Page 29 of Tempted By the English Marquis
If all those nights of praying for death on board theAventinohad taught him anything, it was that everything horrible eventually came to an end. Waiting out of the wind and rain inside the shipping office was merely an untimely inconvenience. He could manage that much.
While the captain went back to the boat, Gideon dragged his trunk inside the front door of de Luca Shipping. He stood, hands on hips, and surveyed the place. There was a low leather couch in one corner. If he tucked up his knees, he would be able to lay down.
“Right well that should suffice for a bed. Besides its only one night . . . I hope,” he said.
With food and wine from the ship, and somewhere to sleep, all he had to do now was find something to occupy his mind and while away the rest of the day.
Perhaps I will go and explore the fort. My luggage should be safe enough in here.
The door jangled open.
Gideon turned.
His expectations of it being either the captain of theAventinoor a crew member bringing him the food disappeared in an instant.
A tall gentleman, clad in a long coat and wearing a black silk top hat strode into the office. The sun which was shining behind him set the man in shadow, but he walked with all the grace of one born and bred to a life of privilege.
Gideon narrowed his eyes, focusing on the man’s face as the stranger came closer. “Count de Luca?”
Count Nico de Luca slipped his hat from his head. He stared at Gideon for a moment. From the hurried way his fingers ruffled through his jet-black hair, it was clear he was trying to place the stranger who stood before him. Finally, the quizzical expression on his countenance gave way to a smile. He bowed low. “Lord Holwell? What the deuce are you doing in my shipping office? In Italy. On Easter Sunday. Or have I gone mad?”
Gideon chuckled. “It’s a long story. And if anyone is a little touched in the head, I can assure you it is me.”
They were both still gently laughing as they greeted one another with a hearty shake of the hand and a slap on the back. It had been a year and a half since he had last seen the count. Eighteen months since Gideon and Augusta had stood at the dockside in London as the de Luca ship drew away from the wharf.
And Gideon’s heart hadn’t beat the same since.
“I didn’t realize we were going to be arriving in port on Easter Sunday. The captain tells me everything is closed today. He suggested I could wait in here until tomorrow, then I can arrange for a coach to take me to Rome.”
“I see. Yes, nothing is open today. Everyone is in church this morning. I myself have just come from an early Easter mass.” A sheepish look crossed the count’s face. “You are not the only one who got their days muddled. I came up from Rome a few days ago thinking theAventinowould be in port by Good Friday at the latest. I’m going to be on the receiving end of a scolding from my wife when I return home. I promised Isabelle, I would accompany her to the papal mass at Saint Peter’s today.”
“I am looking forward to finally meeting the contessa. As I recall, she was pregnant when you were in London.”
Nico nodded. “We were blessed with a son, and now another child is on the way.”
His friend had been busy. And from the way Nico spoke, it was clear he held a great deal of love for his wife. It made Gideon’s heart happy.
“Though I might not be in so much trouble if I arrive with a guest from London. Isabelle is always keen to hear news of her homeland,” added Nico.
Of course, his wife is English. Or was before she became Italian.
The count pointed toward Gideon’s travel trunk. “Is that all your luggage? You travel light.”
Gideon glanced at the case. “I was told the cabin was small. And I had to smuggle my baggage out of the house and to your shipping offices in Wapping well before the boat sailed. I departed quietly from England.”
While Nico raised an eyebrow but said nothing, Gideon wasn’t foolish enough to think he wouldn’t be asked to elaborate further on his last remark at some future point. With his mother and sister guests at Lazio Palace, it wouldn’t take much for his friend to put two and two together and come up with a very good reason for Gideon’s discreet visit.
The count spun on his heel and headed out the door. He quickly returned with two footmen in matching dress trailing in his wake. Nico said something to the men, which Gideon didn’t understand, but he soon got the gist of things when the servants bent and picked up his travel trunk. They carried it outside.
“If we leave now, we can make it to Rome by early this evening and still be able to join the Easter feast at Palazzo Lazio. Hopefully my wife will forgive my tardiness.” The warmth in Nico’s words told of a genuine affection for his wife.
A relieved Gideon followed Nico out the door of the shipping office. He hadn’t been looking forward to a long day on his own. It was good to see a familiar face, a friend.
Gideon stepped leisurely into the late morning sunshine. The sight which met his eyes had him halting mid-stride.
A huge black travel coach with six horses harnessed up front stood in the roadway. Two large flags fluttered from the top of the roof just behind the driver. The driver and the rest of the team were all decked out in matching livery of gold and red. Even Gideon had to concede that their tall hats, which were decorated with gold and red feathers, were not a step too far.
On the door of the coach was a red crest emblazoned with crossed keys of gold and silver. Above the keys rested what appeared to be a three-tiered crown.
