Page 39 of Forbidden Noble
Olivia nodded. “I did. I do. But I also want my daughter to know more than castle walls.”
“Once the pay-off money is paid and the contract signed, you can do whatever you want.” If no one was here, he couldn’t hurt them. Astorre crossed his arms, needing confirmation from Olivia that she saw the truth in his soul. “Why didn't you tell me?”
She let out a long, sad sigh as she asked, “Why didn’t you come home for more than short spurts when I demanded you be here? You thought you’d turn into our father? For a while I was afraid of that too, but then I grew up--you didn’t. You ran from here.”
That was a nice way of confirming that she thought he was reckless and unstable and unworthy. “I…I’d like to meet my niece.”
“Okay," Olivia said. "Let me explain things to her that she’s safe now. Lunch.”
All he had to do was control himself from going crazy for a few more days. How to get Clara out of here? She needed to live and not ever be hurt because of him.
Once Olivia left, Clara reached for his arm. He lowered it as she said, “Astorre, we should talk.”
“Not now. I need to be alone first.” He stepped away from her. Part of him wanted to take her right here, right now, but he couldn’t ever touch her again. That was a path to losing all control and he needed to figure out how to send her away.
It would be for the best.
Chapter 14
Clara’s skin was electrified as she made her way back to their room.
This was the only place where no one would see her, which was the best. She closed the door behind her and tried to calm down.
Adrenaline rushed through her. She was now part of a family and she hadn't handled herself well. She didn't know their customs and Astorre hadn't explained what he'd expected of her.
With Max, she thought she’d solved the problem when she'd cut to the chase of his wanting money, but then Astorre had turned away. Maybe she'd overstepped.
She probably had. Rules of being a lady weren’t exactly something she knew. No one had been in her life to model the behavior. She'd failed, when she'd wanted to help.
Clara went to the window and peeked out the arrow slit holes that had been paned with modern glass.
At some point someone had dug into the walls, modernized for electricity, windows, the internet, and then put the stones back up like they’d never been touched.
More fog rolled in from the bay.
If only the clouds could cover her mistakes… she knew better than to put her heart on the line. She'd failed and would now get rejected.
It was already happening--Astorre had turned from her when they'd grown so close. The rejection reminded her of Grandmother May. No matter how hard she'd tried to please her, it hadn't been enough.
She’d screwed up by interfering in something that wasn't her business--tears spilled down her cheeks.
Clara collapsed on the bed--her phone rang and her best friend’s face showed on the screen.
She wiped her eyes and answered, “Rossie, how are you?”
“Great.” Rossie’s happiness was evident in every syllable. “How are you settling into Montelino Bay, and when can I visit?”
Clara laughed though it sounded hollow, at least to her. Rossie would be here within the hour given the right incentive--and she could use a friend. “The castle is very fascinating.”
"Castle?" Rossie’s voice lifted with excitement which meant she was planning a run over, right now. And to be fair, Rossie had given her more space than she normally would have if they were back home in Miami. “Now that’s interesting.”
Clara imagined Rossie racing to get her shoes. She stood up and wished she'd been wrong about love. When she lowered her guard she got run over like road kill.
Today was just a warning shot. She forced a happy tone. “Astorre’s home was a defensive castle going back eons or something. It’s all historic and authentic. We even have a house color like medieval times.”
“And I can come over, when?” Rossie asked.
Clara had spent years admiring her friend who did what she wanted--Rossie had found love because she wasn’t afraid…and she'd never been rejected.
