But sleep would not come, even after such a grueling day. After tossing and turning for hours, she finally gave up, dressed, and went to the kitchen, where she had always found solace.
She was beyond pissed off that he would proposition her, offering her the exalted position of his mistress to be available at his beck and call while he went off and married a rich woman and took his place in society.
And yet she couldn’t get his kisses out of her head. It was as though she’d been struck by lightning. Barely two days ago, she was sitting in the Met looking at a painting, waiting for her friends, when she was hurtled back in time to 1902 Italy! And now she was working as a chef for an aristocratic yet eccentric British expat. Her entire world could not have been upended more. Even though Lady Darling was indeed a darling, her nephew was not!
How dare he?
Gaby was still shaking from anger, yet she could not forget the feel of his lips on hers and still wished the kiss had never ended.
Why? Why was she falling for a man who was not only utterly wrong for her for so many reasons, but a man who couldn’t offer her the future she’d always wanted. He was no different than the men she’d dated in Chicago, only more entitled and more selfish. Also, way more attractive and charming and fascinating…
No!She refused to think of his good qualities. His arrogance far outweighed those. Besides, she had far more important things to occupy her mind and time. She had to figure out how to help Allegretto and his muse, and hopefully, they would help her go home.
And then I won’t have to worry about Jack because I’ll be more than a hundred years in the future. And that’s as far away as you can get.
It turned out Gaby barely had time to think about anything other than work, supervising her kitchen staff, and keeping an eye on the beef stock simmering on the stove. Even though much of the prepping was for tomorrow night’s festivities, there was today’s breakfast, lunch, and dinner to contend with and bring to table.
Things became frenetic when two hunters arrived at the kitchen door with a cart bearing a freshly killed wild boar for tomorrow night’s stew. Gaby instructed Angelina to dice the onions, carrots, and celery for the marinade. At the same time, she enlisted the help of Luigi and the footman Thomas to help her butcher the boar. Of course, Gaby had learned to take apart any bird, animal, or fish from her nonna. Then, in cooking school, she’d enriched those skills by studying the cuisine of other cultures. Every part of the carcass would be preserved for later use.
Still, her first imperative was to get the boar meat marinated. It needed at least twenty-four hours to tenderize, and then it would be browned with the vegetables and simmered for hours. The wild boar stew would be served with creamy polenta and vegetables. To pair with such a heavy main course, she planned a lightly dressed arugula salad, served with shaved parmesan andpomodorini, Italian cherry tomatoes known for their exceptional sweetness. She instructed Angelina to bake a thick, rustic Italian bread to sop up the gravy from the wild boar stew and atorta di mandorle, a traditional almond cake served with pears poached in buttery syrup.
Having gotten the wild boar marinated and stored in the icebox, Gaby stepped out to the garden to grab a breath of fresh air. She’d been working for hours and needed a break. She untied the kerchief that held her hair back, shook her curls free, broke off a sprig of mint, and nibbled on the leaves. With a basket beside her, she got on her knees and began snipping oregano and thyme for the minestrone she had planned for tonight’s main course.
The clip-clop of hooves on limestone announced the arrival of a carriage. It pulled up to the villa’s entrance, and two beautifully attired women stepped out. A lady’s maid followed them onto the limestone drive. The older woman was tall and statuesque, with raven-black hair, but she drew only a momentary glance from Gabriella. The beautiful younger woman, whose lustrous blonde curls were swept up in a stylish Gibson updo, commanded all of Gaby’s attention.
Gabriella stared, her hands unconsciously smoothing her own messy, dark waves. She felt a growing unease that stole her confidence and took her back to her high school days. The fair-skinned beauty could only be Cynthia Maxwell, Jack’s future countess.
The tall, slim girl looked about with apprehension, her limpid blue eyes taking in the house. “Aunty, you are sure they are expecting us?”
“What an inane question. Of course they are expecting us. This is the way things are done in my native country. Their relaxed attitude is one of the things I abhor about the Italians.” The older woman looked around critically. “Things move at a different pace here in the countryside. Cynthia, show some backbone. You are a desirable commodity. Heads above that detestable young man you made a fuss over.”
Cynthia’s eyes dropped to the ground, and she bit her lip.
The baroness rested her hand on Cynthia’s shoulder. “Let us not speak of him again. He might have ruined you if I had not intervened. Things turned out for the best, and if all goes well, you will be a countess in a few months.”
“Yes, aunty.”
The front door opened, and Antonio, the butler, emerged. “Baronessa Blythe Hollow e Signorina Maxwell, benvenuti, allNido dell’ Aquila. I am Antonio, at your service.” The engaging butler, Antonio Jr., was the son of the previous butler who’d retired a few years back and trained his boy to take over the position.
The imperious woman in black flicked her wrist in agitation. “We do not need to listen to your prattle.Siamo stanco ed affamato. We require refreshments without delay. See that our trunks are sent to our rooms. Where are Lady Darling and Lord Langsford?”
The startled butler stammered, “Si, signora. I will see to everything. They are in the library having tea and have asked that you join them there. Please follow me.”
“Come, Cynthia—we will greet our hosts, quench our thirst, and assuage our hunger. After which, I must retire to our rooms and rest.”
From her vantage point in the garden, Gabriella watched the elegant women follow Antonio into the house. The determination on the baroness’s face was unmistakable. Her purpose was to ensure that her ward, Cynthia, was soon wedded.
Gaby’s stomach twisted into knots at the thought of Jack marrying the wealthy blonde heiress. She hadn’t paid attention, but now recalled Kitty saying the baroness was Italian. The only tidbits she’d picked up were that the baroness was a recent widow of a British financier and had inherited the guardianship of his heir and niece, Cynthia Maxwell. Gaby found it odd that a young woman who’d inherited such great wealth would find herself under the thumb of such an unlikeable woman. She supposed Cynthia didn’t have a choice in the matter if her uncle had named his wife her guardian in his will.
She couldn’t make heads nor tails of the strange exchange she’d overheard. Especially the part hinting at Cynthia falling for a man in London that her aunt deemed beneath her. From what Gaby had gleaned, Cynthia had almost compromised herself.
In any case, she imagined the young woman could hardly wait to marry Jack and be free of her dour guardian. Being with him would surely be preferable to being ordered about by this aunt.
A sensuous vision of luxuriating in bed with Jack naked caused her cheeks to warm.Where do these foolish thoughts come from? You are shameful.But as hard as she tried, Gaby couldn’t stop thinking about what it would be like to make love with him.
Fortunately, her daydream was cut short by the arrival of another carriage. Two beautifully dressed women emerged from the elegant conveyance. The older woman, her gaze drawn to the sea, said, “Blossom, is this not the most beautiful place on earth? I am so delighted to be here. Stefano was right to suggest we spend a few days in this paradise before going to Florence.”
“Oui, Constance, we will take some lovely walks, and we will have a wonderful reunion with the Marchioness and Marquess of Danbury, and the chief inspector and Madame Doumaz,” said the younger woman with a lilting French accent.
