Reunited with Her Secret Prince

by Susanne Hampton

  Her face held a mix of anger and hopelessness. ‘Trapped on this ship and expected to work with you? It’s so unfair and you know it.’

  ‘It is unfair, but I will find a compromise. I will make our working time together minimal. We can visit Walter at separate times and any incidents with the other passengers we will handle the same way unless there’s an emergency...’ he began, just as he received a pager alert. He looked down momentarily at his device, then moved towards the door. ‘If you agree to those terms we can work this out for the next week.’

  * * *

  Libby chewed the inside of her cheek anxiously. For her there was more to think about than just not wanting to spend any time with Daniel. There was Billy to consider. Daniel had no idea he was father to her son. How would he react to knowing that? Would he even believe Billy was his child? And if he did believe her, would he actually care? It was a dilemma she’d never thought she would have to face. She tried to calm her breathing as Daniel left, closing the door behind him. She was stuck between a rock and a hard place and there was no choice but to agree to Daniel’s terms. Being sued was not an option. She had lost her heart once to the man—and almost her mind—when he’d left, and she wasn’t about to lose her home and her future because of him.

  There was so much at risk by staying but even more by leaving. For nearly four years she had resigned herself to never seeing Daniel again, never having to think about telling him that he had a son. And now she was going to be at sea for seven days and seven nights with the father of her child. The father of the little boy who was so much like him. The deep blue eyes that looked up at her every night when she tucked him into bed were his father’s eyes. The black hair that she smoothed with her hands in the morning when Billy ran to her, arms outstretched, for a cuddle was his father’s hair. The skin that turned a beautiful golden hue in the summer sun, that too was his father’s Mediterranean skin.

  But when Daniel had disappeared, Libby had had neither the money nor the desire to hire someone to find him. To tell him that he had a son he might not even have wanted.

  But now it was an option. Now there was the opportunity to tell him and she was confused, terribly confused about how he would react to the news. The man she had fallen in love with and who she had invited into her bed would care, but the man who had walked away might not care at all and that would break her heart all over again.

  Libby watched as the door slowly opened again. Her heart picked up speed and she felt it pumping erratically. She dropped her gaze as Daniel stepped back inside the cabin. She didn’t want to look at him. She was worried she would see her precious son in his eyes and consequently soften towards Daniel. She needed time to think. Time to work out in her mind what was best for her son. Not for her and not for Daniel. Her thoughts were only on what was best for Billy. He was the innocent one and needed to be considered above anyone else. Did she have the right to hide Daniel’s son from him? Did his behaviour, leaving without an explanation or a forwarding address, take away his right to know he was a father? But if she told him, and he became a part of his son’s life in some capacity, could he leave again without warning and the next time break Billy’s heart?

  She needed time and a clear head to sort it out. She wasn’t going to rush into making a life-changing decision for Billy.

  Libby wondered if time on the yacht would allow her to learn more about Daniel, get to know the real man and try her very best not to let their failed relationship influence her decision. Libby knew she had to make a truly informed choice, not just react emotionally. Perhaps that was what fate had planned—time for her to learn as much as she could about Daniel and allow her to make the very best choice for Billy.

  ‘Your decision?’

  Libby continued looking down at the cabin floor as she shifted her feet nervously. Little did he know that she had two decisions to make...

  ‘Let’s be honest, Daniel, I don’t really have much of a choice. It’s been made for me. I have to stay.’

  ‘Thank you, Libby. It’s best for everyone.’

  ‘We’ll see,’ she told him. Her heart was still beating out of her chest. She had so much at risk. There was much to protect and consider for the next week.

  ‘There’s one more thing,’ he said as he turned to leave. ‘I’m sorry, Libby, but you’ll still have to attend the briefing with the senior members of the crew on the stern deck in thirty minutes. It’s a regulation procedure. After that I will do my best to ensure there’s minimal contact between us.’

  Libby nodded. She was still struggling to process it all.

  ‘Fine, but I want minimal contact, Daniel. I don’t care how you arrange that but you need to make it happen,’ she said, her words short and her tone curt. ‘And don’t even try to change the terms of this arrangement. If you do, I swear I’m getting off this ship at the first port and you’ll be the one explaining why.’

  CHAPTER FOUR

  ‘ARE YOU OKAY, LIBBY?’ Georgie asked as she stepped back inside the cabin, her big brown eyes even larger than before. ‘I was so shocked when you fainted.’

  ‘I’m okay. I think I was just overwhelmed. Maybe I didn’t drink enough water and my blood pressure fell.’

  Georgie’s expression changed and Libby watched as her old friend closed the cabin door slowly, and purposefully moved closer as if she was about to learn a secret that could bring down a nation. ‘Libby, from the day we met all those years ago at school we connected and we could never hide anything from each other. Nothing’s changed; it’s like we were sisters in a previous life.’

  ‘I know but...’ Libby began, then stopped, knowing she couldn’t lie to her friend.

  ‘Is there something you want to share with me? The way he looked at you, and the way he spoke, it was more than a little bit obvious you two have chemistry and if it’s old chemistry, then it just re-ignited in this cabin.’

  ‘It’s nothing.’ Libby stiffened at the question and felt her pulse pick up again. But nothing had re-ignited, she reminded herself. It was just the shock of seeing him and the decisions that came with having him so close to her.

  ‘Oh, really, nothing? One, he called you Libby and, two, he said, “It’s me, Daniel.” And if that wasn’t enough, he asked me to leave the cabin. Why would he do that unless he wanted to have a private conversation with you? You two definitely have history. You can tell me to butt out but I know there’s something there.’

  Libby couldn’t talk her way out of it. She respected Georgie too much. She had no choice but to tell her part of the story. Just not everything.

  ‘We dated briefly, very briefly a few years back. It feels like a lifetime ago.’

  ‘I knew it,’ Georgie said crossing the room and sitting on the bed beside her friend. ‘However brief, and however it ended, it’s clear to me that it was rather an intense relationship. It’s so obvious that it wasn’t just a casual fling for either of you.’

  Libby closed her eyes and drew a deep breath. Once again, she was feeling overwhelmed with the reality of it all. Georgie’s questions, while well intentioned, were confrontational and almost too much to handle. ‘It’s complicated.’

  ‘I’m sorry, Libby, I didn’t mean to pry. You don’t have to go into it. I overstepped good manners and I do apologise, truly. I mean, by the look of you now and the expression on his face, what you shared might be better left alone, at least for now.’

  ‘I’m sorry, Georgie. I’m not up to talking about it. Maybe later.’

  ‘Absolutely. Whenever you’re ready,’ she replied as she reached out and embraced Libby. ‘Like they say in the Hollywood movies, “I have your back, girl.”’

  With the kindness of Georgie’s embrace, Libby found a ray of hope amongst the rubble that had suddenly become her life. Trapped at sea with Billy’s father, the man whom she had loved deeply but briefly, was a disaster she had not seen coming. ‘Thank you.’
/>
  Georgie finally released her hold. ‘Men...can’t live with them and apparently you can’t sail without them.’

  Libby nodded. She was still on very shaky ground with her emotions but somehow she had to dig down and find the strength to get through the cruise and make what could be the single most important decision in her life. And in her son’s life. Her stomach was churning as she battled with doubts about making the right decision for everyone. And her own feelings about Daniel. Were they truly dead and buried?

  ‘I guess if I have to go to the briefing, I might as well get it over and done with,’ she announced, getting to her feet and lifting her chin and making her way to the cabin door, her heart pounding with every step.

  Moments later, Libby and Georgie arrived on the deck where they found the rest of the crew waiting. Libby looked around her but didn’t take in too much. It was by far the biggest yacht at the dock—and the most luxurious—but Libby was oblivious to all of it. Nothing was registering with her. Her mind was racing in many directions, all of them leading back to Daniel.

  ‘Hello, there, I’m Captain Mortimer but you can call me Eric.’ The captain acknowledged Libby and Georgie’s arrival with a smile. He was a man in his late fifties, not particularly tall, with a kind face and short hair just beginning to grey at the temples. He was dressed in a white uniform, complete with epaulettes and a captain’s cap, all with the Coral Contessa insignia.

  Sir Walter really did like a very professional-looking crew; the younger, blond and slightly taller man next to Captain Mortimer wore the same uniform. There was nothing casual about this yacht. ‘I have the pleasure of navigating this magnificent vessel for the next eight days and with any luck this weather will hold up and it will be quite lovely. We’ll be setting sail this afternoon and cruising out across the Caribbean Sea for the next three days.

  ‘On day four we’ll be docking at Martinique. You can work out between yourselves who’d like to go ashore that day. We’ll anchor there for about six hours to allow the guests to tour the island. At seventeen hundred hours we’ll once again set sail with the intention of docking the next day around eleven-hundred hours in San Lucia.

  ‘On this second and final stop we will remain in port for the day and the night so those who missed leave on Martinique can take some time in San Lucia. On the sixth day we hoist anchor at zero six hundred hours for the trip back across the Caribbean Sea to Miami. Any questions?’

  Libby heard every word from the captain but didn’t retain too much as she was distracted by Daniel’s presence so close to her after so many years. It was like a nightmare and one she wished she could wake from to find herself in her bed, in her home, hearing the giggles of her son playing in his room.

  She blinked, hoping to make this reality disappear, but it didn’t. She tried not to look in Daniel’s direction but was powerless to prevent herself. She was drawn to him like a moth to a flame that would undoubtedly burn her if she got too close. He cut a powerful silhouette dressed in the starched white uniform too, a stark contrast to the darkness of his tanned skin. She watched as he stood alone, resting his lean fingers on the railing and staring out to sea. His look was far away but he didn’t appear cold or arrogant. She couldn’t help but notice he looked like a man in pain.

  She didn’t want to stare at him; she wanted to be able to look away; she wanted to hate him—and part of her did, but there was something in his expression that confused her. The pain in his eyes looked real. It was coming from somewhere deep inside and for some inexplicable reason Libby suddenly cared. Her reaction didn’t make sense.

  She should have been happy to see him looking sad but she wasn’t. She was seeing a man who looked like he was at war with himself. The cleft in his jaw was just as she remembered it. The blackness of his hair falling in soft waves, like the ocean, had not changed. In fact, everything about him was just the way she remembered, except for the almost overwhelming sadness. That was new. And somewhat perplexing for her.

  * * *

  For the first time in a long while Daniel was unsure how to behave, how to manage the situation and his own feelings. So he chose to remain silent and look out to sea. Look towards where they would be travelling for the next week and wish it to be over. He couldn’t change the outcome so every moment would be difficult for him as he now knew it would be for Libby too. She had every right to be angry with him. His behaviour, without explanation, had been appalling. And he couldn’t provide any explanation.

  While he had imagined his last assignment at sea would be challenging, he could never had dreamt just how much.

  He did not want to make it obvious to anyone else that he and Libby had once been as close as two people could ever be so he would make all communication minimal. Theirs had been a love affair that should never have happened. But he still wished with all his heart that it had never had to end.

  * * *

  ‘Let’s go around the group and introduce ourselves and since we’ll be working and living closely together for the next week perhaps tell us something interesting about you,’ Captain Mortimer began, bringing Daniel back to the task at hand. Meeting everyone. ‘Well, you know me so let’s begin with our First Mate, Steve.’

  ‘Thanks Eric, I’ll keep it brief since I don’t want to bore you all with stories of my perfect childhood, college sporting prowess or my new golden retrievers. I’m Steve Waterford. I’ve been First Mate for about five years now, and it’s my second stint on the Coral Contessa. I was raised in Boston and still live there with said dogs when I’m not at sea. Boris is six months old and Molly’s three months old and into everything, including my boxers drawer.’ Steve smiled and then looked towards the casually attired man at his left, who was rolling his eyes but smiling. His head was clean shaven and he had a beard and wore heavy black glasses.

  ‘Probably too much information, Steve. I’m Laurence Mitchell and I’m the Chief Engineer and I’ve been working on various yachts and cruise ships for just over six years. I’ve worked three stints with Eric and Steve. I’m a native New Yorker and also still live there when I’m not on the high seas.’

  ‘I’m Stacey Langridge, the Contessa’s purser,’ the tall blonde woman began. She too was in uniform. ‘This is my second cruise with Eric and I think I’ve worked with Steve more times than I can remember but I’m new to this ship. I grew up in SoCal near Venice Beach but now I live in Miami. I made the move over here about a year ago with my husband. No dogs in my life...although I’ve dated a few over the years.’ She laughed then followed suit and looked to her left.

  ‘I’m Daniel Dimosa, I’m half of the medical team.’ Daniel kept his words brief. He had no desire to socialise or to mention anything about his personal life so he looked over in Georgie’s direction, willing her to step up next.

  ‘Georgie Longbottom. I’m from the UK, although I’m quite certain my accent gave that away. I’m the owner of a restaurant in London and, at Walter’s request, the ship’s chef for the second time on this yacht and, as fate would have it, my best friend from sophomore year in San Francisco when I was on an exchange is standing next to me. We haven’t seen each other in for ever, so there’s a lot of catching up to do.’

  The group all then looked at Libby. Daniel could not avoid doing the same. He could not help but notice she nervously but purposely made eye contact with them all but not with him. He could also not help but notice that she was as beautiful as he remembered, perhaps even more so. Her stunning red hair was tied away from her face in a ponytail. He recalled it flowing across the white pillowcase as she lay naked beside him in the warmth of her bed.

  He dug his fingers into his palms, trying to keep his mind from wandering back to that time. He couldn’t let the memories overtake him. He had to stay on task. Thinking even for the briefest moment of the way it had been would be pointless. He could not change what had happened or make amends. She was angry and hurt even after all the time t
hat had passed and she had every right to feel that way, although he thought she would have moved on by now and not reacted the way she had when she’d seen him. Perhaps—and understandably—she would have been cold and distant but her reaction was more than that. He had never made contact, never written or called so he had given her no reason to think of him.

  ‘Elizabeth McDonald, but I prefer to be called Libby, and I’m from Oakland, which is about twenty minutes outside of San Francisco. I have nursing experience in both A&E and Cardiology and recently I was one of Sir Walter’s nurses pre-and post-operatively. And, this is my first time on a ship.’

  The group all smiled back. All except Daniel. His look was sombre and he didn’t take his eyes off Libby. He couldn’t. He was momentarily caught up in thoughts of the past. Daniel knew he had to get a grip on his feelings. Something tugged at his heart as he stood watching her from across the room and it scared him to the core.

  Daniel Dimosa had a battle with his feelings on his hands.

  ‘Okay, I guess now we know a little about each other and too much about Boris and... I’ve forgotten the other one’s name already,’ Eric said in a light-hearted manner.

  ‘Molly,’ Steve interjected. ‘And to think I was going to give you one of their pups.’

  ‘No, please, that’s not necessary. In fact, my wife would be mortified by the thought,’ Eric said, shaking his head. ‘So, let’s get down to the briefing. You know most of it but it’s regulation to go over it so I will, particularly as a few of you are new to this particular ship. The previous voyages of the Coral Contessa have been without incident and I hope this trip will be the same.

  ‘We’re on a US-owned ship sailing in international waters. In keeping with guidelines, all staff are on call twenty-four hours a day. You will be assigned eight-hour shifts but you will have a pager in case you’re needed twenty-four hours a day. It is not to be switched off at any time and I expect that you report here immediately if called. Neither Steve nor I will call unless it’s an emergency. There’s always the chance we could find ourselves in a situation where we need additional support or we may need your assistance to help seriously sick or injured patients to disembark so I need to know I can always reach you.