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Chapter 10
Giulia spent the better part of the morning listening to Nick’s plan to help her win over the earl. Of course, he did not present it that way. According to him, the plan outlined how they would solve the mystery. But Giulia was clever. She could tell he was skirting his true motivations. She had no idea what Nick had to gain by repairing the relationship between Giulia and her uncle, but he did have a reason, even if kept it to himself. She wanted to figure out his motivations nearly as much as she wanted to learn the truth behind her father and uncle’s relationship, so she went along with Nick’s orchestrations.
They may have had different reasons for wanting to know the truth about the past, but they had a common goal, and their best chance of figuring it out required they worked together. As soon as Giulia had recovered from the impact of finding out about her father’s dishonesty regarding her grandmother’s death, she was determined to discover why. If the woman had wanted nothing to do with Giulia, then Father would have told her that. He always valued her levelheaded intellect, as he so kindly phrased it, and he had always been honest with her—or so she thought.
Father had never tried to hide the truth about her mother leaving. He’d never laid any blame at Giulia’s door either, though she conjured enough of that herself. Losing a mother at four years old would do that to a girl. Particularly when her mother walked out without a backward glance.
Giulia had to get her mind back on track. Her blood was beginning to heat and if it started to simmer, then it was a quick jump straight to boil.
She glanced at the man sitting up in the oversized four-poster bed and watched as he focused on the writing desk on his lap. He was taking notes so they could have all of their information gathered in one place.
Standing, Giulia leaned over Nick and read what he had written so far to make sure he hadn’t forgotten anything. She skimmed the left column where he’d penned his version of history—things he had learned from the earl or other members of the household. Even Giulia’s grandmother, the dowager countess, Lady Hart herself.
It took every ounce of willpower to not beg more details about Lady Hart. What was she like? Did she have kind eyes? Did her sons take after her, or did they more closely resemble their father? Had Lady Hart even known that Giulia existed?
But Giulia was afraid of the answers, much like she was afraid to open Father’s journal. That piece of information she had thus far kept from Nick. She was positive that if she brought it up, he would demand they read it for the sake of the mystery.
Giulia almost regretted betraying her love of a good mystery.
Almost, but not quite.
“Resemblance to my mother?” Giulia paraphrased the note she read on Nick’s paper. “What has that to do with anything?”
“Robert mentioned it. He said he could never live in a house where he had to look at your face every day and see her.”
Well, that was news. Giulia moved back to her chair and reclined in it. But only so slightly. “So he must have traveled to Italy with my father. That is where they met and married.”
Nick glanced up at her. “They married in Italy?”
“Yes. They spent the early years of their marriage living with my mother’s family. They moved to London right before I was born.”
“Do you know what brought them here?”
“Father was proud of his heritage. I may have spent half of my life traveling around the world, but we always came home. He never said as much, but I can only assume Italy was a stepping stone in their journey and never where he wanted to spend the rest of his life.”
Whether or not her mother knew that was a different story, and Giulia had often thought that perhaps Father had not made his intentions clear before the marriage. He had a tendency to dive in head first on every adventure, fully submerging himself in the culture and the customs of whatever country he was visiting. He could have led her mother on without realizing he was doing so.
Jack stepped into the room, followed closely by Dr. Mason.
Giulia saw Nick covertly cover his list with a blank piece of parchment as she turned to greet the newcomers. “Good day, Dr. Mason.” She held up her hands in mock surrender. “Now please, do not be angry with me—”
“Miss Pepper,” he said solemnly. “I could never be angry with you.”
“That is rather convenient,” she said, maintaining an amused smile, “for I disregarded your advice.”
His red eyebrows raised in surprise as his head dipped slightly. “Well, was it very terrible advice?”
Giulia chuckled. “No, I would say it was quite sound…at the time.”
A twinkle lit his eye. She studied his fine, angular jaw and high cheekbones. His auburn hair was just the right amount of disheveled and he carried his doctor’s bag with a level of nonchalance that made him all the more appealing. Nothing like those high and mighty London doctors who carried their bags like a badge of honor and praise, yet hardly touched their patients.
“Well,” she began, clearing her throat, “I have started our patient on a diet of solid, bland foods. He has done so well with the broth and soups that I went against your advice and tested bread and ham.” She specifically left the gravy out. He had not asked for an inventory, anyway, so she was not lying.
“I can see that our patient is looking much better today, so I must thank you for taking the initiative. I applaud your judgement in this circumstance.”
“But,” Giulia finished for the doctor, “I should heed you in the future?”
“It is most likely your safest course of action.”
