Chosen

Chapter 13

"What do I wear to the beach?" I asked Norma who stood behind me braiding my hair then pinning it up off my back. I didn't even try to keep the panic out of my voice.

She giggled and moved around to powder my face.

"Well, what are you and the Prince doing at the beach?"

Oh my god. I have no idea. I've never been to a beach or even seen the ocean. I thought you just kind of... looked? Walked? I don't know!

Seeing my pale face and wide eyes, Norma guessed the obvious.

"Don't worry Lady Rowan. How about your cream-colored dress? It is light and simple but still beautiful, the hem is shorter so it won't be cumbersome." She scurried away to my closet and reappeared with the dress draped over her arms.

"Oh, Norma, it's perfect, thank you so much!" I almost cried in relief, she giggled and laid the dress on my bed.

"This time of year the ocean is warming up but still a little chilly so I doubt you'll be in the water," Norma thought out loud with her hand on her chin.

"Princes do not play in the water like children when courting a woman, Norma," Martha said with a severe look. Next to my dress on the bed, she placed a large straw hat and a pair of lace gloves.

"Oh, please Martha, I don't want to wear those," I gave her a pleading look.

"This is what is proper to wear to the seaside," she motioned to the accessories and walked away without another word.

Clearly, she was still upset about me insisting on riding attire the other day.

Fine. Maybe she was right.

The look on Finn's face when he saw me made me realize she was not right.

"Nice... hat..." he smiled, raising his eyebrows.

"Oh shut up," I grumbled but wasn't really angry. I took the hand he had offered to help me in the carriage. I heard him chuckle as I passed him.

Once I was seated I could still feel exactly where our skin had touched.

Instead of sitting on the other side of the carriage, he slid in next to me. My heart already started to pound.

I took off my hat and gloves and threw them on the seat across from me. When I sat back, he moved slightly closer so our shoulders barely touched.

"This dress," he said and gently grabbed a bit on the fabric close to me. "Does suit you."

His eyes looked into mine and a smile played on his face.

Looking away, blushing, I said, "Yeah, well, now that the clothes I picked out are here, I guess they are bound to suit me better. But any of these expensive dresses still feel weird..."

I wanted to say he was the one that looked amazing. He had a white loose shirt with a brown vest open over it. His hair was the usual short mess of curls and when he smiled at me like that I saw a small dimple on his left cheek.

"Enjoying the view, Lady Rowan?" Finn asked, suddenly leaning very close to me, a wave of his incredible scent hitting me.

I had just been staring and looking him over without shame.

My face instantly heated.

He raised his hand, tapped me lightly on the nose, and leaned away.

"You are so easy to fluster, Lady Rowan, I don't think I'll ever get bored of it," Finn chuckled.

"And you, Prince Finneas, are such a hopeless flirt," I stuck my tongue out at him and crossed my arms.

The maturity of a Lady for sure.