“All right, everyone.” Her mom was clearly ready to move on. “Let’s go in to dinner.”
Dinner was exhausting, as Beatriz seized every opportunity to focus the conversation on anyone except herself. Aunt Liesel arrived near the end of dinner, hot off a flight from Germany. Beatriz had called her earlier and told her about the bodies. She knew Liesel would come—Liesel could never resist family drama—and Beatriz had quietly encouraged her just to keep her mom occupied so she wouldn’t quiz Beatriz about where she was all afternoon when they were trying to reach her.
Couldn’t she have been allowed just one perfect afternoon before returning to her dreary duties as the boring spinster sister?
No. Apparently not. And now she was forced to bluster and tell half truths so no one would freak out over her spending time with Lorenzo Aldobrando.
She finally managed to excuse herself and head up to bed when she overheard Sandro talking to Serena on the other side of the archway.
“I don’t know what’s eating my sister Beatriz. She’s not usually like that. Something’s got her back up.”
Too right. No wonder she never managed to have a proper relationship, living in this fishbowl of interfering busybodies, with far too many brothers each of whom had a strong—usually negative—opinion about any man she even spoke to. Well, this time was going to be different.
Alone in her room she itched to call Lorenzo but apprehension overcame her as she picked up her phone. What if he was busy? She didn’t want to seem pushy. Instead she texted him. Sorry I had to leave early. I enjoyed today.
As soon as she’d sent it, her text seemed bland and disappointing. Like her.
Not as much as me. It was a thrill seeing your creation come to life. And even better getting to spend time with you. Would you like to go skiing tomorrow?
She blinked at his response. He still wanted to see her again? The prospect sent a thrill of anticipation through her.
He hadn’t mentioned the lake property even once. Maybe he wasn’t just trying to warm her up so he could get his hands on it. But she couldn’t accept an invitation so quickly either. He’d know she was desperate.
Can’t, sorry. Have to ride my horse. Her big baby didn’t do well with anyone else on him. Matteo was a good rider but too firm with Gatto, and if Gatto went more than two days without being ridden he got wound up.
I’d like to ride with you.
She drew in a breath. Lorenzo was an excellent rider. She’d watched him manage an unknown horse with ease in the cramped space of a palace courtyard during the joust at the coronation.
Not tomorrow. Things are tense here. Can’t say more right now.
It wasn’t a good idea to encourage him. Whatever was going on between them—and she wasn’t at all sure what it was—couldn’t go anywhere. Rigo aside, her family was deeply suspicious of his family and vice versa. Her mom had already warned her about him and told her to stay away from him, and her mom was truly her best friend and the warmest, kindest person she knew.
I’ll pick up the dress tomorrow and find a way to get it to you.
Was he really going to drive all the way back to Milan himself? Unlikely. He’d send a messenger or have it delivered. Still, it was sweet of him to think of it after she’d ruined the climax of his carefully planned day.
That’s very kind of you. I have to go now. Good night.
She had to end this text conversation. It was rattling her already raw nerves. She felt like Lorenzo was there in the bedroom with her and might show up in her dreams, which would be disturbing.
Goodnight, Beatriz.
And that was it. She let out a sigh, wishing she could breathe away the tension built up inside her. She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d been interested in a man. Usually if one even spoke to her she could rattle off at least three reasons why he was trying to curry favor with her father or one of her brothers or gain royal favor for his company.
She’d certainly had the same suspicions about Lorenzo Aldobrando. But after today…maybe he really did like her?
It seemed unlikely, given that he was rich and handsome and must have girls trailing after him. But then she was a princess. And she did own the lake house he’d shown such intense interest in.
See? Even now she didn’t imagine for one second that it was she herself who attracted Lorenzo. Most likely she was just a stepping-stone to somewhere else, and she’d do best to focus on helping her family through this difficult time.
She felt bad that they’d been so worried about her—all because she’d turned her phone off to escape from them. What kind of person did that make her? And she’d shut them out because of Lorenzo Aldobrando.
He’d made her temporarily take leave of her senses.
Her family were the most important people in her world, and her duty to them came first, and she’d better keep that in mind.
The next day, Beatriz was in the indoor arena, cantering Gatto over a small course of jumps, when her phone rang inside her jacket. She slowed her horse and pulled her phone out and saw the cryptic “L” she’d typed into her contacts.
Adrenaline rushed through her. “Hello?”
“Beatriz, I have the dress. I’ll bring it by the palace.”
“No!” She said it so fast it sounded rude. “Don’t do that.”
“Do you not want anyone to see me?” He sounded curious rather than offended.
She swallowed. “Something like that. We have a big staff, and they talk a lot. The cook saw me getting into your car yesterday. They’d been speculating all day about where I was. I don’t want to fuel that fire.”
“But what is wrong about me seeing you?”
She hesitated. She didn’t really want to tell him how much her family seemed to dislike him. Him trying—twice—to lease the lake property had made Darias very wary of him. “My family’s just a bit weird. And right now they’re paranoid because…” She’d been told to keep the stolen bodies and grisly package secret. “Because of the murders.”
“That was last year.”
She felt a burst of exasperation. “Lorenzo, someone killed my father and grandmother. It’s not going away.”
“I understand. I’m sorry. I’d love to see you.”
Gatto’s hot breath made white steam against the cold air of the indoor riding arena. “I’d like to see you too,” she admitted, as quietly as she could. There was only one groom left since her dad had died and his horses been sold or retired, but he could be nearby.
“We could meet in town.”
She’d been told not to go anywhere—even into town—without a security escort in light of recent events, but her guard—a woman called Nina—should be easy to dodge if she said she was going to the stables. She was only supposed to follow Beatriz if she actually left the palace grounds. The staff entrance to the stables would put her on a narrow side lane that ran along the outside of the palace wall and led right into a small wood on the edge of town.
“Okay. Do you know the woods at the end of Locarno Street?”
“I know where they are.”
“Meet me there in half an hour. Just come into the woods and I’ll find you.”
“I’ll look for a trail of bread crumbs,” he teased. “See you there.”
Beatriz tucked her phone away and realized she had a huge grin on her face. She wiped it off and reached down to pat Gatto. His broad dark bay neck and black mane had absorbed a lot of her tears over the past few months. “Am I making a huge mistake, Gatto?”
She jumped down and lifted the reins over his big head. She only had half an hour to change and creep out of the palace. She fed Gatto his carrots, then handed him to Matteo, the groom. She also asked him to clean her saddle immediately. He might find that imperious behavior, but it would keep him busy while she crept past him and out of the stables.
Excitement trickled through her at the prospect of seeing Lorenzo, and she cursed herself for it. Why? She was hardly going to try her new dress on in the
woods. So she must be excited about seeing him.
Which sucked because it was bound to end in tears.
She smiled briskly at Nina and told her she could relax before heading into the shower, then dressed in dark pants, a sweater and a jacket as if she were just going for a walk around the grounds. She was tempted to ask her brother’s girlfriend if she could borrow her adorable black-and-white dog—that would be a nice excuse for a stroll—but after Beatriz’s performance last night Serena probably wouldn’t trust her with her precious pooch.
She hurried along the back corridors, then down the brick arches of the stable block. This area used to bustle with life and activity when her dad was still out hunting four days a week. It was still hard to believe—devastating, in fact—that would never happen again.
She slunk around the edges of the rectangular stable yard, staying out of view, then exited through the side door gate that used to allow horse-drawn tradesmen traffic in and out of the palace. It wasn’t guarded because the lane behind it had been out of use for nearly a century, except by riders. The track led over a meadow and down a short hill, then into the woods by the town.
She’d ridden the route many times, but today she felt a weird sense of unease that made her glance backward. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being watched. That she was doing something wrong. Perhaps because she knew the family wouldn’t like her going out alone after yesterday’s events.
And that they wouldn’t like her meeting Lorenzo.
Just last night she’d resolved to stick by her family and forget about Lorenzo, but all it took was one phone call and she was sneaking off to meet him. Was this normal behavior for an adult woman?
Before her lay untrodden fresh snow, and behind her the old stone wall that surrounded the palace grounds. It was too high for anyone to peer over, and there was no one coming or going on the snowy track. So why did she feel like eyes were everywhere?
The snow came almost to the top of her boots. Anyone wishing to track her movements would have no trouble following her footsteps in the pristine white landscape. Even the cows were inside for the winter. As she crested the top of the meadow and looked down at the town in the valley on the other side, she felt like a sitting target.
But who would want her dead? She was the Leone that no one even remembered.
She headed down toward the woods. The snow on the trees had blown off, leaving them dark and forbidding against the bright landscape. She hurried toward the cover of their branches, eager to be out of sight from the palace. Inside the wood were well-groomed trails where villagers walked their dogs and couples met to kiss inside the leafy sanctuary.
Her nerves jangled as she thought of kissing. Lorenzo had stolen that kiss from her at the coronation, then seemingly forgotten all about her. Should she be relieved or discouraged that he didn’t even attempt to kiss her yesterday?
Perhaps he would have tried if she hadn’t rushed home unexpectedly.
She pulled her collar up around her ears as she walked from the sunny field into the shady depths of the woods. The trees were mostly evergreen and cast long shadows in the low winter sun.
She pulled out her phone and texted Lorenzo. I’m here.
The woods were small, less than five hectares, but it was still possible to miss someone due to the winding paths and poor visibility. Her phone pinged.
Me too.
Her nerves prickled with excitement.
Until she realized that the text wasn’t from Lorenzo. She stopped in her tracks as she noticed that although she’d sent her text to Lorenzo, the one coming into her phone was from an unknown number.
An icy finger of fear clawed down her spine. Should she turn and run back to the palace? Or was that marking herself as prey? She’d have to cross at least four hundred yards of open country before she’d reach the safety of the castle wall.
She glanced about, unable to see anyone for the thick forest.
Maybe it was Lorenzo, and her phone was acting up. Yes. That was it. He must have two lines. She needed to stop freaking out and overreacting to everything.
Where are you?
Right behind you.
CHAPTER SIX
She spun around, and a tiny cry rose in her throat when there was no one there.
Heart pounding, she spun wildly, looking around her in a panic. “Lorenzo!” she cried. Had he even received her texts, or had someone intercepted them?
“Beatriz!” His disembodied voice reached her through the trees. Thank heaven! “Say my name again, so I can find you.”
“Lorenzo,” she said aloud, looking all around her. She could kill him for scaring her like this. What a jerk! “I’m right here,”
He appeared along a path to her right, striding forward, wearing a long camel coat and carrying a black shopping bag. The grin on his handsome face both excited and infuriated her.
“You almost scared me to death,” she admitted. “I need an apology.”
He frowned. “For what? I’m not even late.”
“Don’t play dumb with me.” She raised a brow. At least he hadn’t tried to kiss her or anything. “It’s really not funny given what’s going on at the palace.”
Lorenzo stared at her, confusion in his gray eyes. “What’s not funny?”
“The texts! I’m behind you. I almost had a heart attack.”
“I didn’t text you back yet. I just got your texts saying that you’re here and asking where I was. I was just about to text you back when I heard you call my name.” He took a step toward her, concern on his face, as if he was worried about her sanity.
“This joke has gone on long enough.” She turned her phone to him. “Ha ha ha.”
He moved right up to her and took her phone. Then he glanced up and scanned the woods. “I didn’t send these.”
Her heart clenched. “What?”
He handed her phone back and pulled out his own. He showed her his recent text messages and sure enough her two texts were there—but no replies.
“So you got them, but someone else responded?” She scanned the dark woods. There was no sign of anyone. “How is that even possible? This doesn’t make any sense. Why would someone…?”
“Someone is trying to scare you.” He took her phone back. “And they know where you are. Let’s go.” He slid his arm around her waist and pulled her along the path he’d come on. “Let’s head into town, where there are people around.”
“I shouldn’t have left the palace without a guard.” She didn’t want to tell him about what happened yesterday. The whole family had agreed to keep it secret for now, so only those involved in the criminal acts would know—and might reveal themselves through their knowledge.
In less that five minutes they emerged from the woods onto the manicured and snow-cleared lawn of the town park, surrounded by the reassuring rooftops of the village and the sight of people pushing their babies in prams and walking their dogs.
“I’m totally creeped out.”
“I suspect that’s the intention.” Lorenzo’s arm was still at her waist. It made her feel safer. At least no one would shoot at her, or try to abduct her, with him literally wrapped around her. “Bastards. I wish I knew who it was.” He scanned the streets. “My car’s right here.”
“I’m not sure I should go anywhere.” She’d been told not to go into town alone, let alone drive out of it. “I didn’t tell anyone I was going out.”
“You’re a grown-up, aren’t you?” He looked amused.
“Yes, but…I can’t really say what’s going on, but things are dangerous right now.”
And I still came out alone to see you.
Did he know how much power he had over her right now?
“Well, I’m not letting you walk back to the palace alone, so we can go somewhere, or I’ll take you back there. Your choice. I think you should go to the police.”
She bit her lip. “I’ll tell the palace staff when I get back. But not yet.” She had a feeling that if they saw h
er with Lorenzo she’d never hear the end of it.
And it would be the end of her ever seeing him again.
“Let’s go to the Orangerie,” she said quickly. “It’s a smaller house my dad used to use sometimes. It’s just outside town on Steiner Street, and no one goes there anymore.”
His eyes narrowed. “What about your family? Won’t they miss you?”
“They’ll just think I’m at the stables or in another part of the palace. That’s an advantage of living in a place bigger than many neighborhoods.”
“If you’re sure.” They’d reached his car, and he held the passenger door open for her.
“I’m sure.” She wanted to see the dress almost as much as she wanted more time with him.
Lorenzo climbed in beside her. Dark jeans encased his muscled legs today. His leather-gloved hand gripped the gearshift as they pulled out of his space. Adrenaline rippled through her. “Maybe the texts were someone playing a prank. My brother Sandro’s visiting, and he can be a bit of a joker.” Unlikely but not impossible.
“Try texting back. Ask what they want.” Sandro drove through the narrow streets.
Beatriz hesitated. Sitting next to Lorenzo gave her confidence. She pulled out her phone and typed, You’re not behind me right now. “Let’s see if they respond.”
They waited while an old lady walked her dog slowly across the road in front of the car.
No, but I will be again soon.
An icy finger of fear raked down her spine. She read the text aloud, hating the way her voice shook.
Who are you? she typed, determined not to be cowed into silence. The answer came almost right away.
Your worst nightmare.
Lorenzo glanced at her phone, then up at her. “What is your worst nightmare?”
She blinked. “Probably being murdered like my dad or my grandma.” This time she couldn’t hide the tears in her voice.
The Princess's Scandalous Affair (Royal House of Leone Book 4) Page 5