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Chapter 25
Giulia had thought that once Nick apprised Lord Hart of the full situation, she would reap the consequences. Having been the obvious reason Lily Cattaneo was now stalking Halstead and its occupants, Giulia assumed the earl would become furious with her and demand her departure. Or, which could be worse, revert back to his solemn and ignoring ways. She was pleasantly surprised when the opposite, in fact, occurred.
Whether they were bonded by now sharing a mutual enemy, or Lord Hart truly felt a measure of protection was due to his niece—something she had a harder time believing—his demeanor toward her took a complete turn over the next week. He was warmer, more vocal. He did not run from her but, instead, pulled her into conversations. He invited her into his study on multiple occasions to discuss the ball, which felt more like an excuse to have her company, since their discussions often veered away from the ball. No topic seemed restricted, except her father, of course.
Patrick Pepper was the theoretical elephant that constantly joined Giulia and Lord Hart whenever they were together. Neither of them mentioned him, but he was always on her mind and, she assumed on occasion at least, on the earl’s as well.
Giulia and the earl sat in front of the fire in his study and she shared with him the details of her stay in India when she was younger. Lord Hart compared them to his own experiences. He clearly had a fascination with other cultures that reminded her greatly of her father, and she filled him in on everything she could remember, including the story of her dreaded scorpion sting and how terribly ill she had become.
Her uncle nodded in understanding and shared how when he had taken a similar trip to India when he was younger, a man in his group had gotten stung as well. Lord Hart went on to reference the familiar phrase look for the rainbow at the end of the rain and explained how the man’s illness eventually called for a nurse that had cared for him, fallen in love with him, and then married him. That particular friend remained in India to this day.
Giulia stilled at the phrase, having heard it so many times before. She had believed it to be a Patrick Pepper original and hearing it from Lord Hart’s lips did nothing but pull at her curiosity until she considered asking of its origin. Breaking over that barrier and into the realm of Patrick Pepper was a risk she was not quite ready to make, though. She was building a relationship with an uncle who had wanted nothing to do with her just a few months prior. He was the only member of her family left on the earth that did not want her dead, and to jeopardize that now seemed unwise.
Her hand went to the chain on her neck and she toyed with it, pulling at it subconsciously while she thought of her father’s unceasing optimism.
A knock sounded at the door and Wells poked his head inside.
“Visitors for Miss Pepper, my lord. I have placed them in the parlor.”
Lord Hart nodded. “Thank you, Wells.”
Giulia rose and curtseyed to her uncle. She reached out and took his hand before thinking better of it and gave it a squeeze. “I enjoyed our conversation today.”
Before he could answer, she spun away and fled the room. Fear of rejection pushed her away quickly, but joy at their budding relationship kept a smile on her face. She followed the corridor to the front foyer and toward the parlor. The giggles that snuck from the room and into the foyer brought a larger smile to her face as she recognized who was waiting for her. She stepped inside and grinned at the bevy of swans perched on her sofa.
“But is today not the meeting for the Literary Society?” Giulia asked as she crossed toward the ladies. She stopped suddenly, “Oh no, Amelia, did you not receive my note?”
“I did.” Amelia smiled back. “And today is the meeting. Since you could not come to us, we simply chose to come to you.”
Tears welled up in Giulia’s eyes and she blinked rapidly to push them away. The compassion and kindness of these ladies to someone they hardly knew was inspiring. She felt liked. And coming from other women, that was new to her.
Hattie rose and pulled Giulia to the settee across from where Amelia and Mabel sat. “Come, sit and tell us of this closed castle business.” A stricken look took over her face. “Do not tell me the ball has been cancelled.”
“No, the ball has not been cancelled,” Giulia confirmed. “It is nothing, really, just…” She had been prepared to tell the women that the preparations were too great for the ball and kept her too busy to attend today’s Literary Society, but she knew she should not lie to them. She also knew with a clarifying surety that she could trust them. “We have a threat. It is not serious, or…well, maybe it is. But until we can find out more it is just a better idea to remain safely within the castle walls.”
Three sets of eyes widened in unison. “Safer for whom?” Mabel asked reverently.
“Currently Nick, myself, and potentially the earl. But please,” she pleaded, “this information must not leave this room.”
The three heads nodded in sync.
“What can we do to help?” Amelia asked.
“Nothing, really. The earl is aware of the situation and working with a man in Graton to get to the bottom of it.”
Hattie gasped. “Mr. Pepper’s attack! Is that what this is all about?”
“In part.” Giulia nodded. “When I fell from my horse after our Literary Meeting last week, it was due to a gunshot scaring my steed.”
Amelia’s face blanched and Mabel and Hattie’s jaws dropped.
“I am fine,” Giulia said with a wave of her hand. “There is no evidence that the shot was intended for me.”
“But still, how dreadful!” Hattie pulled Giulia into an embrace.
“Really, it is not so bad. I am safe here.” She gestured to the castle at large. Lily could watch Halstead from the tree line all she wanted, but the castle was impenetrable. “We all are. And we have a bit of an idea of what they are after so now it is only a matter of time before we end this.”
“Hattie,” Mabel interjected, turning toward the freckled woman, “your father’s intruder.”
