The next two weeks flew by in a wonderful blur. Winter melted away into spring. Flowers bloomed and blossomed, their perfume floating through the air on a gentle breeze, birds began to sing, the nights were warm and easy. I met William nearly every day—after dark, of course. Each night, I stayed longer, wishing I never had to leave. We never did the same thing, either. Sometimes, we would walk down the street, just talking about anything and everything. Other times, we would go to the palace library and find a quiet spot to be alone and just read. Sometimes, we would just go to his room and sit together on his settee and read or talk there. And then, there were times, where we would be in his room, and just end up falling asleep together.

The best thing about our time together was that we did not always have to be talking or doing something together. Just being with each other was enough. I might be reading on his bed and he might be working at his desk and it still felt like time together.

Everything was so perfect that it felt like a dream. Like I might wake up and realize none of it had been real. It was just so wonderful.

However, I suppose I'd gotten to comfortable with sneaking out, too used to it, because after doing it for over two weeks, I made a fatal mistake.

We walked back from the palace one night, the way we had every night for the last several weeks. William and I chatted about everything that came to mind, while Gabriel walked behind us, still the stoic soldier I'd come to know, but a little easier to talk to than the one I'd met on our first walk home.

As we reached the front doors to the house, William turned to me. Gabriel, as usual, stepped out of sight to allow is this brief moment of privacy.

I looked up at him, his eyes like pools of midnight lit only by the moon. Although we'd been this close many times before, every time, my breath would catch in my throat and my heart would begin to race. I would notice his beauty anew every time and, still, I would be amazed by it.

"Good night, Erika," he said softly.

I resisted the urge to reach up and run my fingers over his cheek. "Good night, William," I said, a little breathlessly. "I look forward to seeing you again."

"Already, I cannot wait for tomorrow if it means I might get to see you sooner."

My face warmed, my heart thumping painfully against my ribs. I pushed open the door into the entryway and, where the hall was normally dark at this time of night, an oil lamp was lit and my mother stood before the door, watching me.

A cold knot of dread formed in my stomach and I shut the door.

She narrowed her sharp eyes upon my entering. "Where have you been, Erika?" Her voice was deathly soft.

My chest felt tight with panic. How could she know? "I could not sleep, so I went for a walk," I said quickly.

She nodded thoughtfully. "I went to talk to you earlier, but you were not in your room."

I swallowed hard, wanting to slam my head against the wall. I'd forgotten to lock the door.

"Like I said, Mother, I went for a walk," I repeated.

She remained unsmiling, her face a cold mask. "Did you really go for a six-hour walk?"

I hesitated, already knowing that I would not be able to talk my way out of this. "No."

She nodded, pursing her lips. "And this is probably not the first time you have sneaked out of the house. Am I correct?" She crossed her arms, watching me with her stormy eyes.

I hesitated again, thinking. But it was no use. She's caught me. "You are correct."

"Where have you been going?" By her tone, I could tell she already knew.

I swallowed against the tightness in my throat. My hands were shaking and I hid them in the folds of my gown, hoping Mother wouldn't notice. "I think you already know."

She smiled a cold, predator's smile, and stood from her chair. "Of course, I already know, dear. I am not stupid." She walked toward me, slowly, too slowly, a predator's walk to match her smile. "I believe I told you that you could not see him. He is meant to be Alice's betrothed, not yours. And yet, you disobeyed me. Do you have anything to say for yourself, Erika?" She stopped right before me and I looked up to meet her cold, gray eyes.

I took a shuddering breath. "No, Mother."

Quicker than I would have thought possible, her hand shot out and struck my face. My head jerked to the side, my cheek stinging from the blow, my eyes watering. Her face remained impassive, and if my cheek did not hurt so much, I might have thought I'd just imagined it. She'd never hit me before. "Consider this your warning, Erika. If I discover that there have been anymore trysts"—I bristled at that word—"there will be consequences. Go on up to bed."

I blinked back tears and nodded quickly. "Yes, Mother," I replied softly, desperate to get out of there.

I hurried past her and up the stairs to my bedroom, heart pounding, face stinging, unsure of what to do next.

#

I handed Walter the slip of paper and be bowed, shoving it into his coat pocket, before going to the carriage and driving away. He was to deliver the note to William, an explanation of why I could not meet him tonight. I did not want him to sit under the willow tree and wait for me if I were never coming. And Mother was far too suspicious; I could not afford to get caught again.

I tried more than usual to avoid Mother, in fact. I did not want to speak to her or be around her at all after last night. My face still bore the mark of her anger—a bright, red bruise encompassing the whole of my right cheek.

Perhaps Mother was trying to avoid me too, or I was better at avoiding her than I expected. She did not interrupt my tutoring session, nor did she oversee my dance lessons. I took breakfast in my room, as well as my midday meal. The only time I would have to see her or speak with her would be during dinner, which I had begun to dread.

Agnes came to retrieve me for dinner that evening and I followed her down to the dining room, where Alice and Father were already at the table.

Alice's eyes widened when she saw me, but her expression quickly changed to one of disdain. "What happened to you?"

I bit my lip and took my seat across from her.

Mother entered shortly after me, her face drawn and severe, her mouth turned down in an almost-scowl.

Alice's eyes shifted between Mother and me, her face neutral, unemotional in every way. I wondered if she knew or only suspected.

I could not bear to meet Mother's gaze, so I stared down at my empty plate.

As we began to eat, Mother and Alice talked of potential suitors, but they continued circling back to Prince William. Every time they mentioned him, my heart would hurt and I would dream of melting into the floor. It was a miserable meal.

Father read a report of some kind, as he often did at dinner. Mother hated that he did that, but he continued to do it any way. I supposed everyone had their own forms of escape. He appeared to enjoy reading boring papers, probably about business. It was always about business.

After an unbearably long dinner, everyone excused themselves. I was so grateful to finally be able to leave the table. I hurried back up the stairs to my bedroom and shut the door, happy to be alone.

I had only been in my room for but a moment when there was a knock at my door. Dread coiled in my stomach at the thought of having to face Mother now, but there was nothing else I could do.

With a deep breath, I pulled open the door—and faltered. Alice stood in the doorway.

"Alice," I said slowly, surprised. "Do you need something?"

"If you go to the cellar and break off a small chunk of ice to apply to your cheek, the swelling will go down rather quickly. Though, that does not always help with the redness, which is what powder is good for." She held out a silver compact to me with little intricate designs carved into it.

Still very confused by everything, I took the compact from Alice. "Really? I had no idea."

She brushed her hair out over her shoulder, her air of haughtiness returned to her. "Yes, well, I would not expect you to. You are always reading and often miss things in the real world. So, there you are."

"Thank you, Alice," I said as earnestly as I could.

She looked a little uncomfortable as she stepped back from the doorway. "Right, well, good night. Please return the powder at your earliest convenience."

I clutched it tightly in my hands. "I will."

With a curt nod, she turned and marched back down the hall the way she'd come. I stared after her, baffled, and a little bit touched at the gesture. Though, I could not help but wonder why Alice would know such techniques as how to make a bruise go away unless she'd needed to use them on herself. The thought did not sit right with me.

#

I tried the ice trick Alice had mentioned and it did, indeed, help a tremendous amount. I did not bother with the powder, since I would only be going to bed, but I thought I might use some in the morning.

Agnes helped me undress and prepare for bed. Afterward, I picked up my book off of the nightstand and sat before the fire and read. What else was I to do tonight, anyway?

I had not been reading very long, however, when a soft tapping came from the balcony Startled, I glanced up, but could see nothing through the glass and thought I might have imagined it, so I returned to my book.

The tapping sound came again, interrupting my reading. I shut my book and made my way over to the doors, thinking perhaps there was a bird outside my window or something. I warily pushed open one of the doors and nearly screamed, stumbling backwards and toppling a chair. I, ten, proceeded to trip over the chair and land in a tangled mess on the floor.

William stood on the balcony, his clothes rumpled, his hair tousled, hand still raised, as though to knock again. His look of alarm would have been almost comical under different circumstances.

"William," I gasped, my heart thundering in my chest.

He hurried over and held out his hand to me. "Are you all right?" He asked, concern etched onto his face. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

I took his hand and allowed him to pull me to my feet. "Oh, and finding a tall man standing outside of my bedroom late at night is a sure way to not startle a woman?"

He smiled sheepishly. "I did not think about that. I'm sorry."

"So, what on earth are you doing here?"

He flashed me a mischievous smile. "Well, when I received your note, you told me that you could not come meet me, so I decided I would come meet you."

"And how did you get up here?"

"I climbed," he said casually, as though scaling a house up to the second story in the dark was of no consequence at all.

"You climbed? From the ground? That's two stories!" Just the thought sent ice into my veins.

Besides his clothes being slightly rumped and torn in one or two places, he seemed completely fine. "Yes, I climbed. Your room is very far up, Erika," he said seriously, as though he were going to reprimand me for the placement of my bedroom.

He stepped further into my room, brushing the wrinkles out of his coat, as though that would do anything. He looked around, appraising. "You have a very nice room."

"I . . . thank you?" I replied uncertainly.

He looked at me, his blue eyes meeting my own.

The first thing that came to mind was, of course, that I did not want my mother knowing he was here. She would skin me alive if she found out, so I hurried over to my door, locked it, and bolted it . . . just in case.

I looked back to find William watching me with a bemused expression. My cheeks heated under his gaze and I looked away quickly. "Mother cannot know you're here," I explained. "We will both me very a very unpleasant end if she finds out."

"I see," he nodded and walked over to me. He took my hand in his and pressed it to his lips. "I missed you."

My face warmed and I looked away quickly, smiling to myself. "It's only been a day. Surely, you could not have missed me already?"

His lips quirked up in a smile. "It felt far longer than a day without you."

My stomach fluttered pleasantly and my face flushed. I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could, there was a sharp knock on my bedroom door.

"Erika?" Mother said.

William and I both froze. The panicked look on his face mirrored how I felt. We stared at each other for a long moment, neither of us even breathing as we waited. I really hoped that if we didn't answer, she would just leave. I could not be so lucky.

"Erika," Mother said again, a warning note in her voice.

We both broke out of our fear-stricken trance and jumped apart. I scanned the room, looking for the best place to hide him. There was the balcony, but if Mother, for whatever reason, decided to look out there, he would be standing in plain sight. Or the curtains on the wall, but if they moved even a little, her sharp eyes would surely notice. There were so many place that might work, but with a high chance of them not working at all.

"Sorry, Mother, I'm coming," I called as I lifted up the bed skirt and motioned for William to hide under my bed. It was a risk like every other spot, but Mother would have no reason to look under there. It not very roomy, but this was not the time to be picky.

He dropped to the ground and shimmied under the bed. It was a tight fit, but it seemed like it might work for a brief moment.

The handle jiggled and I dropped the bed skirt back into place, successfully making William disappear.

"Erika, unlock the door this instant!" Mother snapped.

I hurried over and unlocked the door, sliding the bold out of place. I pulled the door open and Mother brushed past me into the room, nearly trampling me in the process. She looked around the room, looking like she had just caught me doing something I wasn't supposed to.

My heart was pounding against my ribs, since she nearly had.

"Why did it take you so long to answer the door?" Shea asked, casting a suspicious glance in my direction.

"I was reading," I lied. "I wanted to finish the page, so I would not lose my place."

"Erika," Mother said exasperatedly. "When I speak to you, you must respond instantly." As she spoke to me, her eyes continued to scan the room, as though she could sense William's presence. But, of course, that was ridiculous . . . wasn't it? "Do you know how much trouble you would have been in if you had not been here?"

I stared at her for a long moment, uncomprehending. "But I was here."

"Regardless, how dare you make me wait the way you did? That is inexcusable." She stepped further into the room, until she was standing near my bed.

I bit my lip. "I am so sorry, Mother, I will never make you wait like that again." I tried to refrain from searching the floor near the bed for any sign of hands or feet. The last thing I wanted was for Mother to follow my eyes and find William under the bed. I could not even imagine the kind of trouble I would be in if she found him. For a lady to have a boy in her room . . . my reputation would be ruined if anyone found out. If even a maid heard anything about it, the rumor would spread and, suddenly, I would be a topic and Mother's weekly "book club."

The thought sent a chill up my spine and left me slightly nauseous.

Her eyes returned to my face and she nodded curtly. "Will you be on your way to bed soon, then."

I nodded, attempting to tamp down on my rising panic. "Yes, I believe I will."

"All right, then. Good night."

"Good night, Mother."

With one last cursory glance around, she marched back out of my room, shutting the door behind her. I let out a relieved breath and took a moment to compose myself before locking my door once more. I knelt down beside the bed and lifted the bed skirt. Sapphire eyes stared back at me from the shadows and I smiled. "You can come out now, she's left."

He pulled himself out from under the bed and dusted off her clothes. "That was a very close call. I did not realize she checks up on you."

I shook my head, grimacing. "She usually does not. I think after she discovered I was gone yesterday, she has since added this to her list of priorities. I am terribly sorry you had to hide under the bed. I'm sure it was quite dirty under there."

He smiled. "I did not mind at all if it meant I could continue seeing you."

I smiled and brushed a speck of lint off of his shoulder. "I'm very happy you can, now."

Once my heart rate had returned to normal—for the second time that evening, I realized that this was William—a boy—who was in my room while I was wearing my bedclothes.

My face turned a bright shade of red. "Forgive my dress," I said quickly. "I was not expecting a guest tonight, or I would not have changed into a nightgown for bed."

As though understanding my concern, William's own face reddened. "No, please, do not apologize. I should have asked before coming over, or given you a warning. But, I suppose, your wardrobe fits with the propriety of the rest of our rendezvous. We are alone in your bedroom very late at night and it is a secret. If you were to be dressed in anything, it would be a nightgown." He smiled wryly.

My face still burning, I could not help but smile too. "Perhaps."

We lapsed into silence, the only sound the crackling of the fire in the hearth. Unsure what else to do, I picked up my book and laid down in bed. William laid down beside me and the mattress shifted under his weight.

I looked up at William where he lay beside me. In the dim light of the room, his eyes glittered, his lashes casting long shadows over his cheekbones. He was so beautiful. I wanted to reach up and stroke his cheek, run my fingers through his hair, feel the sharp edge of his jaw, the curve of his mouth, his lips . . .

I took a shuddering breath and tucked my hands into my nightgown. My face felt warm.

William tilted his head, his lips curling into a curious smile that sent a pleasant shiver up my spine. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

I swallowed, but my mouth felt dry. "It's nothing," I said. But it was everything. He was everything.

He looked as though he did not quite believe me, but neither did he press it.

I opened my book and began to read. At some point, William fell asleep, his head resting against my arm, his soft, black hair tickling the back of my hand. He looked much younger when asleep, all soft lines and blurred edges, still beautiful, but a gentler, easier beauty.

With a yawn, I shut my book and set it on my bedside table as quietly as I could. I lay against William, felt the warmth radiate off of him, the steady beat of his heart.

I tried to stay awake, to hold on to the moment for as long as I could. I did not want it to end. The peace, the comfort, just the two of us, in the darkening room. I could almost believe no one else existed. And I knew it could not last forever, but if I could make it last a little longer by just staying awake . . .

I did not remember falling asleep, but when I awoke in the morning, the prince was gone and I almost wondered if he'd ever been there at all.