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Her father makes a tutting sound as she walks away. “You’ll have to forgive my daughter. She’s a little nervous.”
There are many words I would use to describe Bella Benedetto after my first time meeting her, and nervous isn’t one of them. I sense she’s independent and strong willed and won’t be easy to tame if my plan goes as I expect.
“How about we get a drink?”
It’s clear that with Giovanni dedicating so much time to me, he has a preference for Bella to marry into the Darcy fortune.
“Sure,” I say, tension coiling through my muscles at the prolonged closeness with the man responsible for my brother’s death. I certainly need a stiff drink to take the edge off.
“What’s your poison?” he asks.
“Whiskey on the rocks.”
He tilts his head. “Scotch or American?”
“Scotch, of course.”
Mr. Benedetto appears pleased with my answer as he catches the attention of a pretty bartender. “Two scotch on the rocks, please, Alice.”
She nods. “Coming right up, sir.”
Giovanni places a hand on my shoulder. “Tell me, Isiah, how long are you in town for?”
“That all depends on how well this goes tonight,” I say.
He smiles widely. “So, it’s open to discussion?”
“Of course.”
“Perfect.” He looks pleased by the news as Alice appears with our drinks. “I’ll allow you to mingle and enjoy the rest of the evening in peace. Perhaps you can come by our home tomorrow evening at seven o’clock for dinner?”
I nod in response. “Sure, I’ll look forward to it.” Two nights in a row suffering this man’s company sounds like hell, but I always knew it wouldn’t be easy being close to my brother’s murder.
“Great, enjoy the rest of your evening.” He leaves me and I’m thankful for it as I find a seat nearby and drop into it, sipping the scotch.
I notice a man sitting in a nearby seat staring at me with a strange expression on his face. He looks familiar but I can’t work out why, so I break eye contact with him. Washington is, after all, the city I was born in. A city I left suddenly fifteen years ago. And while I look very different now, it’s possible someone from my past could recognize me.
When I glance back up, the man in question is standing before me. “Joe?”
I swallow hard the moment he speaks because I know who it is. My best friend from before Aiden’s murder. “I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else. My name is Isiah.”
His brow furrows, no doubt thrown by my accent. “Oh, I honestly thought you were a friend I knew many years ago. Apologies.” He clears his throat. “May I sit?”
Cathal was like a brother to me and Aiden before Dad tore me away from my home. I haven’t seen him since, but I heard his father stepped into Dad’s place once he was gone, making a name for himself from the ashes left behind after the Benedetto family did their worst.
“Go ahead.” I nod at the empty chair.
He holds a hand out to me. “I’m Cathal Bingley.”
I take it and shake. “Good to meet you. Isiah Darcy.”
His eyes widen. “So, you’re the infamous Mr. Darcy.”
I swirl the contents of my whiskey in the glass before taking a sip. “Infamous, hey?”
He smirks. “Yeah, I’ve heard of you and you live thousands of miles away.” His eyes scan the room. “Have you met the girl on offer?”
“Bella?” I confirm.
