The Elusive Earl

by Maddison Michaels

  Brianna, in turn, stepped in front of him again, using herself as a shield between the two men.

  “If you were actually married, that would be true,” Alessandro narrowed his eyes, his fists clenching as well.

  She shook her head. “If you think we are not married, Captain, why do you not say anything to your men?”

  “It is safer if everyone thinks you are married,” Alessandro said. “At least for the time being.”

  “Why?” Daniel demanded.

  Alessandro exhaled, and his eyes darted over to Brianna. “Did you know your mother was betrothed to the Duke of Siprezino before she ran off and married your father?”

  She wiped her suddenly clammy hands on the skirt of her dress. She’d never particularly liked hearing others discuss her parents, and for some reason, this particular topic made her feel somewhat uncomfortable. She’s always imagined them as gallant explorers. She’d never considered that her mother may have broken a promise to someone else to run off with her father. “No, I had not known that.”

  “What does that have to do with anything?” Daniel interjected, sounding rather annoyed.

  Alessandro’s upper lip curled in a rather condescending fashion. “It means that if you can’t prove you are married, then the Principessa will most likely be forced to honor the Bartelli pledge made by her mother so long ago and marry the Duke or his heir.”

  Brianna brought her fingertips up to her temples and began massaging them in slow circles, trying to ward of the certain headache she knew was on its way. “I am betrothed to a third man? Oh, goodness, not again…”

  “Again?” Alessandro questioned, a look of bafflement crossing his face.

  “Well, not that I was ever truly betrothed to the two other men,” Bree rushed out, trying to sound calm and composed, but she knew she was failing miserably. “It was just a rather unfortunate miscommunication with some gentlemen in Naples, you see. I don’t speak Italian, so I didn’t know they were asking me to marry them.”

  “Is the Duke’s heir Lanseko Di Marchetta?” Daniel interrupted.

  A hint of surprise flashed in Alessandro’s eyes before the slate gray returned to neutral once again. “I wasn’t aware you knew of the politics of my region. But yes. Lanseko is the current Duke of Siprezino’s son. I assume the duke is, as we speak, petitioning Prince Alberto to make good on the past betrothal promise. Whether the duke intends to seek the betrothal for himself or his son, I am unsure.”

  “For himself?” Brianna exclaimed. “If the duke was betrothed to my mother, he is old enough to be my father.”

  Alessandro shrugged. “His wife died several years ago. Surely, remarrying a much younger woman is as common a practice in England as it is in Italy?”

  “It is,” Daniel acknowledged.

  “Where do I know that name Di Marchetta from?” Bree wondered aloud, certain she’d heard it before.

  “Lanseko Di Marchetta was one of the two men you accidentally became betrothed to in Naples,” Daniel said.

  “Oh…” Bree’s jaw dropped slightly from the information. But then she gasped in outrage. “That fiend! He must have known who I was from the start and was trying to trap me into marriage. Mind you, I’d probably prefer him to his father.”

  “Brianna…” Daniel’s voice held a hint of warning. “Would you stop talking of marrying other men?” He reached into his bag and removed the courier satchel before pulling out a slip of paper from inside. “Our marriage certificate, Captain.”

  Alessandro took the paper and unfolded it. He studied the slip in detail. “This may work to void the late Principessa’s promise, though it’s technically not recognized in Italy.”

  “But I don’t understand?” Bree said. “Why would I have to honor my mother’s promise?”

  “It is an old custom involving the great houses of the regions. Basically, it is used to ensure that a noble family is held responsible as a whole for any promises made from an individual of the family,” Alessandro began. “Because your mother was promised to marry to marry the Duke of Siprezino, the house of Di Marchetta has a right to expect the house of Bartelli to honor the promise.”

  “But that is ridiculous,” Bree fumed. “How can I be held responsible for my mother’s actions? What an old and antiquated custom.”

  “That may be the case,” Alessandro agreed. “But it has been done for centuries. It is rare for a house not to honor an agreement, and generally, they would only fail to do so if it would be in contravention of the rules of the church.”

  “Which is why we need to prove we are married.” Daniel’s voice was flat. “So Bree is not forced to marry.”

  “Yes.” Alessandro agreed. “Obviously, now that news has spread that the Principessa is alive, the Duke of Siprezino will be seeking to ensure the betrothal between the noble houses is fulfilled.”

  “Why do you care about the matter?” Bree asked him.

  The Captain shrugged. “Cosenza is my home. It does not need a power-hungry man like the Duke of Siprezino getting his hands on the wealth of the land through marriage, either via himself or his son. Under his rule, the province would become a dictatorship, as his own town has become. Which is why I am glad this certificate of yours appears authentic. Although, I still believe the Duke will discover the truth, as I have. He is very ruthless and determined when he wants something.”

  Daniel quirked his brow. “And what did you discover to seem so certain Brianna and I are not married?”

  “I overheard the Principessa’s aunt and cousin Miss Penderley mentioning the matter.”

  “Aunt Edith and Milly?” Bree took a step towards the man. “But when did you even meet them? Are they all right?”

  “They are fine, Principessa. They are traveling with an Englishman and some guards, towards Cosenza. We met at an inn along the way, and I overheard the name Penderley,” Alessandro explained. “Which is how I knew they were related to you. Hence I introduced myself. But do not fret. I had one of my men fetch some guards from the carabinieri regiment, and he, along with the carabinieri, were then to accompanying your family to Cosenza, for their protection.”

  It was such a relief to Bree to hear that they were fine and obviously well protected.

  “You eavesdropped on them?” Daniel bluntly stated.

  Alessandro actually smiled. “Not intentionally, but I did hear the Principessa’s cousin and her aunt discuss the Principessa, and they never once referred to you as her husband.”

  “And you gathered from that alone that we are not married?” Bree could hear the derision in Daniel’s voice. “A rather far jump to make, is it not?”

  Alessandro’s smile grew even wider. “Perhaps, though I also have contacts in Europe, and I hear that you are missing your sister’s wedding to be here in order to save Miss Penderley. There has certainly been no talk of a recent marriage involving either of you. I put two and two together; that’s how you English say it, no?”

  Brianna gasped and turned accusing eyes onto Daniel. “Sophie is getting married? And you didn’t think to tell me?”

  He had the grace to look slightly sheepish. “We’ve been rather busy with this whole situation. Didn’t really think to mention it, to be honest.”

  “She is my dearest friend in the world. How could you not think to do so?”

  He shrugged. “It slipped my mind.”

  “Why, you insensitive brute!” Bree pulled the satchel from off her shoulder and swung it at his arms, which Daniel dodged effortlessly. “How could you think such a thing? Sophie is like a sister to me. I shall never forgive you for not telling me she was getting married.” She suddenly stopped. “Who is she marrying? Is it the Devil Duke?”

  “How on earth did you know that?” Daniel asked.

  “I always thought it was obvious they were destined for each other, ever since she fell out of a tree and landed at his feet.”

  “What do you mean, fell out of a tree?” There was an edge of outrage slowly building in his tone. />
  Drat it. Of course Sophie hadn’t told her brother about the event. “Perhaps you should have her explain the details to you?”

  “Brianna…tell me,” he all but ordered.

  Bree sighed. Well, at least if she informed him now, he couldn’t throttle Sophie straight away. “Last year, she was at the Duke’s ball and happened to find herself climbing a tree, perhaps to, ah, check on someone through the window…and, um, then she may have fallen and possibly interrupted the Devil Duke’s nighttime activities in the garden…with another woman.”

  “I should have killed him when I had the chance.” Bree could see the fury building in the swirling green depths of his eyes. “And who was it, I wonder, who taught my sister how to climb a tree in what was obviously a ball gown, no less?” The fury was now directed solely at her.

  “Clearly a useful skill any lady should be educated in.” Bree pulled back her shoulders and raised her chin.

  “I hate to interrupt,” Alessandro said. “But perhaps you can both discuss this subject after I show you to your room below? I must speak with the boat captain again.” He paused and regarded them both. “I think it best, for the time being, that you continue this charade of being married. At least, until the Prince is apprised of the true situation, and then we can formulate a suitable plan.”

  “We won’t be forming any plans, Captain,” Daniel said, a decided edge of menace to his voice. “Brianna and I will be deciding what we do or do not do once we reach Cosenza.”

  “And our first priority,” Bree added, “will be to save my cousin. Captain, if you would show me to the location of the cabin, I would be grateful.”

  “Of course, Principessa,” he replied, then gestured over to the small set of stairs leading down below.

  Bree followed him down the steps.

  Daniel’s hand closed over her upper arm from behind. Bree paused in her stride, trying not to think of how his very touch sent a thrill through her. “What is it?”

  He motioned with his chin at the small space. “Will you not be frightened?”

  Well. His concern surprised her, but only a little. “Thankfully, it is only caves and underground spaces that seem to affect me.”

  He nodded and let go of her arm. She felt unaccountably bereft at the loss of contact but then shook her head and recommenced following the Captain. Thoughts like that were going to get her into trouble.

  She could just imagine it now, married to him, and him forever resentful that she wasn’t a meek and dutiful wife, while she herself resented being forced to stay home and ensure the smooth running of his household. Of course, she’d fail miserably at such a task, as domestic affairs were definitely not in her repertoire of skills. And then she would never again be allowed to go on a relic-hunting adventure… She would be miserable. They both would be.

  “I am sorry I didn’t tell you about Sophie,” Daniel said, following her down the short staircase.

  His apology sounded genuine.

  “Thank you,” she said over her shoulder to him.

  The thought of Sophie’s impending nuptials helped drag her thoughts away from her traitorous heart and filled her with a sense of happiness for her friend. If anyone deserved to marry and find love, it was Sophie. And Bree knew, without a doubt, only love would have compelled her independently minded friend to marry anyone, particularly after all of her protestations that she was dedicating her life to the orphanage her mother had founded.

  But Daniel would never let go of the rigid barriers he had set up to protect his heart to ever succumb to love. Bree was certain about that if nothing else.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Casolesi Forest, Calabria Region

  The scrape of the door opening woke Travis instantly. His eyes snapped open, and he listened in the pitch black, careful to keep his breathing even and calm, mimicking the soft motion of sleep.

  Whoever had opened the door slipped into the room silently, with neither torch nor uncertainty. The footsteps were a mere whisper against the rotting floorboards as they crossed directly over to the bed where Travis was lying.

  “I hope I do not have to shake you awake,” the confident voice of the woman who had haunted his dreams for the past few nights spoke into the silence.

  “I thought you had changed your mind.” Travis sat up and swung his still tied-up legs from the bed onto the floor, his ribs not hurting nearly as much as they had a few days prior.

  “I never change my mind once it is made.” Her smooth voice held a hint of censure. “Now, stay still, or you will be cut.”

  Travis felt her hands travel down the length of his legs until they reached the rope binding his ankles together. He could feel a tug as she used some sort of knife to cut through it. A minute later, the thick bands fell away.

  He sighed. The rough braiding had been biting into his flesh for days, and having the material no longer rubbing against him was a relief.

  “Your hands,” she demanded next.

  “How can you see anything in the dark?” He held out his tied wrists toward her.

  “I am used to the dark.” She began sawing through the rope. “It has been my friend for many years. There,” she said as she cut through the last of the binding.

  Travis heard the rope thump to the floor, and gingerly, he rotated his wrists, reveling in having the freedom to do so. “What now?” he asked his rescuer.

  “Now, you follow me and do exactly what I say.” She took his right wrist in her hand, her touch surprisingly gentle against the raw flesh of his skin as she helped him stand.

  She led him to what Travis presumed was the doorway. Clearly, her night vision was a great deal more attuned than his own. She slowly opened the door a fraction and peeked out before leading him out of the room.

  The sconces in the hallway were turned low, but Travis could still make out the shape of a man lying in a heap on the floor.

  “Is he dead?” he asked.

  “Of course not,” Sabina replied harshly. “I wouldn’t kill one of my father’s men. I simply assisted him with taking a much-needed rest.”

  “Obviously,” Travis mumbled as she led him farther down the passage. He briefly wondered how such a slip of a woman could manage to render the big man unconscious on the floor. He’d have to ask her once they were safely away.

  “Come,” Sabina urged as she pushed through a side door and stepped out into the night.

  The outside of the compound was nearly as black as the inside had been, though there was a hint of moonlight peeking out from behind some heavy clouds and offering at least a small measure of light. Across the dirt path, he glimpsed dense foliage and thick trees lining the track.

  He had no idea where he’d been brought, or even if he was still in the Cosenza region. After he’d been blindsided by three men who’d stuffed a hessian bag over his head and tied up his arms and legs, he’d been thrown into the back of a horse-drawn wagon. From there, he’d had no idea of how long they’d traveled before the vehicle arrived at this compound, which consisted of a huddle of isolated wooden buildings set at the foot of a mountain and surrounded by woods.

  Sabina led him across the track and into the forest, her stride never once faltering. The woman must have the vision of a cat. She deftly maneuvered over some of the low branches littering the ground, and he followed suit as best as he could, his body still stiff and not fully recovered from the beating he’d received a few days earlier.

  “Where are we going?” he asked.

  “Shh,” she silenced him, tightening her fingers around his wrist, whether in warning or threat, Travis couldn’t hazard a guess. He’d never met somebody that confounded him as this woman did. And he’d only spoken to her for, at best, five minutes in their entire acquaintance. She was an enigma, and unfortunately, Travis rather liked to unravel puzzles. Even though he was certain that this particular puzzle could prove lethal if he was not extremely careful.

  He stubbed his toe on a tree root and had to stifle the curse that h
ad been about to flow from his lips. She released her hold on his wrist but continued on through the forest.

  Travis gritted his teeth and stumbled after the woman.

  A few minutes later, the trees began to recede, and he could make out a small clearing up ahead.

  “I am assuming you can ride?” She spoke barely above a whisper.

  He rolled his eyes, though he doubted she could see that in the dark. “Of course I can, I am English, after all.”

  “And as arrogant as your fellow countrymen, too, it would seem.”

  He was about to reply when he heard the sound of horses gently braying up ahead. He followed Sabina into the clearing, and the wan light from the moon shone on the gleaming coats of two black stallions that had been tied to some low-hanging branches.

  “Come,” Sabina said, striding over to the smaller of the two animals. She deftly untied the harness from the branch and motioned him over.

  He took the leather from her outstretched hand before she calmly walked over to the larger of the two animals, a magnificent beast who was even now stamping his hooves impatiently. She whispered something to the horse before she untied the animal’s tether, too.

  “At best, we have a few hours before your escape will be discovered.” She lifted a leather-clad boot into the stirrup and swung her other leg up and over the beast until she was perched atop the saddle.

  “Stop staring and hurry up,” she commanded.

  Travis shook his head but did as she said. His body cringed from the sudden ache in his ribs as he swung up and settled himself onto the saddle. The horse bucked slightly, but he nimbly flicked on the reins, and the animal settled instantly.

  He looked over at Sabina and was pleased to see a somewhat impressed expression on her face. At least, that’s what he was guessing was there; it was rather dark to tell for certain.

  Without saying another word, she urged her horse forward and through the clearing. Travis did the same, following behind.

  The night air was crisp, the chill of the evening washing over him, invigorating him as nothing else had since he’d been captured. He was finally free. Never had he appreciated the feeling so greatly as he did right at this moment.