“What can I say, I spent a little too much time on the dance floor with this one,” Samuel explained, gesturing towards Vanessa with his head as he adjusted the bowtie around his neck. “I was parched.”
“Why don’t you grab a drink and come play with the big boys? Scott and Trip are starting a game of high stakes poker in one of the other cars.” Harry looked over at Vanessa, giving her a wicked grin before turning his attention back to Samuel. “Unless you’re too much of a chicken. You know how badly I beat you the last time we played. I wouldn’t want to embarrass you in front of your latest conquest.”
Vanessa slowly set her bottle of water down on the counter, her eyes narrowing into angry slits as she glared at the other man. In a calm and calculated voice she stated, “You obviously know nothing about me. I’m no man’s conquest. I’m here because Samuel personally invited me to stay. From how you’re behaving right now—trying to goad Samuel into acting just like you—I’m not sure your invitation aboard this train will last until morning.” Vanessa wrapped her arm through Samuel’s and leaned into his frame. “Now that we’re hydrated, why don’t you walk me to my cabin? Between the flight and the dancing, I’m exhausted.”
Once they were out of the ballroom car, Samuel let out a small whistle, then chuckled. “You sure did let Harry have it. I don’t think anyone has ever spoken to him like that before.”
“Well, someone should have a long time ago. He’s a complete imbecile.”
“No argument here. I only invited him out of habit; he runs in the same circle as the rest of my friends.”
“I think you should break that habit—it’s a bad one. Sometimes, it’s better to have less people in your life, rather than a bunch of so-called friends who only make your life more difficult than it needs to be.”
They stopped just outside Vanessa’s cabin. Samuel leaned against the doorframe, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his slacks. “Sounds like you’re speaking from experience.”
“I grew up in a very similar world to the one you now live in. I’ve dealt with my fair share of mean girls—or in your case, guys—and they never grow out of it. They just get better at disguising it with subterfuge.”
“Noted.” Samuel pushed off the door and leaned towards Vanessa, hoping that he might be able to give her a goodnight kiss. Before he could close the final distance, she used her keycard and slipped through the door, saying, “Goodnight, Samuel, I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Goodnight, Vanessa.” Samuel watched as the door shut, putting a distance between them that he didn’t like. Rather than head back to the ballroom, or even the car that was hosting the poker game, he decided to head back to his own cabin. Since he couldn’t be with Vanessa for the rest of the night, he’d prefer to spend some time alone, where he could think about his next steps in showing Vanessa how serious he was about being with her.
Chapter Six
The next morning, after Vanessa spent her time reading her daily devotional, she stopped by her sister’s cabin, inviting her to join her for brunch.
“I don’t feel up to it, Sis. My head is pounding,” Heather whined as she leaned against the door of her cabin.
Vanessa wasn’t surprised, considering she’d heard her sister partying the whole night, waking up Vanessa in the process since their rooms were right next to each other.
“If you change your mind, I’ll be down in the dining car before we all head out for the excursion.”
“I think I will just order room service and spend the rest of the day here relaxing. I hear there’s an excellent spa in one of the cars,” Heather stated dismissively. “I’ll see you later, when you get back.”
Vanessa made her way toward the dining car. The room was buzzing with chit-chat as Vanessa made her way inside; it was already set up with a sumptuous brunch buffet. With everyone’s masks off, Vanessa recognized some of the guests from the island, others from New York high society, and even a sprinkle of celebrities, sitting at the various tables.
Vanessa placed eggs Benedict as well as a delicious-looking Monte Cristo sandwich on her plate before taking a seat at one of the tables by a window. As she sampled the world-class food, she gazed out as ancient castles, green grass, and rare wildlife raced by. However, she couldn’t concentrate on the beauty of Ireland while her mind kept drifting back to the night before.
Samuel had looked as handsome as ever in his tailored designer suit and black mask. Between the Irish classical music, the gowned-women, and the majestic decor, she’d felt like a princess in a fairytale. Their eyes had locked more than once throughout the ball. She was certain the last time they did, by her room, he would have kissed her if she hadn’t ducked into her room out of fear. If she had stayed there a moment longer, there would have been a kiss that would have changed everything between them. She couldn’t let that happen until she was sure he wouldn’t hurt her again.
What surprised her most about the previous night was when she finally was alone in her cabin, she’d wished she had more time with Samuel. Her mind couldn’t stop from thinking about how good it felt to be in his arms, enjoying his company. When she woke up that morning, she couldn’t wait to see him again.
Part of her wondered if she was being naïve and ignoring the warning signs from the first time they met. The other part of her wondered if it were possible that he really did want to change.
“May I join you?” Samuel asked from beside her, interrupting her thoughts.
“Of course,” she said with a friendly smile. “How did you sleep?”
“Wonderfully; the humming of the train engine helped me sleep like a baby. How about you?”
She shrugged. “I always do better in my own bed, but I’ve learned to make the best of it over the years. My parents are huge on traveling abroad, and took my sister and me on long, elaborate vacations several times a year while we were growing up.”
“That must have been quite the experience as a kid,” Samuel mused. “My family’s idea of a vacation was visiting a theme park for a couple of days or spending a weekend at a cheap beach motel. Don’t get me wrong, they did the best they could for my brother and me, and I look back on those trips with fondness.”
“Are you close to your family now? I don’t remember ever reading about them on the internet or hearing you talk about them on your show.”
“My parents died in a car crash right after I finished culinary school. My brother still lives in Pennsylvania and has a family of his own, so I don’t get to see him much. Our relationship was never the same after our mom and dad died.”
“I’m sorry, that must have been so difficult.” She reached across the table and placed her hand on his, squeezing it in hopes it conveyed her sympathy for his plight. “Is that why your concierge picked this as your destination for your celebration? To help you feel close to your roots?’
Samuel nodded. “I’m sure it is. It’s why I focused my career on Irish cuisine. My mother was born from a long line of Irish immigrants, and my father came over to the US from Ireland when he was twenty. I grew up cooking and eating colcannon and champ, boxty, and black and white pudding. I wanted to introduce the world to the food I knew and loved, while elevating it in a way that made it stand out.”