Chapter 2

Mariana’s eyes were just beginning to close when she heard the knock on her door. She sat up quickly, pushing her hair back away from her eyes, disoriented for a moment until she realized that she had fallen asleep in the drawing room while reading after dinner.

She lifted the book off of her chest and threw it to the side. It was obviously not worth reading if it had put her right to sleep.

“Abello?” she called out to her butler. “Who is there?”

He appeared in the doorway, his hands drawn together.

“Do?a Palencia? A… gentleman is here to see you.”

Rather than appearing judgemental, the servant seemed confused, which made sense, for Mariana never entertained men of any sort – except those who visited with their wives and even that was a rare occurrence.

“Who is this gentleman?”

“An Englishman. He says he is a duke.”

“An English duke?” She pushed herself off of the sofa and took to her feet in surprise.

“Yes.”

“What does he want?”

“To see Don Palencia.”

“Oh,” she said, running her hands over her dress in an attempt to smooth out the wrinkles. Her paniers were rather flat, but what did she care what this English duke thought of her? She was sure he would be on his way once he realized her husband was no longer in this world. “I suppose I best see what his business is.”

She looked around the room. “Can you please send in a couple of maids to prepare the room for a visitor? And perhaps a tray. I am rather hungry myself.”

“Of course.”

“Once the room is ready, please show him in.”

The butler nodded and then left. Abello had always seemed a trustworthy sort since Mariana had taken up residence here a few years ago, and she only hoped that he wouldn’t inform any of Javier’s family that she was entertaining a man – even if he wasn’t an invited one.

An Englishman. What could an Englishman want with her husband? She wasn’t sure that she wanted to know. Javier had not always been the most… upright of men.

It wasn’t long before the drawing room was ready, and Mariana pushed her mass of dark curls behind her back. She was perhaps far too casual to entertain, but it was of no matter.

She was waiting in the middle of the room when he entered, and she had to blink a few times when he filled the doorway.

She had quite a few expectations of what an English duke might look like – and none of them were standing in front of her right now.

“Do?a Palencia?”

“Yes, that is me,” she responded in English. She had a feeling he wouldn’t have a wonderful grasp of the Spanish language, but he surprised her when he answered in her own tongue with only a touch of an accent.

“Forgive me for the intrusion. I was seeking an audience with your husband.”

“Then you will be waiting a long time,” she said, and his eyes widened.

“Is he not in residence?”

“You could say that,” she replied, deciding in the moment that until she knew whether or not she could trust this man, it would be better not to share the truth with him, but instead allow him to think that her husband was still alive. “There is no point in waiting for him, as he isn’t due to return anytime soon.”

“Is he in Spain?”

“No.”

“I see,” he said, rocking back and forth from his toes to his heels as though he wasn’t sure what his next action should be. “Perhaps I will ask you a few questions then.”

“I suppose,” she said, finally shaking herself out of her stupor. The English were far from their allies, but this man had taken time to travel all the way here, so she supposed she should at least do what would be expected of her. “Would you like to sit?”

She swept a hand out toward the furniture that surrounded the small table in the middle, and he nodded, though his large form with broad shoulders and thick thighs did not seem likely to fit in the small chair that he chose. She half expected it to break beneath his weight and she watched him with bated breath.

Fortunately, it held.

“My husband’s brother would likely be the man you are seeking in my husband’s stead. You do, however, have a ways to journey, for he resides in Madrid,” she said. “Is there anything I can help you with before you go?”

“I suppose that depends.”

“On what?”

“On what you know of the fortune of the San Juan.”

“The San Juan?” she repeated. “Are you referring to the ship?”

“Yes,” he said. “Are you aware of its fate?”

“Of course. It is lost to the sea somewhere between Peru and Spain.”

“Perhaps,” the duke said. “Perhaps not. I believe there is far more to the story than most realize.”

“I must admit that you are intriguing, but before we continue any further, I must know – just what does my husband have to do with this?”

“You do not know?”

“No,” she said truthfully, although her interest was considerably piqued.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” he surprised her by answering.

“Like what?”

“As though I am a specimen to study.”

Mariana raised her brows, surprised that he would call attention to her scrutiny, for she guessed that he would not have been raised to be so forward with a lady. But perhaps it was only the fair Englishwomen he would be delicate with.

“You are not what I would expect,” she said truthfully, not sure why she admitted such a thing, but she found herself unable to look away from him.

“And what did you expect?” he asked, his plush lips curving into a smile.

“I suppose I expected a tall, thin man with a dour face and lack of humor,” she said, eliciting a loud, booming laugh from him.

“I possess none of those things?”

“Not that I have witnessed so far,” she said with a shrug. “You are a large man with a quick smile. Not what I expected from an Englishman.”

“While you are exactly what I would expect from a Spanish woman.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” she asked, her spine straightening. She knew she shouldn’t be offended when she had been just as quick to make suppositions based on his heritage, but somehow it seemed different.

“It means that you are a beautiful woman unafraid to speak the truth.”

Mariana lifted her chin. “That does not sound like a trait an Englishman would admire.”

“I am not like most Englishmen.”

“So it seems.”

She leaned forward, staring him in the eye.

“What is it that you want, Englishman?”

“I am usually referred to as ‘Your Grace’.”

“You are not in England anymore.”

“So it would seem,” he said, mimicking her by leaning even closer toward her, his lips curling into a smile that could only be described as sultry. He was close enough now that were she to move forward any more, their bodies would be touching, if not their lips. “So it would seem.”

He might not have beenwhat the Spanish woman had expected, but when Edward had planned this visit, he most certainly wasn’t expecting a beauty such as she to greet him.

He had been expecting a man who would slam the door in his face.

This woman possessed more than beauty, however. She had a quick wit about her, the words that rolled past her red lips as enticing as her mouth itself.

He reminded himself that even if she was not faithful to her husband, she was still a married woman, and he did not entangle himself with married women – no matter how alluring she might be. His pulse raced slightly as he shifted to adjust his pants, telling himself to calm down. This was not what had brought him here and certainly any advances would only serve to put him further behind in his quest.

“You haven’t answered me,” she said, the breathiness of her voice giving away the fact that she was equally affected. “What is it that you want from me?”

Edward could think of many answers to that particular question, and he wondered if she was aware that when she leaned forward as she was, her breasts strained against the fabric of her gown, her stomacher gaping enough that he could see the round, soft curves beneath.

He had never been particularly enamored with the young debutants who were thrown his way back home. At his age of five-and-thirty, he far preferred a woman with curves that could fill his hands, who was not afraid to tell him exactly what she wanted, what she thought, and had the grace that age brought with it.

This woman was all of that and more.

“I want…” He paused, allowing the words to roll off his tongue as he met her eyes, seeing the desire reflecting back. “I want to know what your husband was doing about a year ago.”

He saw the flash of annoyance cross her face, although she quickly hid it.

“My husband was doing what any nobleman does. Paid a man to look after his affairs, made investments, gambled, and bedded his mistresses.”

Edward’s nostrils flared in anger on behalf of the woman sitting before him. How a man could have her waiting at home for him while he went out and found others was beyond him.

“I see,” he said, controlling his tone. “Did he leave for any extended periods of time?”

Her dark gaze bore into him, and he was mesmerized by the brown eyes with flecks of gold that seemed to drink him in.

“I do not believe I have any reason to tell you, a stranger, any more about my marriage than I already have,” she said, setting her jaw, and Edward knew then that he had gone wrong, had broken whatever it was that had been building between them. “You say you are an English duke, but how could I possibly know that to be true? And even if it is, how do I know that you are not using this information for some nefarious purpose?”

She took a breath, and while Edward did allow some guilt to seep through that he watched the rise and fall of her chest, he still didn’t tear his gaze away.

“Unless you speak plainly and tell me what has brought you to Spain, most specifically here to question my husband, I believe it would be best if you left.”

“Very well,” Edward said, realizing that he was going to have to try a different tactic than his usual charm. This woman seemed far too perceptive, apparently able to see right through him. Perhaps he would simply do exactly as she asked and tell her the truth.

“I believe that your husband stole the gold doubloons the San Juan was carrying and has hidden them here in his home on the coast. I came to find the treasure.”

The most alluring woman he had ever seen paused, staring at him with shock and disbelief all over her features.

Then she opened her mouth, doubled over – and laughed so hard she nearly fell over.