She bent low against the horse’s mane and urged her mount forward, terrified at what was happening behind her. Just as ordered, she didn’t look back, though she heard the sound of someone pursuing her. Whether it was the prince protecting her or someone else, she kept up the horse’s pace.
In the darkness, her navy gown was an asset, keeping her hidden from the assailants. Her heartbeat pounded to the rhythm of the horse’s hooves, and she prayed for the safety of Karl and the men. If anything happened to them, she would be utterly alone.
Serena closed her eyes, willing away the thought.
When she reached the manor and dismounted, she struggled to remember how to get into the back garden gate. Her hands were shaking so badly, she couldn’t pry any of the stones loose.
The sound of another horse approaching made her huddle into the shadows, praying it wasn’t one of the thieves. She eyed the stone wall, wishing she’d paid more attention to where the key was hidden.
When the rider drew closer, she held her breath. Then her horse whinnied from behind, giving away their presence.
‘Princess?’ came a voice, and she recognised the fürst. Thank heaven. She emerged from her hiding place, and he withdrew another key from his waistcoat, unlocking the gate.
‘What about Bernard and Samuel?’ she breathed.
‘Father Durin is with them.’ The prince’s voice held a note of strain, and he added, ‘I suspect they will join us shortly. Most of the thieves fled after the priest arrived with his weapons.’
Karl brought her inside the house, and Serena felt the welcoming warmth of the interior. She went to the fireplace, her body trembling more from fear than the cold.
His face tightened, and he suggested, ‘You should try to get some sleep. I’ll wait for the men to return. I doubt if the thieves will trouble us again.’
In his voice, she heard a slight edge of … something wrong. Serena turned to look at him. She studied the prince, her eyes passing over his hardened face, past his tight jaw and mouth, down to the great coat he wore.
There.
She moved forward, parting the edges of his coat before he could stop her. The prince’s upper arm was stained with blood. ‘You were shot,’ she breathed with horror. ‘How bad is it?’
‘The bullet grazed me, nothing more. It’s just a little blood.’
Just a little? His shirt sleeve was turning red. Without waiting for him to argue, Serena gripped his hand and guided him upstairs into his bedchamber. Her heart was staggering in her chest, but she forced herself to behave in a calm manner.
‘Sit down,’ she commanded, ‘and let me look at it.’
He started to protest, but she ignored him and forced him to sit on the bed. She poured water from the pitcher upon his dressing table into a basin, locating a handkerchief to tend the wound.
Karl sat down, his posture as rigid as stone. His eyes held pain, but he didn’t voice a single complaint. Serena helped him to remove the coat, and she reached for the buttons of his waistcoat. Her fingers were shaking, and she fumbled with the small buttonholes.
‘I’m sorry,’ she apologised. ‘I’m trying to hurry with these.’
‘I don’t suppose you’ve had much experience unfastening buttons.’
She sent him an embarrassed look. ‘You’re right. But I’ll manage.’ When she’d freed the last button, she loosened his shirt, and bade him to lift his arms. Though his face turned pained at the effort, Karl obeyed.
The sight of the raw, angry flesh sobered her. Though she’d never tended a bullet wound before, Serena had watched Katarina treat Serena’s injuries in the past. Cold water had soothed her own pain, and so she touched a wet handkerchief to Karl’s skin. He flinched, but didn’t make a sound while she tended him. To her relief, the linen absorbed the blood, revealing only a shallow abrasion.
‘I don’t think it’s too bad,’ she murmured as she wiped the blood. A strange sense of peace descended over her mind, pushing away the feelings of helplessness. The prince would heal, and she wasn’t going to be left alone.
Serena tore a strip from the bed sheets and held the damp handkerchief in place while she tightened the length around him. As she worked, she couldn’t help but notice his muscular chest. A light dusting of hair covered his pectorals, and between his ribs, his abdomen was firm.
A dryness caught in her throat, and her face warmed with modesty. Though she knew he needed help in wrapping the wound, it felt strange to touch a man’s bare skin. It was warmer than she’d expected, like heated stone.
She wondered what it would be like to see the rest of him. Though she’d seen statues and paintings before, she blushed to think of a fully naked man.
If she’d eloped with him this afternoon, would this have been their wedding night? Her skin tightened against her clothing, her mind imagining lying in bed with a man like Karl.
Though he was often cool, his demeanour overbearing, she couldn’t forget the way he’d kissed her. It was almost as if he couldn’t get enough of her, as if he craved her touch.
He stared at her now with interest. She remained in place after she’d tied off the bandage, wondering what to do now. Her breathing quickened, and his hands came to rest upon her waist. He looked tired and in pain, but in spite of his discomfort, there was no denying the need in his eyes.
‘Is there anything I can get you for the pain? I could try to find some laudanum.’ The close proximity made her feel threatened, and Serena took a step away. Not because she thought he would hurt her, but because she was afraid of her response. With each moment she spent in his company, he was taking down her defences. Right now, she couldn’t trust herself to be around him.
‘I can bear the pain,’ he said quietly. ‘Thank you for tending the wound.’ He studied her, adding, ‘You were quite resourceful.’
She nodded, feeling suddenly shy by the compliment. The truth was, she’d surprised herself. Tending a wounded man was something she’d never done before, but she’d managed to hold back her fears.
Warmth brushed at her cheeks, and she offered, ‘Do you want me to help you put your shirt back on?’ Though it was bloodstained, at least it would keep him somewhat warmer.
He nodded, and Serena lifted it over his head, guiding his arms back within the sleeves. She held out his waistcoat, but he only took it from her, not bothering to put it on. Hazel eyes stared into hers with an unfathomable expression.
‘Since you helped me, it seems only fair that I return the favour.’
Serena didn’t understand his meaning and sent him a questioning look.
‘You haven’t slept in two days,’ the prince said. ‘I can see the weariness in your eyes.’
She started to protest, but he reached out to take her hand. ‘Do you trust me, even a little?’
She wanted to say no, that two days wasn’t long enough to trust anyone. But he had done what he could to keep her safe. ‘A little, I suppose. But not very much.’
‘I want to help you get some sleep tonight. Since you have no ladies’ maid to assist you.’
It was then that she understood exactly what he intended. He wanted to help unbutton her gown, loosening her corset. Words of protest flew to her lips, but she couldn’t seem to gather up her thoughts.
‘You’re about to fall asleep standing up,’ he predicted. ‘And rest assured, I’ve no intention of taking advantage of you. Especially not with a gunshot wound.’
‘I don’t know if it would be a good idea,’ she admitted. Yet, she’d gone so long without sleep, her vision was starting to blur. Just the thought of a warm bed and being able to sleep made her crave it even more.
‘It’s a courtesy, nothing more. I think I can unfasten a few buttons without bothering you too much.’
Her sensibilities were screaming at her, and Serena had no idea why she was even considering it. Never in her life had she done anything improper. And yet, within the past two days, she’d broken so many rules of propriety, her reputation was beyond repair.<
br />
She’d spent time alone with the prince, even allowing him to kiss her. Now, they were standing together in her bedchamber, and he was wanting to undress her.
‘I should go,’ she whispered, closing her eyes.
The prince came to stand behind her. He stood so close, she could almost feel the heat radiating from his skin. ‘But you won’t. Not yet.’
His hands moved to rest upon her shoulders. When his fingers flicked open the first button, something stirred within her. One by one, his hands moved down her spine, until she felt the cool air against her back. She gripped her arms across her chest, and with each touch of his fingers, her breasts grew heavy and tight.
She shouldn’t be standing here, allowing him to undress her. Inside, her conscience was screaming at her for the wanton behaviour. But she’d been without sleep for so long, the desperate needs were drowning her brain’s common sense.
Serena felt a pressure against her nipples, almost as if he’d touched them instead of the last button. His hands moved down to the tight laces of her corset, and she couldn’t quite catch her breath.
Her skin was burning, and the unexpected response confused her. He loosened the knot, and as he adjusted the laces, she felt the heavy corset growing less constricted. When she believed she could raise it over her head without any trouble, she held the front of her gown tightly and turned to face him. Her shoulders were bared to him, and the look on his face was of a man starving for her.
‘Go back to your room,’ he ordered. ‘Now.’ His hazel eyes held a fierce expression, and she fled without question.
When she reached her bedchamber, Serena turned the key in the lock, before allowing the dress to fall to the floor. The corset was more difficult to remove, but she arched her back, lifting it over her head. She kept her chemise and a single petticoat on, for she had no nightdress.
And when she slid beneath the covers, her aching body resonated with the memory of his touch. Her mind played over the image of his hands on her skin.
She rubbed at her bruised ribs, staring into the darkness. Karl could have been killed this night, leaving her with no one. And although she had no wish to wed him, neither did she want anything to happen to the prince.
Her mind drifted back to the kiss he’d taken. She rested her face in her hands, remembering the firm command of his mouth. Why had he done it? She hadn’t been thinking clearly, but it was as if he’d shattered an invisible pane of glass. His mouth had been so warm, and she’d felt the stirrings of an intangible need.
And she simply didn’t know what to do about it now.
Chapter Seven
Karl was haunted by the vision of Serena’s bare skin. He’d mistakenly believed that he could help her unfasten her gown and corset without responding. He couldn’t have been more wrong.
As he’d loosened every button, baring more of her skin, her womanly scent had aroused him to the point of physical pain. He’d wanted to kiss her bare back, to cup her full breasts and strip away every layer between them.
But then he’d seen the bruises that ran from her back around to her ribs. The yellowed skin revealed the healing, and it made him aware of just how abused she’d been. From the extent of the damage, he guessed that her ribs had been broken.
Seeing her healing injuries had changed everything.
Though he couldn’t understand how this could have happened to a royal princess, he wasn’t going to let it happen again. He wasn’t going to let her leave on her own, with no one but strangers to take care of her. She was too innocent to fully understand the danger.
He stared into the firelight, wondering what the hell he was doing. Somehow, he had to convince her that marrying him was her best option and that he would never harm her.
Karl lay back on his bed, a fiery ache plaguing his side. He remembered Serena’s smooth hands passing over his skin and the way she’d touched him with such gentleness. She’d been so tense when he’d unlaced her, as if she believed his control would snap and he’d force himself upon her.
She didn’t know just how close to the edge he’d been.
Though he’d brought her to the island with the intent of seducing her, forcing her to marry him … he couldn’t do it any more. The sensible solution would be to bring her back to Badenstein and let her go. But there was no way in heaven or earth he could allow her to be threatened again. If she returned, she’d only become a victim, and it would be his fault.
Damn it all, nothing had turned out as he’d planned. Karl rose from the bed, wincing at the bullet wound. He stood by the cold fireplace, wondering what he should do now. If his princess preferred to be a commoner …
A startling idea occurred to him. He’d simply have to convince her that being an ordinary lady wasn’t everything she believed it was.
In the morning, a soft knock resounded at the door. Serena buried her face under the coverlet, hoping the person would go away and let her sleep for a few days more. The warm cocoon of her bed wouldn’t allow her to emerge.
The knock grew louder, and the door opened quietly.
‘My lady?’ came a woman’s voice. ‘I’ve brought your new dress, and your husband bid me to awaken you.’
Serena peeked over the covers and saw Frau Bauherzen standing at the door. In her arms, she held a package wrapped in brown paper. The woman apologised, saying, ‘I came last night, but no one was here. It was getting late, so I had to return home.’
‘May I see the dress?’ Serena asked, reluctantly rising from the bed. Frau Bauherzen unwrapped the package, revealing the cream gown trimmed with cranberry ribbons and a matching red cloak.
‘Shall I help you?’ the matron asked.
Serena sent the woman a grateful look. After she used the pitcher and basin to wash, she gripped the bedpost while Frau Bauherzen assisted her with her corset and petticoats. Then she raised her arms while the woman lifted the gown over her. It was still a little large, but Serena was so grateful to be in clean clothing again, it didn’t matter.
‘Thank you so much.’ she smiled.
The woman bobbed a curtsy, but worry lined her face as she reached out to point toward Serena’s upper arms. ‘I see you have some bruises, my lady. Are you all right?’
Serena’s smile faded. ‘I suffered a fall down the stairs, several days ago,’ she lied. ‘I’ll be fine.’ Frau Bauherzen murmured her sympathies, but Serena could tell she was still uneasy about them.
‘Shall I tend your hair?’ the matron asked.
Serena sat at the dressing table, thrilled beyond words to have assistance. Though she was self-conscious of the bruises, she hoped they weren’t too noticeable. She could wear the cloak outdoors to cover her arms, or perhaps find a shawl.
Frau Bauherzen helped her untangle her hair, brushing it to a smooth sheen before coiling it and pinning it into a soft chignon.
When at last she was ready, Serena offered, ‘Whatever your family needs, I shall ensure that you receive it.’ She started to instruct the matron to speak to Bernard, but then realised she didn’t know what had happened last night. ‘Come with me downstairs, and I’ll make the arrangements,’ she finished.
She reached the dining room and saw Bernard standing near the door. He appeared weary, and when she asked after his welfare, he admitted that he’d suffered no injuries.
‘I am very glad to hear it.’ She smiled and told him to provide Frau Bauherzen with a share of the supplies they’d received last night. ‘What happened after I left?’
‘I relived my past days as a palace guard,’ came the voice of Father Durin from the dining room. Serena hurried forward and saw the priest seated across from the fürst.
‘I hope you weren’t hurt?’
‘Not at all,’ the priest assured her. ‘And I recognised a few of the men from my parish. When they saw me, they realised their wrongdoing. I’m convinced that they’ll make amends.’
Serena breathed a little easier, but when she caught the prince staring at her, she felt self-consci
ous. His eyes drifted over her new gown, settling around her figure. The heat in his gaze made her feel exposed with the short sleeves. And then, when he studied her bare arms, he stood from the table.
‘We need to talk,’ he said.
‘What you need is a chaperon,’ the priest grumbled from behind them. At the pointed look on his face, Serena flushed.
Before she could voice a reply, the prince guided her into the library and closed the door. His knuckles curled across the door frame, gripping the wood. ‘Those bruises didn’t happen last night, did they?’
‘No.’ Serena covered up her arms with her hands. ‘I told you I was beaten at the palace.’
Karl crossed the room to stand in front of her. He removed a glove and reached out to trace the bruise on her upper arm. As soon as he touched her, Serena drew back. ‘Running away from the problem won’t solve it. This man should be punished for what he did to you.’ His voice held the razor edge of his temper. ‘Have you even told the king?’
She let out a breath, afraid that trusting him with the truth would only entangle him further.
‘Serena,’ Karl said quietly, ‘let me protect you.’ Though he didn’t touch her, gooseflesh rose up over her skin in the cool air.
His words conjured up last night, when he’d nearly taken a bullet for her. He’d kept his word, bringing her away from the danger and keeping her safe. She wasn’t used to that. But neither could she wed him and bring him up against the wrath of a king.
‘I know there are thousands of little girls who wish they could be a princess,’ she said quietly. ‘But I hate everything about it.’
‘Why?’
‘Because it’s a prison.’ She regarded him. ‘Don’t tell me you haven’t wished for a single day, all to yourself. With no one telling you what to wear, what banquets you’ll attend, what you can and cannot say. If you could give up being a prince, you would.’
‘I would never turn my back on my country.’
The Accidental Prince Page 9
