the track that circled his field, running fast, hard, one kilometer and then another and another but no matter how fast he ran he couldn’t escape himself.
Couldn’t escape his thoughts.
It was madness to have trusted her. Madness to have cared.
They hadn’t signed the prenup and they had had sex. But she was cheating on him, still seeing Alejandro. It was within his rights to send her away. But ending it with Emmeline wouldn’t be a small thing. It would be a huge crisis, personally and politically. But once she was gone, and once the shock of the news had worn off, people would move on. He’d move on.
But when Zale imagined her leaving, when he imagined her gone, he didn’t feel relief.
He felt … pain.
Loss.
Her fault, he thought. The hollow emptiness within him, this sense of loss, was her fault. She was a witch, not a princess, and she’d cast a spell on him.
But it was a spell he had to break. Sooner than later.
And so he ran harder, ran faster, leaving the track to do tortuous wind sprints down the center of the field, again and again, pushing himself for an hour, running until his legs shook, and his heart pounded and he couldn’t catch his breath.
Finally, finally his mind was calm. His thoughts were quiet. Yes, his chest still ached, but now it was due to exhaustion not emotion. And he could handle that.
In the Queen’s Chambers, Hannah paced the sitting room for a half hour after he left her, in case he should change his mind and return. He didn’t.
After thirty minutes she went to his rooms but he wasn’t there, either. She returned to her room, sank onto the small pink silk couch and picked up one of the French fashion magazines Lady Andrea had bought but she couldn’t read, or even look at the pictures.
She wanted to fix things with Zale, make amends somehow, but he didn’t return to their rooms or summon her, and the afternoon slipped away and then evening came and the maids and footmen slipped in and out of rooms turning on lamps and building fires.
Numb, Hannah watched Celine build the fire in her sitting room’s hearth with the pink marble surround. She listened to the pop and crackle as the dry kindling caught, and fed the bigger logs until flames danced and licked making the fire bright. But even with the fire’s warmth next to her, Hannah remained chilled.
What if this was her last day here? What if Zale sent her away?
What if he was making plans this very moment to put her on a plane?
Her stomach heaved and acid rose up in her throat. She couldn’t leave, not like this. She had to see him. Had to make him understand. Hannah left the sofa even as the thought hit her—
What was she to do to make him understand?
That she’d tricked him, yes, but she’d had good intentions …?
Or that she’d deliberately deceived him because she’d fallen in love with him at first sight?
Hannah sank back down on the sofa cushion knowing she could never confess any of that.
Knowing she could never make any of this okay.
Some things were too bad, too horrible to forgive.
When seven o’clock rolled around and Zale still hadn’t put in an appearance or sent word about dinner, Hannah ate the meal Celine brought for her on one of the silver trolley tables they sent up from the kitchen.
At nine o’clock Celine asked Hannah if she’d like help changing into her gown and robe for bed.
Hannah shook her head. “Not yet,” she answered huskily. “But there’s no need for you to stay. I can change later when I’m ready. I know where everything is.”
“You’re certain, Your Highness?”
Hannah winced at the Highness part, feeling anything but royal. “Very certain. Good night, Celine. Sleep well.”
At ten Hannah had had enough of sitting, waiting, worrying. She had to do something. Take action of some sort. Move.
Walk. Find Zale.
Find Zale. Yes, that’s what she needed to do. Immediately.
Ignoring the uniformed guards posted outside her room and throughout the palace, she went downstairs to the wing that contained his suite of offices—his library and office space, as well as adjoining rooms for secretaries and various assistants. But he wasn’t there. The rooms were dark, the doors locked.
Where else would Zale be at ten o’clock at night?
With his brother maybe?
Hannah returned to the family wing but on reaching Tinny’s suite, she discovered it dark and Mrs. Daum in her nightgown and robe