She wished she could strip the mask from her face.

But she had to remember she didn’t walk alone.

A shiver raced down her spine.

“Are you cold?” Lord Isaacs asked.

She shook her head, not wanting to return to the ball. Slipping her arm from his, she continued down the path, wishing she could take off the shoes they’d forced her into and run.

She’d run away from everything. Just as she had before… with Dell. Her mind drifted to him, wondering what he was doing. Had he forgotten about her?

Her foot struck a rock on the trail and she cursed as a crack rent the air.

“What was that?” Lord Isaacs asked.

Helena sighed and lifted the hem of her dress. “They made me wear slippers made of glass.” She slipped off her shoes and picked them up to examine the broken toe. “Can you believe it? Glass? As if that isn’t the stupidest idea you’ve ever heard.”

Lord Isaacs leaned forward to look at the shoe, his dark hair falling into his eyes. He laughed. “Maybe they wanted to make sure you couldn’t run away.”

She’d had the same thought. A laugh bubbled out of her. “I don’t know, but they’d be good if I needed to incapacitate a certain merchant’s son.” She clapped a hand over her mouth. “Oh my, I can’t believe I just said that.” Heat rose in her cheeks. “You’re going to return home and tell everyone of your walk with the completely insane princess who is a danger to all men and their uh… sensitive parts.” She stepped back. “Oh wow… shut up, Helena.”

Lord Isaac grinned as if she was the most entertaining thing he’d ever seen. “Not only that, but she apparently talks to herself.”

She buried her face in her hands. “I never speak like this. Normally, no one ever knows what I’m thinking. I don’t know why everything is spilling out like some weird kind of word vomit—Oh my, Helena, don’t say vomit. That is not attractive.” She lifted her face. “Not like you even know if I’m attractive—or care—I’m a princess. I don’t have to be pretty.” She turned away from him. “I’m going to go crawl in a hole now.”

Lord Isaacs grabbed her arm before she could walk away. “It doesn’t matter what’s underneath the mask.”

She turned to face him, her brows drawing together.

He lifted a finger to run along the bottom of her mask and she sucked in a breath.

“And not because you’re a princess.” He stepped closer to her.

She barely knew this man, but his words paralyzed her. She released a soft breath. “Then why?” She met his swirling gaze, trying to see what was behind the intense eyes. “What do you see?”

“Everything,” he whispered. “You’re beautiful.”