In the weeks that followed the engagement ball, Javonnie and Veronica were busy making arrangements their wedding. There were dresses for the bridesmaids, flowers, and of course, the finishing touches to Veronica's wedding gown. Javonnie had asked Rayne to stand as his bestman and several of his closest friends, including Red, Tuff and Scotty, to act as groomsmen.
Rayne had arranged for a night on the town the night before the wedding as a farewell to bachelorhood for Javonnie. But he had assured Veronica that he would not let Javonnie out of his sight and he would make sure he was at the church on time. She had been extremely reluctant to agree to this outing, and Rayne could hardly blame her with Javonnies earlier exploits, but he gave her his word and he wouldn't break it. He actually felt quite pleased with himself for his part in bringing these two friends he cared so much about together.
He and Javonnie left the townhouse around eight that evening, having earlier made arrangements to meet Scotty, Red and Tuff at a favorite haunt, The Tin Horn a local bar. They whiled away several hours there drinking and flirting with the barmaids there. Javonnie had become enamoured with a red-head who had large breasts and firm bottom, the latter he had discerned from patting her on it every time she brought a round of drinks! Since Javonnie was showing signs of escorting her upstairs to a private room, Rayne deemed it time to move on to a different tavern. Under protest Javonnie joined Rayne and the other three gentlemen as they made their way to the The Blue Eel to continue the celebration. Rayne was taking his time consuming his drinks, as he wanted to maintain a clear head. After all he had given Veronica his word, and that wasn't something Rayne took lightly. He was determined that Javonnie would have a good time, but that he was not going to bed a wench tonight. Instead, Javonnie would be quite able to say his wedding vows with a clear conscience.
It was well past midnight, in fact it was closer to two in the morning when the four friends stumbled from the tavern to climb into the waiting carriage. Rayne, the most sober and last one to enter the carriage was just climbing onto the carriage step when he noticed a woman walk from a warehouse further down the waterfront. He stepped back down onto the ground and watched with interested as she climbed into a waiting carriage. The woman had seemed familiar to him and as her carriage rolled past him he stepped into the shadows to watch her unobserved. Just as he had first thought, the woman was none other than Gabriella Quintanella. After she had passed by, without having seen him, he climbed into his carriage and rode home in thoughtful silence as his drunken carriage mates sang and carried on their revelry.
As Rayne stood in church the next morning next to Javonnie he saw Gabriella walk in and find a seat on the brides side. He wondered again, as he had last night, what she had been doing at that warehouse at that time of night, without chaperon and unescorted. The more he saw of Gabriella, the more intrigued he became. She reminded him much of La Gata in mannerisms and certain nuances. Tonight would be an excellent opportunity to pursue both this matter and her, at the wedding ball.
The last of the guests had arrived and the pianist and organist began to play the wedding march. All eyes turned to the back of the church as Veronica, absolutely breathtaking, in a stunning gown of pristine white with rows and rows of seed pearls, beads, sequins, lace and net began her walk down the aisle towards her husband to be. A lifelong friend of her family, Judge Andrew Fredicus, escorted Veronica. Rayne finally tore his eyes from the vision of loveliness and glanced at Javonnie, who was looking extremely uncomfortable. He could almost see the wheels turning in Javonnie's head and knew he was feeling suddenly hemmed in. Rayne actually thought that Javonnie might bolt from the church, so he laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze that bespoke of his understanding. Javonnie glanced at Rayne with panic in his eyes and seemed to draw strength from the Rayne's gaze and a calmness descended on him as his gaze returned to his beloved as she slowly made her way down the aisle towards him.
It had suddenly occurred to Javonnie that he was gaining a very beautiful, desirable woman to spend the rest of his life with. That he would have someone to laugh with, to cry with, to share secrets and dreams with. Later they would raise their children together and grow old together. The panic that had been hard upon him moments before vanished as he realized what a lucky man he was. It was in a strong, clear voice that Javonnie and Veronica made their wedding vows, pledging their lives and love to one another. Even Rayne was touched by the ceremony.
Later, at the wedding feast and ball, Rayne managed to get the "aunts" to sit him next to Gabriella who seemed both surprised and somewhat disconcerted to find that she had been paired with Rayne.
"Good evening Gabriella, you are as always looking lovely" Rayne said in greeting as he held out her chair for her. Privately he thought to himself just how seductive she did look in the pale green chiffon dress that floated off her lovely golden shoulders with her hair was pulled back in her traditional chignon and held in place with emerald combs. The plunging neckline exposed a large expanse of her golden colored breasts, which caused his breath to catch in his throat., especially since as he held the chair for her to sit, he could see straight down her decotague. He felt himself start to quicken, and groaned as he realized this was going to be a very long night.
"Senor, I would have thought as bestman to the groom, you would have sat with the wedding party?" Gabriella questioned, almost warily.
"Yes, well, you'll find I rarely do things people expect me to do. Besides, tonight is Javonnie and Veronica's night, let them be the center of attention, I much prefer to say in the "shadows" so to speak" Raynes words dripped with innuendo and Gabriella suddenly knew that Rayne knew about her rendezvous at the warehouse the night before. She didn't know how he knew, but she knew in his own subtle way he had just let her know, he knew. She would not panic, she could be wrong, but she didn't fool herself into believing that either. She just didn't know how much he knew about that meeting or her for that matter. She had hoped to avoid this, but it seemed fate wasn't with her this time. So, instead of avoiding Rayne as had been her plan since the engagement ball, she decided she would set out to charm him, thereby giving her the advantage and learn just how much he knew. But, she also knew Rayne Quinhurst was a very dangerous adversary, and she sincerely hoped that when the dust settled, he was standing on her side.
That decided she turned to him with her most charming smile and asked "Duke, oh I'm sorry, we did agree to first names didn't we?"
"Yes, Gabriella, we did" Rayne responded wondering at the sudden change in attitude.
"Rayne, I was wondering why it is I haven't seen much of you since the engagement ball?"
"Actually, I got the feeling that it was you that was avoiding me, senorita."
"You tease me now! Why would a woman avoid you Rayne? Every woman in London talks of you and hopes to catch your attention. Why would I be any different?" Gabriella queried.
Ah, so she had caught his subtle hint that he had seen her last night. Now she was wondering just how much he knew. She would be surprised to know he knew nothing, but would, through her own admissions and before this night was through. "I'm not certain why it is that you are different, but without a doubt you don't fall into that category you just described. Perhaps you upbringing was different, or perhaps because you are rich in your own right, and therefore not husband hunting? Whatever the reason, I am just grateful that you are different."
"Just how different do you think I am?"
"That would depend on the circumstance."
Gabriella knew that which he alluded to. He was bold, assuming that she would let him make love to her! But then again, her body seemed not to be her own when he was near. Even now there was a tightness in her stomach, her breasts tingled where his gaze seared them and there was a longing for something she knew not what when she was with him. For all that she had endured, she had managed to escape ravishment during those long horrible days in Spain during the Spanish Inquisition. Just the memory of those horror filled times caused a shudder to pass through her.
Those were times that Gabriella tried hard to push to the deep dark recesses of her mind, only brought out when she was that other person, not the Lady Gabriella Quantinilla. It had been in 1479, when she was but twelve years old; that the Spanish Inquisition was at its worst. Her mother and father were labeled as heretics because of their wealth and possessions. It had mattered not to the General Inquisitor, Thomas de Torquemada, that her father had taken the small fortune he had inherited from his father and worked long hours to assure his business was successful. She had been terrified the day the inquisitors had forced their way into their home and attacked her father. Her mother had tried to help Carlos and had been beaten severely for her efforts. After that it was an almost daily ritual of the inquisitors visiting their home until the fateful day when Thomas de Torquemada had come himself. When his lecherous eyes had feasted on the beauty of Gabriella, he had ordered her mother and father removed from their home and taken to the inquisitors' dungeons. Her father had begged Torquemada to at least tell him who his accusers were, so that he could prove they were lying. But, the Inquisition kept that information confidential, and once arrested the accuseds property was seized and those properties were administered by Torquemada. So it was general knowledge that people were accused of heresy to make Torquemada a rich and powerful man.
Torquemada had tried to seize Gabriella to bring her to his home, but she had slipped away during the scuffle with her parents as had been their plan. Gabriella had cut her hair and dressed like a boy and covered herself with filth until she no longer resembled the beautiful child she was, but rather she looked like a bedraggled street urchin. Thus, was she able to come to the inquisitors' dungeons to see her parents, at least from a distance. She was present the day they murdered her mother. Torquemada had used the strappado, a device that used ropes to strap her mothers arms and legs, and then weights were attached to the ends of these ropes. She had watched them strip her mother and using the strappado her mothers nude body had been stretched painfully, pulling her arms and legs out of their sockets until finally at long last she had died. Her father had been tortured using the aselli. This involved him being placed on a trestle with sharp-edged rungs and secured with an iron band. His feet were elevated above his heads, and a small piece of linen was forced into his throat. Then a jar of water was poured into his mouth and nose, producing a state of semi-suffocation. The inquisitor did this over and over stopping only to give her father a chance to confess to the charges. When he refused, they would repeat the procedure again. Once, during that time, her father had seen Gabriella's face in the crowd and his eyes had locked on hers in a silent command for her to leave and go into hiding as they had discussed when they first began to be harassed by Torquemada. With tears streaming down her face she turned and ran and never looked back.
