“But I wrote him a letter, and now he’s pissed off at me. Besides, he never told me he was in love with me.”
“Well, did you tell him how you feel?” Jen asked.
“No. Everything’s happened so fast. I just can’t think straight anymore.”
“Colin and Xavier are good judges of character, and they both think Jack is a good guy,” Em said.
“I know that too.”
“Then you need to tell Jack how you feel,” Jen said.
“And soon,” Em added.
Gaby nodded, but her insides were churning with anxiety. She had practically memorized Iris’s book, she’d read it so many times. Knowing that the story was all true made her tremble with fear at what the contessa was capable of. She feared for her friends, Aunt Kitty, and especially Jack.
Em and Jen were right, though. When the time came, Gaby needed to figure out if she would stay or leave with Iris. She needed to talk to Jack, to tell him everything about herself. She needed to take the biggest risk of her life and tell Jack she loved him.
*
They settled intosilence as the path steepened, weaving through a forest of towering cypress, umbrella pine, and gnarled olive trees. When they reached the summit, a cliff face was carved with doorways and windows. A ladder rested against the bluff face, and a man climbed out of one of the upper openings.
A big smile filled his suntanned face when he spied them. “Jack, is that you? Where the devil have you been? It feels like years since we’ve seen each other.” Suddenly realizing Jack was in mixed company, he said, “Forgive my spicy language, ladies. It’s one of the side effects of being an archaeologist, as I am rarely in the company of the fairer sex.”
“Sir Edward Marlborough, may I introduce you to my aunt, Lady Katherine Darling,” Jack said.
Kitty smiled warmly. “No need to apologize; I hate censorship in any form.” She took Sir Edward’s hand and shook it firmly. After introducing everyone to Sir Edward, Jack asked how the dig was progressing and what might interest his guests.
“That depends on how daring everyone is,” the older man said with a chuckle. “We’ve just opened a hidden section, but it requires climbing down a ladder into a newly discovered secret chamber. I think it might have been the tomb of a priestess, based on the cave paintings and artifacts we’ve found thus far.”
“Well, I’m certainly in,” Jack enthused. Cynthia was the last to agree, and Jack was sure she only did so when she realized that everyone else was going and she’d be left alone.
The group fell in line behind Sir Edward. Jack was surprised to see Kitty take Sir Edward’s arm, inviting him to escort her. Jack couldn’t help but notice the man’s broad smile as he chatted with his aunt. Stewart Darling had been an adventurous man, and Kitty loved him fiercely. Sir Edward was cut from the same cloth as Jack’s late uncle. Tall and fit, with penetrating dark eyes and a trim silver beard, he had carved out a career doing what he loved. Like Kitty, he refused to conform to what was expected of him.
Jack wished he’d thought of inviting Sir Edward to the villa long ago. But he’d been so wrapped up in his own problems that it hadn’t occurred to him. And, remembering what Aunt Kitty had said in the carriage, Jack wanted to help her find contentment in her life. Knowing that Sir Edward was around would ease Jack’s worries about returning to England to deal with the estate.
Now, if only I could get my own life sorted. Gaby was never far from his thoughts, even though physically, she’d stayed close to Emily and Jenee throughout the tour.
“I imagine being a coastal city, this must have been a hub for trade,” Constance observed. “I noticed the harbor was small but more than adequate.”
“You might compare Populonia to your American city of Pittsburgh in that it was as famous for its iron ore smelting as Pittsburgh is for its steel production,” Sir Edward said with a smile. “Now, I must warn everyone to please stay as close to the group as possible. Please do not wander off; some chambers have not been fully secured or investigated.”
They entered the brownstone cliff face through one of the chiseled openings, following Sir Edward through a narrow passageway. “In case you’re wondering, I gave my crew the day off,” he added, stepping over a set of chisels and a stack of paintbrushes in various sizes. “I will light a lantern before we begin our descent, and I will go down first to light the way. And Jack and the other gentlemen can assist from here. Ladies, mind your gowns. You may want to hold your skirts slightly higher as you climb down the ladder. For safety, of course.”
“Now don’t you peek, Sir Edward,” Kitty teased, setting off a litany of giggles from the women.
The archaeologist roared with laughter and added with a Scottish brogue, “Ah, lassie, nothing I haven’t seen before. You can trust my eyes will not wander…much.”
Barely able to control her amusement, Kitty managed to respond, “Touché!”
Jack’s heart did a somersault as Gaby reached for his hand. He looked at her and saw her beautiful eyes were luminous in the darkened cavern. “Careful on the ladder,” he said, and his voice sounded strained to his ears.
“I will, thank you,” Gaby said softly.
Once the women were on solid ground and had rearranged their skirts, the men followed them down. Sir Edward led them down a dimly lit passage and into a chamber.
The lantern’s light filled the room with a golden glow. Inside the room were benches and carved stone pillows where the dead must have lain. The ceiling was low, and painted on the back wall was a faded fresco depicting a sun with golden rays shining down on a collage of figures in armor and on horseback.
“It feels so eerie, and the air is so stale,” Cynthia said with a shudder.
