Page 50 of Tempted By the English Marquis
At the end of the street, they turned right and Gideon’s interest in the de Luca guards and their rather violent presentation vanished in an instant. Straight ahead of him stood the vestiges of a Roman temple.
A real ageless ruin.
Serafina turned and grinned up at him; Gideon caught the movement out of the corner of his eye. “Am I forgiven or is a glimpse of what was once Emperor Trajan’s Forum not enough?” she asked.
He kept his gaze on the handful of fallen columns and scattered remains of what appeared to have once been a marketplace. Across the way from them was one tall column, still intact. At the top of it was the figure of a man. Gideon pointed at it. “Is that Emperor Trajan?”
“I’m afraid not. A statue of Trajan originally stood on the top of his column, but someone stole him several hundred years ago. That is Saint Peter the Apostle. Pope Sixtus the Fifth had him put up there instead. You can’t see the rest of the forum as those buildings which you see across the way from us have been constructed over the top of where it once stood.”
Gideon took in the more recently erected buildings and churches. Somewhere underneath them was several thousand years of history. It was utterly fascinating to stand here in the center of the ancient city and discuss events that had occurred not just hundreds of years ago but during the previous millennia.
But fallen towers of stone and marble couldn’t compete with the enchanting woman who stood next to him. The dark-haired beauty who had asked for his forgiveness.
His gaze slipped easily to Serafina. He took in the sight of her fine woolen cloak and the gentle way it draped over her breasts. Gideon swallowed deep.
He might not be able to touch her physically, not while her guards stood close, but hopefully he could touch her heart.
“I shall reserve my judgment on Trajan’s Forum. And while it does seem a little unfair to replace the emperor with a saint, I can see how things might have changed over time. But in answer to your question, no, you are not forgiven.”
Serafina’s shocked gasp had Gideon chuckling, but his body instantly hardened when she brushed her hand against his arm. “You are a difficult man to please, Lord Holwell,” she purred.
He was suddenly transported back to their last afternoon in England, seated beside her in the carriage on the way to Hampton Court Palace. His body now screamed with the same aching, demanding need as it had done then.
You have no idea what you do to me whenever I am this close to you.
Gideon dared not turn and check on the bodyguards, because if he did, and they saw the heat of lust which he suspected was written all over his face, they would once more draw their weapons. And this time, the thrust of their swords wouldn’t stop a few inches from his chest.
ChapterTwenty-Six
She had forgotten just how intelligent and engaging Augusta’s brother could be; Serafina kept trying to refer to Gideon in that light. It was the only way she could stop from thinking about him in a completely inappropriate manner. Heat coursed through her body. Her nipples pressed hard against the bodice of her gown.
The short walk from the remains of Trajan’s Forum through the crowded streets to the Colosseum had Serafina wondering if offering to show the Marquis of Holwell the sights of her city had been such a good idea. As they passed between the tall narrow rows of poorly constructed houses, she considered how best she should deal with their future encounters.
Indulging in these fantasies only makes things worse. I just wish I had some say in my own life.
Perhaps Donna Francesca had been right. She should keep her distance and focus on her forthcoming marriage to Signore Magri. Like it or not, the wedding was going to happen. And soon.
But days like today might be some of the few happy ones she had left in her life. She couldn’t imagine that a political union would be filled with joy.
The slum finally gave way to a clear street, and they stood on the side of the road. Opposite them was the famed Colosseum. Saint Peter’s Basilica might well have been the spiritual heart of the city, but the true heart of Rome was the mighty arena constructed some seventeen centuries ago.
“It’s . . .”
Serafina turned toward Gideon. She took in the expression of awe which sat on his face.
Now that is a look I shall never forget. Pure unbridled wonderment.
It always warmed her Roman heart to hear a visitor lost for words at catching their first glimpse of the Colosseum. Even Serafina, who had lived her entire life only a short distance away, found herself close to tears at witnessing Gideon’s reaction.
“How would you describe such a sight?” asked Gideon.
Augusta gave Serafina a knowing smile and replied, “You don’t. There are no words for what you see. Everything you think might be the right phrase always falls short.”
Serafina took in a deep breath. “One does not attempt to describe the Colosseum; one experiences it.”
They quickly crossed the narrow road, avoiding the carts and carriages which moved around the front of the site. The Colosseum had long been at the center of people and traffic.
A group of guides clustered around the nearest entrance. Depending on the day, their mood, or the number of people visiting the ancient site, these men might charge a small fee to show visitors around the Colosseum. The church, which had designated it as a holy place, turned a blind eye to this lucrative money-making scheme.
