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Chapter 24
Nick would be satisfied to remain in Giulia’s company forever. He had half a mind to travel to London and call out this Ames fellow. But since he had no real reason for requesting a duel at dawn, that idea seemed a tad ridiculous. He could exercise his well-practiced skill of flirtation and convince Giulia to break off her relationship with Ames, but that, too, did not sound like a very wise course of action. He was loath to be the reason she was unfaithful to another or cause her to feel guilt for jilting the man she’d pledged herself to. He felt as though he was pushed into a corner with no clear route available to him.
He could always be her friend. Hard as that may be, he wanted to be her friend. It was better than nothing at all.
He made his way back to the parlor, picnic basket prepared, and a grin of anticipation graced his lips. He inched the door open and peeked inside, catching a glimpse of the wild-haired angel that had stolen his heart weeks ago. She was concentrating heavily on her task, pausing every few moments to stretch her fingers or roll her wrist. Yes, he had been right; it was most certainly time for a break.
Nick pushed the door open and hid the basket behind his back. “Come, my lady. Your meal awaits.”
She turned toward him, and his breath caught at the direct gaze from her beautiful brown eyes. He hoped he hid it well, but he could not cease to feel awed by her or the magnetic force which seemed to link them together. A small part of him yearned to know if she felt it too.
Nick watched her rise and stretch her arms before strolling toward him. “And what have you planned?” she asked hesitantly.
“You will see.” He held out a hand and was pleased when she took it, following him out the door and toward the grand staircase. He surprised her at the last moment by turning and walking under the stairs, moving aside a wooden panel and leading her into the belly of the castle.
A tingle of pride lit his chest as he guided Giulia through the intricate tunnels and once again up the rickety staircase to the solitary tower. Small shafts of light spilled between cracks in the hidden doorways or from the artfully hidden peepholes, lighting their way and allowing him to catch a few glimpses of interest from Giulia as they turned here or ducked there. He had come to know these halls as his own. And they were his, in truth. Or, one day they would be, no matter how hard that was for him to still believe.
Once they were both on the roof of the tower, Nick watched Giulia slowly pace the perimeter as he laid out the blanket he’d brought along and unpacked the food from the basket. He sat back, leaning on his hands with his head bent toward his shoulder and could not help the smile that crept across his lips as he watched Giulia fight her hair in the wind. Strands sprung free of the crown braid she religiously wore; for every bit she managed to tuck back in, three more would escape. A frustrated sigh traveled on the wind and he stifled a laugh when she stomped toward the blanket and plopped down.
“This wind is horrendous,” she moaned.
His grin widened. “I rather like it.”
She shot him a sardonic smile and then moved her attention to the low wall that shielded them from view. “This place is amazing. Do you think…?”
He waited a moment before assuming that she had become lost in thought. “Do I think?” he prompted.
“Oh, sorry.” Her cheeks were mottled pink, but he knew it was not from a blush, but due to the wind. The woman just did not blush. “Do you think that the locked tower leads to the same thing? Simply a viewing point?”
“At one point it was probably a lookout. Though I could not say for certain. It is impossible to see from here what may be on the other side of the locked door.”
She nodded slowly and he could see the wheels turning in her beautiful mind. He began plating the food that Cook had prepared for them. Sliced, cold ham, apples, cheese and a hunk of bread which he tore in half. A bowl of steamed peas was nestled into the corner of the basket and he spooned a fair amount onto the plate before handing it to Giulia, watching her eat absentmindedly and wishing all the while that he could hear her thoughts.
“I had a thought.” She turned to him. He had not realized how close he had moved toward her when he passed her a plate and her nearness forced his breath to still. She had a similar reaction, for she had sucked in a breath and her eyes widened. He felt the invisible pull which linked their lips; the energy that ran between them was nearly palpable. He stared into Giulia’s deep chocolate eyes and asked her a question with his own, a question he knew she could not answer.
He needed to stop.
He sat back on his hands and tossed back the rest of his lemonade before giving her his full attention. She seemed to collect herself, but her heightened color and rapidly rising chest betrayed that she was just as affected as he was. The revelation was as gratifying as it was disheartening. They cared for one another—they had to. If he could dream, then he would believe that she was on her way to caring for him on as deep a level as he was for her. Drat this Ames fellow.
“You had a thought?” Nick prompted.
“Oftentimes the treasure is given a name or even hidden within something obvious. In folklore, at least. Perhaps this key is in my father’s things, and we have been overlooking it because we are thinking too literally.”
“Your father taught you well.”
She laughed lightly. “Well, it is a thought, but a fruitless one at present. I let Ames keep Father’s box of treasure, so we do not have it here to analyze.”
“He had a box of treasure? You did not think that a valid point to mention before?”
“I did not consider it before. He called it his treasure chest, but it was merely a box with remnants from our adventures. Scraps of paper with contacts he’d made or random drawings of things he’d experienced. The box aided his writing, but his real heart was in his journal. Ames had more of a connection with the box, so I did not feel the need to take it from him.”
“And one day you would share your possessions anyway,” Nick finished for her.
Giulia looked away. “It will not help us now. I wondered if maybe one of his scraps of paper had a hint for us, but it is far away in London.”
She wanted to tell Nick that she had written to Ames. The letter was necessary to warn him, but she also hoped he would search her father’s things for clues. She could not bring herself to tell Nick, however. What if Ames continued to ignore her? What if he received her letter, but never wrote her back?
They continued to talk as they finished their meal, but the conversation moved away from the dilemma and the key and more toward their differences in childhoods. She revealed more about her London home and Mama Jo, the woman who would make sure Giulia, and sometimes Ames, were fed while her father became mentally absent with his writing.
