Scandal and the Runaway Bride

by Donna Alward

  At this point he didn’t know if that was a curse or a blessing.

  * * *

  Coffee. The rich, thick, beautiful scent of it woke Gabi from a deep sleep. She blinked and then rolled over and gasped at the sight of a maid depositing a tray on a small table.

  “Oh, excusez-moi, mademoiselle.” She stood and wiped her hands on her apron.

  “You brought coffee. No need to beg pardon. You have my undying gratitude.” She sat up a bit and pushed her hair back. “What’s your name?”

  “Suzanne,” came the reply.

  “Merci, Suzanne. I can’t face the day without coffee.”

  They shared a smile and then the maid slipped away, closing the bedroom door with a click.

  Good heavens. She didn’t realize there’d be a maid. But then, the château was huge. Of course there was staff.

  She barely remembered arriving last night. William had awakened her on landing and they’d been ushered into a car and then into the château sometime around two a.m.—or was it three? She reached for the coffee and inhaled its strong aroma, took a bracing sip and sighed as she leaned against the enormous headboard. Someone had guided her to this room and deposited her bags as well. The bags, still packed, now stood by a gorgeous wardrobe. She’d unpack this morning after...

  She didn’t know what after. She was supposed to be sick, wasn’t she? And she highly doubted William wanted anything to do with her.

  He’d have to, though. Because she insisted on knowing about the mysterious “plan.” Maybe she didn’t have much control over what happened next, and for good reason, she admitted to herself. But she wasn’t about to sit back and be quiet as a mouse about it, either.

  She emptied her cup and filled it again, then sampled the flaky, rich croissant on the plate and picked at the fresh berries in a china bowl. Last night she’d barely touched her dinner, and now she found herself quite hungry. It wasn’t long before the food had disappeared, the coffee had kicked in and she was ready for a shower and a fresh start.

  It was amazing to think that yesterday at this time she’d been preparing to put on her wedding dress. It seemed as if it were days ago, and not a mere twenty-four hours.

  She’d showered and dressed and was putting cream on her face when she realized she hadn’t seen her mobile this morning.

  She dashed back to the bedroom and ripped through her handbag. No phone. She lugged her suitcase to the bed, threw it on top of the coverlet and opened it, tossing clothing aside looking for the tiny piece of tech that kept her connected to her life. Nothing. She hung the garment bag that held the wedding dress, now crumpled, in the wardrobe and tried to calm her heartbeat. Had she left it on the plane, perhaps? In the car last night? She tried to remember where she had it last and couldn’t think.

  “Good heavens.”

  Her head snapped up at the sound of William’s voice. He stood in the doorway, staring at the state of her room, his mouth agape. She followed his gaze.

  Her clothes were strewn all over the room. Dresses and skirts littered the fine silk of the coverlet, shoes and trousers were scattered all over the floor, and her cheeks heated as she realized a few of her very fine and pretty underthings were tossed over a tufted chair.

  She lifted her chin. “I’m unpacking.”

  William lifted one eyebrow and she would swear his eyes twinkled with amusement, despite his stern expression. “An unorthodox method.”

  She wouldn’t laugh. She was too vulnerable right now to attempt to share any sort of camaraderie with him. “I’m sorting.”

  He bit down on his lip and looked down, and she started to smile, before quickly wiping the expression away.

  “William, have you seen my mobile? It’s not in any of my bags.”

  His gaze caught hers again. “Ah. That explains the mess. As a matter of fact, yes. I have it.”

  “Oh, thank goodness. Could I have it back, please?”

  “Not quite yet.”

  She blinked. “I beg your pardon?”

  He had the grace to look uncomfortable. “Look, Gabriella, the last thing we need is for you to post on your social media or something. Our PR department is looking after this. Our job is to lie low for a few days while they control the messaging. That means not being online.”

  Gabi clenched her fists as she stared at William. How had she ever thought him the fun brother? Stephen was somber but he wasn’t stuffy or bossy. But William...this was infuriating! Who did he think he was?

  “Then tell me that. Do not confiscate my phone like I am a disobedient child. I demand you give it back to me.”

  “So you can text your sister or parents? Do you have any idea how leaks happen?” He ran his hand over his hair. “I like your sister very much. She seems like a sweet girl. But she could get your family out of its financial bind by selling this story to the tabloids.”

  Gabi’s mouth dropped open for a solid five seconds. And when she spoke again, her voice trembled with barely contained outrage.

  “I don’t know how your family does things, but that would never happen. I would trust Giulia with my life.”

  “And yet you didn’t trust her with the truth yesterday.”

  Gabi sat heavily on the bed, the fight gone out of her, at least for the moment. Deep down, she didn’t blame William for being cautious. She had given him no reason to trust her. And yet...this was a most uncomfortable situation. Why should the two of them be at odds? They could work as a team, couldn’t they? It didn’t have to be a battle royale.

  William finally moved from his spot by the door and came further into the room. He pulled up a small footstool and sat on it in front of her, resting his elbows on his knees. “I’m sorry,” he said on a sigh. “I know I’m being harsh. I just...”

  He sighed again, and Gabi got the feeling he wanted to say something but was holding off. “You just what?”

  “I would do anything to protect Stephen. And that means this going to plan. He’s been through enough.”

  “If you mean his relationship to Bridget...”

  Hazel eyes caught hers and his mouth thinned. “You know.”

  “Of course I do.” She kept her voice soft and even. “Stephen and I are friends, you know. At least we were. Until I panicked.”

  “Are you prone to panic?”

  “Not really. I’m not prone to lying, either, so yesterday was a choice. I could lie to the world, but then I’d be lying to myself, too. And I couldn’t live with that. So I panicked and I ran. I’m not proud of it, but here we are.”

  “Indeed.”

  “You’re very loyal to your brother.”

  “I owe him a great deal.” He smiled faintly. “I was on my way to being a big disappointment when he stepped in. I literally owe him my life. So yeah...you being angry that I took your phone isn’t really going to shake me that much.”

  She should be mad, but the way he spoke about Stephen was so moving she couldn’t hold on to her anger. She had no idea what Stephen had done, but clearly it was something huge. All the knowledge did was make her feel worse about what she’d done. Stephen hadn’t deserved any of it. She should have spoken up sooner.

  Except there’d been the afternoon when they’d walked around the Baresi villa, soaking in the sun. He’d told her then about his parents’ love story, about how his father’s death had affected them all, about how the indomitable Aurora Germain Pemberton was grieving. He’d been grieving, too, so much. As a friend, it was hard to refuse him comfort in that moment. A few weeks later he’d visited her in Italy and had presented her with his plan.

  She looked at William and compared him to his brother. He wasn’t quite as imposing as Stephen, but there was a strength about him that was reassuring as well as being infuriating. He’d lost his father, too. And he’d had his own grief to deal with. Maybe not the same pressures as Stephen, who was the
eldest and the heir. But grief and adjustment all the same.

  “I’m sorry,” she said quietly now. “I’m sorry about your father. It must have been hard for you as well.”

  His eyes softened with sadness and pain. “He was a good man. Losing him was unexpected. We all managed to step into new roles in the company with only a few bumps. But living without him...that’s different. So many times I’ve wanted to call him and ask his advice, and I can’t.”

  “But Stephen’s been the one in the spotlight. I hope you and your siblings haven’t been forgotten.”

  He smiled a little. “Forgotten by the press? That’s a blessing.”

  Of course. And if anyone found out they were here together, he’d be in the press and...it explained why he was holding on to her phone.

  “Compromise?” she offered, her voice deliberately light. “You let me check my phone. You can vet any messages I send. And I will give it back to you. You trust me a little, and I’ll trust you.”

  He considered for a moment, his gaze holding hers. Something strange swirled through her belly at his close examination. It was as if he could see right into her and her thoughts and feelings. She didn’t really trust him at all. It was something he’d have to earn. But this might be a start.

  He reached inside the back pocket of his jeans and pulled out her phone.

  “You had it with you the whole time?” Gabi couldn’t help the censure that colored her words.

  And then he smiled. Smiled for the first time all morning. Had he smiled at all yesterday? She was hard-pressed to remember. But this one...oh, that swirly feeling came back with a vengeance. It lit up his face and made his eyes sparkle with impishness. Wasn’t this inconvenient? The last thing she needed was to find her ex-fiancé’s brother attractive.

  “Of course I had it with me. And I was going to suggest what you just did. I don’t want you to be a prisoner, Gabi. I just want this whole thing to be done cautiously and correctly.”

  “To protect Stephen.”

  “And the family. The tabloids will jump on any little thing, and while my mother is as strong as they come, I’d like to keep her from salacious speculation.”

  “You’re very loyal,” Gabi murmured, impressed despite herself.

  “I protect people I care about,” he admitted. “I didn’t always, but I do now.”

  “In addition to managing part of the family business.”

  “That, too. It’s been a big learning curve.”

  He handed her the phone and she cradled it in her hand. It was warm from being in his pocket and the knowledge felt more intimate than it should. “Thank you.”

  “After that, you’re welcome to explore the château and the gardens. Just please don’t leave the immediate property. As far as I know, no one knows we’re here.”

  On one hand it was lovely to know she wouldn’t be cooped up in the house. On the other, closeting her away felt strange and wrong. But it was only for a few days. That was what William had said.

  And William, she was quickly realizing, appeared to be a man of his word. So far.

  CHAPTER THREE

  WILL PRESSED THE phone to his ear and closed his eyes. “Yes, I know. No one knows we’re here, Stephen.”

  His brother went off again, and Will told himself to be patient. He understood Stephen being upset. He’d been betrayed, and if the truth got out, he’d be utterly humiliated. This wasn’t the first time. Being rich and an earl made him desirable. But he was also very human, and right now his pride was understandably smarting. He’d never truly gotten over Bridget’s betrayal. That was driving his emotion now more than Gabi, so William took a breath and stayed calm.

  When Will could finally get a word in, he interrupted. “You should know that she’s very contrite. She panicked. She didn’t do this to create problems for you.”

  Why he was defending Gabi was a mystery. Maybe it was the soft look in her eyes this morning. Or how she’d offered a compromise and had stuck to it, no tantrums or pouting or trying to renegotiate. He pinched the skin above his nose and sighed. “Stephen, it was a stupid idea in the first place. And if you think she was using you, perhaps you need to look in the mirror. You were using her, too.”

  There was silence on the other end.

  And then a click.

  The beginning of a headache began behind his eyes now. Great. Stephen was mad, and Will didn’t like that they were at odds. Meanwhile, he was stuck in France babysitting Gabi. Truthfully, that wasn’t much of a hardship. She was rather lovely. Stephen would remember that when he got past his hurt pride.

  He tucked the phone into his back pocket and stared out the window of his bedroom. There was very little of himself here; the rooms were professionally decorated and he’d always stayed in this room when they were in residence. His flat in Paris was much more his style. And yet he had to admit the light-colored walls and airy draperies contributed to the overall atmosphere of Château Germain: restful and calm.

  The windows overlooked the terrace gardens, and always gave him a measure of peace. At twenty-eight, he was young to be in charge of an actual division of Aurora, and at times he wondered if it was what he really wanted. But there’d never been any question that he’d be part of the business, just like all the Germain-Pemberton children. His mother had put him at the helm of the fashion side of the business six months ago, which still struck him as humorous. But as she pointed out, he didn’t need to know fashion to know business.

  And what he knew was that Aurora, Inc., would never compromise on quality. The Baresi family had been their supplier for cashmere for nearly two decades. It was in Aurora’s best interest to maintain that relationship.

  How convenient that a member of the Baresi family was under the same roof.

  A movement caught his eye, and he discovered Gabi walking through the terraced garden that led to the larger park beyond. His throat constricted as he tried to swallow. She wore the same dress she’d had on this morning, something simple with blue flowers on a white background, in a cut that emphasized her trim figure. But what really got his attention was her hair. This morning she’d been just out of the shower and it had been wound up in some sort of knot. But now it flowed down past her shoulders, a curtain of rich mink, thick and wavy. The kind of hair a man itched to sink his fingers into. He imagined doing so and hearing her sigh with pleasure...

  But Gabi was not for him. He wouldn’t do that to Stephen. Besides, they were all trying to avoid a scandal here.

  She stopped by a rosebush and he caught himself smiling as she leaned forward to smell a blossom. Could he be more of a fool?

  He wiped the smile from his face and decided to join her in the garden. There was no reason why she couldn’t have what she wanted. A deeper alliance with Baresi was a solid business move for Aurora. Stephen had attached conditions to his offer. William would, too, but it wouldn’t require anyone to sacrifice their principles or integrity. He’d do this for the company, and for Baresi, and let Stephen worry about procreating and providing an heir and a baby for their mother to bounce on her knee.

  * * *

  The garden reminded Gabi of home.

  Provençal climate meant many of the plants, shrubs and flowers were of the Mediterranean variety, and very unlike the English garden back at Chatsworth Hall. Boxwoods, olive trees and cypress flanked flower and herb gardens that cascaded down each terrace. The smell was incredible. She was sure she sensed the tart aroma of lemons and perhaps the softer scent of nectarine...was there an orchard somewhere on the grounds? In the garden proper there was rosemary and thyme and of course lavender, the savory scents soothing her frayed nerves as she made her way to the gurgling fountain in the very center.

  The fountain was a little oasis, with a few Aleppo pines providing a bit of shade and wicker furniture placed around it for a wanderer to take a moment to rest. She did, easing herself
into a chair with a creak. It was exceedingly comfortable, and Gabi let out a long, slow breath. Her anxiety had been on high alert for hours. She needed to decompress, so she focused on breathing, checking in with each of her senses.

  The feel of the chair, beneath her bottom, the armrests beneath her fingers, warm and dry and textured. The perfumed, soft air. The way the light breeze fluttered nearby leaves ever so gently, a susurrus of sound that shivered along her nerve endings, inviting her to relax. The sun on her face, and William, walking down the terrace with long-legged grace.

  William!

  So much for relaxing. She’d already agonized over her reaction to him this morning. Up until two months ago, she hadn’t even met Stephen’s brother. At the time she remembered thinking how handsome looks ran in the family, but she’d been so distracted by her father’s test results and Stephen’s proposition that he’d been relegated to the background.

  He wasn’t in the background now, and she still hadn’t figured out how to handle him. Or if she even should try.

  She reminded herself to relax her muscles, so that when he arrived by her side, she looked for all the world as if she were enjoying a sunny afternoon in a spectacular garden.

  “I see you discovered the gardens. They’re lovely, aren’t they?”

  “Some of it reminds me of home,” she replied, smiling up at him. “But the lavender...it weaves its way through everything, doesn’t it?”

  “You can’t see them, but there are fields nearby. And we always have some in the gardens.”

  “It’s supposed to be good for anxiety.” She laughed lightly. “My own little aromatherapy afternoon.”

  He looked over his shoulder and then back at her again. “If you need help relaxing, I did ask for some wine to be brought out. I’d like to talk to you about something.”

  Unease centered in her gut. So far, William had been honest, telling her exactly what was on his mind. She respected that. She could deal with that. She couldn’t deal with half-truths and angles and trying to pretty something up that was downright ugly. She’d been through enough of that already. She’d been willing to agree to Stephen’s offer because Luca had strung her along for two years before shattering her dreams. She wanted marriage and a family. Stephen had offered both. Luca, on the other hand, already had a wife. A wife she’d known nothing about until she’d had her own pregnancy scare. Then the truth had come out. Luca had broken her heart and made her feel stupid in equal measure.