Elle couldn’t contain the gasp that escaped her lips as the Langdon family estate came into view. The road unfurled before them over rolling green hills, lined with pristine rows of hedges and ending in front of a building that belonged in some sort of British documentary. Maybe they’d already made a documentary about it. Maybe Theo had been in it, a little boy dressed in pressed slacks and suspenders, racing through the garden with a dog at his heels.

“Impressive, isn’t it?” Theo said beside her, giving her hand a squeeze.

“You’d think by now, nothing could impress me where you’re concerned.”

“I love watching your reactions. It helps me see things through fresh eyes, through your eyes, I guess.”

An uncomfortable heat spread through her cheeks. “Through my naïve eyes.”

“Naïve is the last word I would use to describe you, Elle.” There was a sincerity, a fierceness in his tone as he looked at her that made her throat swell painfully.

She was still trying to think of a response as the car pulled to the curb in front of the estate. It was a three-story building constructed from intricately carved stone bricks, with a style and flair that nothing modern could ever hope to replicate. The roof was gusseted in the same style as Rosemont Castle. In fact, in looking at the building before her, Elle could see that Alistair had used it as his muse for the castle he’d built in America, adding his own flashy style to the home he’d designed for the love of his life.

As they stood from the car, Elle smoothed her free hand over the front of her dress, the other clutched in Theo’s comforting grip. She desperately wanted to make a good impression on the rest of his family today. A man dressed in the smart black suit of a butler came down the walk toward them, bending at the waist in front of Theo.

“My lord,” he said briskly.

“Hugh,” Theo responded, his tone as warm as the twinkle in his eye.

“And you must be Miss Davenport.” Hugh extended a white-gloved hand. “A pleasure.”

“Likewise,” Elle said as she greeted the butler.

Fortunately, she’d thought to question Theo about customs and formalities during the drive so she knew whose hand to shake, when to curtsy, and who to address by which title as she walked into the estate on his arm. She felt equal parts at ease and like a fish out of water as he made introductions. On the surface, she was relaxed and comfortable, but some small part of her was having an out of body experience, like the proverbial devil sat on her shoulder whispering, “You don’t belong here…”

After being introduced to all manner of Langdons, Theo led her upstairs to their rooms, which overlooked the gardens in the rear of the estate. “Okay so far?” he asked.

She nodded, turning in his arms to face him. “Did I remember to curtsy to all the right people?”

A smile split his handsome face, his blue eyes dancing like sapphires behind his dark lashes. “You were perfect, but then, you always are.”

“Stop it.” She swatted at him, but he grabbed her wrist, pressing her palm against his chest, right over his heart.

“Feel that?” His heart pounded behind his ribs, shaking her fingers to the rhythm of his desire.

She nodded as her own heart picked up its pace to match his. She leaned in, letting their bodies touch. “That’s not the only thing I feel.”

“Watching you curtsy turns me on,” he said, pressing his hips more firmly against hers. “It has since that first day in the sitting room when you were poking fun at my title.”

“I wasn’t poking fun.” She went up on her tiptoes, trying to bring their bodies into alignment. “I was completely flummoxed to be in a real-life castle with a real-life earl.”

“And now?” His hand slipped beneath her dress, skimming over the edge of her lace panties.

She sucked in a breath, shifting her hips in an attempt to get his fingers where she needed them. “Still a bit flummoxed by the earl and his fineries, but I hide it better now.”

His hand stilled, and his eyes turned serious. “Really?”

She exhaled slow and deep. “Not when it’s just the two of us, but I’m out of my element here. You know that.”

“No, I didn’t.” A frown tugged at his lips.

“I grew up in a little apartment with a working class single mother. After she died and I went to stay with my dad and his family, I was the stepdaughter and half-sister no one wanted. I’ve always felt like a bit of an outsider, Theo. It’s just who I am.”

“Fuck.” He yanked her tight against him. “You’re never ‘just’ anything to me, Elle. I hope you know that.”

She breathed against his chest, inhaling the faintly spicy scent of his aftershave combined with the leathery scent of the car they’d spent the last two hours in. “I do. I feel like myself when I’m with you, maybe more than I ever have. I love living at Rosemont Castle, but this stuff here in England…this is your future, Theo, not mine.”

“I don’t know what to say.” His voice was low, gruff.

“You don’t need to say anything. Just let me feel like a princess for the weekend.” She looked up, afraid to see the pity on his face, but what she saw instead looked more like anger.

“This isn’t a fairytale, Elle. It’s just real life, mine, yours. What difference does it make whether we’re in an apartment or a castle or my family estate?”

“It makes a lot of difference to someone who wasn’t brought up here.”

“I think you’re making a big deal out of nothing.” He clutched her hands in his. “Our relationship might be somewhat non-traditional, but times are changing. No one would stop us if we decided to make our relationship official or if you came to live here.”

“If we…” She stepped backward involuntarily, blinking as the words got tangled in a painful knot in her throat.

“Hypothetically speaking.”

“Of course.” She pressed a hand to her chest, because she couldn’t seem to catch her breath. “Still a lot to just throw out there.”

“I was trying to make a point.” He shoved his hands into his pockets as a muscle flexed in his jaw as if he was just realizing the enormity of what he’d said. “I didn’t mean…”

“I’m not really sure what to say.” She turned away, trying to steady her breathing.

He tugged her in and pressed his forehead to hers. “I’m being an ass. I’m sorry. I don’t want to fight with you. Can we just forget this whole conversation?”

Like the part when you mentioned getting making things official and moving in together? “I’m sorry too. I let my insecurities get the better of me. Let’s just enjoy this weekend and let what happens afterward happen on its own time, okay?”

Theo grabbed two glasses of champagne from a passing server, turning to hand one to Elle. She took it with a smile, clinking her glass against his before taking a sip. She had on a pale pink strapless dress with a thick black sash around her waist and a full skirt that stopped just high enough to reveal a flash of her black stilettos when she walked.

He dipped his head, pressing his lips to her ear. “You look so goddamn gorgeous tonight I can hardly think.”

Her cheeks blushed to match her dress. “You look pretty dashing yourself.”

“I look exactly the same at every event. This is one of three identical tuxedos that I own, one at each residence. You, on the other hand, somehow manage to look more beautiful every time I see you.”

She rolled her eyes playfully. “If only women could get away with wearing the same dress at event after event.”

“I could look at you in that dress—or any dress you own—night after night and never get tired of the view. It’s you who dazzles, Elle, not your clothes.”

She nudged her shoulder against his. “Enough with the flattery. Who do we need to mingle with next?”

“I see my Uncle George over there by the bar. That’s his wife, my Aunt Helen, standing beside him, and speaking of women wearing the same dress to every event, I swear she either has a closet full of black dresses that look exactly like that one, or she’s doing just that.”

Elle giggled, hooking her arm through his. “Let’s go say hello, then.”

“Theo, my boy!” Uncle George boomed as they approached.

“Hello, Uncle George.”

“And the lovely Miss Davenport.” George took her hand and brought it to his lips while Elle blushed adorably. “Theo’s been telling us about your program at the castle. You’ve turned it into a bit of a bed and breakfast, eh?”

“Yes. Theo’s grandfather brought us in to help make the castle profitable,” she told him earnestly.

“Sounds about like old Alistair,” George said. “Doesn’t it, dear?”

Aunt Helen inclined her head, looking bored. “Sounds like a tourist trap, if you ask me.”

“Well, there’s good money to be made in tourism,” Theo said, squeezing Elle’s hand. “I was skeptical at first myself, but Elle and her friends are on track to turn a profit before the end of the year.”

“If it brings in money and makes the family look good, I’m all for it,” George said. “If you’ll excuse me, the Capperhorns just arrived. Make sure you greet them, Theo, and tell Maurice how much we appreciate their latest contribution to the foundation.”

“I’ll be sure to.” He disliked the way his uncle spoke to him as if he didn’t know what he was doing at these events. He’d often thought George would have liked to be named the earl himself. Unfortunately for him, Theo’s father had been Alistair’s first born, and therefore George had never been in line to inherit the title. “Let’s get some air,” he murmured to Elle.

She followed him quietly toward the patio, pausing to set her empty champagne glass on a tray as they walked.

“Now you see why I don’t exactly look forward to these events,” he said as he drew her into his arms.

“It’s not so bad,” she said. “Image is a necessary part of a lot of jobs, including yours. It’s why I mingle with the guests at the castle and give daily tours. It’s all part of the experience, right?”

“I suppose so.” He’d enjoyed himself tonight more than he had at one of these events in years, and he had Elle to thank for that. With her on his arm, the usual parade of available women had kept their distance, but it was more than that. “You’re a pro at this already.”

“I’m a pro at blending in,” she said with a wink, but there was a hint of an edge to her words, reminding him of their disagreement earlier.

“Or maybe you just fit in most everywhere you go.”

“Maybe.”

“I wish I could sneak back up to the room with you right now.” He slid a hand down her back, frustrated by the layers of fabric between his fingers and her skin.

“Mm, so do I.” She leaned in, brushing her lips against his. “The party is fun, though.”

“I do enjoy seeing you all dressed up.”

“You’ll be doing this a lot now, hmm?” She kept her body close to his, close enough that the floral scent of her perfume invaded his senses, turning his brain into sex-crazed mush.

“We have these events every month. It’s a chance for the board members to meet with donors and court new ones.”

“Also a chance for eligible socialites to try to win your affections,” she commented. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed the way they’ve been watching me. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them tried to trip me before the night is over.”

“They wouldn’t go that far,” he assured her with a crooked smile. “They were raised to have better manners than that.”

“I don’t know, the brunette in the green dress looked like she wasn’t averse to a little violence if it meant taking my place on your arm.” She winked playfully.

“Veronica? She has absolutely no chance of winding up on my arm. I find her repulsive.”

Elle’s eyes widened. “Those are strong words from my always-eloquent earl. What did she do to you?”

“It’s not what she did to me, it’s how she treats others, the staff particularly. She expects to be waited on hand and foot and speaks to them as if they’re not worth her spare change. I won’t tolerate it.”

Elle’s expression softened, and she rested a hand on his arm. “You’re one of the good ones, Theo.”

He frowned. “I don’t know about that.”

“Trust me, you are.”

He was just a man bumbling through life, trying to live up to expectations established before his birth, but Elle…she never ceased to impress him. She grabbed onto life by the tips of her pink-painted nails and made it hers. Here she was, handling decades of British aristocracy like she’d been doing it her whole life, making him wish he never had to attend another one of these events without her at his side.

Elle woke as the plane touched down on the tarmac in Virginia. The soft leather behind her head did little to muffle the headache that had taken root inside her skull. Too much champagne paired with too little sleep, jet lag, and the dry air on board the Langdon jet had done a number on her. She wanted to pop a couple of ibuprofen and climb into bed.

“Did you have a nice nap?” Theo asked.

“Mm,” she agreed absentmindedly. The trip had been wonderful, a fairytale within this fairytale chapter of her life, and she would cherish it forever. “Thanks again for bringing me with you.”

“My pleasure. It wouldn’t have been the same without you. Are you okay?”

“Just a headache.” She pressed her thumb into the spot between her eyes where the pain seemed to radiate. “Probably dehydrated.”

“Traveling will do that to you,” he agreed. “There’ll be water in the car.”

“Thanks.” She rested her head on his shoulder as they taxied over to the area of the regional airport reserved for private planes. She couldn’t imagine growing up like this, with a castle and a driver and a private jet that flew you back and forth across the ocean to attend family events. Theo had turned out pretty normal, considering.

Ten minutes later, they were in the car headed for the castle. She wasn’t sure if her internal clock was set to European time or East Coast time or somewhere over the Atlantic, but she was bone-tired. She had no idea what time it was, but the sky here in Virginia wasn’t quite dark. A bit of color lingered in the west where the sun had recently set.

They didn’t talk much on the way home, but it wasn’t an uncomfortable silence. On the contrary, she felt more comfortable with him than ever, so comfortable she wasn’t sure she ever wanted to give him up. Theo would return to London in just a few weeks. What did that mean for their relationship?

He’d agreed to consider keeping the castle, and she was clinging to the possibility, even if it would break her heart to live and work here while he remained frustratingly, untouchably in London.

She was a big girl. She’d handle it.

And maybe he could put that private jet to good use from time to time. He’d been the one to bring up a long-distance relationship, after all. When the car pulled into the castle’s circular driveway, she asked the driver to let her out at the front entrance.

“I can’t interest you in staying the night?” Theo asked, a hungry gleam in his eyes.

“Not tonight. I’m dead on my feet, but I had a wonderful time.” She captured his mouth for a quick kiss before climbing out of the car. James was already waiting with her bags. She’d barely taken a step before the front doors burst open, and Ruby and Megan came rushing out, talking over each other as they crowded in, grabbing luggage and ushering her up the stairs between them.

“How was it?” Ruby asked.

“We can’t wait to hear every last detail,” Megan added. “We’ve already asked Mary to pack us a picnic to take up to Ruby’s tower so you can spill all the glamorous details in privacy.”

“I’ve never been to London,” Ruby said, a dreamy expression on her face.

“And I can’t wait to tell you everything, but right now I really just need to sleep for about twelve hours,” Elle told them regretfully.

“You okay?” Megan asked, resting a hand on her arm in concern.

“Just jetlagged and have a splitting headache. I promise all the details tomorrow, okay?”

Ruby nodded. “Raincheck on the picnic.”

“Definitely.” She smiled. “And London was amazing. I can’t wait to tell you all about it.”

“We’re dying of suspense,” Megan ribbed good-naturedly. “All right, Cinderella, get your beauty sleep. Promise no one will turn into a pumpkin before you wake.”

“You guys are ridiculous.” With a laugh, Elle closed her bedroom door behind her and walked to the bed. After Darcy and Remy had been adopted, they’d decided not to bring in any new foster pets this close to the end of their contract. At the time, she’d felt sad about it, but at this exact moment, she was glad she didn’t have to walk a dog before she went to bed. She swallowed a couple of ibuprofen, put on a pair of comfy cotton pajamas, and was asleep almost before her head hit the pillow.

When she woke, it was dark out, and she felt a million times better. Squinting, she reached for her phone to check the time. Four-thirty a.m. Of course, she had no idea what time it had been last night when she fell asleep. Something ridiculously early, she was fairly sure.

Friggin’ jetlag.

She used the bathroom, drank some more water, and crawled back into bed. The next thing she knew, sunlight was streaming in her windows, and it was just past six. She took a quick shower before hurrying downstairs to help the girls with breakfast.

“Feeling better this morning?” Megan asked as she joined Elle in the kitchen.

“One hundred percent.” Elle poured herself a cup of coffee and snagged a croissant from the pile Beatrice had set out. “How were things here while I was gone?”

“Uneventful. We held down the fort just fine without you,” Megan told her with a playful wink. “So you and Theo had an amazing time?”

“So amazing.” She couldn’t help the dreamy smile she could feel plastered all over her face. “I met a bunch of Langdons and some of those society girls who’re vying to date Theo too.”

“Are they terrible?” Ruby asked as she came into the kitchen.

“Mostly, yes,” Elle told them. “Just as shallow and spoiled as we were imagining.”

“Ugh,” Megan said. “But I’m glad you guys had a great time otherwise.”

“We did.”

Things got hectic as guests started to arrive in the dining room. Elle, Megan, and Ruby carried each of the courses out to them, making small talk as they went. At this point, they had breakfast down to a science. There were only six guests this morning, about average for a Monday, nothing they couldn’t handle on their own. She was so glad they’d brought in extra help for the weekends, though.

Later that morning, Elle found herself alone in the library, thumbing through books on the shelves, but nothing was really calling to her. She was restless, happy, brimming with energy. And actually, she knew the perfect outlet. She crossed the hall to the study and sat at the piano. Sometimes she played when she wasn’t busy, mostly for herself, to enjoy this wonderful old piano while she had access to it, but sometimes guests would come in to listen, enjoy the music, or even read while she played.

This morning, though, she had the place to herself. Megan had gone into town to run an errand, and Ruby was upstairs working on her laptop. Elle didn’t expect to see her until lunchtime at the earliest. Theo was, as usual on weekdays, in his office doing work for the foundation.

So Elle sat and played, not giving much thought to song choice. She’d made it through a few of her favorite pieces before that one sticky key started to get on her nerves. It probably needed to be tuned again, but that key had never been quite right.

Standing, she walked around behind the piano to peek inside. Maybe she ought to get that tuning set from Colin again and see if she could fix it properly this time. She eyed the strings running the length of the piano’s interior, each one connected to a key. A couple of them didn’t quite lie flat with the rest. That was surely the problem, and it might be something more complicated than she knew how to fix.

She bent, examining the strings up close. It almost looked like something was wedged beneath them. That was strange. Carefully—terrified of breaking something inside this priceless instrument—she slid her hand in through a narrow opening at the side and managed to grip the corner of the object. It slid easily in her grasp, and after a few tugs, she lifted it free.

Oh my God.

She held a black velvet box in her hands. It was about eight inches long, only a few inches high, and without opening it, she knew exactly what it was, what it had to be. This had been Rose’s piano. No one had played it since she died. Theo had told Elle that the day she arrived here at Rosemont Castle.

Of course, Alistair had hidden Rose’s jewels here. Why hadn’t any of them thought to check the piano sooner? She clutched the box against her chest as she rushed down the hallway to Theo’s office, knocking briskly.

“Who is it?” he called, sounding distracted.

“It’s me.”

The door opened, and Theo stood there in a black button-down shirt and slacks, his blue eyes locked on hers. “Need something?”

She shook her head, so breathless she could hardly get the words out. “I just found this. It was wedged—hidden—inside the piano. Rose’s piano.”

Theo went very still, his gaze dropping to the black velvet box still clutched against her heart. “Is that…?”

She nodded, teary-eyed. “I think it must be, but I didn’t open it. You should be the one to do that.” She pressed it into his hands.

He lifted the cover, revealing a diamond and pearl crusted tiara that twinkled in the muted light of his office. Elle pressed a hand to her mouth but couldn’t contain the gasp that escaped her lips. “It’s so beautiful.”

“All the women in my family have worn it on their wedding day, including Rose and my mother. And now, thanks to you, someday my bride will wear it too.” His eyes flicked to hers for a moment as his fingers brushed over the tiara.

Elle gulped, unable to block the mental image of herself wearing that tiara in a Cinderella-style ball gown, walking down the aisle toward Theo. She blinked back tears.

He lifted the tiara out of the box and set it on his desk, revealing a chunky emerald ring and several other pieces of jewelry. “Everything is here, all the missing pieces. I’ve been tearing this place apart for months, and it was right beneath our noses the whole time.”

“I’m so glad,” she whispered. “Not that it was so hard to find, but that we found them, and everything’s accounted for.”

“Thank you,” he said, with a kind of quiet earnestness that made her heart do all kinds of strange acrobatics in her chest.

“You’re welcome.” She dropped her gaze to the tiara, still winking in the lamplight.

Following her gaze, Theo picked it up, and the next thing she knew, he’d set it on top of her head. It was solid, surprisingly heavy, and…shit. Tears leaked down her face as she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the window. The tiara glittered on her head, nestled among her blonde curls, and even her simple yellow shift dress somehow looked regal when paired with such a beautiful piece.

“Sorry,” she murmured, swiping a palm over her cheeks.

“Don’t be.” Theo was watching her closely. “I didn’t realize you’d be so emotional about this.”

“I’m a romantic at heart, and these are Rose’s jewels…” She blew out a breath, straightening to look at herself more properly in the window’s reflection and wishing there was a damn mirror in Theo’s office so she could have a real look at herself in Rose’s tiara. Never mind that, though. “It just means a lot to me, I guess.”

“I can see that.” Something intense glittered in Theo’s eyes as he took her in, and she would have given anything to know what was going through his head at that moment, because her mind had completely run away with her. It was like the diamond-studded tiara had injected some kind of clarity into her brain.

She was in love with Theo. That was why she couldn’t stop envisioning herself in this tiara, marrying him in a fancy church somewhere in England, or on his family’s estate, or here at Rosemont Castle.

And she’d officially taken this Cinderella thing too far, because she would never be Theo’s bride. In real life, the stepchild didn’t inherit the castle. She just worked here, and only for a few months, until her prince returned to England where he belonged.

Sucking in a shaky breath, she reached up and lifted the tiara off her head. She brought it down in front of her, allowing herself a few moments to take in the beauty of it, the diamonds and pearls set in stunning gold. The largest diamond, set squarely in the front, seemed to wink at her.

“Better put these somewhere safe,” she said, handing it to Theo. And then, without pausing to look at it—or him—again, she turned and walked out of his office, closing the door softly behind her.