Page 147 of Peasants and Kings
It must’ve happened the first night I was with Hadrian.
My life had changed then, and I hadn’t even known it.
I dressed quickly, feeling the walls closing in on me.
There were no servants in the hallway nor any looming Moretti men, and I was able to escape to the gardens. I found Gisella on the stone bench in front of the fountain and took a seat next to her.
“Here,” she said, handing me a biscuit wrapped in a paper napkin.
“This is becoming a routine of ours,” I said dryly.
She smiled. “I brought you some weak tea.” Gisella looked around and once she ensured we had privacy she spoke again, only this time her voice was lower. “One of the maids has four children, and she swears the cure for morning sickness is a biscuit and weak tea.”
“Thank you,” I said, feeling tears sting my eyes. “Why are you helping me?” I picked at the biscuit and placed a piece in my mouth to settle my stomach while I waited for her to reply.
She nibbled her lip in pensive thought. “I heard what happened to you. I mean, how you were…taken.”
“Who told you?” I asked.
“Last night, my brothers were in the sanctuary talking with my father. I was passing by and overheard…”
I couldn’t help it; I grinned. “You mean you were spying?”
“I prefer snooping,” she said, pretending to be offended, but then she spoiled it by letting out a giggle. “They mentioned Hadrian.”
My heart lodged in my throat. “What did they say?”
“They’re wondering why he hasn’t come for you.” Her brown eyes stared into mine. “They expect him to come.”
“So do I…”
“Tor said he’ll come ‘because he’s Hadrian Rhys’. What does that mean?”
“If you’d met Hadrian, you’d understand. Did they say anything else?” I pressed. “Please, Gisella. If you know—”
“Papàand Luca think he—they think he might be planning something. They sounded afraid…”
A grin spread across my face. “Theyshouldbe afraid.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
“WhoisHadrian?” Gisella asked, her voice filled with awe.
What could I say to a sixteen-year-old?
She may have been just sixteen, but she was a Moretti. She deserved to be protected, but I wouldn’t treat her like some sheltered, spoiled child.
“He’s a professional international blackmailer with ties to the criminal underworld,” I said.
Her mouth formed a silent ‘oh’.
I shrugged. “You asked.”
“I didn’t think you’d really tell me,” she said with a laugh.
Sunlight caught the diamond on my finger, and I absentmindedly fiddled with the vulgar bauble.
Gisella reached for my hand and lifted it to stare at the ring. “Do you think…”
