Page 21 of Tempted By the English Marquis
“You’ve heard the rumors that are festering in town. I can’t sit by and do nothing. Besides, I made a promise to my father. I can’t go back on my word.”
This morning, his valet had informed Gideon of the existence of more whispered rumors which had begun to circulate within thehaut ton. The gossipmongers were hard at work coming up with stories, true or not, as to why the Duchess of Mowbray had not returned from her long journey to Rome.
‘Did you hear she has left her husband?’That part was unfortunately true.
‘All the Kembal girls will be ruined. No decent chap will want to marry them’.Harsh, but those thoughts also held a good deal of truth.
‘I heard she has taken on an Italian lover. Scandalous.’Now, that was just pure spite.
Gideon would have pistols at dawn with any man or woman who dared say such a thing about the duchess. His mother would never betray his father. The Kembals might well have made domestic drama a blood sport, but neither Anne nor Clifford had ever strayed from the marital bed.
But his mother had been gone for some time and was now preparing to live a life separate from his father. What if she had fallen under the spell of some handsome, charming Italian gentleman and he was the reason for her abandoning her husband? Adultery was a bitter word.
That was even more reason for him to suffer the trials of a long sea voyage. The sooner he got to Rome, the better.
My stomach and head are not in agreement with that idea.
A cup of tea appeared under his nose, and Gideon gratefully accepted it. He waved away the sweet biscuit that Poppy offered. The mere thought of food had his stomach churning. “Thank you, but I couldn’t eat anything. This tea will be a challenge as it is,” he replied.
“I shall pack you some cinnamon biscuits to take home to the rest of the Kembal family,” said Poppy.
“Bless you, Poppy.”
She placed her hand over his. “I’m sorry about what has happened with your parents. I didn’t grow up with much of a family, but I know that when things do go wrong, it hurts. Is there anyone else who might be able to go to Italy in your stead?”
“No, the task has fallen to me. Since receiving my mother’s letter, my father has aged ten years. My sisters and younger brothers dare not show their faces in society. Our family is falling apart.”
If saving his family meant having to spend weeks at sea lying prone on the deck of a ship, Gideon would do it.
I just don’t know if I will survive the voyage.
If he died at sea, it would mean the loss of the immediate heir to the duchy of Mowbray. His brother Richard would have to step into his shoes. Richard, who had no head for numbers, too much of an appetite for foolish wagers, and who was determined to never marry, would make a terrible duke. The line of the dukes of Mowbray would fail with him.
Thoughts of his family disappearing into the dark pages of history stirred Gideon from his sea-induced malaise
“What I need is a ship that will take me to Italy under the command of a captain who will keep my identity secret.”
The rest of the Radley family had done what it could to keep the scandal at bay, but unless the Duchess of Mowbray returned, nothing would silence the growing gossip.
Poppy gave Gideon’s hand a gentle pat. “I think I know someone who can help you. Count Nico de Luca runs ships between London and Civitavecchia, which is the main port just up the coast from Rome. I can go and have a quiet word with his local representative if you’d like.”
“Talk about a small world. I know the de Luca family. I have met Count Nico de Luca and his cousin Matteo. In fact, Matteo’s sister Serafina stayed with us when she visited London last year. She and Augusta became quite close—that’s how this trip to Italy all came about. Mama and G are staying at the de Luca family home, Palazzo Lazio, in central Rome.”
Serafina.
The memories of the stunning Italian beauty who had graced Mowbray House for a brief time slipped all too easily into his mind.
Gideon sipped the hot, ginger tea, only stirring from his thoughts when Poppy Saunders picked up her woolen cloak and put it on.
She slung a satchel over her shoulder. “If you are feeling better, I can accompany you to the de Luca Shipping offices—they are only a short walk from here. Though if you are considering slipping quietly out of England, it might be a good idea to book your passage under a false name. Most places in Europe don’t ask to see any documents of identification, let alone bother with passports, so you shouldn’t have any real problems. But I would advise you to pack some formal papers so you can deal with the bankers in Rome and access money.”
Gideon hadn’t travelled out of England before; he had little to no idea what it involved or what he should take. Poppy had a lifetime’s experience of living abroad on which she could draw.
Francis nodded his agreement. “Before you leave, I can let it be known that you are going to go and stay with your sisters and Matthew at Mowbray Park. That way people won’t question your absence from town.”
If his father kept up his side of the bargain, and that included resuming his seat in the House of Lords when parliament reopened on January twenty-seven, that should at least hold some of the rumors at bay.
“Thank you. I can’t begin to tell you how much it means to know the family is doing all it can for us.” He might still be feeling like death warmed up, but as the first spark of hope flickered in Gideon’s heart, so did a sense of quiet determination. He would do as Poppy suggested and book passage onboard one of the de Luca’s ships. While everyone thought he was away in the countryside, he would be sailing to Italy. He would just have to deal with whatever followed once he was at sea.
