“Julia and Miss Dawson have charge of him. Your half-sister is proving to be a very capable nursemaid and she has endless patience with Augusto. They don’t share a common language but seem to understand one another without the need for words.”
“Children have that happy knack.”
Rob consumed broth and crusty bread, after which he received visits from his brother Hal and Falzone. Falzone examined his wound, declared himself satisfied with his patient’s progress, then he and Electra left the room.
Alone with Hal, Rob related everything that had happened in France.
“The contessa has already told us most of it,” Hal said, flexing his jaw. “Arrangements to issue a warrant for Lady Denby’s arrest are already in hand.”
“Are you sure you want to go that far? I told her that’s what would happen, but the family name?”
“Certainly I’m sure. She tried to kill you, and would probably have succeeded if Lady Falzone hadn’t intervened.”
Rob sighed. “Yes, it must be done. Pallister will hear of the matter and if we renege on my threat he’ll see it as a weakness he can use against us.”
“I shall make sure the people who matter know why I’ve taken this step so no blame attaches to us.” Hal appeared grimly resolved. “Obviously I shall have to take responsibility for Julia and Giles.”
“Society would take a poor view of things if we abandoned them.” Rob yawned. “Shame we didn’t get to discover which side Gravina was really on.”
“Actually we did. After we got you off The Celandine, I sent Wright straight back to Calais with orders to raid Gravina’s library and bring all the papers he found back to me.”
“Wasn’t that risky? Gravina might have still been there.”
“Hardly. After what happened with you, he couldn’t afford to be found anywhere near the place. Besides, without Augusto there—”
“But surely he would have waited long enough to clear out his personal belongings.”
Hal shrugged. “Obviously not because Wright just returned and the papers he brought back with him clearly show Gravina was in league with the French.”
“Ah, so he intended to double-cross Pallister.” Rob chuckled. “Shame we couldn’t allow it to happen.”
“Absolutely.” Hal stood up. “Now, get some more rest. We’ll talk again later.”
“I’ve been doing nothing but rest, damn it.” Even so, Rob felt tired, just from talking for so long. His eyes closed in spite of his efforts to keep them open and he was dimly aware of his brother creeping from the room.
Chapter Twenty-Four
After being home from France for a week, Rob’s strength was slowly returning to him and his body was starting to heal. He’d had enough of enforced idleness and was ready to return to the land of the living.
“I’d say I was fighting fit, Bowker,” he said cheerfully, examining his appearance in the long glass as his valet helped him into his coat. Apart from losing a little weight and seeming pale, he looked exactly the same as he had before taking on Gravina.
Bowker muttered an oath. “Fighting’s about the size of it. You didn’t ought to be up and about yet.”
“Do stop behaving like an old woman.”
Leah was now back on her feet and tonight there would be a family dinner to celebrate the arrival of Charles. Flick and Darius also had an announcement to make. Rob smiled. It was the worst-kept secret in Christendom and he doubted if there was a servant in the house who wasn’t already aware of it.
“That will do, Bowker.”
“Best take this if you’re determined to go down.” Bowker held out a cane. “You’re still stiff.”
“The devil I will!”
Rob intended to propose to Electra and he’d be damned if he’d do it while leaning on a cane like an old man in his dotage. He left his chamber and went in search of her, pretty certain he knew where she’d be. He took the stairs up to the nursery floor two at a time, just to prove something to himself. His side protested, but he ignored the discomfort. Sure enough, she was putting little Augusto to bed herself. Rob leaned against the door jamb, listening to her alternately singing to her son, telling him stories in Italian and answering his endless stream of questions. When the boy’s eyelids finally dropped, she pulled the covers up tight, kissed his tousled curls and turned towards the door.
“Oh, I didn’t see you there.” She smiled. “Are you sure you’re well enough to be out of bed?”
“I’m entirely recovered. It was just a scratch.”
“Your brother said you wouldn’t be sensible.”
Rob barked a laugh. “He’s a fine one to talk.”
“Why are men so stubborn?” Electra rolled her eyes. “They have a head cold and declare themselves to be at death’s door but receive a wound that almost kills them and it’s merely a scratch.”
She was wearing a shimmering crimson evening gown he’d not seen before that clung to her curves and sent his mind on a sensual detour. Presumably she’d attended to her toilette early so she could spend time with Augusto.
“He seems to be settling well,” Rob said as they descended the stairs together.
Electra’s smile was broad and infectious. “I can still hardly believe it. How did I not sense he was still alive?”
“Be thankful you didn’t. There was nothing you could have done about it before now. Gravina would have...well, I don’t want to think about the measures he might have taken to keep you away from Augusto.”
“Even so, mothers are supposed to have a sixth sense when it comes to the welfare of their children.”
“Just enjoy having him back none the worse for the experience.”
“Thanks to you,” she said, eyes sparkling with happiness.
“We have some time to spare before the evening’s activities.” Rob cleared his mind of the inappropriate thoughts the sight of her in that lovely gown engendered. “Would you like a game of chess? I’ve been passing the time in bed dreaming up new gambits and I’m eager to try them out.”
She canted her head. “Do we have enough time?”
“Absolutely.”
“Then it would be my pleasure.”
He wagged an admonishing finger beneath her nose. “But no diversionary tactics.”
“Oh, they won’t be necessary. Just because you’ve been injured, don’t imagine I shall take pity on you.”
“Perish the thought.” Rob led Electra into his private sitting room where a chess set awaited them on a low table in front of the fire. “But I’m not sure whether to be relieved or disappointed about that.”
“I understand how your mind works now and can beat you fair and square.”
He pretended to be affronted. “I hope I’m not that easy to read.”
“There’s only one way to find out,” she replied with a serene smile that oozed confidence.
“How’s your wrist?” he asked.
“Oh, it’s fine. It wasn’t even sprained. I just gave it a nasty jolt.”
“Now who’s being brave?”
“Really, there’s nothing wrong with it.” She waved the wrist in question to demonstrate her point.
“What shall we play for this time?” he asked, fixing her with a probing glance.
She moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue. “It sounds as though you already have something in mind.”
Rob had. His feelings for her were absolute but he was unsure if they were reciprocated. She certainly hadn’t dropped the slightest hint that she had aspirations of that nature during the hours she’d spent at his bedside, which made him anxious. He hadn’t intended to raise the subject quite yet. She needed to get used to having Augusto back and enjoy his society. But then Hal mentioned Electra’s enthusiastic resolve to keep house for her brother in London—something she
hadn’t yet mentioned to Rob.
That changed everything.
“I shall write down what I’d like if I win,” Rob said. “I suggest you do the same. We’ll exchange notes and the winner opens his or hers at the end of the game.”
She sent him a suspicious look. “I’m not sure you have anything that might tempt me, my lord.”
“Then be capricious, my lady.”
“Must the loser abide by the terms of a wager he or she hasn’t seen?”
“No. Absolutely not.” But if she decided not to then he’d find a way to persuade her.
“Very well.” Electra stood, moved to his desk and picked up a pen. She thought for a moment, flashed a mischievous smile and scribbled something down. She sanded her missive, folded it and handed it to Rob.
“Your turn,” she said sweetly.
Rob pocketed her wager and wrote his own. He growled when she slid it into the bodice of her gown, leaving the top of the parchment peeping enticingly out, drawing his eye to her décolletage.
“Shall we play?”
“No toes this time,” he reminded her, attempting to look severe.
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
“You’re very sure of yourself, signora.”
Her eyes brimmed with laughter. “What do I have to lose?”
“You will only discover that if I win.”
“Then it might almost be worth the humiliation.”
“Nothing about my prize will humiliate you,” he replied softly. “I hope I would never do that.”
“I’m sure you wouldn’t.” She paused. “At least, not intentionally.”
Rob wanted to ask her what she meant. Had he done something during the course of their acquaintance that made her feel anything less than cherished? The answer was obvious. He’d doubted her integrity and they both knew it.
“Come,” he said gruffly. “Time is short.”
They resumed their seats and started the game. For the first time in his life Rob was nervous about a chess challenge, simply because losing was unthinkable. He had no idea what Electra had written on the parchment rustling in his coat pocket, but he was fairly certain it wasn’t a proposal of marriage. He urgently needed to clear his mind of all distractions—no easy feat with her sitting across from him in that low-cut gown, looking beautiful, cool and unreachable. He was considered eligible but didn’t imagine his personal circumstances would cut much ice with Electra. She liked him, he knew that much, and was grateful to him for rescuing Augusto. But that wasn’t enough. He needed her to love him, to yearn for him as desperately as he desired her, and he had absolutely no idea if she actually did.
Every time he looked into her sparkling eyes he recalled their time together on The Celandine and the way she’d given herself to him without reservation, the passion and fire in her eyes when she climaxed, the...damnation, he needed to concentrate.
* * *
Electra moved a pawn. Rob countered.
“I’ve been waiting to talk to you,” she said. “Presumably you know that your brother has generously offered to act as Vincenzo’s sponsor in this country?”
“Yes, Hal told me, which was just as well since you didn’t choose to do so.”
Electra took a moment to consider her next move and inched her rook forward. She was using the opening made famous by a Spanish priest in the sixteenth century. Rob saw it, of course, and took defensive action.
“Lord Denby has great faith in Vincenzo’s abilities.” She frowned as she considered the state of the game and made her next move. Concentrating her gaze on the board was the only way to get through this. If she even glanced at Rob’s handsome features she would be lost. If she allowed her mind to dwell upon the fear that had consumed her when she thought he might actually die because of her, he would surely see in her expression that she’d fallen in love with him.
That situation would amuse and embarrass him. She’d seen for herself how relentlessly he was pursued by young ladies eager to attract his attention and had also overheard him telling Lady Sophia that matrimony didn’t suit his purpose. That being the case, she was damned if she’d allow him to see how comprehensively she desired and loved him. If things had been different, if she hadn’t tried to steal from him...fastidio, things were the way they were and she couldn’t stay at the Hall indefinitely, seeing him every day but not being a part of his life. She would remove to London with her brother and son and count her blessings. It was a waste of energy to regret what might have been.
“He has reason to be,” Rob replied. “Your brother has a dazzling future ahead of him. He seems ahead of his time, even if his remedies do hurt like the very devil.”
She was surprised to see that Rob had fallen into a basic trap she’d set for him. She wrinkled her brow, wondering if he was deliberately allowing her to win. Perdition, that would be the ultimate insult. “Check.”
“Well done.”
“Thank you.” Electra laughed. “You’d hardly be up and about again so soon if Vincenzo didn’t know what he was doing. If a traditional doctor had attended you, you’d still be in your bed.”
Her position on the board was stronger than his and Rob would be hard-pressed to win.
“Hmm, you’re obviously not ready to admit defeat yet,” she said when he made a move she hadn’t anticipated.
“I intend to win our wager.”
“I wish I knew what you’ve asked for and why it matters so much to you.”
He sent her a scorching glance. “And ruin the surprise?”
“Well, it hardly signifies because I mean to beat you.”
Rob quirked a brow. “How intriguing.”
Electra felt her cheeks heat when she thought about what she’d written. It was his fault. He’d told her to be impulsive and she’d acted without thinking it through. Distracted, she cursed beneath her breath when she made a move that played into Rob’s hands.
“Vincenzo wants to take a house in London,” she said abruptly. “He thinks it would be best to reside in the city, where they will be more opportunity to attract custom.”
“I agree.”
“And I intend to go with him and act as his housekeeper,” she added as nonchalantly as she could.
“Now that’s not quite such a good idea.”
Whatever does he mean by that? “Consider my position. I can’t and won’t go back to Sicily. Not ever. Gravina can’t touch Augusto and me here in England, but back there we will be easy prey. Vincenzo can’t go back, either.”
“Yes, but—”
“Gravina bears grudges like no one I’ve ever known.”
“Electra, I understand your concerns, but before we address them let’s complete the game.”
“Very well.”
He appeared as determined to win as she did and fought hard. They played on in fraught silence, Electra nibbling her lower lip between her teeth and cursing each time he did something to cut off her attacks.
“Two more moves and I shall have your queen,” he warned her. “You’re not concentrating.”
“Perhaps not, but I’m not done yet.”
In spite of her vulnerable position, she could see a way to win. But if she did, he’d see what she’d written. What to do? Deliberately losing wasn’t in her nature, but... Suddenly, a wave of recklessness streaked through her and being embarrassed no longer seemed important. She now desperately wanted him to see her vowel, even if he read it and laughed in her face.
And there was a sure way to bring that about. She made a move that ended the match in stalemate.
“What happens now?” she asked, knowing perfectly well.
Rob’s lips spread into a wicked smile. “Either our wagers are null and void or we both win. Personally, I prefer the latter.”
“Very well, but I�
��d like you to read mine first,” she said, deciding she might as well have the courage of her convictions.
“As you wish.” Rob retrieved her pledge from his pocket. “Now, what do we have here?” He read it and fixed her with a startled expression. “You’re inviting me to join you for one night in your bedchamber?”
Her gaze clashed with his. “Certainly I am,” she said with a reckless little laugh.
“And one night of my company will be sufficient for you?”
“Don’t overestimate your attraction,” she teased.
He leaned forward, extracted his wager from the bodice of her gown and handed it to her. “Before I decide whether to take you up on your generous offer, perhaps you should read this.”
She unfolded the paper, read it and her eyes widened.
“What is this nonsense?” She felt stunned, elated and unsure of herself all at the same time. “You can’t possibly wish to marry me?”
“You seem surprised.”
“Well of course I’m surprised. I had absolutely no idea.”
“Perhaps now you understand why I was dissatisfied with the thought of just one night with you.”
“But...well, I don’t know what to say.” Say yes, you fool! It’s your most dearly held wish.
He quirked a brow. “You think what happened between us on The Celandine was nothing special?”
“For me it was extraordinary, but I thought—”
“You thought I behaved like that simply because I could?” Rob examined her features. “I hope I’m not quite such a cad.”
“I’m a widow. Widows have affaires all the time.”
“You don’t.” He picked up her hand and kissed the back of it. “Electra, you have my heart. You and Augusto make my life complete, and I can’t imagine a future without you in it.”
She gasped, daring to hope that she really could have it all. Her son, her brother and the man who’d stolen her heart. “Rob, I—” Her eyes felt moist. “You don’t have to sacrifice yourself just because...well, because—”
“Don’t you feel the connection between us? Didn’t you feel it that first night when you came to my room at that inn?”
Finessing the Contessa Page 26