the anger in his expression unnerved her.

  She ignored the question. Even if he believed the truth, there was nothing he could do about it. ‘Why did you kidnap me?’ she countered.

  The fürst moved so close, she could feel the warmth of his breath against her mouth. Though he didn’t touch her at all, it took all of her courage to hold her ground. ‘Why do you think, Princess?’

  Her body seemed drawn to his words, the heavy woollen gown feeling restrictive. She thought of his hands upon her nape, unfastening the buttons last night.

  He believed he was still going to be her husband, that he had the right to touch her in this way. When she dared to look at him again, the heat in his eyes held her transfixed.

  ‘You’re trying to ruin me,’ she whispered.

  ‘You’re already ruined,’ he responded, reaching out to cup her face. His hands were gentle upon her skin, but embarrassment blazed upon her cheeks. ‘I’m trying to tempt you.’

  A sudden chill swept over her, and Serena took a step backwards. He let her go, and the darkness in his eyes took on a shadowed look. This was a man accustomed to getting what he wanted. And he wanted her.

  Her mouth went dry at the thought of sharing his bed. Karl von Lohenberg looked as if he knew exactly how to seduce a woman, how to lure her into wickedness.

  But she couldn’t allow herself to be caught up in him. Though he’d helped her to escape Badenstein, she would find another way to repay him. A way that didn’t involve marriage or sharing his bed.

  ‘Anna should never have written to you,’ she said to him. ‘I would have been fine on my own.’

  ‘There are many men who would take advantage of a woman travelling alone.’

  ‘I wouldn’t have been alone. I had guards.’

  ‘What you did wasn’t safe. Half-a-dozen bullets would have ended their lives, and you could have been kidnapped.’

  ‘I was kidnapped,’ she reminded him, ‘by you.’

  ‘For your own good.’ He folded his arms across his chest. ‘Can’t you imagine what would have happened to you, if another man had stolen you away?’

  She sent him a pointed look. ‘And your intentions are more honourable?’

  ‘I offered to marry you.’ He took another step forward, pressing her back against a chaise longue. ‘You’ll admit, I’ve not once forced my attentions on you.’

  ‘Yes, you have,’ she countered. ‘Last night. And—and—you’ve been entirely too forward.’ With him standing so close, she wished she hadn’t spoken. It sounded like a challenge, instead of a criticism.

  ‘I’ve never hurt you, Princess. And I promise, when I touch you, it will only bring you pleasure.’

  She couldn’t breathe when he was looking at her in this way. Her fingers dug into the chaise longue, and he backed away, shielding his thoughts.

  ‘I know a priest who can perform the ceremony, and in the next few days, we should explore the island. Then, I can provide a detailed accounting of
the conditions here. Once I’ve sent word to the king, we’ll return to Badenstein.’

  She said nothing, refusing to belabour the issue, when he wasn’t listening to her. Her head ached, and she was so tired, her vision blurred.

  The prince lifted the clock from the wall and took it with him as he crossed into the dining room. Now what did he want that for? Serena followed him, not understanding his intent when he rang for the footman.

  When Bernard arrived, the fürst ordered him to fetch a set of tools. The footman seemed not at all surprised at the request and hurried to obey.

  ‘What do you need the tools for?’ Serena asked.

  ‘I’m going to fix the clock.’ He took off his coat and rested it on the back of a chair. She stared at him, shocked to see a man of his rank performing such a menial task.

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Because I can.’ He pulled a chair out from the dining room and sat. ‘You’re free to do as you please. Bernard will bring us luncheon, soon enough. I hope he acquired a cook as well as the food, or we might end up eating eggs again.’

  Serena took a few steps toward the library, feeling somewhat uncertain of what to do. The prince’s dismissal was unexpected, and she leaned against the door frame, distracted with thoughts of her own plans. For so long, she’d obeyed her father’s orders, never allowed to think for herself.

  Not any more. She walked amid the books, tracing her finger along the spines. Possibly she could find an atlas and make a list of possible locations to live.

  There were many Greek islands, and she envisioned living somewhere warm, with olive groves lining the hills and soft sand beneath her shoes.

  ‘You’re smiling,’ came the voice of the prince. ‘What are you thinking of?’

  Serena blinked and snatched a book from the shelves. ‘Nothing.’ She risked a glance at the prince.

  From his vantage point at the table, she could see him watching her. Beside him lay the clock face. He turned back to his work and began loosening various parts of the apparatus, working as though he’d manufactured clocks all his life. Her gaze fell upon his hands, his long fingers that moved with expertise. He was completely focused upon his work, though she sensed that his mind was not at all on the mechanical parts. It was a distraction, nothing more.

  Serena couldn’t fathom his reasons for wanting to take it apart, but it intrigued her. He tilted the clock toward the sunlight so he could see better, and she glimpsed a structure of gears. His dark hair was cut short, but across his cheeks, she saw the darkening shadow of stubble. Though it should have made him appear rough and unkempt, instead it made him look dangerous.

  ‘You may as well come closer,’ he said, nodding toward her. ‘You can’t see very well from over there.’

  She didn’t move. ‘Perhaps I don’t want to.’

  He set down a small wooden mallet, a slight smile playing upon his mouth. ‘Or you could pretend to read that Treatise on Hydraulic Engineering that you’re holding. I suppose you’d find it fascinating.’

  Serena glanced at the book she was holding. She hadn’t even looked at the title, and it struck her that his vision must be quite good to have viewed the title from so far away. ‘It might be interesting.’

  ‘Not likely.’ The fürst beckoned to her. ‘Come and stand beside me. You can help.’

  It sounded more like an order than a request, and she remained where she was. ‘I’ve never taken a clock apart before.’

  ‘I could use someone with smaller hands.’

  Reaching inside a clock didn’t bother her at all; it was the idea of sitting so close to him. ‘I might break it.’

  ‘The gears are made of metal. You can’t break them.’ He gestured toward the chair beside him with a pair of tweezers.

  Just being near this man made her unsettled and afraid. She didn’t know what on earth possessed her to obey, but then, he was fixing a clock, nothing more. And she was curious. She stood beside him, and the prince ordered, ‘Take your gloves off.’

  ‘I’ll just watch.’

  ‘Off.’ His expression turned provocative and measured. ‘Unless you’d rather I removed them for you. I’m good at that.’

  He reached for the fingertip but she pulled her hand away, unrolling the kid glove from her hand. ‘You needn’t threaten me.’

  ‘It was an invitation, Princess.’ His voice grew deeper, as if he were physically touching her.

  Her skin flushed at his words, and she removed the other glove, setting it aside. Inside the clock, she saw gears and a large spiral-shaped coil of metal. He brought her hand to touch the part. ‘That’s the mainspring,’ he informed her.

  The prince leaned over her shoulder as he pointed out the other parts of the clock. He could have been speaking Greek, for all that she remembered of the names. Instead, she was conscious of his physical form, and the way her body nestled against him, almost in an embrace. When she breathed, she could smell the male scent of his skin.

  It felt strange to be this close to a man, particularly one who believed that they would one day be intimate. Her hands trembled as he guided her hand to one of the clock parts.

  ‘Do you see this gear?’ He pointed to a smaller grooved circle. ‘It slipped out of alignment. I want you to see if you can move it back into place.’

  She fumbled with the tiny piece, and the prince was saying something about where it was supposed to go. Instead, she found herself studying his hands and the way his fingers moved over the pieces.

  ‘That’s it,’ he praised, when she locked it into position. ‘Now, if you’ll hold it there, I’ll tighten it.’

  She held the gear in place, and his fingers brushed against hers as he made the adjustments. The gentle pressure of his hands both frightened and fascinated her. Never before had any man been so close to her, not without the intent to harm.

  When the prince had finished fixing the clock, he didn’t move away. Instead, his hazel eyes regarded her, as if he wanted far more than she could give. This was madness. Just being near him made her breathless, and she didn’t like feeling this way.

  ‘You’re trembling,’ he murmured. ‘What are you afraid of?’ He caught her hand in his, and the warmth of his palm against hers did nothing to abate her nerves.

  ‘I’m afraid of you,’ she admitted. And the way he made her feel inside.

  When she pulled her hand back, he made no move to stop her. His mouth tightened, as if he didn’t like what she’d said. Even if it was the truth.

  He fitted the remaining pieces back together and wound up the clock. When he tilted it up and swung the pendulum, she heard the rhythmic ticking.

  ‘It works.’ She hadn’t truly expected it to. But there was a sense of satisfaction in having fixed something that was broken. She reached for one of her gloves, but the fürst took it from her.

  ‘Of course it works. I can fix anything.’

  She sent him a doubtful look. ‘Not anything.’

  He picked up her fallen glove and stroked the exterior, as if he were caressing her skin. ‘With the proper instructions, yes. Anything.’

  One by one, he fitted her fingers within the glove, and slowly eased it over her palm. The sensation of her fingers sliding against the soft leather caused an echoing ripple over her body. She didn’t know why he was intent on touching her, but even the slightest gesture sent her senses on edge.

  ‘I started taking things apart when I was a child,’ he told her, reaching for the second glove. ‘Anything I could find. I wanted to see how it worked.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Because it was more interesting than reading about it. And some would say I’m good with my hands.’ The wicked look in his eyes suggested that he was no longer speaking of taking things apart.

  Serena couldn’t stop her mind from envisioning his hands moving over her bare skin, awakening her to the pleasures of the marriage bed. The nearness of him, the way he tantalised her with the barest touches, made her all too aware of how bold he was. Already she h
ad almost no ability to control her responses.

  Distance was what she needed. She pulled her hand from his and went to stand by the fire. ‘Who taught you to fix mechanical things?’

  ‘The gardener, Herr Pflicht. After I tried to build a steam engine out of a tea kettle.’

  A smile tugged at her mouth, despite her efforts to stop it. She could almost envision a young boy, experimenting with a tea kettle. ‘Did it work?’

  ‘It sank to the bottom of a rain barrel. Cook was furious.’

  Her smile softened. She could imagine the mischief he must have caused.

  The prince came over to stand before her. ‘Did you ever get into trouble as a girl?’ he asked.

  ‘I wasn’t allowed to do anything improper.’ Her days were spent with lessons or learning how to behave like a princess. Any slight misbehaviour had earned her time spent locked up in the library. She’d consoled herself with books to fill the hours. Her father hadn’t believed her capable of learning anything except embroidery and etiquette, and if he’d known how much she’d adored learning, he’d have found another place to punish her.

  In reading, she’d found her escape. She’d read about exotic places around the world, dreaming of a house of her own overlooking the sea. She’d wanted a home where she could be herself, where no one would judge her.

  The prince’s gaze centred upon her throat, and before Serena could move away, his hand hovered above the lightly bruised skin. ‘Why did this happen to you? How could anyone lay a hand upon a royal princess?’

  ‘I’m not as protected as you might believe.’

  For no one could protect her from the king. Serena started to move away, but the prince’s hand suddenly reached around to her nape. He stroked the back of her neck, threading his fingers into her hair. She froze in place when his fingers moved over the fragile skin of her throat, his thumb caressing the bruises.