To Catch a Groom

by Rebecca Winters

  He reciprocated with a toe-curling smile of his own. “Has Don sent you one lately?”

  Don again. “He doesn’t need to. It’s his company that prints our products.”

  “The poor devil gets it on all sides. I’d rate him an eight for hanging in there despite the odds.”

  “Don’t feel too sorry for him. He manages to get his perks,” she said as she stepped outside into the hot afternoon sun. It was glorious, liberating, after her windowless prison. “Where’s your car?”

  He put on his sunglasses. “In the alley around the side of the jail.”

  There were dozens of funny looking little Italian cars lined up like sardines along both sides of centuries old buildings. He walked over to a well-used blue Fiat with a bike rack. She noticed most of the cars had bike racks. To her surprise he opened the trunk first and pulled out her purse.

  “Thank you,” she murmured before putting the passports and other things inside. To her relief her wallet, comb and lipstick were still there.

  “You’re welcome. One thing I’ve learned about a woman. She doesn’t feel dressed without one.”

  There probably wasn’t a man alive who knew more about things like that than he did, but she wisely refrained from commenting.

  He helped her into the front seat, then went around to the driver’s side. While she combed her seaweed washed hair and put on lipstick to moisten her lips, he somehow, but she didn’t know how, managed to get them out of there in one deft maneuver without hitting anything.

  They’d only gone two blocks when she saw a gleaming white palace standing out from among the other architectural wonders. Her heart started to pound with excitement.

  She may not have been to Italy before, but she’d done enough research to recognize it at once. Piper had drawn two of the calendar pages using the palace and gardens for a backdrop.

  “After last night’s ordeal, most women would not be smiling. What is going on in your mind, signorina?”

  “The Colorno ducal palace. It was my ancestor’s favorite summer residence. To think I spent the night locked up in a jail within walking distance of it. That’ll be a story I’ll tell to my children someday.”

  “You plan to have children, signorina?”

  “Of course. Don’t you? Someday I mean?”

  “Not my own. No.”

  Not his own? Ask a silly question—

  “The last thing I would wish to do is destroy a belief you’ve had since childhood, signorina. But when your sister told Luc you were related to the Duchesse of Parma through a granddaughter who had a liaison with a monk, I thought it best you know the truth.”

  She turned a frowning face toward him. “What truth?”

  “There was a rumor many years ago about a granddaughter of Maria-Luigia who fell in love with a monk and bore his child. As it turns out, it was a political lie, spun to discredit her so the arranged marriage to her betrothed in France would not take place.”

  “How would you know something like that?”

  “Luc is the one who can give you more details. He learns many secrets while he prepares meals for his royal employers. I’m sorry.”

  She stared at her hands in her lap. “It doesn’t matter. None of us quite believed it, and Daddy wasn’t entirely sure about it. Still, it made for an exciting story.”

  “And now you have another reason to dislike me.”

  “I don’t like or dislike you. You mean nothing to me, signore.”

  “Can I make this up to you by taking you on a tour through the palace before we return to the Piccione? It’s quite magnificent.”

  “I’m sure it is, but no thank you. I prefer to keep my fairy-tale dreams in tact.”

  “So you intend to continue the legacy and hand down your pendant to a daughter someday?”

  “Yes. Why not. Only maybe I’ll start a new rumor of my own.”

  He turned to her. “What rumor would that be?”

  “Maybe the artisan who fashioned the pendant was secretly in love with Marie-Louise. Maybe he fathered a son and gave him the last name Duchesse in honor of the woman he could never have.”

  “That’s a very romantic story, signorina. Of the two, I don’t know which I like better.”

  His mocking voice was the last straw. She’d been right all along. A shark felt no emotion.

  “Here. This will help to sustain you until we arrive at the dock.” He reached in the back behind Greer’s seat and produced a bottle of soda.

  Warm orange soda. Ugh. But she’d be a fool to refuse it.

  “Thank you.”

  “I know you Americans prefer ice. I’m sorry. Try one of these with it.”

  Like magic he’d produced a package of cookies. Chocolate biscotti, just like the kind Piper had drawn in that one calendar picture.

  After a swig of pop, she took a bite. “Um. They’re good. Better than potato chips. I can’t stop with just one.”

  “Potato chips are one of the two things I like best about your country.”

  “You’ve been there?”

  “Several times.”

  Funny to think of him in her part of the world and she never knew it. The trail of broken hearts had to be legion. “What’s the other?”

  “The long legs on American women. I once saw a movie with Betty Grable. Yours remind me of hers.”

  Her drink sprayed all over her cotton top.

  “Are you all right, signorina?”

  “Yes, of course. I just swallowed the wrong way.”

  “Soon we will reach the Piccione. There’s a washer and dryer on board.”

  “All the comforts of home.”

  “That is true. It’s my favorite home away from home.”

  “Where is your home?”

  “Colorno. My family lives in nearby Parma.”

  No wonder he’d been able to bribe the commissioner! “Will we be passing through there?”

  “Only the outskirts I’m afraid. I must congratulate you on the research you’ve done on Parma for your calendar business. I recognized every backdrop immediately.”

  “Piper’s a genius.”

  “I agree, but the drawings would not have come to life without all the details you unearthed. Genius appears to run in the Duchess family.”

  “Thank you,” she whispered. His compliment warmed her clear through. It shouldn’t have, not when he was a thief of jewels…and hearts.

  “So does beauty,” he filled in the silence. “I’ve seen you in every condition, yet soaking wet, starving, in prison and exhausted, you are even more appealing, if that is possible.”

  What was he after now? All this flattery was so unnecessary now, but she had to admit the things he was saying made it difficult for her to breathe normally.

  When he reached down to take a cookie for himself, his hand brushed against her thigh. Greer didn’t know if it was intentional or not, but her body reacted as if she’d come in contact with a live wire.

  “Luc is preparing a welcome home feast for you and your sisters. I must admit I’m looking forward to it, too. In all the excitement with the police and the hours of waiting for you to be released, none of us took the time to eat.”

  Of course not. They were too busy trying to find a buyer for the pendants.

  She wouldn’t believe any of his malarky until she saw her sister’s dear faces back on board the catamaran. Only when she’d discovered for herself they’d survived their hideous night in that ghastly jail, would she be able to take a normal breath.

  As one kilometer after another unraveled around hills and bends, a delightful smorgasbord of tiny hamlets, ancient villages and farms filled her vision. If she weren’t so worried about her sisters, she could enjoy the fabulous landscape.

  “Since dinner is quite a few hours away yet, I thought we’d stop here and satisfy our hunger.”

  After coming round a bend in the road, she was surprised to see what looked like an open-air festival of some kind being held in a field. There were all kinds of
colorful booths and hundreds of people milling around, talking and eating.

  “What’s going on?”

  “We’re at the Fiera de Parma.”

  “Fiera?”

  “Si—fairground.” He parked the car before trapping her gaze. “You’re not only lucky enough to be in the capital of Italy’s famous ‘food valley’ where Prosciutto di Parma ham and Parmigian-Reggiano cheese are celebrated—you’ve been freed from jail in time to enjoy the International Food Exhibition which is only held every two years. Come with me.”

  When she remarked on the pungent aroma in the air he told her it was white truffles, a local delicacy. Greer had reached the point of starvation some time ago and didn’t need to be urged to join him as they moved about among the crowd sampling the delicious displays.

  He fed her everything from emerald green olive oil on chunks of chewy Italian bread sprinkled with cheese, to pale, paper-thin slices of tender parma ham that melted in your mouth.

  Every so often he popped a fragrant, fleshy black or green olive in her mouth. As if that weren’t enough, he stuffed her with ice cream and more biscotti, giving her the true taste of exquisite Italian cuisine.

  Yet more than the food was the excitement of feeling his arm around her waist, his fingers brushing against her mouth, the play of his dark eyes traveling over her face while he waited for her approval of something she’d eaten.

  This enigmatic stranger who seduced her with a soft caress, a quick smile, a deep laugh, had created a dangerous state of enchantment for Greer. She rebelled at the injustice of having to return to the car…to painful reality.

  Silence reigned as they made their descent to the coast where the shimmering water reflected a cloudless sky. The distinctive multihull of the Piccione stood out from the few fishing and rowboats still docked in Lerici’s small harbor.

  He drove the car into a public area where other cars were parked and got out. Greer grabbed her purse and ran ahead of the man she still didn’t trust and never would.

  “Piper? Olivia?” Until they answered, she wouldn’t put one foot on board.

  All she got for her shouting was the captain. He stepped out of the cockpit wearing sunglasses and a broad smile that ought to be fined for being too captivating.

  “Buenos tardes, señorita. Welcome back. Luc and I brought your sisters home from the jail a few hours ago.” Hours? “Señorita Olivo had a headache. They both announced they were going straight to bed and didn’t want to be disturbed.”

  Olivia didn’t get headaches.

  “Prove it!”

  “Momento,” the man behind her whispered. “I’ll ask them to come up on deck so you’ll know they’re safe.”

  “Greer!”

  Two blond heads suddenly appeared at the top of the stairs.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  THANK heaven!

  Greer leaped on board and hurried toward them. They scuttled below to the stateroom they’d used before. Piper locked the door, then they all hugged.

  Olivia took one look at her and said, “You’ve got stains all over you. What happened in your jail cell?”

  “Never mind that. We’ll talk later.” She held up her purse. “The pendants are in here. Max gave them back along with our passports and tickets. He also fed me royally.”

  “Luc served us a fabulous lunch after they brought us back to the boat.”

  “They’ve been exceptionally nice.”

  “Yeah…well we all know why don’t we. They found out our jewels weren’t worth enough to bother with, so now they’re ready to enjoy us for the rest of the trip.”

  “I’m sure you’re right,” Piper muttered.

  Olivia nodded. “They figure if they feed us and take care of us, we’ll be ripe for the picking after the sun goes down.”

  Greer stared at both of them. “I say we leave for Genoa right now.”

  “Amen. Everybody grab a suitcase. Let’s get out of here before they cast off!”

  Greer was first out the door. She almost bumped into Max who grasped her upper arms in a firm grip.

  “Where’s the fire?” His black eyes scrutinized her. “I thought you would want to shower and rest after your ordeal in Colorno.”

  Her proud Duchesse nose lifted in the air. It brought their eyes and lips too close for comfort. “I don’t need to rest.”

  He studied her mouth as if he were considering devouring it. What made it so much worse was that she wanted him to.

  “I was just coming to ask your sisters if they’re ready for their dessert yet. Luc told me to tell them he has made a special framboise tart that will satisfy their sweet tooth.”

  “What sweet tooth?”

  “The one you all share,” he said in a husky tone. “There is chocolate on your mouth from your last biscotti as we speak, bellissima.” He brushed at it with his finger before tasting it. The intimate gesture was a reminder of everything they’d shared at the fair.

  Crimson flags spotted her cheeks. “We’ve indulged ourselves long enough, don’t you think?” she said before realizing how that must have sounded to him. “Now we’re leaving.”

  Lines marred his handsome features. “To do what?”

  “That’s our business. Please move out of our way.”

  “Not until you tell me where you think are you going.”

  “Oh, I know where we’re going.”

  A condescending smile broke out on his enticing male mouth. Prepared for a knock down drag out, Greer was taken off guard when he unexpectedly took a step back so she could proceed.

  The girls followed her down the hall and up the stairs to the top deck, all of them carrying their suitcases.

  At a glance she could see Luc untying the ropes. Vibrations ran through her feet and legs, alerting her that the captain had started the engine. Without hesitation she raced up the steps with her luggage and stepped onto the dock. Piper and Olivia joined her with their cases.

  The first mate walked toward them with his hands on his hips. His male beauty combined with his sheer audacity burrowed deeply beneath her skin.

  Unable to hold back her anger any longer she cried, “So…you were just going to sail off with us after what you’ve done? No questions asked?”

  His dark gaze pierced through to her insides, making her feel quivery and out of control. She hated that feeling.

  “We were going to follow your itinerary to the letter. Our first stop for tonight is Monterosso.”

  “We were supposed to go there last night, but things turned out differently, so we’ve changed our minds about continuing with this trip.”

  “I can see that. May I say one thing. Wherever you wish to go, there won’t be another train through Lerici for at least two hours. Even then you probably won’t be able to get on. It’s possible you could end up having to wait till four in the morning.”

  “Max is right,” Luc spoke up. He and the captain had come to stand on the dock next to their partner in crime. “That would be very dangerous for three beautiful, unattached women. With the Grand Prix on tomorrow, transportation is so bad it will be impossible to find a taxi.”

  “Every hotel room along the coast has been booked for months, señoritas,” Nic chimed in. “Tell us your destination and we’ll take you there in comfort on the Piccione without the waiting and the hassle.”

  The stranger’s gaze was riveted on Greer. “I would like to try to make up for the disappointment I gave you during our talk in the car.”

  “Which disappointment was that?” she fired. “There have been so many.”

  “When I told you that you have no Italian blood in you. I realize it destroyed a dream for you.”

  “Max is right,” the captain spoke up. “Your Duchesse name came from the French ‘Duchesne.’”

  “Really?” Greer broke in heatedly. “So our captain-cum resident etymologist is now a professional genealogist, too?”

  His white smile was an affront. “Si, señorita. They dropped the ‘n’ and the final ‘e’
when they arrived in America.”

  Luc nodded. “I’m afraid the story about an Italian monk who made love to the granddaughter of Maria-Luigia and gave her a son is pure fabrication. We know the news hurts, mesdemoiselles.”

  The first mate’s eyes never left Greer’s. “Do not shoot the messenger, instead tell me how I can take away a little of the sting, bellissima.”

  Oh, brother.

  “Admittedly all six of us are liars,” she began without preamble, “but if you’re being sincere this time, then give us the keys to your car so we can leave for the airport.”

  “You’re planning to return to the States without enjoying the rest of your trip?” he inserted in a silky voice.

  “That’s not anyone’s concern but ours,” she declared. “We’ll leave the car in the short-term parking at the Genoa airport. You can pick up your keys at the airline ticket counter.”

  “Why would you fly away now when we’ve only just started to get to know each other?”

  “I know all I want to know!” By now Greer’s eyes were spitting purple sparks at him. “With your good old boy network flourishing in this neck of Italy, signore, I’ve no doubt you’ll be able to manage perfectly well without your car for three or four hours.”

  He tossed off one of those careless masculine shrugs that drew her gaze to his remarkable physique. “Be my guest, Greer. We’ll help you to the car.”

  Before she could countenance it, the three men took hold of their luggage and started walking toward the parking area beyond the dock.

  Her sisters flashed her a private message that said they didn’t trust the crew as far as they could throw them. Greer flashed them the same message. This was way too easy. There was definitely something wrong here. She could feel it in her bones.

  “They could have pulled the distributor cap while we were in our stateroom,” Olivia whispered.

  Piper nodded. “I guess we’ll find out soon enough if it doesn’t start.”

  “It’s probably running on fumes by now,” Greer theorized. “I wouldn’t put it past him to have tampered with the gauge so we’d never be able to tell until it was too late.”

  “Or—” Olivia rolled her eyes “—the tires will all go flat the minute we try to reach the highway.”