The situation couldn’t be working out better.
Please make it happen, Fabio.
“I wish I could accommodate you, Luc, but the boat is fully chartered for August. There’s one bedroom left for you if you were to join us in Monterosso on Tuesday. Signorina Duchess could use it until Saturday. You could have my berth in the crew’s quarters and I could sleep on deck.”
“You’re a good friend, Fabio, but I would never ask such a favor of you.”
While they were talking, Luc kept his eye on Olivia, wondering what in the devil she was really up to. He’d learned not to trust one word that came out of that treacherously beautiful mouth of hers. However he didn’t believe that even she would lie about Cesar’s intention to give her an engagement ring.
Life hadn’t been the same since the Duchess triplets had exploded into Luc’s world with the force of a colliding meteor. They’d done the unexpected at every turn, driving him and his cousins crazy.
But because Cesar had entered into this latest equation, Luc had been hesitant to shut the door on her half an hour ago and leave her to her own cunning devices.
“I wish I could help you,” Fabio murmured, “but the other charter companies in the Cinq Terre region are as busy as I am. If I had more time, and you didn’t need a luxury craft, I could probably arrange something for you.”
A luxury craft…
Luc’s thoughts shot ahead. “What about your friend, Giovanni? Does he still have that old sailboat?”
“Of course, but it needs a paint and has no sail at the moment.”
That was even better. “Would he let me use it? I’ll pay him what the Duchess triplets paid you.”
“You mean just to putt around Vernazza’s bay while you do a little fishing? You must be joking! Twelve thousand dollars is more money than he makes in five months at the trattoria in Vernazza.
“He’ll be overjoyed to let you borrow it for as long as you want, but I seriously doubt Signorina Duchess will step foot on it. She paid for a luxury boat to take her as far as the Spanish Riviera, and she expects a crew to wait on her.”
A diabolical smile broke the corners of Luc’s mouth. When she found out she was the designated crew who had to do all the work, that spoiled, mercenary, scheming female would leave Vernazza on the first train out of there.
If Cesar wanted her so much, he’d have to go after her. As for Luc, she’d be out of his life forever. By tomorrow afternoon, he’d be liberated. In a week he’d be able to drive a car again, and life would get back to normal as he knew it before the advent of the Duchess sisters.
It didn’t matter that his skiing days were over. The alpine sport he’d enjoyed from childhood was now a thing of the past. But because of modern medical science, he’d be able to walk again without the assistance of a cane. When the week was up, he’d celebrate by burning it.
“Luc? Are you still there?”
“Forgive me, Fabio. I was distracted for a moment. To answer your question, Signorina Duchess won’t have a choice if she wants to get in a Mediterranean trip before she flies back to New York. If you’ll give me Giovanni’s phone number, I’ll call him and see if he’s willing to let me use it starting tomorrow. I know this is short notice.”
“No problem. I’ll take care of everything, Luc. You can consider it a fait accompli. The Gabbiano will be waiting for you at the Vernazza dock.”
“Excellent. Grazie, Fabio. Ciao.” Mademoiselle Olivier was in for the surprise of her life!
The second he hung up, his gaze locked with a pair of flame-blue eyes.
“Well?” she prodded. “What did Signore Moretti have to say?”
“He told me to tell you that for the Duchess of Kingston, he would move heaven and earth to accommodate you.”
“I knew Fabio would pull through! But the next time you talk to him, tell him I like heaven and earth right where they are. All I’m asking is to go on the vacation Daddy paid for.”
Ah yes. The famous Husband Fund. Who could forget? It proved that truth was stranger than fiction.
According to Max, the Duchess sisters had come to Europe the first time around on the money their father had willed to them, money he called the “Husband Fund.” They could only use it to try to snag a husband.
Absurd and ridiculous as the plan had sounded, it had worked. Greer Duchess was now Signora di Varano, with Max her blissful groom.
Both Luc and Nic had been stunned by the way their cousin had run to his own wedding with such eagerness. In fact he’d gotten engaged to Greer four days after meeting her, which had to be some kind of record.
Luc studied her for a moment. “It seems you’re going to get your wish. The boat will be ready for us tomorrow.”
“But you said you have to go to the hospital in the morning. Won’t you need a day of rest first?”
What was she playing at now, feigning concern. “I thought the main point of this exercise was to remove you from Cesar’s grasp as soon as possible.”
“Well of course it is, but not at the expense of your leg.”
“I had no idea you cared.”
From their first meeting, Olivia had seemed to take particular delight in mocking him over anything to do with his injury. Her last taunt about his not being able to get in Cesar’s race car, let alone drive it, still rankled. Being prohibited from driving for the last seven months had served as its own prison.
“Of course I care,” she blurted. “You are a human being, even if you don’t display the normal set of emotions. Cesar told me you were into robotics engineering. How very apropos.”
“I’m glad we understand each other.”
She eyed him suspiciously. “Why?”
“You’re going to have to fetch and carry for me.”
“The Piccione is a luxury boat. The crew will help you. I’ll be too busy swimming.”
“You mean fishing for men.”
“That’s right. I understand from Cesar that the Prince of Monaco is scuba diving off the coast of Ischia at the moment. His mother was an American. We would have a lot in common. I’m going to tell the captain to set sail for Ischia as soon as we leave port.”
“You do that.”
“I will!” She tossed her head before wandering over to the window to look out at the view. The gesture brought attention to her cap of gleaming gold curls which was a new hairstyle for her. Over six weeks ago when they’d first met, she’d been wearing it longer.
Short like this, it brought out the classic mold of her facial features. Her eyes looked larger than ever.
Luc found himself looking forward to tomorrow when she discovered that she and the steward were one in the same person.
It was hard to believe that only an hour ago Luc had assumed his younger brother had already whisked her off to the Amalfi Coast where the family had a small villa above Positano. It sat high on a cliff overlooking the Mediterranean, one of Cesar’s favorite haunts to take his flavor of the month.
When Luc thought of Olivia standing near the altar in some filmy white bridesmaid concoction where she’d caught the golden light from the stained glass windows pouring into the chapel, the image of luscious, succulent golden peaches in rich crème came to mind.
Definitely an enticing taste treat. Cesar could be forgiven for not being able to take his eyes off her during the ceremony.