“Excuse me, miss.” A valet paused beside us. “Ms. May told me to inform you that you’ll be sharing the blue suite with Ms. Tremont.”

“Oh, thank you,” I said. The poor man was dressed in a forest green uniform and reminded me of a bellhop as he gathered my bags. I felt as if I ought to help him, but before I could, Harry slipped him a folded pound note of a large denomination as a tip, and the man bobbed his head and shot off with the bags, tottering a bit as he went.

“Do you know the history of Waverly Castle?” Harry asked.

“Are you trying to change the subject?” I asked.

“That depends. Is it working?” He took my hand in his and walked me not to the main entrance but through a stone arc that led into a garden overflowing with blooms of every color.

“Wow.” I breathed in the heady floral perfume, feeling as if I’d walked through a doorway to an enchanted land. I could see why Piper wanted to have her ceremony here. The princess vibe was strong.

“Breathtaking,” Harry said. I turned and he was staring at me. Charmer. It still wasn’t going to let him off the hook.

“So, about you and Piper,” I said. I strolled down a gravel path, leaving him to follow.

He let out a heavy sigh and said, “You’re a bird dog, Ginger.”

I stopped abruptly and faced the castle as I assumed a pointer position with one hand jutting toward the building as I stared at its thick stone walls.

“All right, I surrender,” he said, “The truth is, yes, Piper and I dated.”

Chapter 3

“You actually dated her?” I asked. I was incredulous. I couldn’t imagine a woman less suited to Harry, but I think what had me perplexed was more the idea that my Harry had willingly spent time with someone as superficial as Piper. I resumed walking, turning left onto a narrow path. Harry joined me and we found ourselves in a secluded alcove with a bench and a shallow lily pond.

“We only went out once,” he explained. “No, that’s inaccurate. It was twice. Those were two of the longest dates of my life.”

As if exhausted by the mere memory, he slumped down on the stone bench, pulling me with him.

“Poor Harry,” I said. I rested my head on his shoulder and he wrapped his arm around me, tucking me up against him. “I won’t badger you anymore. I am selfishly relieved that you did not find your match in that woman.”

“No, but I feel compelled to clarify that she dumped me before I had the chance to end things between us.”

“She dumped you?” I was outraged.

A startled magpie protested my outburst and erupted out of a nearby bush, flapping up into the sky with a flash of its black-and-white feathers.