To Catch a Groom (10 page)

“The Colorno ducal palace. It was my ancestor’s favorite summer residence. To think I spent the night locked up in a jail within walking distance of it. That’ll be a story I’ll tell to my children someday.”

“You plan to have children,
signorina?
”

“Of course. Don’t you? Someday I mean?”

“Not my own. No.”

Not his own? Ask a silly question—

“The last thing I would wish to do is destroy a belief you’ve had since childhood,
signorina.
But when your sister told Luc you were related to the Duchesse of Parma through a granddaughter who had a liaison with a monk, I thought it best you know the truth.”

She turned a frowning face toward him. “What truth?”

“There was a rumor many years ago about a granddaughter of Maria-Luigia who fell in love with a monk
and bore his child. As it turns out, it was a political lie, spun to discredit her so the arranged marriage to her betrothed in France would not take place.”

“How would you know something like that?”

“Luc is the one who can give you more details. He learns many secrets while he prepares meals for his royal employers. I’m sorry.”

She stared at her hands in her lap. “It doesn’t matter. None of us quite believed it, and Daddy wasn’t entirely sure about it. Still, it made for an exciting story.”

“And now you have another reason to dislike me.”

“I don’t like or dislike you. You mean nothing to me,
signore.
”

“Can I make this up to you by taking you on a tour through the palace before we return to the
Piccione
? It’s quite magnificent.”

“I’m sure it is, but no thank you. I prefer to keep my fairy-tale dreams in tact.”

“So you intend to continue the legacy and hand down your pendant to a daughter someday?”

“Yes. Why not. Only maybe I’ll start a new rumor of my own.”

He turned to her. “What rumor would that be?”

“Maybe the artisan who fashioned the pendant was secretly in love with Marie-Louise. Maybe he fathered a son and gave him the last name Duchesse in honor of the woman he could never have.”

“That’s a very romantic story,
signorina.
Of the two, I don’t know which I like better.”

His mocking voice was the last straw. She’d been right all along. A shark felt no emotion.

“Here. This will help to sustain you until we arrive at the dock.” He reached in the back behind Greer’s seat and produced a bottle of soda.

Warm orange soda. Ugh. But she’d be a fool to refuse it.

“Thank you.”

“I know you Americans prefer ice. I’m sorry. Try one of these with it.”

Like magic he’d produced a package of cookies. Chocolate biscotti, just like the kind Piper had drawn in that one calendar picture.

After a swig of pop, she took a bite. “Um. They’re good. Better than potato chips. I can’t stop with just one.”

“Potato chips are one of the two things I like best about your country.”

“You’ve been there?”

“Several times.”

Funny to think of him in her part of the world and she never knew it. The trail of broken hearts had to be legion. “What’s the other?”

“The long legs on American women. I once saw a movie with Betty Grable. Yours remind me of hers.”

Her drink sprayed all over her cotton top.

“Are you all right,
signorina?
”

“Yes, of course. I just swallowed the wrong way.”

“Soon we will reach the
Piccione
. There’s a washer and dryer on board.”

“All the comforts of home.”

“That is true. It’s my favorite home away from home.”

“Where
is
your home?”

“Colorno. My family lives in nearby Parma.”

No wonder he’d been able to bribe the commissioner! “Will we be passing through there?”

“Only the outskirts I’m afraid. I must congratulate you on the research you’ve done on Parma for your calendar business. I recognized every backdrop immediately.”

“Piper’s a genius.”

“I agree, but the drawings would not have come to life
without all the details you unearthed. Genius appears to run in the Duchess family.”

“Thank you,” she whispered. His compliment warmed her clear through. It shouldn’t have, not when he was a thief of jewels…and hearts.

“So does beauty,” he filled in the silence. “I’ve seen you in every condition, yet soaking wet, starving, in prison and exhausted, you are even more appealing, if that is possible.”

What was he after now? All this flattery was so unnecessary now, but she had to admit the things he was saying made it difficult for her to breathe normally.

When he reached down to take a cookie for himself, his hand brushed against her thigh. Greer didn’t know if it was intentional or not, but her body reacted as if she’d come in contact with a live wire.

“Luc is preparing a welcome home feast for you and your sisters. I must admit I’m looking forward to it, too. In all the excitement with the police and the hours of waiting for you to be released, none of us took the time to eat.”

Of course not. They were too busy trying to find a buyer for the pendants.

She wouldn’t believe any of his malarky until she saw her sister’s dear faces back on board the catamaran. Only when she’d discovered for herself they’d survived their hideous night in that ghastly jail, would she be able to take a normal breath.

As one kilometer after another unraveled around hills and bends, a delightful smorgasbord of tiny hamlets, ancient villages and farms filled her vision. If she weren’t so worried about her sisters, she could enjoy the fabulous landscape.

“Since dinner is quite a few hours away yet, I thought we’d stop here and satisfy our hunger.”

After coming round a bend in the road, she was surprised to see what looked like an open-air festival of some kind being held in a field. There were all kinds of colorful booths and hundreds of people milling around, talking and eating.

“What’s going on?”

“We’re at the Fiera de Parma.”

“Fiera?”

“
Si
—fairground.” He parked the car before trapping her gaze. “You’re not only lucky enough to be in the capital of Italy’s famous ‘food valley’ where Prosciutto di Parma ham and Parmigian-Reggiano cheese are celebrated—you’ve been freed from jail in time to enjoy the International Food Exhibition which is only held every two years. Come with me.”

When she remarked on the pungent aroma in the air he told her it was white truffles, a local delicacy. Greer had reached the point of starvation some time ago and didn’t need to be urged to join him as they moved about among the crowd sampling the delicious displays.

He fed her everything from emerald green olive oil on chunks of chewy Italian bread sprinkled with cheese, to pale, paper-thin slices of tender parma ham that melted in your mouth.

Every so often he popped a fragrant, fleshy black or green olive in her mouth. As if that weren’t enough, he stuffed her with ice cream and more biscotti, giving her the true taste of exquisite Italian cuisine.

Yet more than the food was the excitement of feeling his arm around her waist, his fingers brushing against her mouth, the play of his dark eyes traveling over her face while he waited for her approval of something she’d eaten.

This enigmatic stranger who seduced her with a soft caress, a quick smile, a deep laugh, had created a danger
ous state of enchantment for Greer. She rebelled at the injustice of having to return to the car…to painful reality.

Silence reigned as they made their descent to the coast where the shimmering water reflected a cloudless sky. The distinctive multihull of the
Piccione
stood out from the few fishing and rowboats still docked in Lerici’s small harbor.

He drove the car into a public area where other cars were parked and got out. Greer grabbed her purse and ran ahead of the man she still didn’t trust and never would.

“Piper? Olivia?” Until they answered, she wouldn’t put one foot on board.

All she got for her shouting was the captain. He stepped out of the cockpit wearing sunglasses and a broad smile that ought to be fined for being too captivating.

“
Buenos tardes, señorita.
Welcome back. Luc and I brought your sisters home from the jail a few hours ago.” Hours? “Señorita Olivo had a headache. They both announced they were going straight to bed and didn’t want to be disturbed.”

Olivia didn’t get headaches.

“Prove it!”

“Momento,”
the man behind her whispered. “I’ll ask them to come up on deck so you’ll know they’re safe.”

“Greer!”

Two blond heads suddenly appeared at the top of the stairs.

T
HANK
heaven!

Greer leaped on board and hurried toward them. They scuttled below to the stateroom they’d used before. Piper locked the door, then they all hugged.

Olivia took one look at her and said, “You’ve got stains all over you. What happened in your jail cell?”

“Never mind that. We’ll talk later.” She held up her purse. “The pendants are in here. Max gave them back along with our passports and tickets. He also fed me royally.”

“Luc served us a fabulous lunch after they brought us back to the boat.”

“They’ve been exceptionally nice.”

“Yeah…well we all know why don’t we. They found out our jewels weren’t worth enough to bother with, so now they’re ready to enjoy
us
for the rest of the trip.”

“I’m sure you’re right,” Piper muttered.

Olivia nodded. “They figure if they feed us and take care of us, we’ll be ripe for the picking after the sun goes down.”

Greer stared at both of them. “I say we leave for Genoa right now.”

“Amen. Everybody grab a suitcase. Let’s get out of here before they cast off!”

Greer was first out the door. She almost bumped into Max who grasped her upper arms in a firm grip.

“Where’s the fire?” His black eyes scrutinized her. “I thought you would want to shower and rest after your ordeal in Colorno.”

Her proud Duchesse nose lifted in the air. It brought their eyes and lips too close for comfort. “I don’t need to rest.”

He studied her mouth as if he were considering devouring it. What made it so much worse was that she wanted him to.

“I was just coming to ask your sisters if they’re ready for their dessert yet. Luc told me to tell them he has made a special
framboise
tart that will satisfy their sweet tooth.”

“What sweet tooth?”

“The one you all share,” he said in a husky tone. “There is chocolate on your mouth from your last biscotti as we speak,
bellissima.
” He brushed at it with his finger before tasting it. The intimate gesture was a reminder of everything they’d shared at the fair.

Crimson flags spotted her cheeks. “We’ve indulged ourselves long enough, don’t you think?” she said before realizing how that must have sounded to him. “Now we’re leaving.”

Lines marred his handsome features. “To do what?”

“That’s our business. Please move out of our way.”

“Not until you tell me where you think are you going.”

“Oh, I
know
where we’re going.”

A condescending smile broke out on his enticing male mouth. Prepared for a knock down drag out, Greer was taken off guard when he unexpectedly took a step back so she could proceed.

The girls followed her down the hall and up the stairs to the top deck, all of them carrying their suitcases.

At a glance she could see Luc untying the ropes. Vibrations ran through her feet and legs, alerting her that the captain had started the engine. Without hesitation she raced up the steps with her luggage and stepped onto the dock. Piper and Olivia joined her with their cases.

The first mate walked toward them with his hands on
his hips. His male beauty combined with his sheer audacity burrowed deeply beneath her skin.

Unable to hold back her anger any longer she cried, “So…you were just going to sail off with us after what you’ve done? No questions asked?”

His dark gaze pierced through to her insides, making her feel quivery and out of control. She hated that feeling.

“We were going to follow your itinerary to the letter. Our first stop for tonight is Monterosso.”

“We were supposed to go there last night, but things turned out differently, so we’ve changed our minds about continuing with this trip.”

“I can see that. May I say one thing. Wherever you wish to go, there won’t be another train through Lerici for at least two hours. Even then you probably won’t be able to get on. It’s possible you could end up having to wait till four in the morning.”

“Max is right,” Luc spoke up. He and the captain had come to stand on the dock next to their partner in crime. “That would be very dangerous for three beautiful, unattached women. With the Grand Prix on tomorrow, transportation is so bad it will be impossible to find a taxi.”

“Every hotel room along the coast has been booked for months,
señoritas,
” Nic chimed in. “Tell us your destination and we’ll take you there in comfort on the
Piccione
without the waiting and the hassle.”

The stranger’s gaze was riveted on Greer. “I would like to try to make up for the disappointment I gave you during our talk in the car.”

“Which disappointment was that?” she fired. “There have been so many.”

“When I told you that you have no Italian blood in you. I realize it destroyed a dream for you.”

“Max is right,” the captain spoke up. “Your Duchesse name came from the French ‘Duchesne.’”

“Really?” Greer broke in heatedly. “So our captain-cum resident etymologist is now a professional genealogist, too?”

His white smile was an affront. “
Si, señorita.
They dropped the ‘n’ and the final ‘e’ when they arrived in America.”

Luc nodded. “I’m afraid the story about an Italian monk who made love to the granddaughter of Maria-Luigia and gave her a son is pure fabrication. We know the news hurts,
mesdemoiselles.
”

The first mate’s eyes never left Greer’s. “Do not shoot the messenger, instead tell me how I can take away a little of the sting,
bellissima.
”

Oh, brother.

“Admittedly all six of us are liars,” she began without preamble, “but if you’re being sincere this time, then give us the keys to your car so we can leave for the airport.”

“You’re planning to return to the States without enjoying the rest of your trip?” he inserted in a silky voice.

“That’s not anyone’s concern but ours,” she declared. “We’ll leave the car in the short-term parking at the Genoa airport. You can pick up your keys at the airline ticket counter.”

“Why would you fly away now when we’ve only just started to get to know each other?”

“I know all I want to know!” By now Greer’s eyes were spitting purple sparks at him. “With your good old boy network flourishing in this neck of Italy,
signore,
I’ve no doubt you’ll be able to manage perfectly well without your car for three or four hours.”

He tossed off one of those careless masculine shrugs that drew her gaze to his remarkable physique. “Be my guest, Greer. We’ll help you to the car.”

Before she could countenance it, the three men took
hold of their luggage and started walking toward the parking area beyond the dock.

Her sisters flashed her a private message that said they didn’t trust the crew as far as they could throw them. Greer flashed them the same message. This was way too easy. There was definitely something wrong here. She could feel it in her bones.

“They could have pulled the distributor cap while we were in our stateroom,” Olivia whispered.

Piper nodded. “I guess we’ll find out soon enough if it doesn’t start.”

“It’s probably running on fumes by now,” Greer theorized. “I wouldn’t put it past him to have tampered with the gauge so we’d never be able to tell until it was too late.”

“Or—” Olivia rolled her eyes “—the tires will all go flat the minute we try to reach the highway.”

“Then we’ll drive on the rims as far as we can,” Piper stated firmly. “Olivia, you’re the designated driver. I’ll help navigate.”

“I’ll sit in the back and be quiet,” Greer volunteered.

By the time they reached the Fiat, the men had put their bags in the trunk. Refusing their offers for help, the girls got into the car. Max handed Olivia the key.
“Buon Viaggio, signorine.”

“Goodbye!” the girls called out in unison.

Low and behold the engine actually started up.

As Olivia drove the car out of the parking area past the three smiling men, Greer’s gaze was trapped by a pair of burning black eyes.

“Ciao, bella.”
He mouthed the words.

That place at her throat started throbbing again.

“Okay guys,” she said once they’d reached the highway. “So far so good, but something tells me we’ll have problems when we reach Genoa airport.”

Piper’s head swung around. “You’re right. It’s another setup to get us in their beds. The crew will alert their buddies to be waiting for us. They’ll say we’ve stolen the pendant and the whole rigmarole will start all over again. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve got a friend tailing us right now.”

“Neither would I,” Greer muttered. “One way or the other, they’re planning on a little fun in the sun with us. Did you see those Cheshire cat grins they gave us as we were driving away?”

“Deep down they’re furious the pendants turned out to be worthless.”

“They’re not going to leave us alone.”

“It’s time to call in the troops, guys.”

“Tom told me they can get a flight on a military transport whenever they want,” Piper informed them. “He was hinting like mad at the time.”

“There’s just one problem with that,” Greer cautioned. “If we send for the guys, it’ll be like telling them we’re really interested in them.”

“Maybe we
should
take our parents’ advice and try to fall in love for a change,” Olivia muttered wistfully.

After a minute Piper said, “We could look at this as a final test. If the boys can get here by tomorrow, we’ll spend the rest of our vacation on the
Piccione
with them. By the end we’ll—”

“Be dead of boredom,” Greer finished for her.

“That’s true,” Olivia agreed, “but the crew doesn’t have to know that.”

Greer started to smile and sat up straighter in the seat. “You’re right. Max isn’t sure if there’s a Don in my life or not. It would really frost him if one of the men answering to that name showed up tomorrow tossing a Frisbee around on the deck.”

Piper grinned. “Especially in their military haircuts and
fatigues. They have the kind of obnoxious attitude that’ll drive our crew right up a wall.”

“I love it,” Olivia exclaimed, “but I guess you guys realize that if they can come, we’ll have to pay Signore Moretti more money.”

“If we don’t make a decision one way or the other, then we’re stuck alone for nine more days with three playboys who intend to play no matter what!” Greer cried.

“Guys? Let’s get serious here. I say we just get back home and back to normal. We could ring Walter Carlson and use him to run interference for us at the airport.”

“Good idea,” Olivia murmured. “I see a trattoria up ahead. We can pull in there and make a credit card call.”

When they reached the parking area Greer said, “You guys stay put because we don’t dare leave the car unattended. I’ll talk to Mr. Carlson. It’s seven-thirty in the morning in Kingston. I doubt he’ll have left his house yet.”

“Let’s hope your right.”

To Greer’s relief it wasn’t long before the wife of the owner of the busy restaurant signaled her to come behind the counter to use the phone.

Greer’s fortune seemed to be holding when Mrs. Carlson said her husband was still home.

“Greer?”

“Hi, Mr. Carlson. Sorry to bother you, but this is very important.”

“I heard you girls were detained at the jail in Colorno by mistake,” he said right off. “I’m so sorry, my dear.”

She blinked. “How did you know?”

“When you gave the police commissioner my name, he got in touch with the attorney for the House of Parma-Bourbon who rang me to verify who you were.

“We had a long talk about your background and the pendants your parents gave you. After he explained about
the confusion over the stolen pendant from the ducal museum, he assured me he would arrange for your immediate release.”

Greer gripped the receiver tighter. “I wish the commissioner had told
me
he was in contact with you.”

“Though I’m sure it didn’t seem that way to you at the time, the Italians have a very efficient system.”

The good old boy network you mean.
Greer almost laughed in his ear.

“Are you girls all right now?”

“Actually we’re not.” Without wasting any more time, she told him about their problems with the crew of the
Piccione
. “We’re pretty sure they’re in league with one of the policemen at the airport. I’m afraid we might be prevented from boarding the plane for our flight home.”

“Don’t worry, Greer. All you have to do is tell the head of security you wish to call me if there’s a problem. Just mentioning my name will produce results.”

Yeah. Sure.

“Thanks, Mr. Carlson.”

“You’re welcome, my dear. As I told you in my office, women weren’t meant to be on their own. The attorney for the House of Parma-Bourbon agreed with me.”

Greer was counting to twenty.

“Perhaps now after this unfortunate experience, you will believe me. As I said, if you have any more trouble at all, give me a ring.”

She was about to tell him the police wouldn’t allow her to call anyone, but it would be a wasted effort on her part. At this point she was so furious, she couldn’t think, let alone talk. “I will. Goodbye.”

After hanging up the receiver, she marched straight out of the restaurant to the car.

“How did it go with Mr. Carlson?”

She shot Olivia a speaking glance. “Remember my
quote,
Don’t upset me. I’m running out of places to hide the bodies?
”

“Uh-oh.”

“What did he say?”

“I’m afraid we’re on our own, guys.”

“You mean he was no help at all?” Olivia cried.

“He said all we had to do was tell the head of security to call him if there was any trouble.”

“Sure.” Piper let out a defeated sigh.

Greer sat back in the seat. “Like I said, we’re on our own. But I’ll give you the long version of our conversation on the way to the airport.”

“Your presence does us great honor, Signore di Varano.”

“
Grazie,
Signore Galli.”

“What can I do for you?”

Except for an obsequiousness that was irritating, there was no sign the other man seemed nervous or caught off guard by Max’s unexpected appearance at the custom’s area of the airport.