“You will not believe this, Stefano, but the golden hands that prepared this meal only yesterday were rescued from certain death by none other than our Jack.”
Stefano’s brows lifted. “Surely you jest?”
Aunt Kitty shook her head. “You will meet her tomorrow. Unfortunately, she deigned to remain in the kitchen tonight with the staff. She is a charming girl and pretty as a picture.” She turned to her nephew. “Don’t you agree, Jack?” Not waiting for his reply, she returned her gaze to Stefano. “Gabriella is American but of Italian heritage, and possesses a lush, exotic beauty and an effervescent spirit that is simply captivating. You, of course, will see it at once. It is an undefinable quality, an irresistibility. Jack, perhaps you can better explain what I mean.”
Jack met the knowing gaze of his aunt. He’d never been able to hide his feelings from her, and now he worried about how much he’d revealed of his interest in the cooking goddess. “I think you exaggerate, Aunt Kitty. She is comely, but I see nothing out of the ordinary in her magnetism.”
Jack knew his aunt was disappointed in his decision to marry for money, but what was he to do under the circumstances? He’d been denied his birthright. His father’s line must not be broken, and his children should not be denied their patrimony. That was the duty of a firstborn son, to perpetuate the family, and he’d failed—or rather, been forced to fail by his deceitful cousin.
Frustration and anger besieged him. If only his cousin hadn’t been so duplicitous, he would not be stuck in limbo, biding his time. On the other hand, he might not have met Gaby, either. He would have either been in London or Egypt.
“Oh, I do most certainly disagree,” Aunt Kitty said with a lifted brow. “Few men would be able to resist that face and figure. I am in awe of your power to resist her, Jack.”
“I suppose there are some men who would find her attractive. Those that are drawn to that earthy quality,” he amended, feeling a bit heated under the collar. Now, both Stefano and his aunt were regarding him with knowing looks.
Aunt Kitty turned to Stefano and confided, “Jack has taken a decided dislike of our dear Gabriella. He has trust issues. But she is very much alone in this world and suffers from amnesia from her near-death experience, and I am of a mind to do what I can for her. I am offering her a permanent position as our chef. She is far more than a cook; frankly, I fancy her as a friend.”
“I cannot wait to meet the beautiful Gabriella. Be careful, or I might steal her away from you.” Stefano winked. “I am certain she would be a great asset in Florence. A woman who can cook like an angel and looks like a goddess.” He whistled. “A man could do worse. The joys of bachelorhood are highly exaggerated,veramente.”
“Bachelorhood may be truly, as you say, exaggerated, but Signorina D’Angelo will not be leaving Nido dell’ Aquila,” Jack blurted. Again, he felt like that errant schoolboy as Aunt Kitty and Stefano’s brows rose in response to his outburst.
“I beg your pardon, Jack, but I don’t believe you have any authority over Gabriella or her future,” Aunt Kitty reprimanded him. “As much as I would hate to lose her, her future might be brighter in a bustling city than a country estate where she’s unlikely to find any suitors or make any friends her own age.”
Jack pushed back from the table and stood. “If you will excuse me, I need to stretch my legs and require some fresh air.”
“Go, darling. Stefano and I will retire to the library and take our dessert and coffee there. Please join us after you have walked your temper off.”
The room felt impossibly stuffy. Jack bowed stiffly and left the room. His aunt knew just how to get his goat. And she and Stefano were clearly in cahoots. Well, they could yabber all they wanted. He needed to think.
*
“Everything is inorder.” Gaby beamed at her staff. “Thank you for helping make tonight’s meal a success. I am more confident than ever that we will become a great team. Get a good night’s sleep, as we have not only tomorrow’s dinner to prepare, but the dinner party on Saturday will demand our best efforts. I will see you at five in the morning. We have much to accomplish.”
Gabriella untied her apron and left it in the laundry basket for tomorrow’s wash. Taking a clean cloth, she dipped it in a bowl of fresh water and wiped her face. She needed to decompress, and the coolness of the night called to her.
The moon was nearly full, and the sky was clear of clouds. A star-filled sky greeted her, and for the first time since she’d arrived in Maremma, she began to reclaim her positivity and confidence. Even the possibility of her never finding her way home to the twenty-first century couldn’t dampen her belief that she could survive and maybe even prosper here.
But she would not give up. Tomorrow she would explore the house for the Allegretto painting. If she could find it, there might be a way back.
The path she took meandered down to the bluff’s edge. A slight breeze blew, and she stopped and unpinned her hair, breathing a sigh of relief as she massaged her sore scalp. The cool air lifted the tendrils of her hair, tickling her shoulders. Moonlight shimmering on the Mediterranean drew her, and she walked to the bluff’s edge.
A shiver shimmied up her spine as she saw the shrub she’d clung to. It was so unsubstantial; she couldn’t believe it had held her weight. The waves rolling in were deceptively soothing as the frothy water swept over the craggy rocks below. Only the sharp-edged tips poked through the surface as the tide ebbed and surged. Gaby would never have survived, had she fallen.
“I do hope you are not intending to repeat yesterday’s performance.”
The voice did not frighten or startle her, because she’d recognize that sensual baritone anywhere.
Slowly turning, she stepped away from the edge. “I suppose your sneaking up on me is better than you astride a horse and bearing down on me.”
Jack chuckled and took a puff of his cheroot. “I’m glad to find you are not suicidal.”
She hadn’t seen him since the morning and had never seen him in evening attire. His hair was brushed back off his high forehead and fell in golden waves below his winged collar. His velvet frock coat displayed his broad shoulders and narrowed at the waist.
Self-assured and in command, he was intimidating, and she found herself at a loss for words. The way he stared at her made her heart stampede in her chest. He had such a profound effect on her, and she found it hard to understand why. She was aware of how she must look, tired, in a rumpled dress, her hair loose and untamed.
He took a step closer, and she took a step back.
“Whoa.” He held his hands up. “Do not walk backward. I don’t think we’ll be as lucky as last night. I will not intrude on your space. Please come away from the bluff’s edge.” He backed up, giving her space to follow.
