The Elusive Earl

by Maddison Michaels

  “Indeed they are,” Bree agreed. “It looks fun, though—the dancing, that is, not the other activities they’re getting up to.”

  A slow grin spread over his rugged features. “Why, Brianna Penderley, are you spying on the couples kissing?”

  She scowled at him, but then her attention was diverted as the music suddenly stopped and a lone man stepped out into the open space. He was carrying a guitar and walked up to a young woman. Getting down onto one knee, he began strumming the instrument and singing a beautiful Italian ballad in a pure, clear baritone. “What’s he singing to her?” The girl began to blush, but she seemed pleased at the attention.

  “He’s asking her to marry him.”

  “By singing?”

  Daniel shrugged. “Apparently.”

  “How romantic,” Bree gushed—she couldn’t help herself.

  “It’s ridiculous,” Daniel scoffed.

  “It’s beautiful.” She sighed. “Imagine the story she will be able to tell her future children of how their father proposed to her.”

  “Good Lord, as if they’d care.”

  What a grump. “You are a cynic, Daniel Wolcott.”

  “I’m practical,” he replied. “You won’t find any Englishman carrying on with that sort of nonsense. Imagine singing and getting down on a bended knee to propose? It’s ludicrous.”

  “And you wonder why I call you stuffy?” Bree thought it was the most wonderfully romantic thing she’d ever seen. “I think that is exactly how a man should propose.”

  “Only if he wants to make a fool of himself.”

  “A man completely in love wouldn’t care. And besides, he’s not making a fool of himself. He’s courageous and oh, so romantic.”

  “He’s a sap, and he is making a decided fool of himself.”

  As Daniel kept getting more and more curmudgeonly, Bree found that she rather enjoyed pricking at him with her contrary opinions. “You could learn a lesson from him.”

  “Please,” Daniel scoffed. “I would never make a fool of myself by singing a proposal to a woman in front of a crowd.”

  Before she could formulate an answer, Fabrizio lumbered over to them from the other side of the clearing. Striding beside him, with a bounce in her step, was a slip of a woman wearing a bright red skirt with a blue top. She looked tiny compared to the brutish size of Fabrizio, and she was stunning. Her chestnut hair flowed down to her waist, and even the age and laughter lines crinkling around her eyes did nothing to detract from the beauty and kindness radiating from the welcoming smile on her red lips.

  Daniel stood, and Bree followed suit.

  “You enjoyed dinner?” Fabrizio asked when he reached them.

  “Very much so, thank you,” Bree replied.

  He beamed at them. “Good. This is my wife, Elleya. She was in charge of the food.”

  “It was delicious,” Daniel added, bowing to Fabrizio’s wife.

  A gracious smile flittered over the woman’s face before she stepped closer towards Bree. “My husband tells me that you are called Brianna?”

  “I am.”

  “And is your uncle a man called Sir Penderley?”

  There was a determination in the woman’s posture and words, and Bree knew she would not be deterred from getting an answer. “Yes he is.”

  Elleya glanced sharply up at Fabrizio before turning her attention back to Bree. “It must be you then!”

  Without warning, the woman stepped forward and enveloped Bree into a big hug. “Oh my dear girl, we never thought we would see you again!”

  Bree froze, at an unaccountable loss on how to respond.

  “You were only a little baby when I last saw you,” Elleya pulled back from her and smiled. “But I looked after you, at least until Fabrizio discovered your uncle had traveled from England to Mendicino.”

  “You looked after me…here?” Bree looked around the clearing, wondering if perhaps her parents had lived with the Mountain Clan at some point.

  “Only for a short time, dear girl,” Elleya replied. “Fabrizio and I used to live in the town of Mendicino, just near Cosenza. Unfortunately, my husband was at the time working for a very evil man. You see, the man offered Fabrizio a lot of money to work for him, and he never asked for anything illegal in the short time my husband was in his employ. But when Fabrizio was ordered to kill you, he knew it was time to extract all of us from the butcher’s grip.”

  “Did you kill my parents?” Bree asked Fabrizio, a sharp pain piercing her stomach at the thought.

  “No,” Fabrizio answered. “My previous master did. You were so innocent, so like my little Bella.” He pointed to a woman dancing near the bonfire. “I couldn’t kill you, though I let the evil one believe you were dead. Then, I brought you and my family here. An area that would not only be a deterrent for anyone intent on finding us, but whose people would shelter and protect us, as my wife already had family within the Mountain Clan.” He paused and seemed to brace himself. “I have been hoping for an opportunity to allay the guilt I have felt for many years, and though it will never be enough… I wish to apologize to you.”

  There was sorrow in the big man’s gaze, yet also an unwavering ring of truth in his words. “It sounds as if you saved my life,” Bree replied. “I don’t think that warrants any apology.”

  “It is for not letting your grandfather know you were alive that I must apologize.” He swallowed audibly. “You see, I couldn’t risk anyone knowing you lived, as that would have alerted my old master and placed all of our lives in jeopardy. To keep everyone safe, I knew we had to seek refuge well away from Cosenza, without anyone knowing who you were.”

  “But then how did my uncle find us?” Bree asked.

  “He didn’t. I found him,” Fabrizio said. “I was paying attention to the whispers from the Calabria region, when I heard that your uncle was in Mendicino and asking questions about your parents’ deaths. Elleya and I decided that if he was an honorable man, then you would be better off with your proper family.”

  It appeared as if there was genuine regret upon his face, and Bree felt her heart soften towards him.

  “I trekked to Mendicino and secretly observed your uncle for several days,” Fabrizio continued. “Once I was satisfied he would keep you safe, I contacted him and revealed your existence. Immediately, he understood the gravity of the situation and arranged to take you back to England in the utmost secrecy. He knew your life depended on everyone believing you had died along with your parents.”

  “Who was this man who killed my parents, then?” she asked.

  A shiver ran through Fabrizio, and in such a big and brawny man, the fact that he was obviously still terrified of his previous master, after all of those years, sent a chill through Bree, too.

  “I do not speak his name.” Abruptly, he turned and strode away.

  “Do not mind him, dear child,” Elleya said. “He has always regretted what he has done for that butcher.”

  “Do you know the man’s name?” Daniel asked from beside Bree.

  “Unfortunately, no, Fabrizio never shared with me that detail. I think he felt it safer if I did not know, which is probably true.” She shook her head, but then a determined light sparkled in her eyes. “But come, enough talk of such depressing subjects. Go and dance with each other and enjoy life.”

  “Oh, we don’t dance,” Bree told her. Never in the entire time she’d known Daniel had she ever danced with him. Even though she was less averse to the idea now than she had been in the past, the thought of him dancing seemed odd. He’d probably be stiff and awkwardly propel her across the space as if she were a mop.

  “It is customary here that any guests must dance,” Elleya informed them, sweeping a palm across the space in front of her to indicate the dancers, who were obviously enjoying themselves. “To dance is to celebrate life and love. Now, you both must dance. Our musicians have learned a new composition popular in Naples and wish to try it out on you. Go and enjoy.” She pushed them toward the other co
uples, who were dancing merrily into the night, and called aloud to the musicians.

  Reluctantly, Daniel took her hand and led her closer to the music and other dancers. Upon their approach, the music changed, and instead of the jovial tune that had been playing, the musicians struck up a song that sounded similar to a waltz, as much as it could with the limited instruments the group had.

  The other dancers turned curious eyes toward Bree and Daniel. She felt like slinking away, for as much as her actions often invited comment, she hated being the center of attention in a crowd.

  She could feel every eye on her as Daniel pulled her into his arms and, without saying a word, led her into a slow waltz. Her leather boots danced across the green grass of the clearing, the sensation foreign but exhilarating, particularly with the open air brushing gently across her face as the canopy of stars and the full moon shone upon them.

  As he held her and spun her around, it felt like the moment stretched eternal, the question of who had murdered her parents all but forgotten. The crowd and the music seemed to vanish, and all she was aware of was Daniel and her own pounding heartbeat. The bonfire flames danced seductively, reflected in his eyes, drawing her deeper into their depths. Bree felt lightheaded and giddy. Her body flushed with excitement from the nearness of him, his touch disarming her in a way she’d never been before. If he hadn’t been holding on to her, Bree was sure she would have tumbled to the ground.

  The music came to an end, and the crowd broke into wild applause. With a start, Daniel drew them to a halt and pulled her beyond the onlookers, toward the edge of the grassed area.

  They paused in the clearing, and her eyes locked with his. For a moment, she was lost in his gaze, the heat from his stare scorching her with an intense hunger. Before she could guess his intentions, his lips brushed across hers, softly at first and then more demanding, until she couldn’t help but give herself fully to the sensation.

  She rose on her tiptoes and wound her hands around his neck, pulling him in even closer to her chest.

  His tongue plundered farther into her mouth, teasing and tasting with abandon. Bree felt wild and free, her body burning with passion.

  Then, as abruptly as it had started, Daniel wrenched his mouth away, and it stopped. She stumbled slightly, and he gripped her shoulders and righted her.

  “That should not have happened,” he said, his voice clipped and cold.

  “But why not?” She could hear the confusion in her own voice and hated it.

  He pressed his lips tightly together for a second. “Because if I continued, and let my emotions take reign, then I wouldn’t be able to stop.” He took a step backwards, placing more distance between them. “And the consequences of that are not something I’m willing to risk.”

  “Consequences?” she nearly spluttered. “Such as actually living for once and enjoying yourself!”

  “If you think I will dishonor my mentor’s niece simply to enjoy myself, you don’t know me at all.” There was a formality to his tone she hadn’t heard before.

  “Please.” This time it was she who scoffed. “Kissing me in such an environment would not dishonor me.”

  He actually laughed, though it held little humor. “You’re naïve, my dear, if you think that I am merely talking about kissing you.”

  Bree felt her whole body tense at the dark desire suddenly burning in his gaze before he blinked, and it was gone. Had she imagined it?

  “I see you understand me now,” Daniel said. “Because if we continued, then I would be honor bound to marry you, which is something I will not do.”

  The words sent a shaft of pain through her before the feeling was quickly replaced with anger. How dare he say such a thing after kissing her like that! Maybe they weren’t suited for marriage, but he didn’t have to be so blunt about it. “You are the one who kissed me.”

  “I know.” He dragged a hand through his hair, a look of confusion and frustration warring on his face. “Though, I shouldn’t have.”

  “But you keep doing it!”

  “I know, damn it!” He spun around and began pacing. “It can’t happen again. Surely, you know that?” There was a pleading look in his eyes. “Besides, you would never be happy stuck in a marriage with a man who couldn’t love you.”

  “Am I that unlovable?” It was an irrational fear she’d secretly held ever since she was young and some friends of Travis’s had teased her about her heritage, saying no gentleman would ever love a half-Italian orphan. “Or is it simply that I’m not good enough for you?”

  The very thought brought with it pain and anger. But then suddenly, she realized she wasn’t just plain Miss Penderley anymore. “Actually, that’s not true now, is it? In point of fact, it is you that is now unsuitable for me! I am a princess and could marry someone well above your rank!”

  Oh goodness, she sounded like a brat even to her own ears. But the man made her furious, and for years, she’d always thought that he’d considered her beneath him.

  “Our ranks having nothing to do with it.” There was a quiet truth to his words. And Bree felt terrible for even suggesting it. “You’re the sort of woman who would expect love, and that is something I cannot give you. That I will never be able to give you. Which is why this cannot happen again.”

  She wanted to argue, but in the end, she knew he spoke the truth. She wouldn’t be able to accept being married to a man who didn’t love her and would expect her to give up her collecting. “You’re right. We cannot keep doing this.” No matter how amazing and addictive it felt when his lips touched hers, to continue would lead to consequences she wasn’t particularly ready to contemplate. Because Bree rather suspected that if they continued, she wouldn’t be able to leave her heart out of the equation. And there was nothing more frightening to her than being stuck in a marriage with a man who couldn’t love her, not if she’d given him her heart.

  Chapter Twenty

  Dragging herself off the horse, Bree sent up a silent prayer of thanks. After the tense conversation she’d had with Daniel the night before, they had silently retired to the small room that Fabrizio had offered them. From there, they’d lain on opposite ends of the narrow bed without a further word passing between them. Bree had tried to sleep, but she’d been fairly unsuccessful in the endeavor. Then, when dawn approached, they’d taken their leave of the Mountain Clan, bidding Fabrizio and Elleya farewell.

  Now, some three hours later, they had finally arrived in Castrovilliari, and standing proudly before them was a quaint little inn, which she fervently hoped would have a bathtub she could make use of.

  Spending the past three nights since leaving Naples with no proper bath, she had never felt dirtier in her entire life. Nor had she ever gone for so long without a proper wash either. Who would have thought she’d crave a tub filled with hot water so much? But with every single muscle in her body aching from the past several days of riding, a hot bath that she could languish in for hours sounded simply divine.

  Daniel came out from the lobby. There was still a look of weariness in his eyes. “They’re arranging a tub to be brought up to our room,” he said.

  She sent up a prayer of thanks. “Oh, that is wonderful.” But then the implication of his words hit her. “Our room? You didn’t get us separate rooms?”

  He looked slightly uncomfortable. “They only had the one room left, and because I told them we were married, they saw nothing wrong with the arrangement.”

  “Oh.”

  “Do not concern yourself though,” he said stiffly. “I shall sleep on the floor. Even that will be a damn sight more comfortable than the rock and dirt we’ve had to sleep on for the past few nights.”

  “I suppose so.”

  “I’m going to find a stable for the horses while you wash up. Go to room sixteen; it’s on the first floor, to the right. After they fix the bath for you, lock the door, and don’t open it again for anyone but me.” Daniel handed her the key. “I shan’t be long, though I will make certain to give you suffi
cient time to see to your toiletry.”

  He strode off down the road with the horses in tow without looking back. Brianna got the feeling that he was miffed with her, though for what, exactly, she couldn’t be sure. It wasn’t as if she was the one who’d initiated the kiss last night. Oh well, she would do precisely as suggested and have some time to herself, without thoughts of the frustrating man interrupting.

  Ten minutes later, with the door firmly locked, Bree was luxuriating in immersing her aching body in the steaming tub. Initially, she’d scrubbed the dirt from her skin and then washed her hair, but now, her weary legs were delighting in soaking in the water as the heat penetrated into her pores, slowly soothing out the kinks and cramps that had been plaguing her.

  Another sigh of contentment slipped from her lips. It wasn’t until the simple pleasures were denied that one appreciated them so greatly.

  A loud rapping at the door interrupted her musings. She scowled but leaned across and picked up the towel sitting on the chair next to the tub. Really, the man did not know what was sufficient time for a lady to have a bath. Bree stood and quickly wrapped the cloth around her, stepping from the tub onto the rug beneath.

  The knocking on the door got louder and more insistent.

  “Oh for goodness sake, will you give me a minute, please?” she shouted toward the door in a not particularly ladylike manner. But she had just had her soak interrupted, which she had been envisaging for days. Suffice to say, such an interruption was not making her feel particularly generous at all.

  She was rewarded with silence from behind the other side of the oak entrance. Good. Maybe Daniel realized how rude he was being.

  Changing into the simple gray cotton dress Elleya had given her, Bree quickly did up the buttons and stole a glance in the mirror hanging above the fireplace.

  Her hair was still damp and hanging loosely down to her waist, and her blue eyes sparkled as a rosy stain graced her cheeks from the warmth of the water. Her skin was glowing from the scrub she’d given it. She smiled at her reflection, which reminded her of the ladies from last night.