Yet, my amusement turned to dismay as I collided with a mysterious stranger, sending me sprawling to the ground.
'Apologies, miss,' the stranger murmured, extending a weathered hand to help me rise.
Preparing to give him a piece of my mind, I realized he was an old bald man. As grasped his hand, I felt a strange energy coursing through me, his gaze piercing into the depths of my soul.
'Behold, the one with the magic eyes, born for the redemption of Solosias,' the old man declared, his words carrying an air of prophecy. 'You shall meet your destiny in a dip, but beware, for he has no heart, his darkness threatens to engulf all of Culinville. You must open his heart once again, lest Culinville fall to her doom, never to rise again.'
Just when she's decided to leave the Town, Lady Cressida Belverst is forced to marry Lord Calan Haverston, the man who coincidentally knows a way out. Agreeing to marry for all the wrong reasons, can Cressida and Calan find out where their hearts truly belong?
***
It is impossible to leave the Town, but one woman is determined to escape with the help of her betrothed.
Lady Cressida Belverst has always been judged as a walking scandal. Oh, how she tries (on some rare occasions) to be proper! When her parents arrange for her to marry a rich lord, Cressida has had enough. She has to leave the Town because she will not be forced to live with a man she doesn't love. But what happens if the very man she's betrothed to is the only one who can help her get out?
Calan Haverston, the Lord of Easton, takes the risk and helps his betrothed by using his knowledge of the Town's secrets because he is as willing as she to stay free of marriage for reasons completely different. He has dark secrets he cannot share with her, and his life is not one he can likewise open to anyone. But what happens when she leaves after awakening desires he thought he has under control? And what happens when he finds himself longing for her?
Cressida goes to a completely different place, one she has only heard in stories and read in books, with hopes of finding what her heart has always longed for. But love, mystery and secrets will chase her and it will only be a matter of time before she realizes what her heart truly desires.
*This story is a standalone title in the Haverston Family series.