To Be Yours Again-Chapter 208 That rich

“We’re here,” she says. “Welcome to the great mansion.”

Danica tries but fails to give her a smile and climbs out of the car. Still feeling unsteady on her feet, she follows Mona through the door and into what looks like the kitchen. It’s a large, airy room, the most spacious kitchen Danica has ever seen.

Wooden cupboards. Tiled floor. It’s spotlessly tidy. Old and modern at the same time. There are two stoves. Two! And a massive table that seats at least fourteen people. Two tall dogs with auburn coats come bounding toward them.

Danica recoils.

“Down, Jensen. Down, Healey!” Mona’s command stops the dogs in their tracks.

They lie down, gazing up at both women with big expressive eyes. Danica regards them suspiciously. They are handsome hounds...but where she comes from, dogs do not live in the house.

“They are harmless, my dear. Just pleased to meet you. Come with me,” she says. “Would you like a bath?” Her tone is solicitous and kind, but Danica blushes, mortified.

“Yes,” she whispers. She knows! She knows that she’s wet herself.

“You must have had a terrible fright.”

Danica nods and blinks back the tears that well in her eyes.

“Oh, dear, don’t you be crying. Don Lorenzo wouldn’t want that. We’ll get you sorted.”

Don Lorenzo?

As young as he was.

She follows Mona along a wood-paneled corridor hung on both sides with old paintings of landscapes, horses, buildings, religious scenes, and a couple of portraits. They pass many closed doors and ascend a narrow wooden staircase to yet another long, paneled corridor. Eventually Mona stops and opens a door into a pleasant room with a white bed, white furniture, and pale blue walls.

She walks through the room to an en suite bathroom and turns on the faucets.

Danica stands behind her, pulling the blanket around herself and watching as water thunders into the bath and steam rises.

Mona adds some aromatic bubble bath that Danica recognizes as Jo Malone, like in the Hideout.

“I’ll bring some towels for you. If you put your clothes by the bed, I’ll have them laundered in no time.” She gives Danica a sympathetic smile and slips out, leaving her alone.

Danica stares at the water cascading into the bath; a foam forming and spreading over the surface. The bath is old. A tub with claw feet. Her body starts to shiver, and she clutches the blanket and pulls it tighter around her.

She is still standing there when Mona returns with fresh towels. Draping them over a white wicker chair, she shuts off the water, then turns her attention to Danica, her sharp blue eyes shining with compassion. “Do you still want a bath, dear?”

Danica nods.

“Would you like me to leave?”

Danica shakes her head. She doesn’t want to be alone.

Mona lets out a sigh of sympathy.

“Okay, then. Would you like me to help you undress? Is that what you want?”

Danica nods.

****************

*LORENZO*

“And we’ll need to interview your girlfriend,” PC Nicholls says. She looks way older than me, tall and willowy, bright-eyed and keen, scribbling down every word I utter.

I drum my fingers on the dining-room table. How much longer are we going to be? I’m anxious to get to Danica, my girlfriend.

No way I could introduce her as my cleaner.

Both Nicholls and her boss, Sergeant Nancarrow, have patiently sat through the sorry tale of Danica’s attempted

kidnapping. Naturally, I’ve been economical with the truth, but I’ve kept as close to it as I can. “Of course,” I respond. “Once she’s recovered. Those bastards really roughed her up. If I hadn’t arrived back here when I had...” Briefly I close my eyes as a tremor runs down my spine.

I might never have seen her again.

“You’ve both been through a terrible experience.” Nancarrow shakes his head in disgust. “Will you have her checked over by a doctor?”

“Yes.” I hope Mona’s had the foresight to organize one.

“I hope she makes a quick recovery,” he says.

I’m glad Nancarrow’s here. I’ve known him since I was a child. We’ve had the odd run-in over noisy, late-night parties and drinking on the beach. But he has always been fair.

“If these men have form, they’ll be on our database. Petty crime, more serious offenses, they’ll all show up, sir,” Nancarrow continues.

“Got everything you need, Nicholls?” he asks his eager colleague.

“Yes, sir. Thank you, Don Lorenzo,” she says to me. She looks thrilled, and I suspect she’s never had to deal with an attempted kidnapping before.

“Good.” Nancarrow gives her an approving smile. “Lovely place you have here, sir.”

“Thank you.”

My phone buzzes, and I check my screen. It’s Dante. I ignore the call.

“We’ll be on our way, sir. I’ll let you know how the investigation proceeds.”

“I bet these arseholes were the ones who broke into my flat in town.”

“We’ll be sure to check on it, sir.”

I escort them to the front door.

I need to ask Danica to be my girlfriend officially.

*****************

The water is hot and soothing. Mona has left to wash Danica’s dirty laundry. She’s promised to be back in a wee minute. She’s going to fetch the rest of Danica’s clothes from the car and bring her some painkillers for her head.

It’s throbbing because Julio pulled her upright by her hair. Danica’s trembling has subsided, but her anxiety remains. She closes her eyes and all she can see is Julio’s snarling face in front of hers. She opens them again immediately and shudders remembering the smell.

The stink of him. Fetid. Stale sweat. Unwashed. And his breath. She gags. And splashes her face to rinse away the memory, but the hot water stings where he hit her.

Her mood grows bleaker still.

She was okay.

She was going to be okay.

But she couldn’t continue being Lorenzo’s cleaner and sex mate forever.

Now that those men are in police custody, they are no longer a threat to her, and she has to accept the reality of her situation. While she’s been in Vali, laughing on the beach, drinking in the pub, eating in fine restaurants, having sexual intercourse and falling in love with Lorenzo, she has lost sight of that reality.

Being with him has filled her head with illusions, crazy ideas about independence and liberation.

Danica had left orphanage to have a life for herself, in good faith, expecting to find work. That’s what she needed to do. To work, to be independent, not a kept woman.

She stares into the dissipating bubbles in the bath.

She hadn’t expected to fall in love....

Mona comes bustling back into the bathroom holding a large navy- blue bathrobe. “Come now. Let’s get you out of there. We don’t want you turning into a prune,” she says.

Prune?

Danica rises. On automatic. And Mona drapes the bathrobe around her and helps her step out of the bath. “Is that better?” she asks.

Danica nods. “Thank you, ma’am.”

“My name’s Mona. I know we haven’t been formally introduced. But that’s what everyone calls me here. I’ve brought a glass of water, some tablets, and an ice pack for your head and some arnica cream for your cheek. It will help with the bruising, and I’ve called the doctor to come look at that bruise on your side. Let’s get you into bed. You must be exhausted.” She ushers Danica into the bedroom.

“Lorenzo?”

“Young master will be along as soon as he’s dealt with the police. Come now.”

“Young master?”

She also heard her call him “Don”, those were titles for like the wealthiest of all.

“Yes, dear.”

Danica frowns, and Mona’s expression echoes hers. “Did you not know? Sir Lorenzo is the heir to the Moretti family. Son of Gonzalo Moretti.”

An heir?

“This is his house,” Mona says gently, as if talking to a child. “All the land surrounding the house. This village, some islands, estates in various parts of the country...”She stops. “He didn’t tell you?”

Danica shakes her head.

“I see.” Mona’s white brows knit together, but she shrugs. “Well, I’m sure he had his reasons. Now, shall I leave you to get dressed? Your bag of clothes is on the chair.”

Danica nods, and Mona takes her leave, shutting the door behind her. Stunned, Danica stares at the closed door, her mind imploding.

She knew he was well to do.

But not this rich.

Why didn’t he tell her?