The Beach Hut on Plum Island

10. CHAPTER 10

Finn stood nervously outside Gray’s suite’s door. He wasn’t nervous about being in the presence of royals. He’d met a few of them during his time as a world-champion surfer. Finn was anxious about Harriet being alone with her uncle, the king. He kept expecting the door to burst open at any minute, with King Titus demanding his guards take her away and throw her in a dungeon.

While he and Harriet hadn’t interacted much over the last year, they had moved in the same circles, and he’d taken notice of how feisty she could be. Especially when she was protecting a loved one or standing up for something that wasn’t right. Harriet seemed to throw all caution to the wind when she dived into right and wrong, and that was why he loved her…

Finn’s eyebrows shot up, and his heart seemed to skid to a stop as his breath caught in his throat, and the realization hit like a fist to the solar plexus—he’d fallen in love with Harriet. And it hadn’t been a sudden thing either. He’d been falling for her from a distance that Finn now understood he was so desperately trying to keep between them. An image of a defiant sixteen-year-old with beautiful green eyes flashed through his mind.

Finn could remember that he’d been more intrigued by the teenager than angry over his broken board. He was angry because he couldn’t find her after she’d disappeared on the stolen quad bike. While he’d avoided her over the past year, thinking she was nothing but trouble, he’d secretly admired her courage and loyalty to those she loved or her willingness to help a stranger in need.

Before he could mull over the revelation further, the door flew open, and his heart jolted when Harriet popped her head out, and their eyes met.

“Finn,” Harriet said, the urgency in her voice making his heart race with shock. “Can you come inside, please?” Murphy stepped up, and Harriet held up her hand. “Not you, man in black.”

“Is something wrong, Princess?” Murphy’s eyes narrowed suspiciously as he tried to look into the room.

“King Titus is still alive if that’s what you’re worried about, Murphy.” Harriet pushed the door wider so Murphy could see. “See?”

“You could’ve just propped the king up to make him look like he’s alive,” Murphy said, raising his brows.

“Wow, you really do have trust issues, Murphy,” Harriet told him.

“Can you blame him, dear?” Julie stuck up for Murphy. “You’ve always run rings around everyone.”

“Oh, for pity’s sake.” Harriet turned to the king. “King Titus, could you please wave at the masses outside before they somehow get pitchforks and attack me.”

“I’m okay,” King Titus assured them. “Nothing has been thrown or broken.”

“There!” Harriet said. “Happy?”

Murphy gave her a warning look before nodding.

“Excuse me,” Finn said, stepping around Murphy and trying to hide his smile.

Harriet really was an extraordinary woman.

As he stepped into the room, Harriet slammed the door shut and pulled him to where King Titus was still sitting in his chair. Finn felt like he’d stepped into one of those period movies where the King’s subjects had to approach his throne to address their king.

“Finn, I saw you surfing on Joyce Isles a few times,” Titus surprised Finn by saying. “You are a remarkable surfer.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Finn said with a slight bow.

“You can do away with the formalities, Finn,” Titus told him. “Right now, I’m just Harriet’s uncle. You may call me Titus.”

Finn nodded but didn’t know if he’d feel comfortable doing that and looked from Titus to Harriet. “Is everything okay?”

“I’m hoping it will be,” Titus told Finn and looked at Harriet. “We need your help, Finn.” He looked at Finn with his piercing gaze, making Finn feel like he was back in high school and in the principal’s office. “Actually, the whole of Joyce Isles needs your help.”

Finn’s alarm started to grow as he looked from Titus to Harriet. “Okay.”

“We need you to buy an olive grove,” Harriet told him with a grin.

“What olive grove?” Finn asked, even though he had a pretty good idea which one.

“The Gladstone’s olive grove,” Titus confirmed Finn’s suspicions.

Harriet made Finn promise in front of the king that nothing said in the room would go any further before they brought him up to speed with what was going on. By the time they’d finished telling him the story, Finn stood staring at them with a feeling that while he knew his life may change when he’d started out helping Harriet, it was now about to be turned completely upside down.

“While I may be comfortably well off,” Finn told them. “My finances won’t stretch to enable me to buy an entire olive farm that I’m guessing probably costs a small fortune.”

“It’s worth a lot more than a small fortune,” Titus assured Finn. “But fear not, Harriet and I will arrange that.” He glanced at Harriet, and Finn saw the flicker of pride that shone in his eyes. “My cunning niece has pointed out that should I endorse this union between the two of you, I have to offer you a substantial dowry.”

“No!” Finn held up his hands. “Sorry, sir, with no disrespect to your culture and traditions, I don’t believe in that.”

“Finn!” Harriet said with a laugh. “I wouldn’t allow it either, but please hear my uncle out.”

“Hearing that and the way I saw you meant it, gives me the confidence in you that Harriet has,” Titus told him. “I know this seems archaic to you, but as soon as I give my blessing to this union, you become part of the royal family of Joyce Isles.”

“Which means, like it or not, you get part of my money that comes with becoming part of my crazy family,” Harriet told him with a glint of mischief in her eyes. “It also gives you the means to get finance to buy the Gladstones debt from the bank and—“

“The best part is that I’ll give you the right to keep the olive trees,” Titus told him. “Which is one of the only reasons Gloria Gladstone has been able to hold the banks off for so long.”

Finn knew he probably looked like a guppy in a glass fishbowl with his jaw slightly open as he gaped at Titus and Harriet, but he couldn’t help it. He knew that this would be a crazy ride pulling off the charade that he and Harriet were engaged in, but this was taking the charade to the next level.

Finn was not comfortable handling other people’s money, especially on the scale Titus and Harriet were obviously talking about. Which brought him to his other state of shock. He’d known Harriet’s family was wealthy. They were royals that had a huge island the size of New Zealand, if not bigger. He’d just never thought of just how rich they were.

“Uh…” Finn looked at Titus. “If you wouldn’t mind, Your Majesty, could I speak with Harriet in private?”

“Of course,” Titus said with a nod. “Use one of the bedrooms. I’ll take a turn on the balcony and get some fresh sea air.”

Finn didn’t care which room they went into as he dragged Harriet with him. He glanced out the door and saw the king walk onto the balcony before he closed the door. Just to ensure the man couldn’t hear them, he pulled Harriet into the bathroom.

“I can assure you my uncle won’t eavesdrop on us,” Harriet teased.

“This has gone too far, Harriet.” Finn blew out a breath and started to pace the bathroom floor. “Your uncle’s now talking about dowries.” He stopped and looked at her. “Just how much is your dowry…” He shook his head. “People still have dowries?”

“No.” Harriet shook her head. “Well, sort of.” Her brows creased. “It’s more like sharing or—“ She pursed her lips as she tried to put it into words. “Think of it as part of a marriage agreement. A contract is drawn up that states we, as in me and my betrothed, will be given an estate and finances to ensure the smooth running of that estate.”

“But your uncle called it a dowry,” Finn pointed out.

“He does things like that,” Harriet stated. “He is old, you know. They still said things like that in the last century.”

“Funny!” Finn said. “But this is no joking matter, Harriet. I’m thinking you’re not talking about your uncle giving me a few hundred thousand, which even that’s an amount that I don’t was responsibility for.”

The teasing light went out of her eyes, and her look became serious. “I know this is a lot to ask,” Harriet told him. “And I understand if you want to back out. But I promise you that if you decide to help save Joyce Isles’s main source of income, my uncle will put measures in place to protect you and the funds you’ll be given.”

Finn’s emotions churned as he processed Harriet’s words. With a single sentence, she had gracefully offered him an escape from their elaborate charade. Yet, the gravity of her words also instilled a profound sense of responsibility within him. If he chose to walk away, he wasn’t just turning his back on their ruse but potentially on the livelihoods of millions on Joyce Isles—people whose lives depended on the survival of their primary economic lifeline, the olive groves. This wasn’t merely about money; it was about ensuring a community could continue to thrive.

“Alright, Harriet,” Finn finally said, the decision firm in his voice despite the quiver of apprehension. “I’ll do it.” He managed a tentative smile, one that Harriet returned with a mix of relief and admiration. “But I do have to add that I now know why your grandfather wanted you to be queen.” He shook his head. “You just have a way of swaying people toward you without having to shove or even nudge them.”

“It’s a superpower.” Harriet grinned. “But really, thank you, Finn.” All teasing fell for her eyes, and her expression turned serious once again. “I know I carry on about giving up my title and getting annoyed at all the pomp and ceremony, rules, and so on that it brings. But I care deeply about Joyce Isles. While I might have been born in America, and I love this country too, Joyce Isles is also a big part of me, and I’d do anything to protect the people in it.”

Finn didn’t think it was possible, but his admiration for her grew even more. He also now understood the weight she and her brother bore every day. Even while Harriet may have been living a quiet life on Plum Island, she still bore the burden of an entire nation on the other side of the world. Harriet knew that should anything happen to her brother, until her nephew was ready to take the throne, the people of Joyce Isles would turn to her for guidance and leadership. While Harriet fought with wanting to drop her title and responsibilities, she knew deep down that it wasn’t really an option until the next generation of Joyces came along.

Finn also knew he was in more trouble than he let on because he was hopelessly in love with a rebel princess with a heart of pure gold, a will of iron, and absolutely no self-preservation whatsoever. He gave an inward sigh as he stared at her.

“I know.” Finn nodded.

A thought struck him, and he decided this was a unique opportunity for him to get a little leeway with her. Finn knew that trying to openly look like he was protecting her would not end well. He thought of poor Murphy and the lynx. He’d seen firsthand the many times she’d gotten the better of poor Alex, and he had no doubt she’d find a way to wiggle out of anything he tried.

His eyes narrowed as a smile lifted the side of her mouth. But Harriet was passionate about helping and wanting to save her people. Finn didn’t feel proud of himself for using that as leverage, but he also didn’t want her to put herself in danger. Something in his gut was telling him that things were going to get rough after they’d gotten the land. He remembered the threats Estelle had made and her agenda.

“What about Estelle?” Finn asked. “She’s not going to be too happy when we swoop in and steal her land.”

“I don’t think she even knows how bad things are for the Gladstones,” Harriet told him, and he saw a light in her eyes that he was beginning to realize meant she’d come up with an idea. “Leave her and Gloria Gladstone to my uncle and me.”

“Are you going to tell him about Estelle?” Finn asked.

“I am.” Harriet nodded. “I know I’ve asked a lot of you already.” She looked at him. “But we have to ensure that everyone believes we’re engaged for real.“ She swallowed. “Because we need to cover everything, all our bases or anything that anyone could use to try and blackmail us again. This isn’t just about us securing a property. It’s about us taking the Gladstones home and livelihood.”

“Something they kinda let slide,” Finn pointed out.

“That wasn’t Gloria’s fault,” Harriet said, empathy for the woman shining in her eyes. “And neither was it Estelle’s.”

Finn couldn’t help it. He reached out and pulled her to him. His lips found hers, and to his delight, she responded, her arms winding around his neck to draw him closer. Soon, the bathroom disappeared until there were only the two of them.

“Uh… umm.” A cough from the doorway made the world come crashing back in.

“Sorry to interrupt,” Titus said. “But you were gone for quite a while and …” His cheeks were slightly red. “I’m sorry to spoil your romantic moment, but I need an answer so we can map out a plan.”

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty.” Finn gently pushed Harriet away, saying respectfully, “Harriet and I have something we need to tell you.”

Harriet’s eyes widened as she looked at Finn, panic filling them. He gave her a reassuring smile.

“Finn, what are you doing?” Harriet said beneath her breath.

“Harriet, I love you,” Finn told her. “I’m not just saying that; I mean it. You take my breath away every time I look at you. You have the most amazing heart. You are loyal, kind, caring, and the list just goes on and on.” He swallowed as he stared into her shocked eyes. “And if you were queen, you wouldn’t be one to just sit up on a throne and order her army into battle. I fully believe you’d be the one on the front lines leading them while still ensuring no man was left behind.”

“I hear that,” Titus said, agreeing with Finn. “And I couldn’t have said it better.” He glanced from Harriet to Titus. “But I’m not sure what it’s got to do with our problem.”

“Finn…” Harriet was staring at him in confusion.

“Sir… Your Majesty,” Finn took Harriet’s hand. “You may want to have our heads or whatever it is royalty does these days with people who try to lie to a king.”

“Finn!” Harriet’s eyes widened as it dawned on her what he was about to do. “I didn’t mean we should do this!”

He ignored her, knowing he was probably risking both their lives or something dire, but what Harriet said was true. They couldn’t risk anyone finding out their engagement was a farce that would only give someone like Estelle or even Leon leverage over them. They also couldn’t put their friends, who all knew their engagement was a farce, at risk. Finn and Harriet needed to make it real, even if only the two of them knew it wasn’t. Well, at least to her, it wasn’t.

“I’m sorry, Harriet, but what began as a farce to help you grew into something real,” Finn stated, hoping she’d at least pretend to be in love with him, too. “And if we’re going to do this, I want to make it real.”

“I…” Harriet’s eyes flashed with emotion as she stared at him, not knowing what to say.

“What are you trying to say, Finn?” Titus looked from Finn to Harriet.

“That our engagement was a ruse,” Finn told him and saw Titus’s eyes narrow.

“Go on,” Titus said.

“When we knew Alex’s mother was inviting the Joyce family, Harriet didn’t want to be seen to still be single,” Finn embellished a little. “I’ve known Harriet for over a year now, and we’ve grown close.” He smiled lovingly at Harriet. “But we really fell in love. We didn’t want to upstage our friend’s wedding, so we kept up the farce.”

“Harriet, is this true?” Titus’s narrowed eyes turned to his niece. “And no more lies. I want the truth, Harriet.”

“Y… Yes,” Harriet said. “It’s the truth, Uncle Titus.” She looked at Finn, who was picking up the story. “I explained to Finn how things worked and that we’d need to make amends with you and my parents after the wedding festivities.” She straightened her shoulders, and her eyes narrowed at her uncle, facing him down. “Then I was glad of the ruse when Gray arrived on Plum Island to tell me that you had set up a union between me and Leon after everything you know he put me through before.“ Her voice wobbled with anger. “All the guilt I felt about lying was washed away when I found out that you felt nothing about going behind my back and getting me re-engaged to that monster!”

“Harriet, I explained—“ Titus began, his eyes widened as Harriet advanced in anger.

“You should’ve come to me and explained before you offered me up like a prize cow,“ Harriet hissed.

Finn had to hide a smile. She truly was magnificent. Harriet had managed to take their situation and turn it against her uncle. She really belonged on the throne.

“Now, Harriet,” Titus held up his hands. “Need I remind you that I’m still the king.” He pointed out. “And…” He swallowed as he stared at his angry niece. “I’m sorry, Harry.” His voice dropped, and his eyes shone with regret. “I panicked, sweetheart.”

Oh!Finn gave a slight nod. It runs in the family. Titus was turning the tables on Harriet. It was like watching an emotional boxing match. But he knew who was going to win and had every confidence in his queen.

“Do you think that’s going to melt my heart and…” Harriet threw her hands in the air. “Truce?”

“Phew!” Titus breathed. “I didn’t know what my next move would be.” He nodded and held out his arms. Harriet smiled and ran into them, giving him a hug. “I don’t like us being at odds, Harry,” Titus admitted as he held her. “Especially when I remember the last time we were at odds.” He rolled his eyes and shook his head, looking at Finn when Harriet stepped out of his arms.

“I know I’m probably going to regret this,” Finn stated. “But what did Harriet do?”

“She staged a protest that had all the workers on Joyce Isles down their tools and take the various town squares across the island,” Titus told him, and Harriet grinned sheepishly. “She wanted me to include nurseries for working parents at all the factories and make it a law that all establishments that employed staff allowed for proper leave.” He sighed. “Full paid leave up to a certain amount of time.” He waved his hand in the air. “It’s quite a complicated law that Harriet wanted passed, and when she wasn’t getting the attention… well, she staged one of the biggest protests in the history of Joyce Isles.”

“All because you and your uncle were at odds?” Finn gaped at her.

“No, because he refused to listen,” Harriet told him. “So I had to make him listen and see reason.”

“Oh!” Finn nodded, feeling both scared and proud. “On that note.” He turned to Titus. “Your Majesty, I’m not sure how to do this, but I would very much like to marry your niece.”

“Usually, this isn’t done in a bathroom,” Titus said, a spark of humor glinting in his eyes as he looked around them. “But you did that just fine, young man.” He turned to look at Harriet. “Harriet?”

“I love Finn, Uncle Titus, and I want to marry him,” Harriet told Titus. Finn’s heart did a double-take as she sounded like she meant every word.

“While the two of you should be taken to task for lying to me,” Titus stated. “I, too, am at fault here and acknowledge it. But from here forward, no more lies. I have trusted both of you with island secrets that only the highest officials of the island know.”

“Of course, Your Majesty,” Finn said, knowing in his heart that not one word about him being in love with Harriet and wanting to marry her was a lie.

“Harriet?” Titus looked at her questioningly.

“No more lies,” Harriet said, putting her arm around Finn’s waist, and he could feel her crossing her fingers. “Now, should we get out of the bathroom before Murphy pops his head in the room door and thinks I’ve murdered you and am trying to dissolve your body in acid in the bath?”

Titus sighed again and shook his head. “You know, Harry, I never know whether to be proud of you or incredibly scared.”

“Probably a bit of both!” Harriet told him.

They followed Titus out of the bathroom, and Finn realized he hadn’t gotten around to giving him stipulations for helping them.

“Before we discuss the plans, I have a few conditions,” Finn told them. “Like I said to Harriet, it’s a lot of responsibility to take on what you want me to do.”

“I know, Finn,” Titus agreed, taking the seat he’d vacated and indicating that they should take a seat. “What are your conditions?”

“First, my kids need to be kept completely safe and not get involved until we’re in the clear,” Finn stated.

“Of course,” Titus said. “I believe they are on their way to the Hamptons to visit the Danes?”

“Yes.” Finn nodded.

“Don’t worry. Your children are safe there, but I will ensure that they’re safe.” Titus nodded.

“I want to take Harley and Liam with me to Greece,” Finn told them. “Harley as my security detail and Liam as my financial manager. He is, after all, a finance expert.”

“You do know that this means taking more people into our confidence,” Titus told him. “Murphy already knows about the problems as the head of my security and most trusted man.”

“Harley can be trusted,” Finn assured Titus. “And so can Liam. I’ve known them both a very long time.”

“I will have to take your word for that,” Titus told him. “But from what I know about everyone in Harriet’s life, I have heard they are both honorable men.”

“My last and final request is that Harriet stays here,” Finn stated, feeling her stiffen as she turned narrowed eyes toward him. “At least I’ll know she’s safe.”

“Excuse me?” Harriet’s glare spoke volumes.

“Agreed,” Titus said before Harriet could go all prickly again. “Harriet will stay here, which will play perfectly into our plot to disguise your reason for leaving Plum Island.”

He saw the look in Harriet’s eyes that warned him the conversation was not over as she took her cue from Titus. “The bank holding the Gladstones’ debt is in Greece, given the location of the olive grove. They’ve listed the debt on the market to mitigate their losses, which means you can step in as a potential buyer.”

“The bank is not obliged to let the Gladstones know who is buying the property,” Titus told him. “As long as it’s not a Joyce, apparently.”

“While you’re in Greece buying the property, Uncle Titus will keep Gloria, Estelle, and Leon occupied,” Harriet told him. “See? It’s a good thing you didn’t agree to drop the charges against Leon because it will keep them here a bit longer.”

Finn rubbed his chin, thinking it through. “I’ll need a solid reason for suddenly flying to Greece. Something that won’t arouse suspicion…”

“Alex hasn’t had a bachelor party,” Harriet told them. “He always wanted to have his as a wild pub crawl through Britain.” She raised an eyebrow. “My uncle is going to announce that everyone, including Alex and Daniella, has to attend as he’s going to insist we officially announce our engagement.”

“And, I will be announcing that I know about your ruse, and you’ll have to officially ask Harriet to marry you in front of everyone, as is our tradition,“ Titus told him.

“Since when?” Harriet looked at him, confused.

“Since today!” Titus informed her with a smug smile. “I’m still King, you know. I get to make up the traditions as I go.”

“No, you don’t!” Harriet argued. “You’re just all smug because you finally get to one-up me.”

“Oh, sweet, sweet, princess,” Titus sighed. “I don’t have long enough to live to ever be one up on all the things you’ve done to me. And even if I had, I’m smart enough to know not to try. So give me this one small victory.”

“It’s okay, Harriet,” Finn smiled at her. “It’s a good thing that our friends know that the charade is over and we’re serious.”

“True.” Harriet nodded, understanding passing between them.

“I will joke that because we’ve barged in on Alex and Daniella’s wedding celebrations, we owe them a holiday or two,” Harriet suggested. “Then I’ll get an idea, announcing to the entire table that maybe we should pay for the bachelor party Alex always wanted.”

“I’ll ask you what that is,” Finn added.

“I’ll tell the entire table in a joking way,” Harriet said.

“And I’ll endorse it, even offering to pay for it,” Titus finished the plan. “I’ll arrange the Blackwell jet to take most of the guests. I insist that you and Harley take my jet for safety purposes, and you can insist that Liam go with you.”

“My uncle’s jet will make a pit stop in Greece,” Harriet told him. “Then fly to join the rest of the party in London.” She shrugged. “It won’t be suspicious because everyone who knows my family will know that myself, Gray, or our partners are not allowed to fly with a party.”

Finn raised an eyebrow. “You’ve really thought of everything, haven’t you?”

Harriet’s lips twitched. “We all thought of this,” she pointed out. “It was a joint effort…” She was interrupted by a knock on the door.

“Enter,” Titus bellowed.

“Forgive the intrusion, Your Majesty,” Murphy walked inside. “But I’ve been asked to let you know that everyone got fed up with pacing the halls and have gone to get something to eat at the restaurant somewhere on a hill?”

“Cobble Point Restaurant,” Finn and Harriet said in unison and smiled at each other.

“Rude!” Titus stated, standing. “I guess we’ll have to join them.” He looked at Murphy. “Can you ensure that all of Harriet’s friends attend the dinner?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Murphy nodded. “I’ll get right on that and get the men ready to escort you to the restaurant.”

“Did Faith go with them?” Titus asked Murphy, who nodded. “Oh!”

Finn saw Harriet’s eyes narrow in suspicion as she watched Titus intently.

“You two will drive with me,” Titus commanded. “Murphy will drive us in the limo, and I’ll ask Harley and Liam to accompany us.” He looked at Murphy. “Is Liam still in the hotel?”

“I will check, Your Majesty.” Murphy stepped away.

“What’s with you and…” Harriet started, but Finn shook his head, knowing where she was about to ask, and to his surprise, she stopped. “Never mind.”

King Titus gave Finn an appreciative smile, but one look at Harriet’s face told Finn she was going to get her answer one way or the other. Just not today.

“I’ve made the arrangements, Your Majesty,” Murphy said before he stepped out of the room. He popped his head inside and looked at Titus. “Your Majesty, if you’ll follow me.”

Finn watched Titus leave while Harriet held him back.

“Are you sure about this, Finn?” Harriet said for his ears only.

Finn turned to her and smiled. “I’ve never been more sure about anything in my whole life.”

“This is taking the charade to a whole other level, Finn,” Harriet warned him.

“I know.” Finn nodded. “And, on that note. We may as well make everyone believe us.”

With that, he pulled her to him and kissed her as Harley stepped into the room.

“Oh…” Harley said, surprise registering in his voice as Harriet and Finn slowly drew apart and looked at him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to… Uh…” his brow furrowed. “You know that Titus has left, right?”

“Yes.” Finn nodded and looked at Harriet, letting his love for her shine-free. “Harriet and I told Titus everything.”

“What?” Harley looked at them in disbelief. “If he knows, why are you…”

“Because it’s no longer a charade,” Harriet smiled lovingly into Finn’s eyes. “We’re engaged for real.”

Their eyes locked, and this time, Harriet reached up to kiss Finn. The world disappeared around them again, and they barely heard Harley utter.

“Well.. then… Um…” Harley coughed. “You know. I’m just going to leave you for a few more minutes.”

As soon as the door clicked closed, Harriet drew away and smiled at Finn. “I think he got the message.” Her voice was hoarse as she stepped away from Finn. He felt his heart drop when he realized Harriet was also an excellent actor.