CHAPTER 66
That same day back at the Villa, Garrett tapped on Beth's door very early. She had just come out of the shower wearing her robe and was toweling her hair dry. Cassie was beginning to stir in her crib, but she had started playing with her fingers and toes lately and wouldn't demand her breakfast for a little while longer. Pulling the edges of the soft material more closely around her body, Beth told him he could come in.
"Leandra?" he opened the door just a hair and then followed her invitation and opened the door completely. "Good, you're up."
"I like to try and get my morning started before the little ." she almost said Princess, but bit her tongue. "Before the little one demands attention."
She smiled and reached for a comb, beginning to work it through her hair.
"I have a little surprise for you." Garrett said, knowing she would be pleased. "I know how much you enjoyed going out the other night, and I thought that maybe you would like to see the village nearby. It's going to be a beautiful day and Helen can watch Cassie."
"That sounds so wonderful Garrett." She walked over and gave him a hug of appreciation, forcing herself to hold him for an extra instant and smiling brightly when she pulled back. "What time can we leave?"
"Is an hour too soon?" he asked.
"I'll be down stairs in 45 minutes." She promised, giving him an added kiss on the cheek before he left her to get ready.
Her mind spun in a thousand directions as she selected a deep royal blue sweater that fit her snugly and a pair of black jeans. Smoothing her hair with a touch of spray, she decided to keep it loose and unbound. She knew she needed to pull out all the stops while flirting with Garrett and getting him to trust her more and more. Beth would simply have to endure the knot in her heart that came along with this charade.
Helen came up a half hour later to take Cassie down for her breakfast. Beth kissed the baby, thanked Helen and then went to meet Garrett in the living room.
"I'm ready!" she exclaimed, her eyes full of light.
"Not quite I don't think." Garrett commented.
Beth wondered what she'd forgotten until Garrett stepped aside to reveal a large box with a big red bow. "What is this?" she exclaimed as she moved to open it. Inside was a full length, black leather coat. She shrugged out of the jacket she was wearing and slipped into it. The coat fit perfectly.
"Garrett it is beautiful. Thank you." She gave him a peck on the cheek and then took his arm as he led her to the car.
Unlike their last outing, Garrett drove the SUV with Beth in it alone. If there were guards, they were either already in town or following at a respectable distance.
"So this is the Aosta Valley." She commented as she looked out the window at the beautiful snow covered valley below them. He'd mentioned it's name the day before and she was hoping to learn more about it. Any detail could be important later if she could find a way to get she and Cassie out of the Villa.
"It's beautiful isn't it? And I know you are going to love Chatillon. That's the village we are going to." He said as they drove.
As promised, Garrett drove Beth into the village, but he didn't stop. Taking a left turn by the railroad station, the car began a steep climb further up the mountains. "Garrett, wasn't that Chatillon?" she asked.
He smiled but didn't answer. Beth felt a little nervous, but tried not to fidget. A few minutes later they rounded a bend and she saw their destination. There in the mist of the clouds stood a tall, rectangular castle, obviously many centuries old.
"That's the fourteenth-century castle of Ussel. I thought you might like to see it up close."
"You thought right." Beth laughed, trying to lose herself in the scenery and the site ahead of her and not wishing she was seeing this for the first time with Adam. For a brief instant she wondered if he'd been there. Something told her he probably had, and not when the castle was in such a condition.
They parked outside and followed the other visitors who were moving about the castle. For the next few hours they walked arm in arm as they explored the old structure. By the way they fawned over one another, anyone who saw them would think they were a happy couple enjoying the day. No one would guess that with each touch and caress, Beth was dying inside.
After their adventure Garrett recommended they go back into Chatillon for lunch and maybe some shopping.
"That sounds wonderful. I saw some shops when we drove through. One of them was a children's shop and it had some beautiful things in the window."
Garrett let Beth choose the restaurant and she selected a little one on a side street near what must have been the bakery section of the village. All during their meal they could smell the aroma of freshly baked goods drifting in and out.
"Do you mind if we stroll through the shops a few minutes? I want to see if I can catch any ideas." Beth said as she took his hand.
"I've already got ideas." He said in a low voice, pulling her to him and kissing her soundly as soon as they were outside the restaurant.
Beth returned his kiss and then laughed. "Later ." she teased before pulling him into the first shop. And with that one word, she knew she had sealed her fate. There would be no backing down now without raising Garrett's supsicions. "Please forgive me." She whispered to herself as she tried not to think about Adam.
They walked into a few shops before Beth noticed something a little surprising in one of the windows. Three trays of pies filled the window case, and if she didn't know better she would swear they came from her kitchen.
Looking up at the beautifully painted sign above the door, Beth almost jumped. "Le torte e le torte da Rosa Ricci" the sign said. Her heart leapt into her throat. Could it be? Did she dare go in?
The decision was taken out of her hands when the woman behind the counter looked up to see who was at her window. Rosa gasped, but did not react. Her sister Esperanza had told her that Beth had been kidnapped, and she knew if she had been found she would have told her the night before when they spoke by phone.
Wiping her hands on her apron, Rosa walked to the window case and pretended to adjust the display, her eyes locking on Beth's through the glass. Rosa saw the man with Beth look away and gave her a brief nod and mouthed the words. "I will help."
Beth gave her a nod in response, which Garrett didn't miss. "Did you want to go in?" he asked.
"Those pies look so good, do you mind if we get a box?" Beth replied.
Garrett led her into the shop and ordered a variety to be boxed up. Beth smiled, but said very little, and Rosa understood. They had to be above suspicion.
"You have other packages, do you need help taking this to your car?" Rosa asked Garrett. She had an idea. "My little one would be happy to carry it." She nodded toward the little boy playing with a ball outside in front of the shop.
Garrett looked over at the boy and realized he probably did deliveries for tips. "Sure, why not." He really didn't need the help, but Beth was in such a good mood and it was contagious.
Rosa went to the door and called to the boy. "Oh, you will need your hat." She said, pulling the child into the back room where she gave him quick instructions, put a hat that was much too big on his head and came back out into the shop smiling.
"Ringraziarlo. Spero che lei piace le torte e verrà al mio negozio ancora presto." Rosa said to Garrett and Beth, thanking them and hoping they would return to the shop again.
"Did you want to check that children's shop out now?" Garrett asked as the little boy followed them with the box toward the car.
Sliding her arm through his, Beth looked up at him through her lashes. "Actually I'm kind of tired. Would you mind if we went home?"
She didn't know what Rosa's plan was, but she didn't want the little boy to be distracted from whatever he had been told by having to wait for them to continue shopping.
The little boy looked down at the bill the man had placed in his hand and smiled. Pulling a crayon out of his pocket, he wrote down the tag number of the car and then raced to the top of the hill. From there he could see the road the car took up the mountain.
When he returned to Rosa, she kissed him and smiled. "Very good job son. You have done a very good job."
Crossing to the phone she dialed Esperanza's number. Not only had she seen Beth, but she had the tags of the car and knew that only a few villas lined the road the car had taken, and it was a dead end road to the top of the mountain.
On the drive back to the Villa, Garrett coaxed Beth to sit close to him, wrapping his free arm around her shoulders and urging her to rest her head on his shoulder.
"Did you enjoy the day?" he asked.
Lost in thought, Beth was a little late replying. "Today? Oh yes. The castle and the village are so beautiful. I don't know how to thank you for all of it."
Garrett looked down into her eyes. He obviously knew exactly how she could.
Beth swallowed hard as she smiled back. Having Rosa helping her was an advantage she hadn't expected, but if she pulled back now, would she risk alienating Garrett and ruining any opportunities Adam had of rescuing her because he would increase security.
No, she had to keep up with the charade. She was too close and had too much to lose if he learns it was all an act.
When Garrett opened the door to let her out of the car, she didn't pull away when he wrapped his arm around her waist, led her inside and up the stairs to his room.
That same day back at the Villa, Garrett tapped on Beth's door very early. She had just come out of the shower wearing her robe and was toweling her hair dry. Cassie was beginning to stir in her crib, but she had started playing with her fingers and toes lately and wouldn't demand her breakfast for a little while longer. Pulling the edges of the soft material more closely around her body, Beth told him he could come in.
"Leandra?" he opened the door just a hair and then followed her invitation and opened the door completely. "Good, you're up."
"I like to try and get my morning started before the little ." she almost said Princess, but bit her tongue. "Before the little one demands attention."
She smiled and reached for a comb, beginning to work it through her hair.
"I have a little surprise for you." Garrett said, knowing she would be pleased. "I know how much you enjoyed going out the other night, and I thought that maybe you would like to see the village nearby. It's going to be a beautiful day and Helen can watch Cassie."
"That sounds so wonderful Garrett." She walked over and gave him a hug of appreciation, forcing herself to hold him for an extra instant and smiling brightly when she pulled back. "What time can we leave?"
"Is an hour too soon?" he asked.
"I'll be down stairs in 45 minutes." She promised, giving him an added kiss on the cheek before he left her to get ready.
Her mind spun in a thousand directions as she selected a deep royal blue sweater that fit her snugly and a pair of black jeans. Smoothing her hair with a touch of spray, she decided to keep it loose and unbound. She knew she needed to pull out all the stops while flirting with Garrett and getting him to trust her more and more. Beth would simply have to endure the knot in her heart that came along with this charade.
Helen came up a half hour later to take Cassie down for her breakfast. Beth kissed the baby, thanked Helen and then went to meet Garrett in the living room.
"I'm ready!" she exclaimed, her eyes full of light.
"Not quite I don't think." Garrett commented.
Beth wondered what she'd forgotten until Garrett stepped aside to reveal a large box with a big red bow. "What is this?" she exclaimed as she moved to open it. Inside was a full length, black leather coat. She shrugged out of the jacket she was wearing and slipped into it. The coat fit perfectly.
"Garrett it is beautiful. Thank you." She gave him a peck on the cheek and then took his arm as he led her to the car.
Unlike their last outing, Garrett drove the SUV with Beth in it alone. If there were guards, they were either already in town or following at a respectable distance.
"So this is the Aosta Valley." She commented as she looked out the window at the beautiful snow covered valley below them. He'd mentioned it's name the day before and she was hoping to learn more about it. Any detail could be important later if she could find a way to get she and Cassie out of the Villa.
"It's beautiful isn't it? And I know you are going to love Chatillon. That's the village we are going to." He said as they drove.
As promised, Garrett drove Beth into the village, but he didn't stop. Taking a left turn by the railroad station, the car began a steep climb further up the mountains. "Garrett, wasn't that Chatillon?" she asked.
He smiled but didn't answer. Beth felt a little nervous, but tried not to fidget. A few minutes later they rounded a bend and she saw their destination. There in the mist of the clouds stood a tall, rectangular castle, obviously many centuries old.
"That's the fourteenth-century castle of Ussel. I thought you might like to see it up close."
"You thought right." Beth laughed, trying to lose herself in the scenery and the site ahead of her and not wishing she was seeing this for the first time with Adam. For a brief instant she wondered if he'd been there. Something told her he probably had, and not when the castle was in such a condition.
They parked outside and followed the other visitors who were moving about the castle. For the next few hours they walked arm in arm as they explored the old structure. By the way they fawned over one another, anyone who saw them would think they were a happy couple enjoying the day. No one would guess that with each touch and caress, Beth was dying inside.
After their adventure Garrett recommended they go back into Chatillon for lunch and maybe some shopping.
"That sounds wonderful. I saw some shops when we drove through. One of them was a children's shop and it had some beautiful things in the window."
Garrett let Beth choose the restaurant and she selected a little one on a side street near what must have been the bakery section of the village. All during their meal they could smell the aroma of freshly baked goods drifting in and out.
"Do you mind if we stroll through the shops a few minutes? I want to see if I can catch any ideas." Beth said as she took his hand.
"I've already got ideas." He said in a low voice, pulling her to him and kissing her soundly as soon as they were outside the restaurant.
Beth returned his kiss and then laughed. "Later ." she teased before pulling him into the first shop. And with that one word, she knew she had sealed her fate. There would be no backing down now without raising Garrett's supsicions. "Please forgive me." She whispered to herself as she tried not to think about Adam.
They walked into a few shops before Beth noticed something a little surprising in one of the windows. Three trays of pies filled the window case, and if she didn't know better she would swear they came from her kitchen.
Looking up at the beautifully painted sign above the door, Beth almost jumped. "Le torte e le torte da Rosa Ricci" the sign said. Her heart leapt into her throat. Could it be? Did she dare go in?
The decision was taken out of her hands when the woman behind the counter looked up to see who was at her window. Rosa gasped, but did not react. Her sister Esperanza had told her that Beth had been kidnapped, and she knew if she had been found she would have told her the night before when they spoke by phone.
Wiping her hands on her apron, Rosa walked to the window case and pretended to adjust the display, her eyes locking on Beth's through the glass. Rosa saw the man with Beth look away and gave her a brief nod and mouthed the words. "I will help."
Beth gave her a nod in response, which Garrett didn't miss. "Did you want to go in?" he asked.
"Those pies look so good, do you mind if we get a box?" Beth replied.
Garrett led her into the shop and ordered a variety to be boxed up. Beth smiled, but said very little, and Rosa understood. They had to be above suspicion.
"You have other packages, do you need help taking this to your car?" Rosa asked Garrett. She had an idea. "My little one would be happy to carry it." She nodded toward the little boy playing with a ball outside in front of the shop.
Garrett looked over at the boy and realized he probably did deliveries for tips. "Sure, why not." He really didn't need the help, but Beth was in such a good mood and it was contagious.
Rosa went to the door and called to the boy. "Oh, you will need your hat." She said, pulling the child into the back room where she gave him quick instructions, put a hat that was much too big on his head and came back out into the shop smiling.
"Ringraziarlo. Spero che lei piace le torte e verrà al mio negozio ancora presto." Rosa said to Garrett and Beth, thanking them and hoping they would return to the shop again.
"Did you want to check that children's shop out now?" Garrett asked as the little boy followed them with the box toward the car.
Sliding her arm through his, Beth looked up at him through her lashes. "Actually I'm kind of tired. Would you mind if we went home?"
She didn't know what Rosa's plan was, but she didn't want the little boy to be distracted from whatever he had been told by having to wait for them to continue shopping.
The little boy looked down at the bill the man had placed in his hand and smiled. Pulling a crayon out of his pocket, he wrote down the tag number of the car and then raced to the top of the hill. From there he could see the road the car took up the mountain.
When he returned to Rosa, she kissed him and smiled. "Very good job son. You have done a very good job."
Crossing to the phone she dialed Esperanza's number. Not only had she seen Beth, but she had the tags of the car and knew that only a few villas lined the road the car had taken, and it was a dead end road to the top of the mountain.
On the drive back to the Villa, Garrett coaxed Beth to sit close to him, wrapping his free arm around her shoulders and urging her to rest her head on his shoulder.
"Did you enjoy the day?" he asked.
Lost in thought, Beth was a little late replying. "Today? Oh yes. The castle and the village are so beautiful. I don't know how to thank you for all of it."
Garrett looked down into her eyes. He obviously knew exactly how she could.
Beth swallowed hard as she smiled back. Having Rosa helping her was an advantage she hadn't expected, but if she pulled back now, would she risk alienating Garrett and ruining any opportunities Adam had of rescuing her because he would increase security.
No, she had to keep up with the charade. She was too close and had too much to lose if he learns it was all an act.
When Garrett opened the door to let her out of the car, she didn't pull away when he wrapped his arm around her waist, led her inside and up the stairs to his room.