Page 53 of Tempted By the English Marquis
He moved so fast. One moment, he was staring at her as if he were seeing her for the very first time; the next, he had his hands placed on her cheeks, holding her face. She gazed up into his light blue eyes, blinking away her tears as he declared, “How could I be angry with her when she is the brave one pleading with me to finally speak my heart? Serafina. To do what I should have done before you left England. To tell you how I feel.”
“Oh, Gideon,” she whispered. His thumb traced lightly over her bottom lip, and she nodded.Yes.
He bent his head. His lips brushed over hers and she closed her eyes as he gave her a tender, perfect kiss. It was her first and she would treasure it always. Hold this moment in her heart forever.
He drew back, searching her gaze. She sensed his concern, could imagine what he was thinking. Had he overstepped? Taken a liberty that was not his to claim?
“Do you remember that day at Hampton Court Palace? When we were in the maze, and you turned and walked into my arms?”
Serafina nodded. “I have never forgotten that day. I think about it quite often. Of what I hoped would happen and the sorrow I felt when it didn’t. Not that I blame you.”
“I was a clueless green boy at the time, and not a day goes by that I don’t regret what I did. Or to be more honest, what I didn’t do. I should have kissed you. When you left the next morning, I couldn’t believe how much of a fool I had been.”
She couldn’t speak. There were no words for what her heart felt. Hope. Joy. And a near overwhelming sense of despair. Gideon had come to realize his mistake, but it was all too late. She was about to be married to someone else.
“Yes, I see what you mean. I think it would have been marvelous to see the gladiators and lions.” The sudden intrusion of Augusta’s loud voice had Gideon immediately releasing Serafina’s face.
He whirled round. “What the devil?”
But while his gaze might have immediately locked on his sister, Serafina’s was fixed on the bodyguard who appeared from behind Augusta. He was making his way toward them.
Thank the Lord for Augusta.She must have seen him enter the Colosseum and was now doing her best to make it look and sound like the three of them were discussing the ancient fights which used to take place on the ground below where they stood.
Leaning into the lie, Serafina hurriedly pointed to the water-logged center of the arena. “The recent excavations uncovered old pits where they used to keep the poor wild beasts before the bouts. Do you see them, Lord Holwell?”
Augusta moved closer to her brother, then added loudly, “We must come back here again before we leave for home. This is one of the wonders of Rome.”
Determined that the ruse would hold, Serafina did her best to casually notice the arrival of the bodyguard. She glanced at him before continuing with the discussion about the Colosseum. “Someday hopefully, they will be able to dig out the rest of the bottom of the space under the arena. They just need to solve the water problem.”
“I see,” replied Gideon.
Her heart pounded fast in her chest. Fear and excitement made for a heady cocktail. She wanted to be able to indulge in remembering Gideon’s tender kiss and hope-filled words but dealing with her ever observant bodyguard was the priority right this minute.
Please Lord, let him not have seen anything.
She felt sick just thinking about what would happen if her parents knew what the English marquis had done. It had been barely a kiss, but it was what it represented that posed the greatest danger. A possible threat to her father’s grand plans.
Augusta waved to the guard. “Hello, what happened to your weapons?”
The guard frowned at her, clearly not understanding what she meant. Serafina, observing the exchange, decided it was time to stop playing with fire. Augusta might well fancy herself an actress of note, but she wasn’t the one who would be dealing with Enzo de Luca if it all went wrong.
“We should take our leave, Augusta, and head into the city center. I think your brother wants to find a gentlemen’s tailor and I’m keen to go and look at hats.”
Her steps were confident and sure as she made her way past Gideon and Augusta, and toward her bodyguard. Serafina gave her friend a hurried side eye, and to her relief, the Kembal siblings fell in behind her.
* * *
Gideon took a hold of his sister’s arm and purposely slowed his steps. He leaned in to Augusta. “I know you think you know what you are doing, but I must insist that you stop. This is not a game. And whatever you may or may not have imagined that you just witnessed, it must stay a secret.” He didn’t want to start a fight with Augusta, but Gideon dared not put Serafina at risk.
“I didn’t imagine anything. I saw,” she replied.
They turned and moved toward the main entrance. Serafina remained a yard or two ahead of them. When they reached the archway, Gideon pulled Augusta to a hard stop. He hated doing this to her, especially after the news about their parents, but he had to make her see that this was a serious matter. Love hearts and cupids would have to wait.
“I need you to promise that you won’t speak to anyone. And that once we leave here, you do not attempt any other efforts at trying to help Serafina or myself.”
Augusta wrenched out of Gideon’s hold. “Don’t treat me like I am a child. I might be under your legal guardianship, but you are not my father. And besides . . .” She dragged in a ragged breath, which tore at his heart. “You have no idea what heartbreak I have been through over the past year or what seeing any sort of happiness brings to me.”
Gideon had a suspicion he knew the truth behind that last remark. The loss of his best friend Flynn Cadnam had hit them all hard, Augusta in particular. And while she had never admitted to her and the viscount sharing any sort of private affection, Gideon wasn’t blind.
