I groaned. Even though I’d started my mission with good intentions, if I continued pulling on threads, it was possible I’d unravel the whole foundation of Luke’s family rather than helping them find some peace.
“If he is involved in any way,” Luke continued, “then I wish to hear it from his own mouth. Wait here. I’ll be back in a moment.”
I spent the time alone assessing the damage of the room and trying to piece together the fragments of what happened. I had been too busy trying to decipher the name in the letter that I hadn’t paid attention to the person who’d entered the room. But they hadn’t used the door. At least, not the usual one.
The dresser that had been moved to block my use of the passage as an escape still sat in front of the secret entrance, although the wooden remains were badly singed. Whoever came in had intimate knowledge of the castle and its hidden mysteries well enough to get around without being seen.
Except, the person who’d hit me over the head had been seen. But not by a living being. I retrieved the token and wrapped my hand around it, trying to coax my ghostly great-grandmother to appear. A light pulse of energy let me know she still existed, but whatever power she had to manifest in this room was long gone.
I paced the floor, trying to put the few pieces of the puzzle we had together. Whoever was behind all the attempts to hurt me had to be someone who belonged in the household. Someone that others would not question if seen. My concerns about Enzo grew, and I questioned whether or not talking to him alone would be beneficial or dangerous.
Luke blurred into view with Enzo right behind him. The latter shut the door, and my heart rate increased with my new suspicions.
“Master Luca tells me you have some questions,” the family’s right-hand man said.
An idea popped in my head. “Before we speak, I’d like to make sure nobody can listen in.”
With a flourish of my hand, I cast a simple bubble of privacy around us. It would not hold for very long, but it would keep anyone who had the ability to eavesdrop from hearing anything as long as it held.
“I don’t understand,” Enzo said. “But if there is something I know that can help either of you, I’d be happy to share if possible.”
Luke nodded at me to take the lead, and I jumped in the deep end right away. “Were you the one that found out about Isabella’s plan to run away and marry Paolo? And did you tell her parents?”
Enzo’s eyes widened and he stammered. “You think that I…I would never…” He cleared his throat. “I have served the de Rossi family faithfully as have all of the Morandi line I descend from. My nephew Claudio will take over my place when I deem him ready. For you to imply that I would betray a family member’s trust is…an insidious accusation.”
Luke touched the older man on his arm. “There are reasons to her questions. She doesn’t mean to cause offense. But please, answer the question.”
“No. I was not the one who informed your parents of Isabella’s intent,” Enzo replied. “I wish she had confided in me as she used to, for I might have assisted her in coming up with a way to soften the blow and make things easier.”
“Do you know who ratted her out?” I asked.
Luke had to explain what the term meant, but as soon as he understood, Enzo continued. “I did not become aware of the situation until Isabella was being sent to the tower.”
When he uttered the last word, the ring tickled my finger. Our conversation connected with Isabella, and I did my best to keep it going.
“In all of her time in isolation, did you ever go see her?” I asked.
Enzo sighed. “Sì. Many times.”
“I didn’t know that,” Luke said in surprise. “I thought I was the only one who snuck up there.”
The older man chuckled. “Who was it that taught you about the secret passage to get there from here? You think I would show you the way and not use it myself?”
“Why did you visit her?” I asked.
“Isabella was strong in will, and her refusal to give in only provoked her parents. I allowed her to tell me everything. Listened to her every word.” He shook his head. “If only her parents had seen past their anger, they might have come to the same conclusion that I did.”
“And what was that?” Luke asked.
“That if she was ever to find happiness, she needed to be allowed to live the life she wanted,” Enzo finished. He dropped his head in shame. “The day before the night she perished, I made her a promise. That I would help her talk to your parents and convince them to let her go.”
The ring reacted again to his words, and I twisted it on my finger. “Why didn’t you just help her escape?” I pressed.
Enzo snorted. “She could have left at any time she wanted to, and she knew it. No, I understood she did not want to break her parents’ hearts. If I could help her fix things, then I would do so.”
“Did you talk to her before or after I went to see her?” Luke inquired in a low voice.
“Before.”
“Why did you not tell me of your plan?” my fiancé pushed. “If I had known—”
“Would it have really made a difference?” I interrupted.
Luke blew out a long breath. “No, probably not. I yelled at her for being stubborn. Maybe even took our parents’ side because she wouldn’t budge. She could be so annoying.”
“And she planned to wait for Enzo’s
