Reunited with Her Secret Prince

by Susanne Hampton

  Libby headed down to see Walter on the morning they docked at Martinique. She needed to know if Walter intended to go ashore with his guests. If so, she would accompany him; if not, she would remain on the yacht and head to her cabin until his next medical check was due.

  ‘Are you heading to the island today, Walter?’

  ‘I’ve done it more times than I care to count,’ he told Libby as she packed away the blood pressure monitor and stethoscope and sat down beside him. ‘And between you and me, I could do with some peace and quiet with that lot gone for a few hours.’

  Libby smiled, happy that she could just relax.

  ‘How’s my ticker doing anyway?’ he asked. ‘Is sacrificing my whisky and cigars paying dividends?’

  ‘Absolutely. Your blood pressure is perfect and your scar is healing so well you’ll hardly notice it when you’re sunbathing on your next cruise.’

  ‘My next cruise will be without those monkeys,’ Walter scoffed as he looked in the direction of the guests disembarking the yacht. ‘The extended family on Contessa’s side are the worst. They’re noisy, obnoxious and for the most part quite ungrateful...not to mention the clothing. I loved my wife; she was a beautiful, stylish woman, not unlike Grace Kelly, but her family are quite a different matter altogether. They have the most terrible dress sense. Abominable is more to the point. I know she wasn’t adopted but I’ve always wondered where she fitted in. It’s fortunate that I met Contessa first; if I’d met them I might have run in another direction.’

  Libby bit the inside of her cheek so she didn’t laugh as she watched the dozen or so family members heading ashore. She had to agree that their clothing was very loud and there were myriad patterns with a Hawaiian feel to them. She could only imagine what Bradley would have said.

  ‘I do love my side of the family, of course,’ he continued. ‘My brother and his wife passed away a few years back now but they had the most gorgeous daughter, Sophia. She is the image of her mother and since Contessa and I were not blessed with children of our own, we unofficially adopted her when she was seventeen and she came to live with us for a little while until she went to college.

  ‘As I said, she is the most perfect creature ever created and I love to spoil her whenever I can, which is why I’m throwing her this party. She’s all grown up now—twenty-nine and an investment banker. She looks more like a model but she has a heart of gold and a mind like a steel trap. I think that’s why we get on so well.’

  ‘You modelled too?’ Libby asked with a cheeky smile.

  ‘I like you. You’re funny. My side of the family will like you too; they’re all flying in to San Lucia tomorrow. Should be a splendid night and I’m so excited to be seeing Sophia again. She did visit me in hospital but it was a whirlwind trip on her way to France to meet her fiancé’s parents.’

  ‘I’m sure she’ll be excited to see you too.’

  ‘You’re very kind, Libby,’ he said with a smile as he reached for his freshly squeezed juice. ‘Tell me about your family. Do you have any shockers like the ones who just headed off to scare the locals?’

  Libby laughed. ‘My family is a little quieter. I adore them and I’m their only child,’ she said, and without thinking she reached for her locket and held it in her hand as she spoke. ‘My mother and father live quite close to my home in a suburb in San Francisco.’

  ‘I think being close to your parents is lovely. It doesn’t happen much nowadays. Everyone is on the go and travelling all over the world for work, never in one place for too long.’

  ‘My parents are both retired and rarely travel, and being a single mother it’s wonderful having them there to help out...’ Libby stopped in mid-sentence. She hadn’t meant the words to slip out and wished she could take them back. She’d been so careful not to mention Billy for five days and now she had just told him everything. Well, almost everything.

  ‘Oh, you’re a mother?’

  She shifted in her seat uncomfortably but knew it was too late. Trying to hide the fact would only make it worse. ‘Yes, I have a son.’

  ‘Tell me more. How old is he and what’s his name?’

  ‘Billy...he’s just turned three,’ she managed to tell him, all the while wishing she had never opened up about her personal life.

  ‘Just turned three... Hey, when was his birthday?’

  ‘Last week, on the tenth of January.’

  ‘That’s three days after my birthday. He must be a lovely little chap.’ He chuckled, then leaning in he whispered, ‘You know, I was told by my mother that I was an Easter Bunny surprise. Of course, I worked out as I grew up that meant I was the result of a night of lovemaking in April after perhaps too many chocolates and champagne for my mother and more than likely a Guinness or two for my father.’

  Libby froze. She couldn’t laugh along with Walter. She swallowed as she remembered the Easter fundraiser the night Daniel had driven her home. There had been no chocolates or Guinness but there had definitely been a night of lovemaking that April. She felt heat rushing to her cheeks. She had tried to push the night from her memory but now it was coming back to her at lightning speed.

  ‘It’s lovely to know a little more about you, Libby,’ he said, putting the glass down again, to her relief completely unaware of her reaction to the conversation. He reached for a scone. ‘But I’m going to cut our chat short because you are too young to stay on board with an old man who you just confirmed is as fit as a Mallee bull...’

  ‘A Mallee bull?’ Libby asked with a quizzical look. Her mind was spinning with what she had confessed and now they were talking about bulls.

  ‘It’s Australian slang for healthy. Comes from the Mallee region in Victoria, where there are a lot of cattle and where I invested in a sheep station. They can be an odd bunch in the land Down Under, and they use funny terms like that. I’ve picked up one or two on my travels there.’

  ‘I never heard it before. I’ve learned something today.’

  ‘And you’ll learn more by heading ashore and exploring the island. Georgie told me you haven’t travelled much so don’t waste this time sitting with me when you can enjoy life in the Caribbean.’

  Libby was still trying to calm her nerves. She had never expected their conversation to be so revealing. It was unexpected and she hoped it would not complicate her plans to tell Daniel about Billy in a few days. ‘Thank you, Walter, but I’m very happy to stay on board today.’

  ‘Hogwash,’ he retorted. ‘I’ve arranged company for you for the day, so there’s no point arguing.’

  ‘You’ve asked Georgie to go with me?’

  ‘No, my dear,’ Walter replied. ‘She’s up to her neck making an engagement cake for tomorrow night’s party, so I asked Daniel. He was quick off the mark to accept the invitation and he should be here any minute.’

  Libby suddenly felt her heart pick up speed. She had hoped to avoid Daniel for the next few days until she was ready to confess everything.

  ‘Goodness, you suddenly look flushed, my dear. Let me pour you a glass of water,’ Walter said as he reached for the pitcher of chilled water and filled a glass. ‘Take this.’

  Libby accepted the glass and drank the water quickly. ‘Thank you. I’m sorry about that. I don’t think I had enough fluids today,’ she lied. She had no choice. She could not tell Walter that the thought of spending the day with Daniel was not what she wanted or needed.

  ‘Make sure you take a bottle of water with you today, young lady. Can’t have my nurse unwell on the island. Daniel might have to carry you back on board,’ he said with a laugh.

  Libby heard footsteps and turned her head slowly to see Daniel approaching from the other end of the deck. He was wearing a white T-shirt and beige shorts. His tanned feet were slipped inside dark-coloured espadrilles and he had a baseball cap covering his hair. He was dressed for a day on the island. And he looked so very handsome. Just as
she knew Billy would one day.

  Libby quickly climbed to her feet. She needed a few moments to calm her nerves. Her thoughts were racing and she felt emotionally dishevelled. Time alone together was definitely not in her plans.

  ‘I’ll go and change into something more suitable,’ she told Walter, unsure of exactly what she intended to do but she knew if she could find an excuse not to go, she would. ‘Please let Daniel know I’ll be back as soon as I can.’

  With that, Libby made her way to the glass elevator without passing Daniel. Ordinarily she would take the spiral staircase to the next deck but that would mean crossing paths with him.

  As she stood waiting for the glass doors to open, she heard Walter call out cheerily, ‘Good morning, Daniel. I can see you’re all ready for your island date with Libby.’

  * * *

  Libby’s hand began shaking as she pressed the call button again. A date? Was that just Walter’s perception or was there any possibility that Daniel saw it that way too? She wished more than ever that she had never accepted the assignment to care for Walter. She would never have seen Daniel again and her life would not once again have been turned upside down by him. Her emotions were firmly strapped in on the roller-coaster and she couldn’t escape.

  The doors opened and she stepped inside and turned to see Daniel looking in her direction. Her heart began racing again. While she intended to go through with her decision to tell him about Billy, she was growing more concerned by the minute that her feelings for him were unfortunately still very real. The way her heart skipped a beat when his hand accidentally brushed against hers, how she’d felt so safe in his arms after the horrible situation with Maxwell, and finally seeing him appear on the deck ready for their date.

  All of it was telling her that she was at risk of losing her heart to the man again if she didn’t take control of her feelings and the reality of the situation. Her focus had to be on letting Daniel know about Billy in the right way and at the right time, and establishing a relationship with him that would allow him to be in Billy’s life if he chose to do so. Full stop. Nothing more. Nothing romantic. No risk to her heart. None at all.

  Trying her best to keep everything in perspective and on the task at hand, Libby changed into something more suitable for sightseeing. She chose a floral summer dress that skimmed her knees and flat white sandals. With a straw hat in her hand and a cross-body purse holding the few things she would need, she made her way to the door, knowing the day ahead would be challenging but an important part of telling him about Billy.

  As she descended the highly polished oak staircase to the deck again, she decided the time she would be spending on the island with Daniel was purely an opportunity to find out more about him. Perhaps he had changed. Her stomach churned a little; she couldn’t deny she was worried that he would raise the topic of their past and that it would hurt her to hear the truth. Or perhaps he would keep everything close to his chest and still stand behind the only explanation she had heard so far: it was complicated.

  Had it just been a one-night stand that she had mistaken for more? Had Daniel been planning on leaving the hospital anyway and had assumed she knew? There were so many questions but she wasn’t going there. The day was all about Billy. Libby needed to know enough about Daniel to know she was right in her decision to open up her life and that of her son to the man who had broken her heart. She had to make sure, as best she could, that he wouldn’t break Billy’s heart too.

  * * *

  ‘Ahh, there you are,’ Walter said with a smile as Libby drew closer. ‘You were quicker changing than my wife ever was. Must be the nurse in you. Always efficient and, I must say, looking very pretty.’

  ‘Thank you, Walter,’ Libby replied, not looking in Daniel’s direction.

  ‘I agree,’ Daniel said, thinking that she looked far more than just pretty. He thought she looked stunningly beautiful. Just as she always had. Just as he had remembered her over the years.

  ‘Then off you two go. Make the most of this beautiful weather and don’t worry about me. You have your pager and I have the captain, the chief stewardess and a whole crew, so I’m well covered. And as a bonus I have a day of peace without those blessed, noisy folk who drive me to drink!’

  Daniel nodded and Libby smiled a half-smile before they turned and made their way to the gangway. Libby held on tightly to the railing and Daniel suspected the rocking of the yacht in the shallower water made her a little nervous of falling into the marina. She didn’t have to worry, he thought. He would be there to catch her for the next few days. In fact, if the world had been a different place, and he’d had any control of the future, he would always be there to catch her...in his arms.

  ‘What would you like to do, Libby, shopping, sightseeing or an early lunch?’

  Libby looked at her watch. ‘Lunch sounds lovely.’

  Daniel looked around. It wasn’t his first time on the island and he had a favourite street market he wanted to show Libby that wasn’t too far away so they could be back if there was any emergency on the yacht.

  ‘This way,’ he said, and began walking past the street vendors selling fresh fish and produce. He watched as Libby looked around, her eyes wide as she took in the sights and smells of the colourful French Caribbean island. ‘It’s not too far.’

  It took all of Daniel’s self-control not to reach for her and pull her close as they walked. He wished he could hold her hand and as lovers visit the island together for the first time. But he could not behave the way his heart was wanting. He had to allow his head to control every part of his behaviour. He just wanted to spend time with Libby and hopefully heal the hurt he had inflicted, although he wasn’t sure how he could do that.

  It didn’t take long for them to reach the bustling street market.

  ‘Martinique is a French Caribbean island so the food is French with a Caribbean twist,’ Daniel told her as they made their way to a stall where he could see the food he loved and hoped that Libby would also enjoy.

  ‘What exactly does that mean? I’ve not eaten much French food and I have no idea what Caribbean cuisine would be like.’

  ‘The two most popular dishes are Boudin Creole and Boudin Blanc. I think you’d like the Boudin Blanc. The Creole is made from pork, pig’s blood, onion and other ingredients...’ Daniel paused as he noticed Libby’s nose wrinkling up as he spoke. ‘Just as I thought. Blanc it is.’

  ‘What’s in the second one?’ she asked, her face not masking her concern.

  ‘It’s a white sausage made from pork, without the blood, and includes prawns, crabs, sea snail or fish.’

  ‘That sounds much nicer.’

  Daniel ordered two portions of the Boudin Blanc in his best French and then stepped back to Libby.

  ‘I didn’t know you spoke French.’

  ‘I suppose there was no need to use it when...’ He paused, feeling awkward about how to frame that time. He’d wanted to say when I fell for you, but he knew he couldn’t tread that path.

  ‘When we worked together,’ Libby cut in, to his relief, and then continued, ‘I guess not. San Francisco probably doesn’t have a large French population.’

  The brightly dressed woman behind the counter called Daniel’s name and he stepped up and collected two plates of food and they made their way to a table for two nearby. The chairs didn’t match and the table was faded by the sun but he noticed that Libby didn’t seem taken aback by it. Daniel sat the plates down and then pulled out her chair for her. She immediately leaned down towards the plate in front of her.

  ‘It smells delicious.’

  ‘It is, believe me,’ he said. ‘I’ll just get us some drinks. What would you like?’

  ‘Water would be lovely, if it’s okay to drink the water on the island.’

  ‘I’ll get bottled water for you.’

  Daniel bought two bottles of water and returned to find Li
bby looking around her. The sun was dancing on the red waves of her hair and kissing her bare shoulders the way he remembered. While he loved being with Libby, there was an ache in his heart for what he could not have.

  After their lunch Daniel suggested a walk by the shore.

  ‘That sounds lovely,’ Libby told him as they left their table and began walking down towards the beach.

  Their conversation was light and mostly about the island.

  ‘You seem to know a lot about Martinique. It’s very beautiful and serene,’ Libby said as she looked out across the creamy white sand to the still, blue water.

  ‘For the most part it’s a very pretty island...’

  ‘For the most part?’ She repeated his words with a questioning inflection as she slipped her sandals off and walked barefoot on the soft sand.

  ‘Like most places in the world today, there is a risk at times. It wouldn’t be advisable to wander around the largely empty back streets of Fort-de-France after dark. It’s an area best left alone after the sun sets.’

  Libby nodded and continued looking around. ‘The names of the places and the food just roll off your tongue. How many times exactly have you visited?’ she asked as they walked a little further.

  ‘I can’t be sure. I’ve lost count over the years, to be honest, but I do love it. I’ve worked on the cruise ships that call in at Martinique with tourists for the last few years.’

  Libby looked at him then looked away back out to sea. ‘I’m sure you’ve seen many exotic places.’

  ‘Yes, I’ve travelled all over the world. I’ve been the ship’s doctor on trips through the Caribbean, the Bahamas, Alaska and even all the way over to Australia and New Zealand.’