by Jessica Wolf
“Not really,” she admitted. “After I hurt my foot, I spent the rest of the afternoon in my room.” She shrugged and moved a piece on the board. “I’ll get more done tomorrow. Esther has been a great help.”
“Can I help tomorrow?” Esther asked.
“It would be more of cleaning windows.”
“I can do that.”
“Then I’d love to have your assistance.”
Esther smiled and returned her eyes to the game. Reed took a sip of his wine and leaned his head against the side of the chair. His eyes closed. With the combined affects of wine in his stomach and the sound of the players’ soft murmurs, Reed felt that he could sit like this forever.
“Where is Uncle Jack?” Of course it was Esther who broke the silence.
Reed sat up, startled. When he spoke, his voice was groggy with sleep. “What?” His daughter repeated her question. “Oh, he’s in Manchester. He’ll be back tomorrow.”
“Why?”
Reed rubbed his face then glanced at the clock on the mantle. He really should go to bed. Today had been a harrowing one. Between visiting Montgomery in the afternoon alone and losing Esther that morning, he’d never gotten the chance to catch his breath.
“I’m sure he’s just on business, Esther,” Luciana said. She stood. “I’m tired, so I think I’ll go to bed.”
“I’m not tired,” Esther drawled. She yawned and her eyelids drooped.
“Well, you look it.” Luciana reached out her hand, which Esther took as she stood. “You can’t be yawning all the time if you want to help me in the morning.”
After another yawn, Esther nodded vigorously. “Oh yes, I do want to help.”
“Then why don’t you go to bed?”
Esther dropped Luciana’s hand and went to stand by the arm of Reed’s chair. “Goodnight, Father.” She leaned forward and kissed his cheek.
“Goodnight,” he whispered, patting her shoulder. When she left, he stood, shoving his hands into his pockets. “I guess I didn’t realize how tired I was.”
Luciana finished packing away the board game. “It’s all right, signore. It was a long day.”
He narrowed his eyes. “I wish you wouldn’t call me that.”
“Call you what?” she asked slowly, her back turned to him.
“Sir.”
She closed the cabinet door and turned around. “You’re my employer. What else would you like me to call you?”
“I’m more than your employer, aren’t I?”
This is the wine talking. Only the wine.
After a moment’s hesitation, she nodded, though she ducked her head in an attempt to conceal her blush. “Si.”
“So please stop calling me sir. We’re friends. Call me by my Christian name.” As an afterthought, he added, “You’ve done it before.”
A timid smile played across her lips. “Well then, goodnight…Reed.”
He held out his hand. She stared at it a moment before slipping her own fingers into his grasp. He tightened his grip, the feeling of her smooth hand comfortable. “Goodnight, Luciana.”
She blinked, and his heart lurched in his chest. Saying her name aloud for the first time startled them both. It sounded pleasant, fitting. Right.
“Luciana,” he repeated. Unconsciously, he took a step forward. “Lovely name.”
She licked her lips. “It means illumination. As if I’m some sort of lightbulb.”
He smirked. “That’s not as odd as my name. Reed means ruddy face.”
She laughed hard enough to warrant clasping her other hand onto their still-joined hands. This brought them closer, so close he could smell the mint on her breath and the citrusy smell of her hair. She sobered when she, too, became aware of how close they were.
Her eyes roamed his face. “You don’t have a ruddy face,” she breathed.
“And yet I have been cursed with this name.”
She shook her head. “I like it. It’s interesting—like you.”
“I’m interesting?”
Normal women would have blushed, made excuses, backed away. Luciana only held his hands tighter and nodded. “I think so.”
He wanted to kiss her. No, he was going to kiss her. He didn’t care that doing so would mean he was jumping into the forgotten familiarity of feeling. The room was warm, she was beautiful, and he was a little drunk. So he was going to kiss her.
With his free hand, he reached up to caress her cheekbone. She didn’t even flinch. His heart hammered inside of his chest. He could almost feel his ribcage drumming along to the beat. He lowered his head and, in turn, she took a tiny step closer. Her breath fanned his mouth. He lost all ability to think, all reason. And then...
“Oh my goodness, excuse me, sir.”
The moment was ruined.
Brigette’s voice sliced through the atmosphere like a sword. Reed quickly dropped his hand from Luciana’s cheek and untangled his other hand from her grasp, stepping away purposefully.
That had been close. Too close.
Luciana stared at him with unblinking eyes. Was she hurt? He couldn’t tell. Her eyes darted to where Brigette stood in the doorway. Then she looked back at him. He found it hard to return the gesture. His heart was still beating a mile a minute and he wasn’t sure whether or not he wanted to throw caution to the wind and kiss her anyway or run away and hide in his office.
“Goodnight, Reed,” was all she said in response to his silence.
As she left the room, limping, only pausing to say something to Brigette, he ground his teeth together. He was a fool. An utter fool. He should have kissed her. Damn his inhibitions! In a burst of rage, he picked up his glass and tossed it against the wall. It shattered and the glass rained down on the floor, shining in the firelight like gems.
“Damn,” he muttered, running a hand through his hair.
A muffled sob came from the doorway. He turned to see Brigette staring at him in horror, her hand clasped over her quivering chin. He sighed. Of course.
“Brigette, I’m sorry.”
She shook her head, turned on her heel, and fled.
Reed counted one thing as a blessing: Jack had been absent from this...episode. If he had been there, Reed would never hear the end of it.
Chapter 19
Luciana couldn’t fall asleep.
She rolled over for the hundredth time, refluffing her pillow as she did so. She hated him. Her entire body was filled with a special loathing reserved especially for him.
At least, that’s what she wanted to feel.
She wanted desperately to hate him. She wanted to fall asleep, wake up, and leave the next morning, never look back. She would forget about them—Esther, Jack, Reed. She would forget about them all and be happy.
That’s what she wanted. It wasn’t what she was going to get. Not with her stomach in knots. Not with her heart still pounding.
He would have kissed her. He was going to until Brigette showed up. Thank the Lord for her. Though part of Luciana wished she could go back in time, shove Brigette out of the way, and force Reed to kiss her. The other part of her was happy they’d been interrupted. Maybe it had saved her from coming to terms with her feelings. She still wasn’t ready; she would never be ready.
All the same, the way he’d been so quick to step away stung. Did he not want to kiss her? Was she wrong to think, for even a second, he may care for her?
The thought had crossed her mind before. She could have easily mistaken his generosity and kindness, his willingness to offer her things she did not deserve, as affection. The copious amounts of wine he consumed during and after super must have swayed his actions. She had smelled it on his breath and it was been strong. Yes, she was in the wrong. The near-kiss had been a product of wine, nothing more.
Luciana rolled over and buried her head in her pillow, letting loose a low groan. How she wished it was more! Her heart was torn. Her entire being felt like it was being pulled in two different directions. Why couldn’t she just make up her mind? She had ne
ver felt this way before. Was affection... Was love supposed to feel like this? The very word alone sent a shiver down her spine. It was much too strong a word for something she could not yet understand.
Sleep. Sleep would put her head right again. She would wake up and feel normal once more. The sick, tight feeling in her stomach and the warmth spreading throughout her body was a product of her overthinking. Like the near-kiss was a product of too much wine.
Yes, with a little sleep, everything would return to normal.
To her dismay, Luciana found nothing changed during her sleep, restless as it was. She woke with a headache—a raw headache that grated at the back of her skull—and Reed and the near-kiss still in the forefront of her mind. That made her want to puke all the more. Slipping out of bed, she dressed slowly. The longer she took, the better chance she had at missing Reed before he left for town.
She donned the pink dress and glanced at herself in the mirror. Her nose wrinkled at the sight. Pink did not suit her, but she was obliged to wear it. Jack had picked the color. It was a dark pink, thank goodness, but it still made her cringe.
With a weary sigh, she left her room and headed straight for the dinning hall. Her foot still ached and she walked with a slight limp, favoring her good side. She wondered why it was Reed still insisted she eat with the family. She once tried to make him see sense: employees did not eat with their employers. He had simply told her she was not an employee and would continue to dine with him. Him. Not them. Him. Didn’t the imply that he—
Overthinking again. She pushed the thoughts away.
“It’s about time you woke up, Miss Renaldi. I was worried you might be sick.”
Luciana lifted her eyes from the floor as she entered the dining room. Esther stood at the buffet, barely able to see over the edge, holding a spoon filled with fresh fruit. She smiled at Luciana. Her hair was messy from sleep and she wore yesterday’s clothes. If given the opportunity, she would never wash, never change. She would remain as she was, running through the house, playing and hiding to her heart’s content.
“No, I’m well,” Luciana said. She picked up a plate off the end of the buffet.
Reed was nowhere to be seen. Luciana tried to ignore the fact. She should count it as a blessing. It would save them both from an awkward meal. Still, as she ate slowly, every time a noise came from the hall, her heart jumped at the chance that it might be him.
“Father’s gone into town early today.” Esther stared at her, her eyes glinting.
Luciana looked up from her empty plate. “Has he?” She willed her voice to remain steady.
Esther’s grin widened. “Mhm. Not for very long, though. He’ll be back soon.”
Luciana pushed away from the table. Her stomach felt tight. Esther could see right through her. The thought made her want to wretch. Just how transparent was she? How much longer could she put off accepting what she felt before everyone around her knew it and she still pretended to be in the dark?
“I think I’ll head to conservatory,” she said, brushing her warm palm across her hot forehead. “Would you like to join me?”
Esther shook her head. Her curls bobbed back and forth. “No, but thank you. I know I said I would help you yesterday, but Brigette found an old doll I want to play with.”
Inwardly, Luciana breathed a sigh of relief. Outwardly, she only nodded. “If you change your mind, I’d still love to have your help.”
The conservatory was humid, like always, but Luciana welcomed the warmth. It was better than the frigid air in the rest of the house. Even though it was spring outside, it was still winter indoors.
She rolled her sleeves and got to work finishing the windows. By the time she realized she would need a ladder to finish the top windows, it was time for the afternoon meal. She had worked like a fiend, refusing to let her worries and wishes get in the way of finishing her task. Her arms and back ached and the heel of her foot throbbed from standing on it for too long. A film of sweat rested on the back of her neck. Sticky strands of hair were plastered to her cheeks and throat. When she glanced at her reflection in the window, she almost laughed. She looked a fright. Dirt and dust clung to her cheeks, and when she tried to wipe them away, they only smeared.
She sighed. Bathing had been invented for a reason.
She wadded up her rag, tossed it on the windowsill, and left. The cool, brisk air of the hallway rejuvenated Luciana’s tired and sore body. As she walked toward the dining room, she rubbed her aching shoulders. Esther was just coming down the stairs when she entered the rotunda.
“Oh goodness, Miss Renaldi, you need a bath.” Her nose wrinkled.
“How kind of you, Esther.”
Esther shrugged. “At least you still smell good. You always smell good.” She whizzed into the dining room, doll in one hand, licorice stick in the other.
Luciana paused for a moment and pulled her hair into a loose braid. Cool air swept across the back of her neck. She shivered. Yes, she was in need of a long, hot bath.
Pounding footsteps turned her head toward the staircase. Reed, sleeves rolled up past his elbows, hair pulled into a low bun, rushed down the stairs. He didn’t even notice her. She felt her heart skip a beat.
“Signore Hargrave—” He stopped. Looked at her. Looked away. “—I didn’t think you’d be back from town so early.”
“It is lunchtime,” he said, voice gruff. “And Jack should return anytime. I’d like to be here when he is.”
Luciana looked down. The sight of large stain—whether it was water or dirt, she couldn’t say—on her dress made her blush. She should have changed before going to eat. She would have had she known Reed was home.
As if on cue, the door opened and Jack walked inside. His perpetual smile was contagious and Luciana couldn’t frown for long. Soon, as he took the few steps into the rotunda, she was smiling as well.
“Reed, Miss Renaldi, what is this? A welcoming party?”
Reed stuck out his hand, which Jack shook. “I nearly died without you.”
Jack’s eyebrows shot up. “That’s almost a love confession. Watch yourself. I fall in love fast.” He looked over at Luciana and winked. Her smile widened. Reed pulled his hand away and rolled his eyes on a huff.
“The firm, Jack. I nearly died without you there to help me handle it all.”
“I’m sure you managed just fine.”
“You are insufferable.” Reed turned slightly as if to cast a look her way over his shoulder. Then he stopped. His eyes never met hers before he turned around again, his back rim-rod straight.
Luciana stepped forward nonetheless. “Welcome home, Signore Lipold.”
He grinned and shook her hand in both of his. “Glad to see you’re still here because I brought you a present.”
She found herself glancing at Reed in surprise. He stared onward, his face stoic. She forced her eyes to Jack. “A present?”
“For all of us, really.” He backed down the steps and into the foyer. “Wait a few seconds.”
“Did I hear there’s a present for me?” Esther dashed out of the dining room and to Luciana’s side. Drops of vanilla pudding clung to the edge of her mouth. Luciana motioned to it and Esther swiped the back of her sleeve across her mouth.
The waiting was agony. No one said anything. Esther was too excited, Luciana too nervous, and Reed too distant. The air between them was charged with unspoken words and feelings. Luciana began to feel her palms sweat. She wiped them on the skirt of her dress and tapped her foot.
At last, Jack came back inside. But he wasn’t holding a box, nor leading a dog like Esther surely hoped. He brought with him a woman, no younger than Luciana.
She was gorgeous. Blonde hair the color of sun beams was piled atop her head in a luxurious bun. Her eyes were a crystal clear blue and they shined with grace and dignity. Luciana reached up to touch her dirt-smudged cheek.
“Everyone, this is Miss Aliana Martin. Miss Martin, this is Esther, Reed’s daughter.”
Aliana
smiled, nodding in a silent greeting, and Esther curtseyed. She wobbled slightly, but then righted herself, her lower lip caught between her teeth.
“This is, of course, Mr. Reed Hargrave, our generous host.”
Her smile extended, showing perfectly white, straight teeth. “Yes, we’ve met before.”
Jack pulled a confused face. “Oh, have you? Reed?”
The man in question shifted on his feet before answering. “A long time ago.” He nodded to Aliana. “Nice to see you again.”
“And this,” Jack said, turning to Luciana, “is Miss Luciana Renaldi. She’s from Italy.”
“Oh, Italy!” Aliana laughed, clasping her hands together. “I’ve been to Rome before. It was very…enlightening. Though, frankly, I enjoy our art much more than yours. Too many unclothed persons, if you ask me.”
Luciana raised an eyebrow, unsure of what to make of a woman who was so quick to judge another country’s art. “Well, Perdere Martin, I might say that your art features too much cattle and farmland.” Beside her, Reed lifted his hand to hide his smirk and brief snicker.
Luciana held her breath, wishing she had better control of her tongue. Would Aliana would balk, turn her nose away, and never speak to her again?
She titled her head to the side and grinned. “I like you,” she said. “I hope we can be friends.”
Luciana let go a sigh of relief. “I—I hope the same.”
“Wonderful! All is going according to my genius plan. Miss Renaldi, why don’t you show Miss Martin to her room? It’s the one beside yours. You can become the best of friends on the way. Reed and I have work to attend to and then we can eat a late lunch.”
“Follow me, Perdere Martin,” Luciana said, moving toward the staircase.
“Gladly.” Aliana looped her hand through Luciana’s and gave her arm a squeeze. “I’m so happy to be here.”
“How exactly do you know Signore Lipold?”
“He and I met last year. In Cairo, actually. He sent me a letter a week ago asking if I’d like to come to Yellow Brook. Of course, I couldn’t say no. I mean, look at this place.” She laughed. “It’s both dingy and marvelous.”