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She stopped, the pounding of her heart loud in her ears as the words hung between them, their echo heavy in the darkness Senza finezza It was only then that she realized that, at so her tirade, she had switched to Italian
She could only hope that he had not understood
There was a long stretch of silence, a great, yawning void that threatened her sanity And then the carriage stopped They sat there for an interht remain there in the vehicle for the rest of ti of fabric He opened the door, swinging it wide
She started at the sound of his voice, low and dark and
“Get out of the carriage”
He spoke Italian
Perfectly
She sed Well She was not about to apologize Not after all the terrible things that he’d said If he was going to throw her froe, so be it She would walk home Proudly
Perhaps someone would be able to point her in the proper direction
She scooted across the floor of the coach and outside, turning back and fully expecting to see the door swing shut behind her Instead, he followed her out, ignoring her presence as he moved up the steps of the nearest town house The door opened before he reached the top step
As though doors, like everything else, bent to his will
She watched as he entered the brightly lit foyer beyond, a large brown dog lureet him with cheerful exuberance
Well So much for the theory that animals could sense evil
She sht, and he turned halfway back alolden curls were once elic relief, as he said, “In or out, Miss Fiori You are trying my patience”
She opened her mouth to speak, but he had already disappeared from view And so she chose the path of least resistance
Or, at least, the path that was least likely to end in her ruin on a London sidewalk in the ht
She followed him in
As the door closed behind her and the footman hurried to follow his master to wherever htly lit entryway, taking in the wide ilded e space see this way and that, and a long, dark corridor that stretched deeper into the town house
The dog sat at the botto to the upper floors of the home, and under his silent canine scrutiny, Juliana was suddenly, ely aware of the fact that she was in a man’s home
Unescorted
With the exception of a dog
Who had already been revealed to be a poor judge of character
Callie would not approve Her sister-in-law had specifically cautioned her to avoid situations of this kind She feared thatItalian fe of British stricture
“I’ve sent word to Ralston to come and fetch you You may wait in the—”
She looked up when he stopped short, andthat, if she did not know better, ht be called concern
She did, however, know better
“In the—?” she pro pace
“Dear God What happened to you?”
“Someone attacked you”
Juliana watched as Leighton poured two fingers of scotch into a crystal tumbler and walked the drink to where she sat in one of the oversized leather chairs in his study He thrust the glass toward her, and she shook her head “No, thank you”
“You should take it You’ll find it cal”
She looked up at hi, Your Grace”
His gaze narrowed, and she refused to look away fro, with nearly unbearable good looks and an expression of coh he had never in his life been challenged
Never, that was, until now
“You deny that someone attacked you?”
She shrugged one shoulder idly, re quiet What could she say? What could she tell hiainst her? He would claiant tone, that had she been more of a ladyhad she had more of a care for her reputationhad she behaved lishwoman and less like an Italianthen all of this would not have happened
He would treat her like all the rest
Just as he had done since the moment he had discovered her identity
“Does it ed the entire evening in order to ensnare a husband Or so equally ridiculous”
She had intended the words to set him down They did not
Instead, he raked her with one long, cool look, taking in her face and arms, covered in scratches, her ruined dress, torn in two places, streaked with dirt and blood from her scored palms
One side of his ust, and she could not resist saying, “Once more, I prove myself less than worthy of your presence, do I not?”
She bit her tongue, wishing she had not spoken
He aze “I did not say that”
“You did not have to”
He threw back the whiskey as a soft knock sounded on the half-open door to the roo away from her, the duke barked, “What is it?”
“I’ve brought the things you requested, Your Grace” A servant shuffled into the rooes, and several small containers He set the burden on a nearby low table
“That is all”
The servant bowed once, neatly, and took his leave as Leighton stalked toward the tray She watched as he lifted a linen towel, dipping one edge into the basin “You did not thank him”
He cut a surprised glance toward her “The evening has not exactly put rateful frame of mind”
She stiffened at his tone, hearing the accusation there
Well She could be difficult as well
“Nevertheless, he did you a service” She paused for effect “Not to thank hiish”
There was a beat before herbecame clear “Boorish”
She waved one hand “Whatever A different man would have thanked him”
He moved toward her “Don’t you mean a better man?”
Her eyes widened in mock innocence “Never You are a duke, after all Surely there are none better than you”
The words were a direct hit And, after the terrible things he’d said to her in the carriage, a deserved one
“A different woman would realize that she is squarely in my debt and take more care with her words”
“Don’t you mean a better woman?”
He did not reply, instead taking the seat across fro his hand, palm up “Give me your hands”
She clutched them close to her chest instead, wary “Why?”
“They’re bruised and bloody They need cleaning”
She did not want hi her Did not trust herself
“They are fine”
He gave a low, frustrated growl, the sound sending a shiver through her “It is true what they say about Italians”
She stiffened at the words, dry with the promise of an insult “That we are superior in all ways?”
“That it is impossible for you to admit defeat”
“A trait that served Caesar quite well”
“And how is the Ro these days?”
The casual, superior tone ue
Impossible man
They stared at each other for a longto back down
until he finally spoke “Your brother will be here at any h as it is without seeing your bloody palms”
She narrowed her gaze on his hand, wide and long and oozing strength He was right, of course She had no choice but to relinquish
“This is going to hurt” The words were her only warning before he ran his thu the wounded skin there, now crusted in dried blood She sucked in a breath at the touch
He glanced up at the sound “Apologies”
She did not reply, insteadher other hand
She would not let hi for breath
She had expected it, of course, the undeniable, unwelcoed whenever he neared
It was loathing She was sure of it
She would not even countenance the alternate possibility