Page 101 of Miss Wylde and the Wynd

When they had finished, the two of them walked along the deck, enjoying the fresh air and sea breeze until they stopped at a railing far away from the others.

“May I ask you a question?”

“Of course,” Georgie answered.

“Who was he?”

“Who?”

“The man…well, the man who…”

“Ruined me?” she whispered to clarify.

“Yes. He is a curiosity, if you must know,” Damian answered. “But, if you would rather not discuss him or the circumstances, I will not press you.”

She truly did not mind, other than it would show how foolish she had been.

“He was a student at Accademie di Belle Arti. I was eighteen and thought myself in love. He courted me and whispered words of love…” Georgie looked away as sadness filled her. Not because of a lost love that never existed but because she had been foolish enough to believe his lies. “I believed him. He was English, but that did not matter because I trusted him and allowed him to seduce me. He made me believe that as soon as his education was complete, we would marry and move to England. A month later, when his studies were done, he was gone, leaving behind a letter saying that in retrospect, he did not love me, but that I was more of a distraction though there had been deep fondness.”

“Did anyone know?” Damian asked quietly.

“No. Well, at least not about the seduction, but he courted me openly. My father liked him. To this day, my parents believe that I am still an innocent miss, and I would not have them ever believe otherwise.”

She turned to face him. “They believe that the reason I never courted anyone else was because my heart was too badly broken, and I allow them that illusion, when the truth is that I never met anyone afterwards that I wished to court me. In fact, you are the only person that I have trusted to tell the truth, and allow myself…” She did not want to say enjoy intimacy with or be eager for seduction, so she hoped he did not ask her to clarify.

“There were regrets at first, but as I said the other night, my life would have been no different had I been seduced or not. I would have remained working in my family’s bakery until I had to leave to find Grace, because I had not met anyone who attracted my attention or interest.”

“However, your experience likely increased your concern for your sister.”

“Because I knew what was truly at stake. I feared that Grace would come all this way and Fisher would turn out to be just like the student who had seduced me.”

Chapter Forty-One

Damian wished he knew the name of the man who had seduced Georgie but she did not provide it and he assumed that had been intentional.

He’d known many men like that when he studied at Cambridge. They would court and flirt and make promises to seduce, then kept the relationship until it was no longer convenient, moved on, often leaving broken hearts in their wake, and sometimes bastard children.

Though, even if he did have a name, what would he do? Call him out. Demand that the man face him at dawn with pistols drawn.

Or maybe Damian could explain to him exactly what he had lost and what an amazing woman Georgie was, all so the rogue could realize that he had been the true fool in using her in such a manner and for letting her get away.

Had he been that student…

Except, Damian was a man in a similar circumstance. The only difference is that they had become lovers equally with no promises of a future. No lies or deceptions and the only secret he was keeping was that he may have fallen in love with her.

However, he had to wonder if Georgie had simply convinced herself that it had all worked out as it should and that her life would have been no different had the rogue never made her acquaintance and seduced her.

“Has there been nothing else that you would like to do?” he asked. “You claim that your place is at Accetta Panetteria, but have you ever considered other opportunities?” He needed to know if she would want to leave Carrera, or even Italy. She had intended to move to England with her seducer before she had learned the truth.

“My place is at Accetta Panetteria,” Georgie answered with a shrug. “Who will take over when my father is gone? Neither sister has an interest, and I cannot simply allow my grandfather’s legacy to end.”

“I understand you feel that this is your responsibility, but it does not answer what you want to do.” Her situation was no different than his, except he was expected to run Trade Wynd, and was never really asked if that was what he wanted. “What would you choose for yourself if there was no panetteria?”

She pursed her lips, leaned on the railing and stared out over the sea. “I honestly have not given it much thought. At one time, I thought I would travel to England and be a wife. After he left, no other options, dreams, or desires entered my mind or heart.”

Likely because she had never allowed them to and had simply accepted what her life would be because she still saw herself as ruined, which was limiting, and she may not have even realized that she had done that to herself.

“You have left the panetteria even though it was for the purpose of chasing after your sister, and not a holiday, but now that you have, could you imagine anything else you would like to do…or anywhere else you could live? I know that my perspective has changed since you dragged me along on this venture.”