The Love I Never Knew: Contemporary Romance Mystery (Ariadne Silver Romance Mystery #1)

by Morris Fenris

  “Grazie.” she said as she sipped the bubbly juice.

  Lorenzo held her gaze and she could sense he needed her to pay attention. He was thinking his words through with great concern to get them phrased correctly. “I have to explain.”

  Lillian shook her head. “No, no you don’t.”

  His eyes pleaded with her. “Please.”

  She didn’t say anything, she nodded her head and sipped her drink, listening.

  “When I was little boy, my padre, he had a best friend. They grew up together in Rome. They went to the same University, got married in the same year and had children very close together.”

  Lillian didn’t understand why he was telling her this, but she continued to listen.

  “I was born and then Sophia, my padre’s friend’s daughter. When we turned ten they decided we should marry one day, when we were older.”

  Lillian nearly spit her drink out across the table. “At ten, how can that be? You were children.” Lillian could not fathom the idea that people still arranged marriages. “Enzo, why are you telling me this?”

  “Listen, please.” he reached for her hand and she slid it off the table. “There was a car accident.” Lorenzo paused and his eyes looked to the morning sky. Lillian could sense a deep sadness in him and his bright green eyes filled with shinning tears that did not escape. This time Lillian reached for his hand. She folded her fingers between his and gave them a reassuring, comforting squeeze.

  “She passed away?”

  Enzo’s eyes went wide, as if that question was totally unexpected. He shook his head, “No, no she is alive.” He paused to acknowledge her tender kindness. “My padre and his friend, died in the car accident when I was fifteen.”

  Lillian swallowed hard; she was shocked that he was telling her this.

  “Our mothers wish to keep the wedding promise and I am to marry next year.” he finished.

  “Sophia?”

  “Si.”

  Lillian took a deep breath. “So that is why you were so upset about last night. I am sorry. I shouldn’t have. Oh please don’t think ill of me. I had no idea.”

  Enzo lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the warm skin of her palm; it stopped her mid-babble. Lillian blushed and pulled her hand back. Why would he do that when he was engaged to be married?

  “Lilly, you are beautiful. If I could be…” he struggled for the word. “free. I would choose you.”

  Lillian tried to appear unaffected. She let her features turn light and attempted to confer and air of nonchalance. “No worries, Enzo. Will you still be my tour guide?”

  http://www.amazon.com/Romance-Between-Novella-Mystery-Suspense-ebook/dp/B016OXY5SE

  Sample from Prince of Monte Carlo

  http://www.amazon.com/Romance-Prince-Novella-Mystery-Suspense-ebook/dp/B016ON2X2E

  Chapter 1

  Eliza was sitting in on the sofa in her favorite pair of pajamas when her life was changed forever. She had debated not answering the phone at all as she zoned out to The Wheel of Fortune, but something inside her told her that she should. She did, and now here she was lying in a poolside cabana at a five star hotel in Monte Carlo. Before she had entered the Caffeine Extreme ‘Live like Royalty in Monte Carlo’ contest, she didn’t even know where Monte Carlo was.

  Eliza had never been a particularly lucky person, in fact, if anything she was quite the opposite. When she was six years old she had drowned after getting caught in the rip current at Venice Beach. She considered herself lucky to be alive, but her string of unfortunate accidents continued in to her early adulthood. Despite only being twenty three, Eliza had so far drowned, been struck by lightning, been bitten by a diamondback rattle snake and had her apartment catch fire. When she found out that she had won the Caffeine Extreme contest however, she was sure that her luck was turning around. After all, she had thought to herself, it HAD to be her time. Now, as she stretched out under the warmth of the sun, she was sure that it was.

  “Excuse me mademoiselle?” Eliza opened her eyes to see a tall dark haired man standing beside her with a small silver tray balanced on his hand. “May I get you anything? A drink perhaps?” He raised a questioning eyebrow. Eliza looked down at her glass.

  “Umm, sure, I could use a fresh drink if you don’t mind? This one is all melted ice.” She handed the sweating glass to the waiter and he took it with a nod.

  “What would you like?” He asked. Eliza paused for a moment.

  “I think…maybe something fruity?” She squinted up at him.

  “Perhaps mademoiselle would like a piña colada?” he asked.

  “A piña colada would be perfect, thank you.” The waiter nodded his head.

  “Very well. I will be right back.” He flashed her a toothy smile and walked away. Eliza watched him go, admiring his firm buttocks in his long linen pants.

  Looking over to the pool, Eliza watched a slender woman in a skimpy bikini swimming laps. She wondered how her breasts didn’t simply fall out of her bra from the pull of gravity. They were huge. As the woman reached the far end of the pool she stood up and adjusted her panties. Eliza smiled at her and she smiled back. Eliza had never been interested in women, but if she was, she decided, she would be interested in this one.

  Reaching down, Eliza put on her sunglasses so that she could stare at the woman without looking as though she was staring. She picked up her book and set it on her thighs to look as though she was reading. The woman swam like a fish, cutting smoothly through the water with barely a splash. When she reached the end of the pool closest to Eliza she hung on to the side.

  “Bonjour!” She said in an affectionate voice.

  “Bonjour!” Eliza said as she slid her sunglasses down the bridge of her nose.

  “Comment allez-vous?” She asked, blinking her big eyes, her eyelids glistening with water.

  “I’m sorry,” Eliza offered. “I don’t speak French, bonjour is about as far as I get!” The woman laughed demurely, covering her mouth.

  “Is okay, I speak English.” She said. “I ask, how you are?”

  “Oh! I’m very well, thank you! Better with this beautiful sunshine!” Eliza added, “How are you?”

  “I am also very well, thank you.” The woman put her palms flat against the concrete beside the pool and lifted herself lithely out of the water. Eliza couldn’t tear her eyes away as the water ran off the slender brunette’s perfectly shaped body. “My name is Marcella.” She grabbed a towel off the sunbed beside Eliza and rubbed herself down with it.

  “My name is Eliza.” Eliza said.

  “Nobody sit here do they?” Marcella said nodding to the sunbed in front of her. Eliza shook her head.

  “No, you’re welcome to join me!” Marcella smiled and spread the wet towel over the bed before lying down.

  “Eliza, a very pretty name.” She stretched one long tanned leg out in front of her.

  “Thank you.” Eliza turned her head to look at Marcella.

  “I like your name much more.” Marcella looked over at Eliza.

  “You are very sweet. You are from America, no?” Eliza nodded.

  “Yes, I’m from Massachusetts.” Marcella looked at her blankly and Eliza laughed. “Umm, it’s at the top, near the ocean?” Marcella nodded.

  “Ah, okay, I understand. I am from Monte Carlo.” Eliza wondered what it must be like to be from Monte Carlo. She thought that Marcella, or at least her family, must be quite wealthy.

  “It must be nice to live here!” Eliza said. Marcella tilted her head to the side and shrugged her shoulders.

  “It is nice sometimes, but very busy also.”

  “Do you live close?” Eliza asked, smiling over at the approaching waiter.

  “I live ici…umm…here.” Marcella said. Eliza was sure she was misunderstanding her.

  “Here? You live in the hotel?” She asked. Marcella nodded.

  “Oui, I live in the hotel.”

  “Ah! Bonjour Madame Auclair!” The waiter smiled at Marcella as he sl
id between the two sunbeds and put a rather large pineapple on the table between them.

  “Bonjour, Guy.” Marcella said before closing her eyes and basking in the sun.

  “Wow!” Eliza reached over and picked up the pineapple. “Is this my drink?!” She asked Guy as she pulled one of the straws sticking from the pineapple to her mouth and took a sip.

  “Oui, mademoiselle! It is good?” He asked. Eliza nodded as she sucked on the straw.

  “Oh yes, it’s amazing! I’m not sure that I’m going to be able to walk back to my room later though!” Eliza laughed and Guy joined her.

  “We can get you an escort to your room if you need it mademoiselle.” He placed a napkin on the table. “May I get you ladies anything else?” He asked.

  “No, thank you, I’m just fine.” Eliza said. He looked over at Marcella who shook her head without opening her eyes.

  “Very well, I will come and check on you again later.”

  Eliza watched as Guy walked away and after glancing over at Marcella once again, she began reading her book.

  Chapter 2

  When Eliza returned to her room she jumped in to the shower to wash off the suntan lotion. She wasn’t sure about the technicalities of dining in a fancy restaurant, but she was pretty sure that it wasn’t generally accepted to smell like sweat and suntan lotion.

  The restaurant of the hotel had three Michelin stars and as part of her prize package, Eliza was given a free nightly meal there. At first the idea of dining alone in such a fancy restaurant had made her anxious, but watching Marcella down at the pool had given her a little more confidence. Everything Marcella had done was done with grace and poise. She was the type of woman who didn’t care if she ate alone and Eliza wanted to be like that too.

  After a long hot shower, Eliza wrapped herself in a big fluffy robe and walked out in to the bedroom. There, lying on the bed was a beautiful red dress along with a small card.

  Thank you for being our guest,

  The Hotel Auclair

  Eliza stared at the card for a moment, why did that name sound so familiar? She couldn’t place it. Picking up the dress, she spun it around. There was a large cut out in the back and the whole thing glistened with delicate sparkles. Eliza had never had a dress that looked so expensive before. Taking it with her in to the bathroom she began to get herself ready for an evening of good food.

  When she got to the large glass doors of the Restaurant Auclair, Eliza was greeted by a tuxedoed French man with his hair clicked back.

  “Bienvenue, Mademoiselle!” He pulled the door open and held it for her.

  “Umm…bienvenue?” Eliza stuttered. The man holding the door chuckled and Eliza smiled at him, slightly embarrassed.

  “Good evening Mademoiselle Day.” Another man in an identical tuxedo to the first walked over to her.

  “Good evening!” Eliza said, surprised that he had known her last name.

  “Allow me to take you to your table?” He said, offering her the crook of his arm. Eliza slid her arm through it and followed him as he led her to a large table in the center of the room.

  “Oh…” Eliza paused. “There must be some kind of mistake…I’m dining alone. I’m afraid that this table is much too large.” She smiled trying to hide her embarrassment.

  “No mademoiselle, Mr. and Mrs. Auclair have requested that you join them and their guests for dinner tonight.” The young man released Eliza’s arm and pulled out one of the chairs for her. Eliza sat down and he pushed her chair closer to the table. “They will be down shortly.” He added. “May I fetch you a glass of wine while you wait?”

  “No, thank you. I would like a glass of water though, please.” She said. He nodded and disappeared in the direction of the kitchen.

  As Eliza waited for the waiter to come back with her water, she looked around the dining room. Despite being close to capacity, the place was almost silent. She fidgeted in her chair. She wondered exactly what was in store for her.

  “Eliza!” A female voice called across the restaurant. When she turned to see who was calling her, she was met with Marcella’s smiling face.

  “Marcella!” Eliza stood up from the table to greet her. It was then that she remembered the waiter by the pool calling her Madame Auclair. It was Marcella!

  “Sit down, please!” Marcella said as her husband pulled out a chair for her and she sat down. “I hope you do not mind having dinner with us?” Eliza shook her head.

  “No, no! Thank you for inviting me!” Eliza smiled over at Eliza.

  “This is my husband, Monsieur Auclair…Beaufort…Beau.” Eliza stood up again and offered him her hand. Rather than shake it, Beau took it in his and kissed it. Eliza blushed.

  “It is very nice to meet you.” Eliza wasn’t sure what she should call him so she cut her sentence short.

  “The pleasure is all mine.” Beau released her hand and waited for her to sit back down before sitting down himself.

  The waiter brought over Eliza’s water and headed straight to Beau’s side after dropping it off. Marcella nervously peered at the door as Beau ordered some kind of wine.

  “Is everything okay?” Eliza asked her as she looked over to the door as well. Marcella looked at her expectantly.

  “Moi?” She asked. Eliza nodded. “Oh! Yes, thank you. I am just waiting for my brother. I hope you do not mind, but I thought that you two would make very good...umm…friends.”

  “Oh? I look forward to meeting him then!” Eliza lied. She hated being set up, even when the person doing the setting up was a rich hotel owner from Monte Carlo.

  “We call him the prince of Monte Carlo.” Marcella grinned.

  “Why?” Eliza asked.

  “He is quite famous in the casinos around here. He has what you say, a lucky streak?” Eliza nodded. “Yes, a lucky streak. So we joke he is famous like the prince of Monte Carlo.” Marcella giggled.

  As the waiter scurried away from the table once again, Marcella stood up and smiled towards the entrance of the restaurant. Eliza followed her gaze. There, walking towards their table was the most incredible looking man that she had ever seen.

  “Eliza, this is my brother, Sebastian.”

  Chapter 3

  Sebastian pulled his sister in to a tight hug before shaking hands firmly with Beau.

  “Sebastian, this is the girl I was telling you about.” Marcella said as she gestured to Eliza. Eliza smiled at him as he walked over to her offering his hand. Eliza placed her hand in his and he pulled it to his lips.

  “My pleasure mademoiselle.” He said in a deep rich voice.

  “Please, call me Eliza.” Eliza said, withdrawing her hand as he released it.

  “And please, call me Sebastian.” He offered as he sat in the empty chair beside Eliza.

  “Sebastian, what have you been up to?” Beau asked. Eliza giggled again.

  “I can tell you that, my love. If I know my brother, he has been in the casino all day.” Sebastian shrugged innocently.

  “What can I say? At least I have been winning.” He said.

  “You always win! You are very lucky.” Marcella said with a smile.

  “I do believe that luck runs in the family.” Sebastian said as he peered around the room. Beau shook his head vehemently.

  “There is no luck in running The Hotel Auclair, it is hard work that makes our fortune.” Marcella glared at Beau. He and Sebastian had always had a tense relationship. While money came easily to Sebastian through the casino tables, Beau was not so fortunate. Despite having a privileged upbringing and a particularly fat bank account, Beau had had to work hard for his fortune.

  “So, Eliza…have you enjoyed your stay in Monte Carlo so far?” Marcella asked in an effort to divert the conversation. Eliza smiled awkwardly, unsure as to whether she wanted to be the diversion to such a private argument.

  “Yes. Thank you. I have only been in the hotel so far, but I hope to see more of the neighborhood tomorrow.” Marcella’s eyes widened.

  “You sh
ould show her around Sebastian!” She said excitedly. Eliza rubbed her neck nervously. Despite the fact that Sebastian was incredibly good looking, she wasn’t entirely sure about spending a whole day with someone she didn’t really know.

  “Eliza?” Sebastian turned, his pale blue eyes to her. “Would you like me for to show you around tomorrow?” He asked. Eliza picked up her water and took a sip. What could she say? She had hoped to be able to explore on her own, but it would be quite blatantly rude if she refused Sebastian’s offer.

  “Of course she would!” Marcella butted in. Sebastian turned to look at Marcella and then returned his gaze to Eliza.

  “I will not have my feelings hurt if you would rather be alone.” He said. “Monte Carlo is a very safe destination.” He added with a genuine smile.

  “No, it would be lovely if you could show me around.” Eliza said. Sebastian’s smile broadened.

  “Then I shall look forward to it.” He said, picking up the menu in front of him.

  Eliza managed to navigate dinner without being roped in to any other activities, although she started to fixate on spending the day with Sebastian. What if he turned out to be as big of a jerk as Beau? By the time she got back up to her room, the excessive worry and her afternoon in the sun had left her completely exhausted. Stripping down to her bra and panties she headed in to the bathroom and brushed her teeth. She had no idea how socialites kept up with the constant social demands, just one dinner with the Auclair’s and she was barely able to keep her eyes open.

  Just as she threw back the bedcovers completely and set the small mint off the pillow on the night stand, there came a knock on the door. Eliza’s shoulders dropped in defeat. She was too tired to find out who it was and with a feeling of guilt she sat on the bed. Before she could swing her legs up under the covers, there was another knock and this time it was followed by a voice.