Love's Betrayals (The Extraordinary Life of Amy Winston Book 2)

by Liza O'Connor

“Well, you were sleeping very late and I was concerned that perhaps I hadn’t healed you completely yesterday.”

  “Did you find anything?”

  “Only fatigue, so I was healing that.”

  His eyebrows rose. “Your amazing skills continue to astound me.” He pulled her hand to his lips and kissed it. “Was there any special reason why you wanted me awake?”

  She blushed and withdrew her hands. “I just missed your company at breakfast and I wanted to ask you if you had a chance to find my other uncle yet.”

  “No, I’m sorry, I haven’t. With your deed safely recorded, it was no longer a priority. Do you still want me to find him?”

  She nodded. “Uncle John was angry at the father and mother for tossing my mother out when she had me, but Nelle told me my mother was as sweet and gentle as could be. I keep thinking that maybe my mother’s little brother will be sweet as well.”

  “I will see to this as soon as we have Nicolas and Sicily on their way. How is he today?”

  “As healed as he can be. The poison has damaged his heart beyond his body’s ability to repair.”

  “Is that what you do? Help the body repair itself?”

  “It’s a natural function of the body. I just help direct its efforts.”

  “How did you learn this?”

  “Gunter’s knees hurt him terribly and I discovered the warmth from my hands seemed to help. Then one day I realized that if I concentrated I could actually see the bone and cartilage of his knee in my mind. When Uncle John’s heart turned bad I could see the heart and I could sense wrongness, but I didn’t know what a heart was supposed to do, so I didn’t know how to guide the body to fix it.”

  “That’s when you began your study of medicine.”

  She nodded.

  “And were you able to help the colonel?”

  “Yes, he lived two years past the doctor’s estimates and might have lived longer except Mrs. Cole poisoned him.”

  Antonio stared at her. “Does Nicolas know this?”

  “I think we told him. I’m almost sure of it. It was a very hectic day. I had barely escaped being abducted and sold to a slave shop in London by Mrs. Cole. She had the townspeople and servants so riled up with claims that I had killed Uncle John with magic, that by the time Nicolas finally arrived there was little time to talk before I had to escape to the school.”

  Antonio remembered Gunter remarking on the two sentences of Nicolas’ letter announcing his marriage: ‘Sicily was settling in very nicely at the estate. Everyone, including Mrs. Cole was quite taken with her.’ No wonder Gunter wanted to kill him.

  Suddenly her hand was touching his face. “It’s the past, it cannot harm me now.”

  He captured her hand and pressed it to his heart. “You have the most forgiving heart I’ve ever known.”

  She smiled. “Father Duncan would be very glad to hear that. He spent great effort in teaching me the art of forgiveness. It’s good for your soul.”

  Holding her hand to his heart, he reached with his right hand and stroked her face. “I expect you are the finest student he has ever taught.”

  She smiled. “He seems pleased with me, but then he only sees my good side. He would have been sorely disappointed if he had seen me yesterday growling at poor Gunter.” She paused. “You didn’t seem too upset to discover I’m not all sweetness. In fact, you seemed to find it amusing.”

  “I was trying very hard not to laugh, but to see you looking so surly and ill tempered, glaring at Gunter as if you’d tear him limb from limb the moment he closed his eyes, it was both shocking and delightful.

  “Be careful, Antonio, or you’ll encourage me to show my bad side more often, and Father Duncan will not be happy with your influence on me.”

  “No, I imagine Father Duncan expects your good influence to improve me, not the other way around.”

  Amy stared at him in surprise. “Antonio, do you know Father Duncan?”

  “Yes, I do.”

  Seeing this pleased Amy, he explained how he and the Father had met. She showed neither shock nor fear by the exorcism but expressed her concern for Father Duncan.

  “He’s harmed more than is apparent when performing an exorcism.” She told how he had come from an exorcism when he joined her for Christmas. She spent much of the evening channeling her joy inside him to replenish his soul. “I once offered to come with him, to heal him afterwards, but he refused to consider the offer.”

  “Thank God,” Antonio muttered.

  Suddenly she looked to her left as if listening and then jumped from the bed, her face blushing deep red. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you were naked.”

  Before he could respond she had run from the room.

  Antonio looked down to ensure the sheet still completely covered him. He was confused as to why she had suddenly run off, but then realized the colonel must have brought to her attention that she conversed with a naked man.

  No wonder she was so incredibly innocent. With the colonel and his four soldiers watching over her, what chance could a suitor possibly have?

  Chapter 25

  By the time Antonio had bathed and dressed, everyone was seated for lunch. Amy sat with Domnika and Catherine and blushed the moment he entered the room. As lunch progressed, he noticed Domnika refused to look at Nicolas, while Nicolas focused entirely on Domnika, despite Ann’s determined attempts to distract him.

  Near the end of the meal the butler entered and whispered in her ear. Ann sighed and looked at Antonio, and then Nicolas. “General Bradley is on the steps demanding to speak to Nicolas while his troops besiege the house as we speak.”

  Instantly the men stood.

  “Sit down,” Ann ordered. “There is no need for panic. Amy, Domnika, and Catherine, you will go to the safe room. Catherine knows the way. Leave immediately, please. Gunter, follow them and ensure they are safely tucked away. Nicolas, you and I will greet the general.” She looked at Antonio. “Should we admit to knowing Sicily is missing or not?”

  “You should not believe such a claim at all. As far as you know, Sicily is in your house.” Antonio stood. “Ann, his men are professional and deadly. We need to secure the premises now.”

  “Go,” she ordered and looked at her butler. “You know what to do.” The butler nodded and walked with determination to the kitchen. Soon a low bell rang through the house and the servants went into a flurry, some to safety and others to locate weapons.

  Nicolas was more than a bit startled. Although Ann had proved herself to be a formidable socialite and meddling busybody, he had never imagined her commanding men in such a decided fashion. Thus, he was a bit unnerved as they took their places in the drawing room. “Feel free to confront him about his affair, but not so blatantly as to cause me to swoon.”

  “I hardly think that would be possible,” Nicolas said.

  Ann laughed at his reply. “It is not only possible, but very likely.”

  Just then, the general entered the room, full of fury and bluster. The sight of Ann took him entirely by surprise. “Lady Halloway, I did not expect you to be here.”

  “Why ever not? This is my house.”

  “Yes, of course, but I had requested to speak to the Earl.”

  “And the Earl is in my company at the moment. Really, Bradley, Sandra may put up with such heavy-handed bullying, but I shall not. Now you may either sit and join our company or leave, but I will not be bullied away in my own house.”

  The general’s eyes flickered to the wall and frowned when he found his back to the windows. Seeming to find both couches objectionable, he finally chose to sit next to Ann, evidently finding her less objectionable, or perhaps he simply wanted a better angle to glare daggers upon Nicolas. “Where is Sicily?” the general demanded.

  Nicolas paused from sipping his tea. “I beg your pardon?”

  “Your wife…where is she?”

  “I’m glad you still remember that she is my wife.”

  “Where is she?”

&n
bsp; “At home, I presume.”

  “She is not in your house!”

  “Then I suppose she has gone out. You are not the only person she attends.”

  The general jumped to his feet. “What are you saying?”

  At this point, Ann decided to reduce the tension. “General, please! Your voice is going to bring the ceiling down upon our heads. I must ask that you calm yourself and explain what has you in such a lather over the Earl’s wife. Has she borrowed money?”

  Both men stared at her in shock. “Oh dear, that was bluntly stated, wasn’t it? I’m sorry, Nicolas, but it’s a thinly veiled secret at best. Besides the general, there are at least ten other debts outstanding.”

  “With ladies or men?” Nicolas asked.

  Ann coughed softly. “There are no ladies with access to such sums.”

  Nicolas stared at the general. “Does my wife owe you money?”

  “I am not here about money.”

  “But does she owe you money?”

  The general shifted in his seat, as if unsettled by the question. “I may have loaned her a pound or two when the tight-fisted allowance you provide did not meet her needs.”

  Nicolas laughed. “Tight-fisted? Well, I hope you were well paid for your money, for you’ll never see a dime of it returned.”

  “So, you do not honor your debts then,” he snarled with contempt. “I should have expected as much.”

  “Yes, you should have,” Nicolas replied. “But if you can find a letter with my signature upon it, bring it forth and it will be paid.”

  “You pathetic imposture. I don’t want your damn money,” the general growled.

  “No, you appear to want my damn wife.” Nicolas then apologized to Ann for his language.

  “I rarely swoon from a curse or two,” she assured him. “General would you like tea or a biscuit to settle your stomach. Truly, you seem on the verge of an emotional breakdown. That hasn’t happened to you since the battle of Ponce de Ville, I believe.”

  The general glared at her in shock and then stood up to further his distance from her. “You, madam, are no lady!”

  “I am as much a lady as you are a general.”

  Nicolas choked at her reply. The noise brought the general’s fury back upon him. “I will go to the police then, for I believe you have harmed your wife. Unless you present her to me, immediately, I will go to the Metropolitan Police.

  Nicolas stared at him in amusement. “If you have any evidence that I have harmed my wife, in any way, then you should go immediately to the police. However, since I know your accusation to be completely ridiculous, I can only pity the fool it will make you look when you do.”

  “General, why on earth would you think Nicolas would harm his wife?” Lady Halloway inquired.

  “Because he discovered that… He may have heard rumors that suggested Sicily and I were more than just friends.”

  Lady Halloway softly snorted. “Well, excuse me for being so blunt, but any possibility that was merely a rumor was put to rest when Sandra left you and moved into the villa you recently purchased, which just happens to reside a mile from the Earl’s winery in Italy. However, my question was broader in scope. Why would you think Nicolas would pay any more attention to this rumor than all the rumors before? It is not the first time that speculation has turned to certainty. Let’s be honest, Sicily lacks discretion in both decorating and affairs.”

  She looked at Nicolas. “Forgive me, for I know you still love the silly chit, but if her lovers are going to start barging into parlors demanding her whereabouts, then you need to remove her from London. While it would make certain tea parties considerably more interesting, it will socially ruin you.

  She then looked at the general. “And you, sir, have clearly lost your mind. Not only have you come uninvited into my house, attempted to dismiss me from my own parlor, but you then openly declare yourself Sicily’s lover and demand she be handed over. If I told half this tale to the ton, you would be ruined for life. You may do well to consider the consequences of losing your position in society before you open that offensive mouth and say one more rude word in my presence. At this moment, my silence is all that stands between you and social annihilation.”

  It was as if Ann’s cutting voice had punctured him, releasing all his hot air and bluster. He stood in a confused fluster as he came to terms with his own precarious position and then begged her leave, escaping from the house as if it were on fire.

  “Well, we did a splendid job. I wonder how the King’s best are doing.”

  “Shall we go see?” Nicolas asked.

  “We would only be in the way and cause someone to get injured on our behalf. No, it is better to allow each player to perform their own duties.”

  “I have sorely underestimated you, Ann. You are a most formidable general. I now see why my Uncle John was so fond of you.”

  She smiled. “Well, let us be clear on one matter, Nicolas. I am still not pleased with you, and you will have to work very hard and become a better man than you are today to gain my favor.”

  He lifted her hand from her lap and kissed it. “I will endeavor to do so.”

  Chapter 26

  “This is unbearable,” Amy complained as she paced the floor. “I cannot believe they have locked us up like children—by your mother’s orders, no less!”

  Catherine sighed as she sewed a colorful, landscape sampler. “If she thought we were children there would be a nanny with us. Mother is adamant that unnecessary pieces be removed from the board. They just get in the way of the pieces that need to do their job. She and Nicolas were needed to handle the general, the King’s best needed to handle the men surrounding the house. There was no role for two brilliant young ladies and their soon to be brilliant friend. If someone is hurt, you can be certain she will pull you out in a second, Amy. But until then, we are not needed.”

  Domnika looked up at Amy. “It’s a good strategy. I could prove it if you’d let me play you a game of chess where I begin with only five pieces on board.”

  Amy stopped pacing. “Very well, you’ve convinced me. It’s just hard, for I’ve always wanted to be a foot soldier.”

  “Well, that isn’t your skill. Although if they need a tracker or a locksmith, you’ll be called as well.” Catherine tied off the green strand and pulled out the thick brown thread for the trunk of a tree.

  Domnika frowned and located a darker shade of brown and handed it to her friend. “You’ve no reason to complain, Amy. You’ve far more useful skills than either of us. I can’t think of a single skill I have to offer…”

  Catherine smiled at Domnika and threaded the string she offered. “Languages. You both speak five languages.”

  “Domnika speaks ten now.”

  “As do you,” Domnika countered.

  “But you speak them better.”

  Domnika smiled. “Excellent, if we acquire a prisoner, and he is Russian, German, Dutch, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Swiss, or English, then I will interrogate him.”

  Amy laughed. “You are very good at interrogation, so he will no doubt spill his guts.”

  “Amy! What a horrible expression!” Catherine complained.

  “Gunter says it all the time.”

  “Well, don’t say it while you are dancing with a gentleman, it will no doubt make him lose his footing.” She then told them of an event last season where a lost footing brought down half the ballroom before the disaster ended. In fact, to provide a visual she located a box of dominoes and placed them on a table in couples, which she gave names and amusing descriptions of their personalities. She then showed how Mr. Saltern’s lost footing caught Emeline’s dress, which threw her into Jeffrey, knocking him onto Ronald who let go of Ashley sending her into Mrs. Carruthers, who struck her partner so hard they fell to the floor with Mrs. Carruthers on top of Mr. Adams.”

  As she showed the one domino struggling and wiggling to get up, Domnika and Amy were both in tears from their laughter.

&nb
sp; “You should write these stories down,” Domnika declared.

  “With illustrations,” Amy added.

  “Yes, and then what would I do with them?” she chided. “I would never be invited to another ball.” She paused and considered that. “Maybe I should write them down…”

  “That would make a fine puppet show as well,” Domnika observed, taking the Mrs. Carruthers domino and flopping it about on the Mr. Adams domino. “Oh, Mr. Adams what are you doing?” she mimicked in a squeaky voice. “I’m not doing anything, Mrs. Caruthers,” her low voice replied. “Then let me go, let me go.” “I haven’t got you, madam. Your dress is stuck on my vest.”

  Domnika stopped and handed the Mrs. Caruthers domino to Catherine. “It’s much better when you do it.”

  Before the dominoes could get into further mischief, the door opened, and Mrs. Halloway entered. Her expression went from a hard general to loving mother in a second. “I see you have entertained yourself nicely.” She eyed the dominoes. “Are you planning a battle?”

  “No, I was describing the debacle last year when Harry lost his footing,” Catherine explained.

  Mrs. Halloway smiled. “Perhaps you could show it to me later this evening, for I’ve never understood how that escalated into such a disaster.” A moment later, the face of a general reappeared. “Right now, I need all of you downstairs. Amy your medical skill is required. Domnika and Catherine, I would like you to assist her, following her orders to the letter. Is that understood?”

  All three girls jumped to their feet, demanding to know who had been hurt. A sharp bark brought them to silence.

  “I do not need hysterical young ladies, I need a doctor and two assistants. You will not run down and cry upon the soldiers. We may be female, but there is no reason we cannot display equal bravery and decorum as the men. Am I understood?”

  A solemn ‘yes ma’am’ was muttered by all three.

  “Do not disappoint me,” she warned.

  Amy was terrified. All her men were fearless of danger. It could be any one of them. Not Antonio, she mentally prayed. Not Antonio.

  As they followed Mrs. Halloway down the stairs she asked Amy if she had learned the triage of battle surgery. Amy gulped and admitted she had not, nor was she a surgeon.