A Slave To Kings

Chapter 5

After Paolo had been fed and handed to Pearl, and we had all bathed and dressed for dinner, we made the necessary finishing touches to ourselves in front of the huge, gold-framed looking glass. Penny and I wore the indigo satin Raphael loved. What an act of optimism bringing her gown had been. The sugar planter in Barbados – who had bought Penny from kidnappers, claiming to be her natural father – had provided her with many fine gowns she had told us, but they were abandoned when she was rescued. We had brought clothing for both Penny and Kitty with us. I closed my eyes thinking of the poor lost little girl whose gowns remained folded in the trunk.

I watched my husband now, brushing her pale hair after pinning mine up so skilfully, as he always did, reminding myself to thank his sisters for teaching their little slave so well when I finally met them tomorrow.

He wore a moss green satin coat and waistcoat embroidered in gold that so perfectly matched his eyes. He could not see it, of course. How could he be so blind to himself? I smiled. ‘Doesn’t Papa look especially handsome tonight, Penny?’

Penny grinned at his embarrassment. She knew this foible as well as I did by now. ‘You look very pretty, Papa.’

He snorted. ‘Impossible, when I’m in the shadow of two such beautiful ladies. How can I be anything other than a nonentity?’

I moved to kiss the back of his neck beneath his ribbon-clubbed hair. ‘Well, then, an extremely handsome nonentity, my love.’

He bowed, offering an arm to each of us. ‘Let’s go down.’

We met Sam and Noah outside on the terrazza at the back of the house, brightly lit by wall sconces and many candles in gilded candelabra flickering wildly, stirred by the night breeze. Noah and Sam, too, had dressed in finery. So different from our relaxed time in Jamaica. Sam in cerulean satin and Noah like us in indigo, a shade which showed off his flaxen hair, just as it did for Penny and me. Punch was served by liveried servants and many carefree children ran around, smiled at indulgently by the adults. This was so charmingly un-English. Children were not expected to be present at night-time entertainments there. Penny soon slipped away to join in, finding her lack of Italian very little handicap, it appeared. Raphael’s arm came around my waist. ‘It’s lovely to see her so happy.’

It was Sam who answered. ‘I want to fix her in my mind just as she is now, to remember after she’s gone.’

Poor Sam; my heart ached for him that he must so soon be parted from those he loved most. ‘She’ll write. We all will.’ How meagre a compensation it sounded.

He touched my arm. ‘And I’ll be grateful for every word.’

Soon, we were ushered to the other side of the terrazza, where a long table, decorated with garlands and aglitter with candlelight sparkling on crystal and silverware, was positioned beneath a vine-covered pergola. Serafina’s family were assembled there for the introductions.

First came Antonio with his wife Tullia and their children, Piero, Lorenzo and Livia. Next came Tommaso, dressed in the black and purple soutane of a monsignor – Raphael whispered to inform me – then Sofia and Marcello and their son Vincenzo, and lastly, Camilla with her husband Niccolo and children Caterina and Lionardo. I knew I would never remember which name went with which face. There seemed so many of them. Though all Serafina’s children were glossily good-looking – only Camilla’s husband stood out as a match for her in appearance – none showed any likeness to their mother, just as she had said. The priest was the best looking of all of them, though, which seemed rather a waste.

Penny sat between Sam and me, obviously enchanted by it all. ‘Oh, it’s so pretty. Just like fairyland.’ She turned to Sam. ‘You’re so lucky to be able to live here.’

He smiled, ruefully. ‘I’d far rather come home with you, little one.’ He glanced across at Noah, who was talking earnestly with the priest.

Was he Lorenzo or Antonio? Or perhaps Niccolo? No. That was the handsome husband, I thought. I turned to Raphael and found his eyes fixed upon me. ‘What?’

He smiled and I blushed, of course. How did this still happen? ‘It’s a long time since I’ve seen you in a setting like this. You take my breath away, cara.’

cara‘As you do mine.’ I took a long drink of wine and quickly felt its rush in my blood. I moved my head close to his and spoke into his ear. ‘I do desire you rather intensely at this moment.’

He grinned. ‘Well, I think it might be noticed if we slipped beneath the table, but I’m up for it if you are?’ He lifted my hand to his lips before moving it down to feel his arousal concealed beneath the table. ‘Or, amore mio, we could wait until we’re alone on a rather fine feather bed, if you prefer?’

amore mioI held his gaze for a moment before moving to whisper in his ear again. ‘I love you beyond words, my Raphael.’

‘And I thank God for it.’

As each Tuscan dish was brought to the table, Raphael described its ingredients to me. All were truly delicious. Before long, the children left the table to run and shriek in the darkness with servants watching over them. How wonderful to have such freedom. I wondered how they could still be so boisterous at this time of night.

Raphael seemed to read my mind. ‘A rest is usually taken in the heat of the day.’

Gradually others, too, began to move away, carrying their wine to stone benches at the other side of the terrazza. Sam bent to kiss my cheek before leaving to join Noah, who was still deep in conversation with the priest a little way away on the grass. I touched Raphael’s arm. ‘Let’s take a stroll.’

He drained his glass. ‘An excellent idea.’

We stood and he took my arm in his to lead me away into the warm darkness. The full moon was now directly overhead; its brilliance had not been fully discernible on the brightly lit terrace. Now, we walked over silvered grass, moving away from the house and making our way off to the side where there were a number of outbuildings, including what was clearly a stable block. Could he really be thinking what I thought he was? He guided me inside, into air full of the warm scent of horses and fresh hay … and ripe dung. Soft whickering and forward-pointed ears welcomed us. The interior was lit by a high slatted cupola where cold, broad shafts of moonlight streamed in.

He held my hand as he walked along the row of stalls, stroking velvet noses and speaking softly in Italian to each beast as he passed, until he found what he sought. A vacant stall, its brick floor bare of straw. He led me inside. ‘I think this will do very well, cara.’

cara‘Do for what, pray?’ Yet we had done rather a lot of this secret, hidden coupling since our long-enforced abstinence onboard ship. And here we were seemingly about to do so again, despite our chamber with its lockable door and feather bed. Just the thought of doing this now was disconcertingly arousing.

He leaned in to kiss me, cupping my breast before lowering the satin to uncover me. I looked down at the brick floor, which I was sure smelt a little of horse piss. ‘You can’t be serious? Not on that.’

With his mouth firmly back over mine, he walked me backwards until I was pressed against the wooden boarded wall. He moved his mouth down onto my breasts. ‘Christ, Raphael.’

He stood back and smiled. ‘Lift your skirts.’

I licked my lips, my heart pounding, my body already burning with need. I lifted them. ‘Against a wall? Really?’ I heard desire thickening my voice.

‘Higher. I want to see you.’ He unbuttoned his breeches and freed himself before moving to me to grasp my thigh and lift it, exploring me first with his fingers.

Things were fast and hard after that, leaving us both gasping and panting. When he stepped away to right himself, I shook out my skirts, doubting the creases could be removed without the attentions of a smoothing iron. ‘Well, I’ve never done that before.’ I tilted my head, watching him in the moonlight. ‘I imagine the same can’t be said of you?’

thatHe grinned before attempting to look a little shamefaced. ‘I can’t deny it, amore mio.’ He moved in to kiss me again. ‘But never quite so well,’ he said, against my lips.

amore mio