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Chapter 21
“Nick, wait,” Giulia called out as she followed the man up the staircase.
He paused on the landing and turned around, a wry smile turning up the corners of his lips as he massaged his injured shoulder. “Come to rub it in, have you?”
Giulia shot him her most innocent expression. “Whatever could you mean?”
He dropped his hand from his shoulder, groaning. “Since coming here, I knew Robert would need me to marry—the earldom requires it. I only did not expect it so soon.”
“Soon? Have you not been here for years?” Giulia caught his surprise and softened her tone. “I can only assume Lord Hart would like to secure the line. Particularly after the danger you’ve faced of late.”
“Yes. He needs another heir in case my attacker succeeds in offing me.” He smiled wryly.
“There is no need to be vulgar. You cannot fault the earl for wanting to be sure the line is secure. I imagine his pride took enough of a beating when he had to track you down.”
Hurt flashed in Nick’s eyes and Giulia realized the slight she had inadvertently delivered. She hurried to correct it. “I am not belittling your background, Nick. I do not even know enough of your background to do so. I only meant that the Pepper pride runs deep, and the earl probably did not relish having to search the distant branches of the family tree for the next earl instead of supplying one of his own.”
“What did you need, Giulia?” Nick asked quietly, void of emotion.
She swallowed the lump in her throat and looked away. She’d made things worse, and Nick wanted to be away from her. That stung. “I was hoping to get my father’s, um…” She cleared her throat and started again. “I would like the journal back.”
He eyed her for a moment, and she could feel his stare burning into her eyes while she avoided his. “Very well. It does belong to you; I could not refuse if I wanted to.”
“Do you want to refuse?” she asked, confused.
“I am interested in finishing it, of course. But if you do not want me to then I must respect that.”
“No, it is not that—”
He turned away. “Allow me to fetch it right now.”
“No!” She surprised herself at her vehemence and Nick spun, shooting her a look full of concern and confusion. “I will get it from you another time. Goodnight.” She turned toward the west staircase and fled before he could say another word.
She would read the journal. She had to read it if she was going to figure out what this key was that her mother was seeking. But she did not want to begin right away, and she did not want to sleep with the journal taunting her. Nick could have it for one more night.
* * *
Giulia’s heart raced as she locked her door and moved toward the writing desk that sat perched against the wall, overlooking the window and the dark world beyond. The moon peeked out from the top edge of the window and pulled a smile from her. In her own strange way, she had always been attracted to the moon. In a sense, she viewed it as a surrogate mother. Regardless of what continent she was on, or if she was not on any continent at all, the moon was the same everywhere.
She had her best discussions and revelations when speaking with the moon, and it seemed to always be there when she needed it. Like the night she had found Nick, and the clouds had cleared so the moon could shine down and light the way for Giulia. And like now, when she needed to analyze her mother’s letters, she could pull strength from the giant, beautiful light in the dark sky.
She pushed aside the piles of correspondence that had come in earlier that day and pulled the top drawer open of the writing desk before removing the four rooster-stamped letters that had traveled all the way from Italy to London, and then on to Halstead. One at a time she smoothed them out on the surface of the desk until they were spread before her in chronological order. The first one had arrived six months prior, and the subsequent three only weeks after that. Each one spoke of the key that was jeweled and belonged to Giulia’s mother, yet her father had refused to return it. And each one sounded more and more desperate.
Then, there was that familiar name. The name she had not heard very often spoken aloud, but so familiar to Giulia that she felt a kinship when reading the signature. Lily Cattaneo. Apparently Lily had dropped “Pepper” from her name altogether.
A thought occurred to Giulia and she froze in fear. She pulled out a fresh sheet of paper and ink from the drawer, laying the items carefully on the desk. Dipping her quill in the ink, she tapped it lightly, staring at the blank page and wondering what to write. She would as soon not write a single word, but she could not leave Ames unwarned.
Not when there was a chance that the key was in his possession.
Giulia drew herself up, glancing to the moon through the window and drawing courage from its bright edifice. She could do this. She had to.
Dipping the pen to replenish its ink, she wrote to Ames. Once she began, it became all too easy to describe the trials facing her. Without too much unnecessary detail, she wrote of the situation she had discovered Nick in upon her arrival at Halstead, of the letters written by her mother, and the concern she had that the key was somewhere in Ames’s belongings, and that her mother would surmise the same thing and come after him.
When the letter was completed, Giulia leaned back in her seat, reading over her words once more. She sounded impassive, a friend relaying information. She could only hope Ames would reply at once. Before she could think better of it, Giulia dipped her pen once more and added a final question. How do things fare with your woodworking shop?
She inhaled a deep, cleansing breath and penned the direction on the front before sealing it. However Ames responded to her letter, at least now she would know where they stood.
Before she could consciously think about what she was doing, she stood to take the letter to Wells. The clock slowed her down, however, and she lowered herself into her chair as it chimed a ridiculously late hour. Drained and tired as she was, she hardly noticed the knocking sound that came from somewhere in the distance.
