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And why now? When she’d last seen him, he’d been utterly determined, as well he should be, to do what he must to obtain the funds he needed for Brookwillow. Though she’d written in the wistful hope he might eventually visit, she’d never dreamed it would be this soon.
A sudden misgiving brought her pacing to a halt. Will depended on gaming for much of his income, she knew. Could he have suffered a run of losses so severe that he’d been forced to flee England to escape his creditors?
It seemed the only logical explanation for his sudden appearance. Otherwise he ought to still be occupied in charming his heiress, or if already wed, have returned with his bride to Brookwillow to begin the work of restoration.
Before she could puzzle it through, Will himself walked out onto the terrace, spotted her and smiled.
Her heart skipped a beat. It might be only the heat, to which she was not yet fully accustomed, but as he approached, the fiery blue of his gaze fixed upon her, Allegra felt hot, then cold, then dizzy. She reached out to steady herself on a bench, telling herself she absolutely would not swoon, like some silly heroine in a Minerva Press novel.
By the time he reached her side, every nerve was quivering. Somehow she managed to curtsey without falling over. “What a wonderful surprise, Will!” she said through the constriction in her throat. “But what brings you to San Gregillio?”
He took her hand and kissed it. For a moment Allegra feared she would faint after all.
“I seem to remember I received an invitation,” he replied, amusement in his tone.
Her eyelashes drifted shut as she thrilled to the familiar sound of his voice. Which changed to a deeper, more intimate timbre as he continued, “Living at San Gregillio must agree with you, Allegra. You’ve never looked more beautiful. Ah, I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to see you again!”
She looked back at him, knowing she must be grinning like a lunatic as she drank in every dearly remembered feature of his face—the waves of dark hair curling onto his forehead, the high cheekbones, patrician nose and purposeful chin, the sensuous, sculpted lips and mesmerizing eyes. Her gaze wandered downward over the powerful shoulders and muscled arms that could both threaten and protect, well displayed by his tight coat.
She couldn’t seem to stop staring at him. Indeed, it was all she could do not to throw herself in his arms. How had she managed to exist so many months without him?
A loud “harrump” startled her into realizing that her duenna was standing beside them, a reproving frown on her face. “Um, Lord Tavener, may I present my chaperone, Signora Bertrude?”
“Un grande onore, Signora,” Will said, bowing. “How gracious of you to receive me on such short notice, Duchessa. The garden is magnificent. Might you do me the honor of strolling with me?” He offered his arm.
Though Signora Bertrude would probably scold her for a week for not inviting him back into the coolness of the house—where a bevy of maids and footmen would watch their every move—Allegra couldn’t make herself do it. Seizing this excuse to be with him, listen to his voice and feast her eyes upon his handsome face, she ignored the duenna’s negative shake of the head.
“It shall have to be a brief walk,” she said, “for ’tis almost one, when the afternoon rest begins.” She placed her hand on his arm, reveling in the warmth and strength of it beneath her fingertips. “So, tell me all the London news!”
They set off at a leisurely pace, Allegra’s disgruntled duenna reluctantly following. “I haven’t much news, actually. I’ve…not been in London.”
When he didn’t add that he’d come from Brookwillow, a frisson of concern stirred within her. So he must be fleeing from gaming debts, then. Well, she’d insure that he found a safe haven here.
“I see,” she said after a moment. “I hope you can make a lengthy visit. ’Tis expected here. One of grandfather’s cousins arrived the same day I did and he is still with us. Oh, there’s so much I want to show you!”
His smile turned tender. “Everything I want to see is before my eyes right now,” he said softly.
Voice catching in her throat, Allegra felt heat suffuse her already flushed cheeks. Heavens, she felt as flustered as a schoolroom chit at her first ball.
“I see I shall have to continue my lessons on deportment, my lord, since you still manage so easily to put me to the blush. I must warn you, the rules are very strict here! You shall have to be on your best behavior.”
“Lest your grandfather show me the door? Then I shall do my best to be perfectly conventional.”
Allegra doubted he could manage that, but it was reassuring that he meant to try. “You must meet my cousin Alessandro, the duke’s grandson and heir. He will be delighted to have a British guest, as he loves to practice his English. And Grandfather will be honored to host the gentleman who treated me with such kindness in London.”
“I look forward to meeting them. Should I describe to the duke how impressed and honored I was to attend one of your father’s concerts—or is his musical career not to be mentioned?”
“Grandfather will love hearing about it. He never tires of asking me details about Papa’s life in England. But…though of course I don’t wish you to prevaricate, it might be best if you don’t tell Grandfather about your losses. I shall avoid mentioning them to him as well.”
“Losses?” Will repeated.
Allegra cast a quick glance at the duenna plodding behind them. She didn’t think Signora understood much English, but ’twas better to be safe. Lowering her voice, she said softly, “Your gaming losses. ’Tis why you came to Italy now, isn’t it, to avoid your creditors? It must have been most distressing to have to put off your plans for restoring Brookwillow.”
Will opened his lips to reply, then closed them. Realizing she must have embarrassed him, Allegra went on quickly, “No matter. You must stay here until your fortunes are on the mend. The house is always full of guests, and many of the gentlemen play cards in the evenings, sometimes for quite high stakes. Once you’ve observed them and learned the rules, you could join their games and perhaps win enough to be able to return home. As long as he never suspects your financial straits, Grandfather will be happy to have a titled English gentleman staying with us. I’m sure you will charm him as you do everyone else.”
By now they’d made a full circuit of the inner garden and were approaching the house. “We must go in now, Duchessa,” Signora Bertrude said, giving Will a ferocious glance, as if daring him to contradict her. “’Tis late and you need your rest.”
More likely, the signora needed hers. But much as Allegra would have preferred walking the garden the whole afternoon, keeping Will’s company all to herself, she replied, “Very well, Signora. Escort me in, won’t you, Lord Tavener? Gorgio, Grandfather’s majordomo, will prepare a room and provide you a valet if you need one.”
“Barrows accompanied me. By the way, he asked that I convey to you his congratulations.”
Allegra felt a measure of relief. Things must not be quite so grim if Will had been able to bring his rascal of a servant with him. “Give him my thanks—but pray, don’t let anyone see you hobnobbing with him. Such a thing is never done here! Now, I must go in.”
Just then Signora bent down to remove a pebble from her shoe. Deciding on impulse to take advantage of the moment, Allegra went up on tiptoe and kissed Will’s cheek.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” she said again. Then, reluctantly releasing his arm, she entered the house and proceeded up to her room.
Giddy, Allegra danced around her chamber, her perplexed maid following behind her, trying to remove her half-unfastened gown. It was as if her life had been suspended since she’d come to Italy, frozen into timeless immobility while she waited for something or someone to set it back in motion.
It seemed that something, that someone was Will. She couldn’t wait to talk with him again, to walk with her hand on his arm, to share with him all her experiences. Then she’d try to tactfully discover the true state of his affairs, so she might figure out how best to help him.
Guilty as it ought to make her feel, she rejoiced at the ill fortune that had forced him to leave England unwed and had brought him here. The sun had seemed brighter, the sky bluer, the birdsong more melodious because he’d walked beside her along the garden path.
The beauty of her grandfather’s estate had soothed and delighted her since the moment she’d first seen it. But the prospect of sharing its wonders with Will multiplied that delight until her joy overflowed. Though it had brought her a deep satisfaction to discover she was not alone in the world after all, that she had a family, there had still been something missing.
Having Will here made her happiness complete.
By now her maid had finally succeeded in removing her gown and helping her into the light robe she wore over her chemise while she took her afternoon rest. After wishing her a good nap, the girl withdrew.
Hot as it was, Allegra wasn’t drowsy. How could she sleep knowing Will was here in this very house? After months without him, it maddened her to know ’twas impossible to seek him out, that she must wait until evening to see him again, though he must even now be only a few rooms away.
