Chapter 5 #2
“Did you know about this?” Diana asked, turning a suspicious glance in Barbara’s direction.
“I did not,” she claimed. “But if they’re here, that means the children are probably here, too,” she added with excitement. “We’ll be able to meet our granddaughter,” she gushed.
“Oh, the marchesa is gorgeous,” Helen murmured, which had Tom squeezing her hand.
“You’re far prettier,” he said in a whisper.
She grinned as Diana asked, “Is that David’s brother?”
“In the flesh,” Randy replied. “Seems you’re to meet yet another one of your second cousins this evening.”
Diana beamed in delight. “You say that as if you don’t think I’ll like him,” she accused. “But I already do.”
Randy furrowed a brow. “Oh?”
“Mother told me their story long before I met you,” she said.
“How they fell in love but couldn’t marry.
How he waited for her.” She knew the rest of the couple’s story from Barbara, and was sworn to secrecy when it came to the details of their son, Antony.
“They look incandescently happy,” she added, watching as the couple descended the stairs.
“Aren’t we?” Randy asked, tearing his gaze from the approaching couple, their beaming faces a testament to their intention of surprising the family. His own displayed a look of concern.
Diana stood on tiptoe, held up a gloved hand to hide her mouth, and kissed his cheek. “We are.”
He grinned, the tips of his ears turning bright red.
“Do you suppose they planned this?” Helen asked.
“She planned it,” Will stated, his grin belying his accusation. “And kept it a secret from Donald.”
As if his words caused their oldest son to glance in their direction, Donald did a double-take and beamed in delight.
“I do hope he won’t be angry with her,” Barbara said, her own grin widening into a smile. She had her arms held wide as Donald rushed up to embrace first her and then his father.
“Well, this is… this is—”
“A surprise?” Nicoletta finished for him, already enjoying the attentions of the others. “I have had to keep it a secret for an entire fortnight,” she complained.
Donald scoffed as he shook hands with his cousins and kissed the backs of Diana’s and Helen’s hands. “I could not believe my mother’s letters when she said I had new cousins,” he gushed. “I wasn’t sure if I should send best wishes or letters of sympathy,” he added in a tease.
Diana and Helen giggled in response as their husbands pounded Donald’s shoulders with their fists.
“Now there’s a rather handsome couple,” Randy remarked, his gaze suddenly directed on a regal man and woman who had stepped into the circle of dancers.
The black-haired gentleman was garbed in a dark satin top coat and pantaloons while the bit of waistcoat that showed appeared made of spun gold.
On his arm was an attractive woman about Nicoletta’s age who wore a gown made of the same gold fabric.
The fitted bodice emphasized her generous bosom and the sleeves, puffy at the shoulders, were tight around her forearms.
“The Conte and Contessa Russo,” Donald stated. “They live near us in Catania. Nikky and Maria have been friends since their youth. Their daughter and Antony are nearly the same age and quite happy to play together.”
Randy arched a brow. “I take it you are not friends with the conte?”
Donald allowed a look of surprise. “Russo and I play cards and go hunting on occasion. He’s a crack shot with a pistol,” he said. “But you’re right. I cannot claim he is a close friend.”
“Has it been hard? Living so far from England?” Tom asked, after catching the last of what Donald had said.
Donald shook his head. “Not really. As the Marchesa Montblanc, Nikky is well regarded in Catania, so life there is easy. Here in Roma, we’re merely another aristocratic couple, I suppose.”
“They accept you? Even though you’re not Italian?” Randy asked, his gaze darting about in an effort to discover if anyone was watching them. He expected some to show curiosity at the presence of strangers, but most in attendance were either dancing or engaged in conversation.
Lifting a shoulder, Donald said, “Half of them don’t know I’m British. The other half…” He shrugged again. “They either don’t care, or if they do, it’s because they’re jealous I am married to Montblanc’s widow because they wanted that fortune for themselves.”
Tom leaned forward and lowered his voice. “So… you really are rich?”
Donald chuckled. “More than you’ll ever be,” he teased. His attention darted about the ballroom as if he was in search of someone. “Where’s David?”
Their query was met with the opening strains of the next dance and the appearance of a young lady gowned in silver.
Her head held high, as if she might be the lady of the house, she was perusing the crowd as if searching for someone.
Her gaze settled on them, and she quickly made her way in their direction.
“Zia Nikky, you really must introduce me,” she demanded. Her high color suggested she had practically run from wherever she had been.
“Allow me,” Donald said, capturing the girl’s hand in his to pull her to his side.
“Donna Vittoria D’Avalos, may I have the honor of introducing you to my mother and father, the Countess and Earl of Bellingham, and my cousins Don Randolph Forster and his wife Diana, and Thomas Forster and his wife, Helen.
Tonight’s ball is Vittoria’s come-out,” he finished before he once again glanced about the ballroom in search of his brother.
Murmurs of greetings and welcome were exchanged, the women quick to compliment the young lady on her gown.
“Did David not come?” Donald asked in confusion.
“Oh, Don Penton is around here somewhere,” Vittoria said as she waved a gloved hand. “Acting like a rogue, of course, but I suppose you already knew that about him,” she added, waggling her dark brows.
The others in the group stared at the young lady in shock.
“A rogue?” Barbara repeated in a whisper. She glanced up at Will, whose brows were furrowed in what appeared to be anger.
“Apparently I need to remind him of his manners,” Will said under his breath.
They all turned when they heard David call from where he appeared as if from the same corridor as Vittoria had come.
“About time you all arrived,” he said casually. “A nice surprise to see you again, sister,” he added, lifting Nicoletta’s hand to his lips. He was about to shake his brother’s hand but realized something was amiss. “What is it?” he asked, his innocent manner quite at odds with Vittoria’s claim.
While he displayed a look of confusion, she stared at him with narrowed eyes. “Here he is now,” she said, lifting her chin. “A rogue in Roma.”
David’s jaw dropped as he blinked several times. “I... I am not,” he countered defensively.
Vittoria tossed her head before turning around at the exact moment a young man stepped up to claim her for the next dance. “Mi scusi,” she said before hurrying off.
Their party watched her go before they all turned and stared at David.
It was going to be a long night.