“And if he turns out to be a bad man?”
“Then it will be time for someone to disappear.” Antonio watched her intently, waiting for her response.
Amy sighed. “I will pray very hard that he is a good man. It would break my heart if I had to disappear and never see any of you again.”
They both seemed stunned by her comment, and then Antonio rose. Walking behind the couch, he placed his hands upon Amy’s shoulders and whispered in her ear. “Don’t worry, Amy. I’d never let you disappear alone.” He then announced himself off to his new job.
Amy frowned, trying very hard to stop the pleasurable sensations she felt when Antonio touched her.
Mrs. Halloway studied her. “Is something wrong?”
“Yes, but I don’t know what to do about it.”
“Perhaps I can help?”
“It has nothing to do with my current problems,” Amy assured her.
“That doesn’t matter. My capacity for meddling knows no boundaries.”
Amy smiled. Yes, she would have loved to have Mrs. Halloway as her mother. “I would appreciate knowing your opinion of Antonio. Do you think him a good person?”
“I think him a very fine young man. Do you have reason to think otherwise?”
“No, it’s just sometimes he touches me…”
“Touches you?”
“As he just did, on my shoulders or on the small of my back.”
“Does it offend you? For I’m certain he would not do so if he knew it upset you.”
“It doesn’t offend me. It…well, it burns.”
“Burns?”
“Like right now, my shoulders still burn where he touched me. In fact, it feels like his hands are still there.”
“And you’ve never experienced this before?”
“No! Gunter and the Silent Three have touched me all my life, and it has just felt comforting. Once Antonio hugged me and my legs almost gave out from under me.”
Mrs. Halloway tried to hide her smile, but Amy spotted it. “Mrs. Halloway, this is serious. My symptoms are very much like Catherine described with the count!”
That removed Mrs. Halloway’s smile. She paused for several minutes before replying. “What Catherine and you have experienced is a very strong physical attraction to a particular man. In Catherine’s case, it was a disaster because he was not a good man. Your situation is very different. Antonio is a very fine man and while it is obvious that he cares a great deal for you, I am very certain he will not lose control and take advantage of you, unless you lead him to believe you wish it.”
“But I don’t wish it.”
“Then nothing will happen. But dear, do not disregard Antonio too quickly. For while he is born from good but common stock, he has done very well for himself. I believe there is a high probability that you could have a long and happy marriage with him.”
Amy stared at her in shock. “Why is my probability high when Catherine’s is small?”
“Because Catherine and Benjamin are not in love. All they have is great admiration and esteem for one another. I have only known one marriage where that was enough.”
“So, because my shoulders burn, you think Antonio and I would have a good marriage?”
“I certainly would not base it on the passion between you. First and foremost, I think the two of you are highly compatible and could easily be the best of friends.”
Amy nodded in agreement. In some ways, she had considered Antonio Bandito her friend all her life.
“Secondly, your backgrounds are remarkably similar. Both born of common mothers but raised to have the manners and education of gentry. You will both face the same barriers if you wish to enter the mainstream of society, thus can never blame the other. I have seen both humor and admiration spark between the two of you. I cannot think of anything but one issue that could mar the chances of a happy union.”
“What?” Amy asked.
“You are pure light, a true angel. Antonio is nothing of the kind. He is like John, Gunter, and the Silent Three.”
“What is wrong with that?”
“Nothing, except you have never seen the dark side of John or the others. As a wife, you would see Antonio’s dark side, and your reaction the first time you do will either bind you for life or tear your marriage apart.”
Uncle John spoke from his corner. “She’s right, Amy. Move slowly on this. It would be wise if you understood Antonio better before you allow your feelings to deepen.”
“You must think me shallow,” Amy said more to Uncle John than Mrs. Halloway.
“No, dear,” Mrs. Halloway assured her. “It is a frightening thing to see the man you love turn into something dark and full of rage, to take the lives of others without a single ounce of remorse.”
Amy suspected she had passed that test when Uncle John returned from London looking so demonic she could not recognize him. Yet Uncle John seemed to think there was a chance she would fail the test with Antonio. Could it be worse? Or had Uncle John simply not known how horrific he appeared?
Amy did not know, but she thought Father Duncan might.
Chapter 16
This time he would do it. He had put up with unimaginable impertinence from the scoundrel, but to ignore a direct order was beyond tolerance. Nicolas intended to fire Antonio, if the bastard had the nerve to even show his face.
The library door opened, and Nicolas stood ready to do battle.
Sicily walked in. “Mars said you had asked the carriage to be readied. That was very thoughtful of you, my love.” She wrapped her arms around his neck as she pressed her body against his.
His anger dissipated only a small bit, given this was the first sign of affection she had shown all week. “I am sorry Sicily, but I readied the carriage for myself.”
“But I have need of it.”
“As do I.”
She tilted her head prettily and smiled. “But Nicolas, my love, surely your needs can wait?”
“No, they cannot.” He thought of one need that could not last another day.
“What can possibly be so important?” She nuzzled his neck.
He gently pushed her away, finding her renewed affection highly annoying. “I could ask you the same.”
Her eyes turned dark and sullen. “If you insist on humiliating me, I will take a hired cab. Is that what you want? Am I to be degraded now? After all I’ve done for you, is this how I am to be treated?”
He stared at her in amazement. “Either you are losing your skill, or I am finally growing immune.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“It means you will require neither carriage nor cab. You, no doubt, intend to purchase something we cannot afford and do not need. That habit stops as of now. Your allowance is retracted and anything you require will be purchased by me, and only if I deem it absolutely necessary.”
She paled, and her mouth fell open, gapping like a fish out of water. “What?”
“I think you understood me.”
Her head shook slightly as her eyes narrowed in anger. “No, I don’t understand you at all.” She turned and stormed from the room.
Nicolas sighed with relief. He suddenly felt a great weight lift from his shoulders.
“Is this a permanent return to sanity or just temporary?” Antonio asked from the door.
“You are fired,” Nicolas declared as he reached for his jacket.
“If you are intending to use your carriage you should know that your angry wife just left in it.”
“Damn the woman! Mars, find me a cab!” he bellowed as he thrust his arms at the sleeves of the jacket.
Antonio came to his assistance. “Would you at least like to know why I disobeyed your order?”
“No. I don’t give a damn why you disobeyed it, only that you did. If I cannot trust you, then you make a poor valet and a poor friend. So as far as I can see, you no longer have any value to me whatsoever.”
“I can tell you where your wife has gone, and why her affe
ction no longer dazzles you.”
Nicolas stared out the window. “I’m listening up to the arrival of the cab.”
“She’s gone to General Bradley’s house, a place she visits frequently.”
“She and Sandra are close friends.”
“Not really. The blatant affair between Sicily and the general has caused Sandra to leave the city and take up residence in Italy. Did you know the general has a villa near your winery? He bought it several months ago. I find it amusing when Sandra chose that home to stake her battle. The general is quite angry about the matter. Has Sicily suggested selling the winery in the last few weeks?”
“I assume by the smirk upon your face that you know she has. Damn it, Antonio if you’ve known about this, why didn’t you have the decency to tell me?”
“I’ve been waiting for your blinders to fall, because as long as you were in her thrall there wasn’t any reason to tell you a thing. All it would have done was get me fired.”
“Don’t lie to me. You don’t need this job. You’ve never needed this job. Hell, you’ve probably more money than I do!”
“I do now. You started out with more, but once the Allens got their claws into you, you’ve bled money faster than any man I’ve seen. And I’m not just talking about the father. Until today, you refused to see that your wife was sucking you dry and leading you straight to destruction. And if you refused to see that calamity, what is one more love affair?”
“There’s been more than one?”
“Do you really want to know?”
“No, I want to know why you disobeyed my order today.”
“To protect you and Domnika.”
“Nothing has happened.”
“Now who is lying?”
“She has not been ruined.”
“I’m glad to hear it. But I was actually speaking of her life, not her virtue.”
“Her life?”
“Do you really believe Sicily will allow you to have an affair in her own house? The moment she caught wind, and the only reason she hasn’t yet is because she has not actually seen the two of you together since it has begun.”
“Nothing has begun!” Nicolas insisted.
Antonio spoke over his protest. “She would see Domnika dead once she knew.”
Nicolas stared at Antonio in shock. He opened his mouth to object.
“Please spare me the ‘she would never do such a thing.’ It’s why I disobeyed you instead of trying to talk sense into you. You have stubbornly refused to recognize that the seedling of a damaged tree will not grow straight and true. Theodore Allen raised and nurtured Sicily. She is her father in female guise. Allen never bothered to waste his charm on you after the marriage—that was Sicily’s job. But believe me; the man could be seductively charming when he wished. Why do you think so many people gave him money for his non-existent investment?”
Mars knocked on the door. “The cab is here, sir.”
“If you are planning to go retrieve the girls, or just Domnika, rest assured Mrs. Halloway will not give her up. She has a great affection for them both and plans to keep them until Catherine marries.”
“I know. I received her letter.”
“They are safe there. They are not here. You need to focus on your problems, Nicolas. You will lose this battle and endanger their lives if you try to bring them home.”
Nicolas told Mars to send away the cab. He then turned and stared at Antonio. “I have noticed Sicily uses war references in her speech now. Are you one of her lovers?”
“No, but the offer was made.”
“By whom?”
Antonio sighed. “Now you have insulted me. If I were still your employee, I’d quit. As it is, I will simply leave. Good luck, Nicolas. I mean that.”
Nicolas returned to his desk and pulled out a file. It was the assessments on all his properties including the London house. He shook his head in disgust. He had almost put the winery up for sale because Sicily was insistent they needed to sell it. How was he so easily controlled? Was she a mesmerist? He had thought mesmerism all bunk, but now he was not certain.
He called Mars back in and informed his butler he would need the cab after all. “Additionally, we are returning to the country and shutting down this house until it can be sold. You and Mrs. Jones are welcomed to move to the country as well. If you prefer to remain here, I can provide you excellent recommendations, but unfortunately, with my affairs as they are, I cannot offer you a pension. I can keep you on to manage the house through the sale and perhaps the new owner will take you on. I am sorry, you deserve better, but it is all I can offer.”
“I am sorry as well, sir, for I am the tenth generation of men to serve the Earl of Soundberry in this house. When you first came, sir…well, I never thought it would end like this.”
“Nor I,” he admitted. “I have failed everyone, including myself.”
“It’s not you who has brought us to this state.”
“No, but I married her, and I allowed her to run us into debt, so the fault still lies with me. Had I chosen a better wife—”
“Have you considered divorce, sir?”
He smiled at his butler. “Until today, I’ve not considered anything.
“Well, sir. If you were to divorce her by a Private Act of Parliament and then marry a nice young lady with a good dowry, perhaps you would not need to sell the house.”
“I will see what can be done.” He wished that Domnika had a large dowry, for the only woman he wanted was that proud defiant Russian princess.
Chapter 17
“The new Earl of Soundberry wishes to speak with you, ma’am. I placed him in the parlor.”
All three of the young ladies froze in fear.
“Don’t worry. I’ve got the King’s men on my side, there is no way he’ll take anyone from this house,” Ann Halloway assured the girls as she rose and left the room.
***
Entering the parlor, Ann studied the man before her. He looked tired and beaten, hardly the angry demanding pompous ass she had expected.
When he realized she stood before him, he rose and thanked her for seeing him.
She sat across from him and indicated for him to resume his seat.
He took in a deep breath and looked her in the eyes. “Let me begin by thanking you for offering the girls sanctuary.”
“But?”
“There is no condition to that statement. I thank you. I feel as if I’ve suddenly awoken from a foggy haze. I find I cannot rationally explain how I’ve come to be in my current situation.”
“And what situation is that?”
“My marriage, the fact I’ve lost more than half of the Soundberry properties and will likely lose more before I’ve fixed the problem.”
“And how do you plan to fix the problem?”
“By retrenching, deep and hard, and not giving in to my wife’s demands.”
“Do you mean to kill her?” Ann asked.
Nicolas stared at her in shock. “What? Good God, no!”
“Then I fear your plan will fail. In fact, if I recall, you tried this plan a year ago…”
“Yes, but I was blinded by my wife’s charm then. That is no longer the case.”
“Well, your open eyes might make the battle more interesting, but you will still lose, for Sicily will not retrench. While you may be squeamish to kill her, believe me, she will not hesitate to kill you. In fact, I am amazed she has not already tried.” Suddenly Ann stopped and then laughed. “But she has, only she failed to consider the side-effects.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The side-effects of arsenic. It impairs a man’s libido. That was how she always controlled you, was it not? Getting you so aroused that you couldn’t think straight?”
“Yes, I thought it was perhaps some form of mesmerism.”
“Possibly, but I doubt it. I’ve never met a true mesmerist in my life. No, I believe you have simply fallen prey to a seductress. Have you had headaches lately?”
“Yes, how did you know?”
“Another side-effect of arsenic. Do you mind if I examine your gums?”
Nicolas endured her invasive prodding of his mouth.
“I feel rather like a horse on the market,” he complained when she finally released him.
“Well, if it’s of any consolation, I wouldn’t buy you. In another month, you’ll be dead.”
“You are certain I am being poisoned?”
“Oh, absolutely,” Ann replied with a cherry lilt.
“I know I’m a disappointment to Uncle John, and you were his good friend, but I did not expect my near death to make you so happy.”
“Let’s be very clear on two matters. First of all, you aren’t just a disappointment, you are a very grand disappointment. The manner in which you have performed your duties as Amy’s guardian is abominable. For that you will not be forgiven, ever. However, in the matter of losing John’s property to a seductress, I can forgive you. Some people are highly susceptible to sensuous people. I believe given your reaction to Sicily and Domnika you are one of them.”
“Domnika? What did she tell you?”
“Nothing. But the fear on her face when I read your letter aloud told me all I needed to know.”
“Nothing happened, I swear it.”
“Of course, all young ladies, two days in your household look terrified when you ask them to be returned.”
“What I mean is that she is not ruined. I stopped before anything happened.”
“I’m glad to hear it. I had assumed the worst, for when a man loses all sense of propriety, it is very rare they stop. If you are here to ask her to return, I won’t allow it. You are to Domnika, what Sicily is to you. No good will ever come of this, Nicolas. If you truly care for the girl, as I can see you are going to claim, then you will let her be.”
“I do care for her,” he insisted. “And I believe it was Domnika that brought me to my senses, not arsenic.”
“You want to believe that, so you have an excuse to ruin her.”
“Damn, but you are a cold woman! Have you never loved anyone in your life?”
“The inability to control your anger is another symptom of arsenic poisoning.”
Love's Betrayals (The Extraordinary Life of Amy Winston Book 2) Page 9
