Page 112 of A Misguided Devotion

Together, they perched on a rock, watching the water rise. Although the tide brought almost certain death, Kitty’s spirit was light. If she were going to die today, there was no place on earth she would rather be. With William.

They talked as if their whole lives were ahead of them. He regaled her with stories about his youth. How he was teased by his sisters for his lack of height until, at sixteen, he suddenly sprouted and grew almost as tall as his father. The delight of discovering he could capture a likeness with pencil or paint.

Kitty told him about Edward. How she had always looked out for him, rescuing her reckless brother from one madcap adventure after another. How he’d been so restless to follow in their father’s footsteps and become a soldier. And how she’d cried herself to sleep for a week after he left.

William reached out a hand and brushed away the tears that fell as she talked. It hurt to remember—but having someone to share the painful memories with somehow took the sting out of them.

“I haven’t heard from him since coming to Weymouth. He always was an erratic correspondent, but for him to go so long without answering my letters about our grandfather’s death is worrying. Perhaps he couldn’t respond because…”

Her voice trailed off. Even now, with the waves beginning to splash around their feet, she struggled to express her fear that her brother had died. She sniffed hard. “At least we will be reunited in heaven. Tell me about your grandmother, the Duchess of Wessex.”

“As you’ve probably gathered, I’m her only grandson—no, I take that back. My mother’s half-sister Augusta has just had a baby boy.”

William’s family tree sounded complicated. “Your mother has a half-sister—”

“Look. What’s that?” William pointed at a dark shape crossing the cave entrance.

“A boat! Do you think Hugh has reconsidered?”

“Impossible! We’re privy to his treasonous secrets.”

A glimmer of hope stirred up inside her. “Has someone come to rescue us?”

“I’m not sure. Nobody would have a clue where to look—”

The sound of a female voice cut him off. “William? Kitty? Are you there?”

“Hetta!” he yelled back.

What was his sister doing here? Kitty didn’t know, but she was too grateful to care.

“We can’t bring the boat into the cave,” a man shouted. “Can you reach us?”

William pulled off his boots and threw them behind him before clambering down the rock. He lowered himself into the water, which came up to his waist. Kitty eyed the sea nervously. How she wished she’d let her brother teach her to swim in the lake when they were children. Then she wouldn’t have been so afraid of the waves.

“Come down to me, Kitty,” he said, holding out his arms as water swirled around him.

She could do this. Rolling over onto her stomach, she dropped her legs over the side of the rock. With one foot secure, she lowered her other leg until she found a foothold. Gripping the stone as best she could, she inched the first foot downward, but struggled to find anywhere to rest it.

Her grip weakened as her leg dangled in the air. She could feel herself falling. As she fell backward off the rock, powerful arms surrounded her, preventing her head from going under the water.

“Are you all right?” William asked, as she quivered in his embrace, the sea almost up to her armpits.

“Not really.”

“Hold on to me. We need to get to the boat.”

Hand in hand, they moved through the water. An enormous wave came in, crashing over Kitty’s face. If William had not held her firm, she would have been swept off her feet.

“Hurry!” cried Hetta. “The wind is getting up, and we can’t maintain this position much longer without risking us being dragged into the cave by the tide.”

The distance to the vessel seemed interminable. Every step Kitty took, she was pushed back by the waves. The effort required to move forward was as great as if she were pulling a stagecoach.

“I’m so tired, William. I can’t do it any more.”

She tried to let go of his hand, but his grip tightened. “Don’t you dare give up on me. I’m going to save you.”

Another wave washed over her, and she gasped for breath. “I can’t walk any further. It’s too hard.”