Ever After (Unfinished Fairy Tales #3)(101)

I’m wearing a pink pastel cotton dress with short sleeves, but it reaches right to my ankles. It looks like I am going to go to a country dance. Edward, on the other hand, looks like a classic film star in his long gray trench coat—one brave girl asks him if he’s a foreign celebrity. He looks confused, and I quickly assure them we’re ordinary folks.

“Um,” I say, offering a bright smile. “My husband and I are stranded in this area—stupid, I know. Can you tell me how to get to the nearest town?”

The tourists look astonished, but they’re willing to guide us to the local town. There’s a cab waiting for us at the bus station—Professor Bartlett had arranged it to pick us up and drive us straight to his house.

“Extraordinary,” Edward whispers as the driver starts the engine and we roar down the street. “It is as magical as you described.”

I grin. “This is just the beginning.”

Patty, the dog, barks when we reach the cottage. She remembers me.

Professor Bartlett opens the door and beams. “Katherine Wilson,” he says wondrously. “What a pleasure to see you again! And this is…dare I say…little Isolde’s son?”

“Yes,” I grin. “Edward, meet your mother’s tutor. Remember that your mother had a tutor who taught her new ideas? This is the man. He also ripped up a book and was transported to Athelia decades ago.”

Edward holds out his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.”

The moment he speaks, Professor Bartlett’s face lights up. “That is exactly how your mother spoke,” he says, and there’s tears in his eyes. “You look more like your father, but there’s something in you that reminds me of Isolde. Come in.”

Under previous instructions from Morag, Professor Bartlett had taken care of booking our flights to Canada. The real trick is our passports. To make things easier, Morag created two fake passports for Edward and I. We’ll be traveling under fake names, as British citizens. If we’re questioned, I’ll say we’re visiting friends in Canada, and use Ryan’s Vancouver address.

The kettle starts whistling. Professor Bartlett moves to the kitchen, but I say, “Can he get it instead?”

Professor Bartlett shows Edward the stove, and how it’s powered by electricity. For the moment, he’s like a child. He’s completely fascinated by how technology works in our world. While Professor Bartlett and Edward engage in an exploration of modern technology, I call Mom.

Mom might be busy with wedding preparations, as it’s Paige who picks up her cell. “Paige! Guess who’s calling?”

“Kat!” she squeals. “The professor said you’re coming back, and I couldn’t believe it. Oh my God—so you’re at his house now?”

“Yeah. I’m also bringing Edward.”

Paige lets out another squeal. This is so unlike her, acting like a fan girl at a rock star’s concert. “The storybook prince really came with you? Oh my God!”

She keeps asking me questions about how I managed to come back, until I tell her I have to go. We need plenty of time to get to Heathrow.

I open my old-fashioned satchel and present Professor Bartlett a golden pocket watch from Athelia. He had insisted on paying for our trip, even though Mom could reimburse him.

“It’s beautiful,” he says, opening the lid and marveling at the clockwork. “They don’t make watches like these in modern days anymore. I appreciate your thoughtfulness, Katherine.”

“We’re the ones who cannot be more grateful,” I say. “If it weren’t for you, we’d have a tough time getting to Canada after emerging from the portal.”

He smiles and hands me a printout of the booking confirmation. I read it carefully—it is crucial that we fly back on time, or we’d be dead meat.

It’s time to catch a flight.



* * *



Edward behaves remarkably well as we head to the airport. There are a few times I thought he might lose his composure, like when we arrived at Heathrow and he balked at the hordes of people hurrying around, hauling their suitcases, and talking on cell phones. And when the airport loudspeaker starts broadcasting the next flight, I swear he jumps.

“Edward, calm down.” I resist the urge to laugh. “You’re ruining your royal image.”

And even here in my own world, he attracts attention. In his formal suit, he is positively ravishing. Not only do females ogle his face and body, I’ve discovered a few men casting interested glances in his direction.

“Kat?” Edward pauses in his stride. “Why are you glaring at that man in the corner?”

Quickly I explain. Edward raises his eyebrows. “I forgot about your world’s rules.” Right. In Athelia, a man and woman walking side by side without a chaperone should be either engaged or married.

“And you also forgot how plain I look next to you. They could be wondering if you’re a movie star and I’m your agent.”

His brow furrows—I don’t think he has ever fully understood what a movie star or agent stand for—but all he does is pull me close.

“This ought put a stop to anyone who thinks otherwise,” he murmurs, and the next second, he kisses me. Right in front of a huge duty-free shop, where there are loads of passengers shopping and staff hovering around. And it’s not just a peck on the lips—it’s one of his all-consuming, time-stalling kisses that makes me feel like the heroine in a steamy romance novel.