Heirs of Acadia - 03 - The Noble Fugitive Read Online Free PDF Page B

himself to meld into the shadows.
    The approaching priest was in far too great a hurry to notice Falconer. He swept through the curtains and cried, “Who dares disturb the peace of God’s house?”
    “I am on the governor’s business!” The planter was too far gone to quell his rage. “We seek a traitor!”
    Thankfully, the priest did not back down. “You will lower your voice and leave this place, or I shall have the soldiers arrest you!”
    The planter snarled in frustration and waved his men back. As they turned toward the doors, the planter said, “I haven’t finished with you, Half Priest.”
    “Go with God, sir,” the curate softly replied.
    When the nave was empty save for the two men, the priest demanded, “What was that talk about a traitor?”
    But Felix simply repeated the words, “Go with God.” Falconer slipped from his hiding space and raced away. He had no question but that the words were meant for him.

Chapter 3
    The balcony to Serafina’s room was at the far corner of the house away from Saint Mark’s Square. Like most of the older villas fronting main canals, the house dropped straight down into the blue waters. The finer homes like theirs were constructed of close-cut stone, making it nearly impossible for a thief to scale the wall from a tethered boat. These façades formed giant mosaics shining brilliantly in the sun. Serafina’s balcony railing was made from three shades of limestone and bordered by late-blooming wisteria. From the water it looked like a treasure chest with an open lid. That was what Luca had told her. A treasure box that contained one lovely jewel.
    Luca’s hand appeared on the ledge. He had a sculptor’s hands, broad and flat and very strong. Serafina felt she was more than in love. She lived and breathed to be with this man. He was in her every waking thought and all her most wondrous dreams.
    Luca leveraged himself upward until his face came into view. His dark eyes shone with such intensity she thought they were looking to her very soul. “Are you alone?”
    Serafina heard the door downstairs close. There was no mistaking the sound. Their front door was more than five centuries old and carved from cypress. The noise echoed through the front hall and up the stairs and through her own closed door. Luca heard the sound as well. His eyes widened in alarm and he began to ease himself back down.
    “No, my darling, no! Mother has left. We’re alone.” She rushed to the balcony’s edge and gripped his arm.
    “You’re certain?”
    “Yes, yes!” She urged the young man up and over the stone railing. Now that he was this close, she could not bear to wait another moment. “Hurry!”
    “Perhaps I should come another time—”
    “No, no, this is fine!” In her frantic haste to hold him there, she wrapped both hands around his upper arm.
    “Really, it’s better if we wait—”
    “I have spent too many days waiting,” she implored. Then she saw his smile. “You were teasing me!”
    “Only a little.”
    Serafina stepped away and teased him in return. “You are dreadful. All the other girls were correct about you.”
    Luca inspected his reflection in the balcony door. His dark hair fell long and loose upon his high starched collar. He tightened the silver catch holding the white scarf at his throat. “Whatever do the young signorinas say about me?”
    “I shan’t tell you now,” Serafina returned archly. In truth, the young ladies in her art class spoke endlessly about Luca di Montello. Much of what she had learned about him had come from their gossip. Though Serafina never joined in, she had listened intently to their every word.
    She had discovered that Luca had been a military officer in the Milan regiment. Decorated twice for bravery before his twenty-second birthday, he had resigned his commission over a disagreement with his commanding officer. As a result, Luca had been disowned by his family. The di Montellos were minor royalty from Bologna. But