Caversham's Bride (The Caversham Chronicles - Book One) (16 page)

It seemed Lia, like he, had some treacherous family members as well.

Ren knew immediately upon meeting the aunt what kind of woman she was, and he hated the type. Behind her cold, emotionless eyes, and surface friendliness, hid a calculating manipulator. He knew several just like her in his own country, title-hungry, money-hungry women, scheming to grab the highest ranking bachelor either for themselves, or their vain, insipid daughters. He had fallen into one of their traps. Luckily fate intervened, saving him from a life with an unfaithful wife and a child that wasn’t his.

Lia had thus far proven herself vastly different from the ladies he was accustomed to. When she spoke to him of economics, literature and science, he knew she’d had a very thorough education, far surpassing what young ladies were taught. Her intelligence exceeded that of most men he knew, and her beauty that of any woman he’d ever seen. She had the uncharacteristic traits of bravery, honesty, and loyalty, which he’d never known a woman to possess in such a great amount. She was also an eager lover, willing to give and take more than any mistress he’d ever had.

All this made his decision to proceed with marrying her easier. He told himself again, that the arrangement was perfect—suiting both their needs. She had no place to go, and he needed a wife to provide him an heir.

He tossed back the contents in his glass and set it on the table. He had to inform Angus, Cully and Flynn. Preparations must be made.

Ren watched as Lia, involved in an animated conversation with her brother, explained her whereabouts for the past few months. She certainly gave her brother a very modified version of events. He interrupted them. “I’m going across the hall. Do not leave this room.”

“Yes, Your....” She caught herself and smiled. “Yes, Ren.”

C
HAPTER
N
INE

L
ia tucked her brother in one of the two small beds in her room, and sat with him until she was sure he slept. Standing, she walked over to the solitary window which faced the port of Genoa, and used the breeze to help dry her freshly washed hair. She wished she’d thought to bring a comb. When she left the ship she didn’t think she would be bathing at an inn later in the day. Nor had she been sure she’d have her brother with her, safe and in fair health.

Luchino would be fine. After throwing up his earlier meal, he now ate with gusto, stuffing himself, leaving all the vegetables and some of the broth from his stew.
Well
, she reminded herself,
some things never change
.

Saying another prayer of thanks for his safe return, she turned and looked around the room. She’d ordered Flavio to pack Luchino’s clothing, but in her haste to be out of her aunt’s home, they’d left without them. Luchino had been in bed, wearing only his nightclothes when they carried him away. The devil take her, but she was not going back to that place ever again. Not even for her brother’s clothing. She would have to ask Ren if he could find an outfit for him. Perhaps a lad on the ship could spare a pair of breeches and a shirt. They might be too large, but they could be made serviceable.

She opened the door and cautiously looked both ways down the hallway. Seeing no one, she stepped out, intending to knock on the door to Ren’s room. He’d said it was just across the hall. But, when she lifted her hand to knock, she heard the sound of raised voices and stopped. Her ears burned when she realized the occupants were discussing her.

“Ye think it’ll be that easy, eh?” She heard the gruff voice of the old seaman, Angus. It sounded as though he was berating one of the occupants of the room. “Because of the speed at which ye married, people will talk, ye know.” Pressing against the wall outside the cracked-open door to his room, Lia listened to their conversation.

“Aside from Hakim and Ismael, you three are the only ones who know the truth of it all,” Ren said. “If anyone learns anything other than I met and married the daughter of an Italian gentleman, it will have to come from one of you.”

“Have ye thought about if it’s even legal? She may be a breast-beating Catholic.”

“She is, but I can convince her to convert.”

Lia wanted to stomp into the room and knock some sense into his archaic little brain. She’d already told him she would not convert. Did he not understand her? Didn’t he know she meant what she said?

She wondered at the relationship he had with these men who spoke with him so openly about his personal life. There was more mumbled dialog, she couldn’t make out what was said, then she heard Ren’s reply. “I’m keeping her. That’s all there is to it.” To her ears, Ren sounded frustrated, tired of defending his decision. “You know of my urgent need for an heir. As I see it, she needs a place to go, and I need a broodmare. It works just fine in my mind.”

A broodmare?
How could he say such a thing? And to men she did not know! It didn’t matter that she’d made the agreement with him, he didn’t have to spread this around to his friends. To do so meant he had no respect for her and for what she would give up to leave her home and remain with him.

“You should leave her here,” Captain Cully said, “in her own country. Ye know it’s the right thing to do! Help the lass get her inheritance back, and she could have a nice enough life here....”

“We made a bargain,” Ren cut in. “Her brother for my heir, which she likely already carries. After she bears me the requisite heir and spare, and they’re safely tucked away, I’ll do what all fine, upstanding gents do, set her aside and take a mistress. If she wants to go back to Italy with her brother at that point, then I’ll send her back.”

Lia’s face burned with humiliation that she was being talked about in such a crude manner. So, he thought to marry her in name only, and remain married until she provided him a son, then set her aside? The man needed to learn she would never give up her child, agreement or no agreement.

“And, for propriety’s sake, there will be no mention of the events of the past weeks. As soon as I have contrived a believable tale to explain our meeting and marriage, I’ll let you know so our stories don’t differ. It is imperative that there are no questions of my heir’s legitimacy.”

“He’s got a point there,” said Angus.

“Yeah,” replied another voice. Captain Flynn?

Another moment of silence, then Captain Cully said, “I’ll never say a word of this. No one’s likely te believe it!”

Lia had heard enough. She quietly stepped back into her room. Once the door was locked, she allowed her tears to fall, though she wasn’t quite sure why she was crying. Yes, she agreed to the arrangement, but she’d hoped that one day she might come to mean something more to the Englishman.

Oh, who was she fooling? She
was
no better than a broodmare. She’d sold her body for the life of her brother and would gladly do so again. But not if she knew he’d take her children after he was done with her and set her aside.

As it stood, she was sure of two things. Ren really did want to marry her, and he really did want her to bear two sons for him;
“...the requisite heir and spare,”
is what he told the three men across the hall.

She knew love was something that grew with time, but she had hoped it might be something he’d welcome. However, it didn’t appear that way now. He only needed her body to produce his legal heirs.

The tears continued to fall silently down her face. He didn’t care for her beyond her keeping up her end of the bargain. If he took her sons and sent her away, she might never be allowed to see them. Then she had frightful thought. If her own aunt tried to have her killed, why wouldn’t a stranger if he wanted to be rid of her?

Images of her mother flashed through her mind. Her kind and gentle mother, who loved her children beyond imagination. A woman who did anything for their happiness. She always wanted to be like her if she were one day blessed with children.

The Englishman was using her, and she had allowed him. Worst of all, she had enjoyed his lovemaking. She had even begun to care for him. And
that
had been a big mistake.

She must leave. While leaving him was easy.

Taking a chair, she sat at the table and lowered her head to rest on her crossed arms. She had to think, had to formulate a plan to escape him. Her mother still had family in Rome. Surely they would welcome her and her brother.

But what about Luchino? She worried how his health would fare were she to subject him to the long trip. Travel through Italy by land would take far too long, and cost more money than she could get her hands on. A voyage by boat would be quicker and less expensive. But how was she to come up with the money? She had no access to anything of value to sell.

Then a thought struck her. Find a ship headed for
Cittavecchia
and stow away on board. It would not be easy, but it could be done. She’d heard many stories of children stowing away. If it was easy enough for a child, surely it was easier for an intelligent, grown woman.

Suddenly Lia remembered what her father had always said,
“If you want it enough, you will find a way.”
There was nothing she wanted more than her freedom.

A knock on the door brought her out of her contemplations. She opened it to find the young maid had come to take the trays, and to see if Lia needed anything else.

At the sight of the maid, her plan began to fall into place.

L
ater that afternoon, Lia again sat at the window, this time watching the sun sink into the horizon. The clothes the maid had brought for her and Luchino were safely tucked away under the mattress, and she recalled the last words she said to the girl.

“
Per vita mia
,” she’d said, “you cannot say a thing about what you have done for me.” She took the girl’s hands in hers and kissed them. “I have no way to repay your kindness, but I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

The girl smiled then departed, leaving Lia to work out the details of her escape.

A soft knock stirred her from her thoughts and she rose to open the door. Ren entered, but left two women in the hallway. Lia placed her finger on her lips to signal that her brother slept, and he motioned for her to come with him.

Once in the hallway, she shied away from his direct gaze, knowing what she did, and that she didn’t plan to stay with him. He smiled softly, revealing his fine, even white teeth, and the indentation in his right cheek. He looked freshly bathed and shaved. His black hair was still damp and clung to his head, a curl wrapping around an ear.

“I have brought a seamstress for you,” Ren said. “You will need more clothes, and she is here to begin taking measurements.”

Lia could not hold his gaze long because of her guilt over the planned escape later that night. Besides, she now knew how he really felt about her.

A gray-haired woman came forward, her hair twisted tightly into a bun at her nape. The no-nonsense hairstyle and her spartan black dress led her to believe this was the seamstress. The other woman was younger. Lia assumed she was the assistant. The older woman asked her to stand.

“Her coloring is good,” the woman said after walking around her slowly. “She should be able to wear many fashionable colors and styles.” She called her assistant forward.

Ren nodded to the seamstress, then turned to Lia and said. “Dinner will be up shortly. We will dine together.”

“Your Grace?” Lia stopped him as he was about to leave. He turned to her again and this time she held his gaze. “I was wondering if we could have an outfit or two for Luchino,” she lied, knowing they would be gone before the clothing was delivered. “We left without his things and all he has are his sleep clothes.”

“I’ll have something sent from the ship.”

“Thank you.” Lia lowered her eyes.

After Ren left, the women took her measurements, and made their notes. Once they too had gone, Lia relaxed again until Luchino woke up.

She had decided to say nothing to him yet, as he might slip and reveal their secret at dinner with Ren. She would tell her brother as he changed into the clothes hidden under the bed.

Before long their dinner trays arrived and soon after Ren strode in carrying clothing for Luchino. Lia pretended nothing was amiss, and as she placed their cups on the table, her brother changed into his new clothing. Ren looked at her with a steely silver gaze. She was sure those eyes could read her soul, and knew of her intent to flee into the night.

“What is wrong, Lia?” Ren asked.

“Nothing. It’s just...”

“Lia, look, they fit!” Luchino clutched the waistband to keep the knickers from falling to the ground about his bare feet. Ren and Lia laughed at the sight.

“I’ll have to see if we can find you some rope to tie around you to hold those up. We can’t have your breeches falling in public, now can we?” Ren turned to Lia, “There’s much you and I need to discuss. Perhaps after dinner Cully and Flynn can keep watch over the boy, and we can be alone.”

Lia nodded and sat in her chair to eat. His idea of discussion always ended up with them naked on the bed. Not that she didn’t enjoy his skilled lovemaking, because she did. It’s just they usually didn’t get to the intended discussion.