Page 36 of Tempted By the English Marquis
Her friend grabbed at the back of Serafina’s cloak. “Serafina. Why did you stop like that?”
The reason stood a few feet away, hands held on hips. Maria quickly dropped her arms and, dashing past the two women, took hold of the door. She closed it behind them. “You are late, Signorina Serafina; your mother has already noted the time and your absence.”
Serafina had been looking forward to a hot supper of abbacchio alla romana. Now she would be lucky if she got cold leftovers. The only heat would be from her mother’s censorious gaze.
Maria turned to Augusta. “Lady Augusta, your brother is here. He is sharing the evening meal with the de Luca family, but I don’t think your mother is happy with his arrival.”
Serafina and Augusta exchanged surprised glances.Her brother?
Augusta took hold of Maria’s hand. “My brother? Which one.”
“The Marquis of Holwell. He arrived at the palace with Count Nico a few hours ago. Apparently, he sailed into port early this morning.”
The young English noblewoman looked for a moment like she had been hit with something hard. Augusta swayed on her feet. The expression of shock on her face was unmistakable. Gideon’s arrival had not been expected.
Gideon.
Serafina was torn between genuine concern for her friend and her memories of the handsome, kind-hearted marquis. The first man, the only man who had ever captured her heart.
He was here in Rome. At Palazzo Lazio right this very minute. Her pulse quickened at the prospect of seeing him again.Gideon.This was beyond wonderful.
“I must go . . . I have to . . . my brother,” stammered Augusta. She turned and headed for the door.
Snapping out of her joyful daze, Serafina caught hold of her friend’s arm and pulled her back. “Wait.”
If the Marquis of Holwell had come all the way from England it could only be for one reason. The Kembal family were worried about the duchess and Augusta. He had been sent to bring them home.
The last thing he needed was to find his sister in a drunken state. And if he complained about this to the right person, then everyone from Augusta to Serafina, and Serafina’s bodyguards would be in serious trouble.
The Duchess of Mowbray had permitted her daughter to accompany Serafina out and about in central Rome as long as they had the protection of armed bodyguards, because only someone with a death wish would be reckless enough to attack a member of the de Luca household while they had their guards with them.
Wandering the city streets late at night without their guards was an entirely different matter. Augusta’s mother would not approve. And neither would Gideon.
Someone had to stop Augusta from racing off and getting them into serious trouble.
“Just wait a little while, at least until our minds have lost the fuzz from the last glass of wine. Maria, would you please go and fetch us some coffee,” Serafina said. The drink wouldn’t sober them up, but it would help buy them some time.
As Serafina led Augusta over to one of the low sofas, her friend protested, “But I really should go and see Gideon.”
“Your brother arrived in Rome a matter of hours ago, so he is not likely to be leaving anytime soon. A short delay in your reunion won’t hurt, but the two of us arriving at Easter supper more than a little on the tipsy side will,” cautioned Serafina.
Augusta huffed, but to Serafina’s relief, she sat. Her head rested against the upright of the pale pink and white floral couch. “I suppose you are right. At home I’m only permitted one glass of wine at formal dinners. I've lost count of how many drinks I have had this afternoon. Truth be told, I am feeling more than a little woozy, and my stomach is unsettled.”
Serafina dropped into the seat next to her friend. Her thoughts shifted from the wine and the lateness of their arrival home back to Gideon. To why he was here. The Marquis of Holwell had just spent six weeks at sea. A journey such as that was not something a person undertook on a whim.
“G?”
“Hmm?” replied Augusta from behind closed eyes.
“Do you recall when you and I spoke about your mother, and I said that she doesn’t appear to be in any sort of hurry to go home to England?”
Augusta cracked open an eye. “Yes. And I did ask her about it after we spoke. She gave me some vague response about this being a once-in-a-lifetime experience. That she would go home whenever she wanted. But when I pressed her for an actual departure date, she became quite cross.”
“But won’t your father be expecting you home?”
“That was months ago. We should have been back in London by Christmas. I love Italy but there are only so many Roman ruins that one can visit before it all becomes a bit too much of the same. Or, as we say in England, ABC—Another Bloody Castle.”
Something was wrong, very wrong. Serafina suspected Augusta knew what it was, or at least she had a good idea.It must be bad if she won’t confide in me.
