Nicoletta gave up, determined to have a talk with Don Scarletti at the first opportunity. While the guards were busy eating their own breakfast some distance away, Nicoletta teased Sophie, distracting her quickly from the earlier conversation. Deliberately she wiggled her eyebrows and made whispered, outrageous references to the passageway and the grand adventure they were certain to have together. Neither guard had been on duty the night before, so they did not realize Sophie had not spent the entire night in Nicoletta's bedchamber. Nicoletta was thankful she didn't have to provide explanations as to how the child had gotten there.
Sophie leaned close to her as they finished their food. "What of Signorina Sigmora? Perhaps she will catch us and look like this." The child turned her face into a severe scowl. It was such a fair representation of Maria Pia's fierce disapproval that Nicoletta, the two guards, Bernado, and Celeste burst out laughing.
Nicoletta caught the child's hand to lead her from the kitchen and hastily waved her thanks to the cook and his assistant. "You are getting too good at that, Sophie. One of these times, Maria Pia will catch you, and then we will both be in trouble. Do you know the name of that maid?" She indicated a young woman who was industriously sweeping out the alcove with the shrine to the Madonna.
Sophie shook her head, but Nicoletta was undeterred from her quest. Within a matter of moments the maid was laughing with her, and the broom was in Nicoletta's possession. The guards shook their heads at her unpredictable ways but followed her back up the stairs to her room. Nicoletta's eyes danced at them. "You be certain and keep a good watch out there, and warn us if the don or Maria Pia happen to come by."
The guards looked at one another suspiciously. "Signorina Sigmora?" one asked her.
Sophie nodded vigorously. "We are going to--" She clapped her hand over her mouth and looked up at Nicoletta.
"Clean," Nicoletta supplied hastily. "A surprise for Maria Pia. She has a distaste of dust, and the room is heavy with dust."
"The don would want a domestica to do the cleaning, certainly not his bride," the guard pointed out. He raised his eyebrows at his partner, who only shrugged and smiled at the strange ways of their charge.
"Signorina Sigmora likes things a certain way," Nicoletta amended, pushing Sophie into the room, where they both burst out laughing. "I am quite used to doing things the way she likes." Nicoletta hastily shut the door on the guards' startled expressions. "I could not tell a lie, or Maria Pia would have me light many candles to the good Madonna and kneel in prayer for a long, long time."
"Are you sure you will not meet i fantasmi?" Sophie asked. What had seemed a great adventure was a bit more frightening when they were actually about to do it.
"If there really is such a thing," Nicoletta said as she searched beneath the smooth edge of the wall for the hidden mechanism, "it would only come out at night."
Sophie sighed and wiggled her body to fit between Nicoletta and the wall so she could guide Nicoletta's hand to the right place. "It is dark in there," Sophie cautioned. "Perhaps i fantasmi cannot tell the difference."
They moved back as the wall seemed to shimmer with life. The sun had changed position, and Nicoletta noted that the strange differences brought on by the stained-glass window were no longer apparent. Back were the images of wickedness and doom. Or were they? She peered closer. Were the winged creatures embedded in the marble reaching to free the hapless victims from the sea serpents?
"Nicoletta!" Sophie tugged at her skirt. "See how dark it is?"
Nicoletta looked into the interior and was astonished at how dark it really was. As there were no windows, the passageway looked black inside. When she lit a taper and held it up, it illuminated shiny spider webs, white tapestries of silken threads covering the walls and hanging from the ceilings. She looked up the walls in hopes of finding a sconce for her candle, but found none. She was forced to set the taper precariously on the floor.
Nicoletta studied the passageway. It was narrow in comparison to the cavernous corridors in the palazzo, but a man with wide shoulders, such as Giovanni Scarletti, could still pass through without scraping his skin. The ceiling was much lower, too, so that she felt closed in by the heavy stone. She very much wanted to explore, to see where the passage led, but Sophie was frightened, breathing fast, nearly jumping up and down in her terror. Nicoletta contented herself with bashing spiders and sweeping away the webs between the nursery and her room. The walls of the passage appeared smooth, the secret doors obviously hidden from both sides. The floor immediately outside the room was constructed of marble but soon gave way to rougher, grainy stone.
She retrieved the taper and went farther into the dark interior, holding up the light so she could see beyond the nursery. Tentatively she reached out with the broom, swiping at the seamless wall in hopes of discovering another door. Instead, something dropped out of the top of the wall, a heavy, flat, sharp object that cut right through the broom handle, so that the bristles end clattered to the floor. Her heart nearly stopped as the huge blade disappeared with menacing silence back into the ceiling as if it had never been Gasping, Nicoletta dropped the taper, which fell to the stone floor and rolled away, extinguishing the flame. At once the passageway seemed a dark, sinister place, a death trap, and she shuddered to think of Sophie skipping through it. She froze in place, terrified of moving, looking around her now with wide, frightened eyes.
Behind her, Sophie held the door open, valiantly keeping up her end of the adventure, completely unaware of the very real danger to anyone moving around in the passageway. The child was Nicoletta's only escape. If the marble wall somehow closed, she would be unable to find her way out. She had no idea where the doors were located or even how to open them. She had no idea what other hidden traps lay in wait for an unwary victim, but she was certain that they did, each as lethal as the one she had accidentally sprung. Now, in the darkness, after witnessing the sudden descent of that hideous blade, she felt the vibrations of the aftermath of violence. Very cautiously, Nicoletta turned around, careful not to touch the walls and placing her feet gingerly, one directly in front of the other, to minimize the risk of stepping on the wrong stone.
Cara! She could clearly hear the anxiety in the don's voice. What is it? Your fear is swamping me.
The sound of his voice brushing so gently in her mind was instantly comforting. Nicoletta managed to take a deep breath, exhaling before walking slowly and carefully toward the pinpoint of light from the open door still several paces away from her. She wished she had Don Scarletti's particular talent so she could answer him. It was terrifying to be moving in the darkness, afraid of the very walls and floor. She used what was left of the broom to probe the stones straight in front of her before she placed her foot.
She heard Sophie yelp, call out her name, and to Nicoletta's horror, the child's head withdrew into the bedroom. At once, the thick marble wall swung shut, the faint pinpoint of light extinguished, plunging the passageway into total blackness. She froze, her heart pounding so loudly she could almost hear it echoing in the eerie silence.
Nicoletta attempted to force her mind away from fear and panic. It didn't matter that it was daylight outdoors; here in the passage it was forever night. She could hear the scratching of rats, tiny sounds that made her blood run cold. The air was musty and thick, heavy and still, oppressive in its silence. Beads of sweat began to trickle down her skin. While the palazzo had so many drafts, it was stifling in the passage. The low ceiling and walls seemed to be pressing in on her, leaving no space for air.
She straightened her shoulders and told herself she was simply in an unfamiliar environment. She often stayed alone in the hills, where bears and wolves roamed. This was no different. Both places were potentially dangerous but not necessarily lethal. For all her firm lecturing, Nicoletta couldn't force her feet to move forward. That hidden blade had sprung from nowhere and had disappeared just as silently and smoothly. The evidence--what remained of the broom handle--was in her hands.
What w
as the passage hiding? Where did it lead? What was so secret that someone would prepare lethal traps to guard it? An inquisitive rodent touched a tiny wet nose to her ankle, and she cried out, stepping in a straight line, fearful of reaching out toward the walls. The drumbeat in her head seemed even louder, and for a moment she was literally choking on her fear.
Just ahead a faint crack of light appeared. At first it was a mere slit, but then light radiated into the passage. A man's large frame filled the open doorway. Nicoletta hurtled herself forward, uncaring of decorum, uncaring of his station. She ran into Don Scarletti's arms, nearly impaling him with the remains of the broom handle clutched tightly in her hand.
Giovanni wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly to him, burying his face in her hair. He took the precaution of removing the broom handle and tossing it into the bedchamber. His body was trembling slightly, and he waited there, still partially in the passage, for the pounding of his heart to subside. Then he hauled Nicoletta back into the bedroom and shook her slightly, furious that she had managed to frighten him when no man had ever done so.
Abruptly, his arms dragged her close again and enfolded her protectively. "I have considered locking you in the tower, piccola, but I suspect even there you would manage to find trouble." He whispered the words in exasperation against her ear.
Nicoletta allowed herself the luxury of snuggling closer to him, so she could hear the reassuring beat of his heart. He was solid and strong. He bent his head to hers, his hand lifting her chin so that his mouth found hers in total desperation. She tasted his fear for her, his hunger. A need as elemental as time. He was fiercely possessive. And his kiss was the most sinfully intimate thing she had ever experienced.
She felt the way his body hardened, his arms like iron bands about her, his loins hot and aggressive. But his mouth... It moved over hers like hot silk. It teased and insisted. Caressed and tempted. The moment she relaxed and submitted, opening her own mouth, he took complete control, sweeping her into a world where there was only feeling. Only Giovanni and Nicoletta and pure sensation. Of their own volition, her arms crept up to circle his neck, and her body melted, soft and pliant, right into his. They fit together perfectly despite the differences in their sizes. As if they were halves of the same whole.
Giovanni deepened the kiss, demanding, dominating, ruthlessly sweeping her along with the rising tide of his own wild passion. And she followed where he led. His hands slipped down her back, shaped her small waist to slide over the curve of her rounded bottom, dragging her even closer until she was pressed tightly against him.
"What is going on in here!" Maria Pia's voice rang out with shocked outrage. "Don Scarletti, I demand that you let go of that girl at once!"
Giovanni's mouth was hot with need, moving over Nicoletta's, his tongue dancing and dueling and teasing her body into hot flames until she was drowning in her own desire. He made a sound. A soft groan of frustration and need. Slowly, with infinite care, he reluctantly kissed the corners of her mouth, then rested his brow against hers as if he didn't have the strength to lift his head.
"Nicoletta!" Maria Pia's voice was sharper than ever, and this time it penetrated enough that Nicoletta heard the note of fear.
Bemused, she stared up at Giovanni, her dark eyes searching his face intently. He smiled at her, the expression in his eyes so tender that it robbed her of breath. Carefully he picked a spider web from the silken strands of her hair. "You have taken ten years off my life," he confided very softly.
"Thank you for rescuing me." Her voice didn't sound like her own. It was husky and soft, a seductive invitation, and she found herself blushing wildly.
The don turned his head to look at Maria Pia. He bowed slightly, a courtly, elegant gesture. "I believe I am going to have to insist that you stay with your charge at all times, Signorina Sigmora. It is that or the guards will have to be stationed in her room." A dark scowl shadowed his face at the thought of the two men in Nicoletta's bedchamber.
"That passage is dangerous, Don Scarletti," Nicoletta announced, pointing to the severed broom handle as evidence. "Sophie has been using it to get from the nursery to my room. Her father knew." Her voice held accusation although she tried hard to keep it neutral.
His eyebrows shot up. "Call me Giovanni," he prompted, his lips so outrageously close to her ear that she felt the warmth of his breath heating her blood all over again. "It is forbidden to all to use the passageway. Sophie knows that, and certainly Vincente knows it. Sophie was moved out of the nursery when it was discovered she knew of the passage. She was warned many times of the danger. Both Vincente and I forbade her to use it. There are numerous traps in there, and more than one person has died trying to hunt treasure or escape to the sea."
Nicoletta lifted one eyebrow. "I have heard of Scarlettis under assault escaping unseen to the sea, but I have never heard rumors of hidden treasure."
Giovanni shrugged his wide shoulders with careless ease. "It is said that our ancestor, Francisco Scarletti, who had this palazzo built, included the hidden passageway to allow members of the household to escape to waiting ships should there be need. Few know how to maneuver the passageway or the rocks in the cove, but Francisco mapped it carefully for future generations. More than once, during an invasion, the passageway and the cove were used for escape. In the days when the palazzo was constructed, fortresses often hid elaborate traps for invaders. Francisco was also reputed to have treasures without equal. Solid gold sculptures." He glided across the room with his natural grace, lifted the golden boat from its alcove shelf, and handed it to Nicoletta. "These pieces have been protected from all invaders, including the Holy Church."
She gasped at the open admission for a need to protect riches from the Church and glanced at Maria Pia, who crossed herself devoutly. Nicoletta was also reluctant to take the sculpture from him. It was an exquisite piece, richly detailed and highly ornate. She admired the skillful workmanship, the attention to detail, and gave it back immediately. "Why would you have it in this room? It must be worth a fortune. Someone might steal it."
For a moment the don's eyes glittered dangerously. "I think that most unlikely." His voice was a purr of menace.
"And there are more of these sculptures?" she prompted.
Giovanni nodded. "The King of Spain has gobbled up most of the cities and states in this region. I have managed to repel his armies from our lands, and he does not want to sustain more heavy losses. Still, my 'ancestors,' with their maps and hidden passageways, are guarding the art treasures in the event I fail to detect a threat in time to keep the invaders from overrunning us. At the moment we have an uneasy treaty with Spain, but greed can tip the scales. There is a rumor of war with Austria. Spain would like to get its hands on our coffers. This is not something I speak of with any other, so I trust you and Signorina Sigmora to remain silent on the matter. The passageway is a necessary evil, and I thank you for bringing to my attention that the bambino has been using it. No one can make it through to the sea without the map. Each section has numerous traps to slow the enemy and allow the famiglia to escape. Only the ruling don knows where the map is and how to read it."
"You should have warned me," Nicoletta reprimanded him.
A slow smile took the merciless line from his mouth and lit his dark eyes. "It did not occur to me that a woman would enter such a place. In truth, I did not think you would even hear of it. In the future, do not go exploring until you consult with me."
Her chin rose a fraction. "You are always busy, and I do not wish to disturb you. I do not usually get myself into difficulty."
He made a choking sound.
Nicoletta glared at him. "I do not get myself into difficulty. And I took precautions. Sophie was watching for me. She was holding the door open." She put her hands on her hips. "Where is that little imp?"
"I knew you were in danger, and I rushed in a most unseemly manner away from my important visitor and up to this room. The door was locked from the inside"--it was said as
an accusation--"so I threatened to break it down. Sophie, doubtless trembling at my threats, ran to unlock the door. She dropped the key out of the lock at least three times, fearing, I am certain, she would be severely punished for her part in this escapade. The wall must have swung shut when she rushed to open the door for me. It was a harrowing experience, waiting for that child to let me in."
"Why, you probably frightened her to death," Nicoletta said in exasperation, completely unsympathetic to his complaint. "Do you not realize that if you had not frightened her, the wall would never have closed, and I would have walked out of the passageway with no problem at all? Poor little scrap, she is probably in tears."
"No doubt," he admitted dryly. His hand slipped around her throat, warm and strong and far too intimate. "I have asked the holy father to allow us to be married immediately. He has agreed."
"Perhaps that was not such a good idea." Maria Pia rushed forward, catching Nicoletta's hand and drawing the young woman firmly to her side. Away from Don Scarletti. Nicoletta could feel the older woman trembling.
"What is it, Maria Pia?" she asked gently.
"Cristano did not return to the villaggio" she announced, her faded eyes fixed on the don in accusation.
Chapter Eleven
There was complete silence in the room. A cold draft seemed to come out of the very walls and swirl around Nicoletta. She shivered, and deep within her heart, she heard her own cry of unspoken protest. There was evil walking in the palazzo. She stared up at Don Scarletti, her gaze locked with his. Fierce. Intense. Soul to soul. She couldn't even feel Maria Pia's hand in hers. She and the don were the only two people in existence. He was watching her closely, his mind in hers. She felt him there. He was waiting in silence for her to condemn him.