by Dawn Brower
“I’m afraid not.” He lifted her up into his arms. “Everyone believes you are dead. I’m here on a different mission. It’s a miracle I learned of your existence.”
“Grazie.” Rubina hugged him. Her whole body shook with the weight of her emotions. “I feared I’d die locked in that room.”
“No need for thanks. I’d do it for anyone.” His mouth formed a firm straight line. “What the Duca d’Sordillo was doing to you was wrong.”
Rubina didn’t want to think about Paolo. She just wanted to get as far away from him as possible. Maybe she’d return to England… She loved her home. Italy still held a special place in her heart, but it also filled her with terror. If she had never argued with Noah, Paolo wouldn’t have been able to hold her captive. Her only intent had been to return to Naples and visit her father. As soon as she stepped onto the ship heading toward Italy, Paolo’s men had seized her. They took her to his ship and locked her inside. Somehow, he arranged to have the ship she’d been on to sink into the ocean’s blue depths—sealing the belief of her death.
“If you’re not here to rescue me, then what are you doing in Duca di’Sordillo’s home?”
“He is believed to have ties to the Mafioso.”
Arturo set her down and scanned the room. He pulled her hand into his and led her outside. They stopped in front of a carriage, and he helped her inside. Once Rubina was safely seated, he flicked the reigns to get the horses moving.
“Somehow it doesn’t surprise me. He’s an evil man—and evidently a mastermind in the criminal underworld.”
Arturo nodded. “That’s what we believed. We had no idea the extent of his criminal activities. Conte Leone sent me to investigate. If he’d known you were here, he would have come himself and ripped Duca d’Sordillo apart.”
Rubina didn’t doubt it for a minute. Damian was ruthless when he needed to be. He had a high power seat in the government. He hated the Mafioso and sought to eradicate them from Italy. It was turning out to be a daunting task. The Mafioso themselves were shrouded in secrecy.
“Where are we going?”
“Do you know where you are, Duchessa?”
“Please, call me Rubina,” she offered. “I owe you my life. To answer your question—I have no idea where I am or how long I’ve been here.”
Arturo frowned. “This is not good, Your Grace.” He shook his head. “You are in Sicily near Palermo. It’s been three years since the Conte and your father believed you drowned aboard that ship.”
Rubina gasped. “No, so long...”
“Your family—they will be so relieved to find you still live. Thankfully, your brother awaits me in a nearby port. We can escape with him and travel to Naples.”
Damian was near? The fates had finally decided to step in and help her. If only they’d done so sooner—she might have been able to save Noah. Pinpricks of pain shot through her heart as a vision of her beloved floated before her. She missed him so much.
Arturo urged the horses to go faster. The wind blew through Rubina’s hair. Soon she’d be with her brother again, and she could plot Duca d’Sordillo’s death. He would pay for his sins. First she’d need to regain her strength. She would not be able to defeat him being so weak.
“We’ll be to your brother’s ship soon, Your Grace.”
“Thank you. I’m so tired… Maybe I should sleep a little bit.” Her head fell forward, eyes drifting closed. They flew open as she gazed over at him. “I thought I told you to call me Rubina.”
“Yes, Your Grace, but I cannot. Please, stay awake. We will be there soon.”
Rubina fought her body’s need for sleep. Once they got to the ship and reunited with her brother she could give in. Arturo assured her it was near. Deep breath in, exhale, if she kept reminding herself, it all would still be true. If this was a dream, Rubina never wanted to wake up. Only one thing would make it perfect: Noah—alive and well.
The carriage came to a halt near a small pier. The night sky was dark as pitch with tiny white stars dotting the black canvas.
“Duchessa, we are here.” He nudged her forward. “Come, I’ll help you board the ship.”
“I don’t think I can move, Arturo.” Her eyes rolled backward, and her eyelids fluttered shut. “I don’t have much strength left.”
“I will carry you.” Arturo lifted her into his brawny arms.
The warmth engulfing her spread throughout her whole body. She’d been cold for so long. He nestled her, letting her head rest on his broad shoulder. It was so nice to be taken care of.
“I don’t know if I can ever thank you enough,” she muttered.
“Quit thanking me, Your Grace.”
Rubina never would. He saved her from a living hell.
“What do you have there, Arturo?”
Damian! His voice was music to Rubina’s ears. Arturo hadn’t lied. He’d brought her to her brother. Rubina wanted to cry again, but she held it inside.
“I found your sister, Conte.”
“What?” Disbelief etched through Damian’s voice. “You lie, my sister drowned aboard a ship several years ago.”
“No, Conte.” Arturo shook his head, jostling Rubina’s head forward. “She lives. Duca d’Sordillo has kept her locked in a room for years.”
Rubina lifted her head and met eyes that matched her own. In the moonlight, his silver-gray irises glowed in front of her. Damian gasped. “Dio mio, it’s true...”
“Hello, brother.”
Damian rushed forward and pulled Rubina out of Arturo’s arms. His hug so tight breathing became difficult. “I can’t believe you’re here. If I’d known...”
“I know, please, I can’t breathe.”
Damian let her go, never once taking his gaze off of her. She understood because it all seemed like a dream to her too.
“Rue, oh God—Noah. How are we going to tell him?” Damian rubbed his hands over his face. “He is about to get the shock of his life. We must get to him fast.”
“What?” Rubina gasped. “Noah lives? Paolo told me he murdered him.”
“I assure you, your husband is alive and well.” Damian nodded. He paced back and forth in front of her. His agitation making her nervous. “There’s something you should know… He’s set to remarry.”
“No...”
Noah was hers. No other woman would lay claim to him. She had to get to London and reclaim her husband. How dare he move on when she suffered so much? She’d believed he was dead, and still she didn’t give in to Paolo. When she got there, Noah would rue the day he’d ever thought to replace her.
CHAPTER ONE
Noah St. James, the Duke of Huntly took a deep breath and set aside the financial documents he’d been perusing. He rubbed his hands over his face to wipe the exhaustion away. It was already a difficult day, and the sun barely rose in the sky. He’d had trouble sleeping the night before and left his bed while it was still dark outside. Since sleep evaded him, he might as well get some work done.
“You look like hell.”
Noah glanced up at his best friend, Liam Marsden, as he strolled into his study.
“I feel like it.”
Liam tilted his head to the side. “You’re not having second thoughts are you?”
“Of course not. It’s the right decision.”
It was. Even if it made his insides tighten with dread.
“You don’t have to remarry,” Liam said softly. “No one knows more than I how much you loved Rubina.”
Noah shook his head. “No, it’s time. If I want to have children, I need a wife.”
He just hoped Pearla knew what she was getting into by marrying him. She said she did, but he doubted she truly understood. Noah had tried being a husband once, and look how it had turned out. Not married a year and his wife fled him in anger, and to her death. If only he’d handled the situation differently...Rubina might still be alive.
“You don’t want more?”
“I can’t handle it if I lost...” Noah shook his head. �
��Love has only brought me heartbreak. The ability to love another woman is lost to me.”
Pain seared through what was left of his heart. Beautiful and so full of life, Rubina had been his everything. It took him months to begin functioning again. If he let himself love another woman only to lose her—he’d never survive it.
Liam nodded. “I understand. Gemma is my one and only love. I don’t know if I could handle losing her.”
“You’re lucky to have her.”
“Is it really fair to Pearla to marry her knowing you will never love her?”
Noah considered Liam’s question. Was it fair? No, it wasn’t. Pearla understood how he felt about marriage. He hadn’t lied to her about anything. She had her own reasons for agreeing to this marriage. Pearla had an inheritance, but lacked the freedom of a matron. She agreed to be his wife and give him a child. Her only requirement was to gain her own freedom. Pearla had dreams of traveling the world, and Noah didn’t have a problem letting her. If she wasn’t around he was less likely to develop any tender feelings for her.
“Pearla knows what she’s getting from me.” Bitterness filled his voice as he remembered his first wedding day. This one was sadly lacking and plain miserable. Noah didn’t really want to marry anyone, but he had a duty to his title. If he didn’t have an heir, the dukedom would revert back to the crown.
“Noah, you look like you are about to walk toward the hangman’s noose. This is not a good way to approach your wedding day.” Liam frowned. “I don’t like seeing you this way.”
Noah stood and strolled over to the small bar behind his desk. He grabbed two goblets, filled them with two fingers of brandy, and then placed one in front of Liam. “I assume you would like a drink too.”
Liam raised an eyebrow. “It’s kind of early isn’t it?”
“It’s never too bloody early.” Noah downed the contents of his glass and slammed it down on his desk. “Sometimes a man just needs a damned drink.”
Noah’s heart constricted in his chest—it all seemed so wrong. He’d been justifying his decision for weeks. The day had come, and soon he would be married...again. His whole body repelled the very idea, yet he intended to go through with it.
He glanced up at his best friend. Concern etched his features. Noah had no idea how to explain to him what was going through his mind. Liam had the woman he loved. They were blissfully, adoringly besotted with each other. Gemma was the perfect complement to Liam’s broody nature. He couldn’t be happier for him, but his own misery seared his soul.
“I think you’re making a mistake, but if this is what you want, I will stand by you.” Liam’s lips formed a thin flat line. “But Pearla is Gemma’s friend. If she’s unhappy…” Liam shook his head. “I’m not telling you what to do. I want you to be happy, and this doesn’t seem the way to get there.”
“Right. I don’t think I know how to...” Noah patted his chest attempting to rub the ache in his heart. “Without Ruby I’m hollow inside. This is the best I can hope for.”
“I don’t have words. This pain you feel—I don’t have anything to draw on.”
Noah ran his fingers across the rim of his glass. Maybe he should have another drink. It might numb him enough to get through the ceremony. Liam was right. Pearla deserved someone far better than him. Rubina’s ghost haunted him, and she always would. Bloody hell, maybe he would have that second drink after all. He grabbed the brandy decanter and filled his glass to the top.
He took a swig and tipped the glass toward Liam. “I pray you never know the pain of losing your one true love.”
“Is this your convoluted way of toasting to the long life of my marriage?”
Noah nodded. “Don’t waste it for a second.”
Liam sighed. “Didn’t plan on it.” He studied Noah for several seconds. “I’m only going to say this one more time, and then I’m going to drop it.”
“What’s that?”
“There is still time to call off the wedding. I can even do it for you. Just say the word.”
“The wedding will happen.” Noah looked him in the eyes, letting Liam know, without words, his wishes. “This is what I want.”
What a joke. No, this wedding wasn’t what Noah wanted. If he had one wish, it would be for Rubina to never have died. For her to walk through the door at any moment with her laughter floating around him. He hadn’t felt true happiness since he lost her. In lieu of getting his one true wish, he’d settle for a child of his own. Fate owed him at least that much.
Liam picked up his glass and raised it high. “Then how about a real toast. To my good friend Noah. May he find it in his heart to forgive himself and learn to love again. For, without it, happiness will always be beyond his reach, and more than anything he deserves to find it.”
Noah stared at him. “That’s the worst toast I’ve ever heard.”
“Well, it is all you’re getting. Now drink up.” Liam downed his brandy and set his glass down. “Now, let’s make our way to the carriage. We have a wedding to rush to.”
Noah grumbled. “Don’t we have more time?”
“I’m afraid not, my friend. It’s time to head to the church. The ladies are awaiting our arrival.”
Liam would stand beside him as Noah married Pearla. His wife, Gemma, was standing with his intended. They had been planning the wedding for weeks. The banns having been read for the past three weeks in Westminster Abbey, the church where he was going to marry Pearla Montgomery.
Oh, hell. Noah downed the contents of his glass. He did need the liquid courage to go through with it. It wasn’t Pearla. No, it was him. Pearla was a lovely woman with gorgeous blonde hair and cerulean blue eyes. In some ways similar to Rubina, but his deceased wife’s hair was a rich golden-blonde while her gray eyes turned silver with desire. Noah shook the image from his head. It didn’t matter. Pearla was not Rubina. His dear wife, his one true love, was lost to him forever.
It was time to take a new wife.
“Lead the way.” Noah stood up. “I’m right behind you.”
Liam stopped and looked him up and down. He shook his head. “I’ll be with you every step of the way. Just say the word, and I’ll take care of anything you need, no matter what it is.”
“I can’t change the man I’ve become, Liam. I’m not sure if I want to.” Noah frowned. “Rubina’s death made me harder than I ever thought possible. I’ve lost too much, and I can’t afford to lose any more. If anyone else even tries to take what’s mine, I won’t be able to stop myself from annihilating them.”
“Let’s pray it doesn’t ever come to that.”
Noah hoped not because, if it did, he’d lose what was left of his soul.
“How much time do we have to get to the church?”
“We should have been there twenty minutes ago.”
“What?” Noah blinked as shock filled him. “Why didn’t you say something sooner? I didn’t realize what time it was.”
Liam shrugged. “I had hoped you’d changed your mind. But, alas, it wasn’t to be, so now we need to make haste.”
Noah took two quick strides and exited his study. He stopped in the foyer and hollered for Simmons. “I need the carriage brought around. I’m late for my wedding.”
“It’s already waiting for you, Your Grace.”
“Thank you, Simmons. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
Simmons nodded and headed for the door, opening it wide for Noah. Liam followed close behind him, and they entered the ducal carriage.
“How did you get here anyway?” Noah asked. “I didn’t see your carriage or horse.”
“I had our carriage drop me off. Gemma took it to the church to wait for our arrival.”
That couldn’t be good. Gemma must know on some level how much Noah didn’t want to marry her friend. He respected Liam’s wife. Having her displeased with him—it didn’t sit well. He’d try to make her understand…later.
It didn’t take long, or at least it didn’t seem like it, before the car
riage halted in front of the church. Noah took a deep breath and hopped out of the carriage. He stopped in front of the steps and stared up at the tall cathedral.
“I said I wouldn’t ask again.”
Noah’s sliced his head left and pinned Liam with a glare. “Then don’t.”
Liam threw his hands up in the air. “Have it your way. I’ll stand by your decision.”
Noah nodded and opened the doors wide. He walked with purposeful strides to the altar where the clergyman was awaiting their arrival.
“Let’s start the ceremony. I have a lot to do today.”
All he wanted to do was get it over with. He ignored the guests filling the pews. They expected more from him, but he couldn’t give it to them. This wasn’t a love match, and he wasn’t about to pretend it was on any level. The vicar nodded his agreement. Music filled the church halls as Noah stared down the aisle.
Gemma floated forward first with light steps in tune to the music. Liam’s gaze never left his wife’s face. Noah looked back and forth between the two. An ache filled his heart. He’d had that once. Gemma kissed Liam and then hugged Noah. She took her spot on the other side of him. They all turned to watch Pearla march down the aisle on her father’s arm.
She was so lovely and perfect. Not one golden hair was out of place. The smile on her face—she looked so happy. Noah didn’t understand why. What was there to be so bloody happy about? They reached the end of the aisle. Her father kissed her cheek and sat down in the front pew next to his wife.
Noah grabbed Pearla’s hand and led her to the front of the altar. He nodded at the vicar to begin. The vows went by in a blur; if asked, he wouldn’t be able to recall saying them.
“If anyone has just cause for these two not to be joined in holy matrimony please speak now or forever hold your peace.”
The Vicar’s words blended into the background. Noah wanted this done.
“I have some objections.”
A soft accented voice reverberated through Noah’s ears. His gaze shot toward the location it came from. Everyone turned to see who interrupted the ceremony. Loud murmurs filled the church and echoed back at him, but words failed him. Noah’s mouth fell open as shock overtook him. He had to be seeing things. He rubbed his eyes and blinked the blurriness away. His heart beat hard against his chest. How much brandy had he poured down his throat before coming to the wedding? He stared for several seconds, but the apparition in maroon silk kept moving toward him. Noah couldn’t believe what his eyes were telling him.