“Stefano, I’d like—”
His words were cut short by the soft sound of footsteps and the tinkling of china. He opened the door and found Gabriella had stopped down the hall outside one of the guest suites. She was holding a tray with a tea service, undoubtedly delivering refreshments to one of the late-arriving guests he hadn’t yet met.
Had Gabriella been spying on him? Had she overheard his conversation with Stefano? She was not a serving girl or the butler, and her duties would typically not include delivering tea to a guest. But he knew all the other staff might be otherwise engaged, and she’d likely offered to bring the tea herself.
He might have given her the benefit of the doubt, but when the door of the guest suite opened, she gasped, and the tray began to rattle in her shaking hands.
He couldn’t see the guest’s reaction, but a slender hand grabbed Gaby’s wrist and yanked her into the room. A moment later, a beautiful woman with blonde hair poked her head into the hallway as if checking to see if the hall was empty. When she saw Jack, her eyes widened, but she quickly composed herself. She smiled serenely, nodded, and closed the door.
What in the blazes is going on?It made no sense to him. If Jack didn’t know better, Gaby’s shocked expression was one of recognition. The blonde woman had an elegant and aristocratic air about her. She must be Lady Danbury, the wife of the Marquess of Danbury. But how did she know Gaby?Yet another coincidence?
He would get to the bottom of it. There were too many mysteries surrounding his temptress, and his sanity demanded he find out the truth.
“Jack,” Stefano said, rousing him from his musings. “What is the matter?”
“Oh, nothing. I just thought I heard something.”
“Well, I would like Constance and Blossom to see this painting, with your permission. May I bring them to your room and show them?
“No, Stefano, not yet. If you don’t mind, I want to keep the painting a secret for the time being. Besides, there’s no rush, since Mrs. Shipley will be here for several more days. In the meantime, I’d like to conduct my own research.”
“Of course—your investigative skills as an archaeologist can only help in the authentication. But I warn you, do not let this opportunity escape. I also noticed that the baroness was quite keen on the missing Allegretto and could be another prospective buyer. Donatella’s husband, the baron, was a collector of European paintings, and she is known to have shared his passion.”
Jack barely heard Stefano’s comment about the baroness; his mind was still on the exchange between Gaby and the Marchioness of Danbury. It was most curious indeed. Gaby had looked like she’d seen a ghost or someone returning from the dead. How could she possibly know the woman? Another mystery to add to the growing list surrounding the woman who’d taken over his thoughts. But he would unravel the truth, no matter where it led him.
Chapter Fourteen
Maremma, Italy
October 19, 1902
Gaby was shakingso badly she could barely stand, let alone hold on to the tea tray. She had to be hallucinating. How could this be happening?
Emily gently took the tray from her hands and set it on the table in front of the settee. “Breathe, Gaby. We don’t have much time, and I have so much to tell you. But first…” She wrapped her arms around Gaby and hugged her tight. “I’m so happy to see you. Jenee and I have missed you so much.”
“Is it really you, Em? For a second, I thought I was dreaming.”
“Yes, it’s me, you silly twit,” she said, leaning back. “Same Emily who left a vibrator in your nightstand in case you got randy during the night.”
Gaby burst into laughter. “Oh my God, it is you, Emily.” She crushed Emily in a bear hug. “I was so mad at you and Jenee because I thought you’d abandoned me at the museum.”
“Never, girlfriend.” Emily squeezed her back.
“And then I was—I’m not quite sure what happened to me at the museum, but somehow, I was flung back in time to this place.”
Emily nodded. “Oh, sweetie. The same thing happened to Jenee and me.” She tugged Gaby down onto the settee. “Come and sit.” Emily poured tea. “This calls for a strong cup of tea and a lovely scone.” She added sugar and cream and handed the cup to Gaby. “I take it you were pulled into the painting just as Jenee and I were.”
Gaby took a sip and sighed. “God, I’ve missed you. Yes, it was surreal. I still can’t believe Marco Allegretto dragged me into a painting, and poof, I found myself on the edge of a cliff facing the Tyrrhenian Sea.”
Emily giggled. “I found myself in the middle of Piccadilly Road, covered in mud with a carriage and team of horses barreling down on me. I ended up in London in 1892. I met the most delicious man, and though I will not admit it to him, it was love at first sight. Colin Remington, the Marquess of Danbury. I was fortunate to marry him, and we have two children. It ended well for me, but I will explain everything later.
“You are not alone, Gaby; Jenee is here too. She ended up in Paris in 1900 and fell in love with and married Chief Inspector Xavier Doumaz. He’s bloody marvelous and sexier than hell. Our pimple-popping dermatologist to the stars is profoundly happy. I wouldn’t doubt they will be expecting an addition to their family in a few months.” Emily pulled a handkerchief out of her sleeve and dabbed at her eyes. “Colin and I attended the wedding of Jenee and Xavier. I wish you could have been there. She looked like she was inThe Princess Bride. Jenee’s in a room down the hall. As soon as Colin returns, I’ll send him to fetch her. She’ll kill me if I don’t tell her you’re here.”
Gaby felt so many emotions at once that she had no idea how to identify them. “This is too much to take in. You’re telling me that you and Jenee couldn’t find a way back to the future, so without any options, you married? Is that what happened?”
“No.” Emily smiled and reached for Gaby’s hand. “Jenee and I made a choice to stay. We stayed for love.” She rolled her eyes. “I know, what are the odds are that we found true love after being flung back in time. We all swore off men because the buggers we’d dated were all wankers, but we were wrong. We may have had to travel a hundred years backward in time to find them, but Jenee and I found our forever loves, and you will too. Don’t give up hope; there are some good ones out there. But that’s neither here nor there—I know you may want to go back, and I want you to know it’s possible as soon as we find the painting.”
Gaby’s mind was spinning in a thousand directions. Emily’s revelation of her and Jenee finding true love in another era was mind-boggling, to say the least. Especially considering she’d fallen head over heels for Jack—but for her, it was hopeless.
