marrying the man I love. Not his family. A very different proposition.’
His mouth curled. ‘I am glad you think so. I hope you will not be disappointed.’ He walked to the drinks trolley, and mixed her a Campari soda, pouring whisky for himself.
He handed her the drink, and Maddie took it, being careful to avoid brushing his fingers with hers.
He raised his glass, his mouth twisting. ‘To your future happiness, carissima.’ He added sardonically, ‘Whatever form it takes.’
He swallowed half the whisky, and turned away.
‘To happiness,’ Maddie echoed huskily, and found the pungent taste of the Campari turning sour in her throat as she drank.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
DINNER WAS AN awkward meal, interspersed with silences that neither of them seemed to wish or be able to break.
But when, at the end of the meal, Eustacio, following a signal from his master, brought a bottle of grappa to the table and placed it beside him, Maddie hastily finished her coffee and excused herself.
And tried to ignore the soft taunt, ‘Running away, mia bella?’ which followed her as Eustacio conducted her to the hidden door and back to her room.
The bed had been turned down, on one side only, she saw with relief, while her own lawn nightdress had been fanned out across the coverlet.
But she still felt uneasy about the unlockable door which was all that separated them, especially if it was Andrea’s intention to drink himself to extinction on that potent Italian spirit before coming to his room.
Her brave words about fighting him off might just come back to haunt her, she thought, biting her lip.
But her rest was untroubled, and the next time she opened her eyes, she found sunshine filling the room and the ever-smiling Luisa bringing her a breakfast tray.
On which was a note in a familiar hand.
She fortified herself with coffee and hot rolls spread with honey before opening it.
‘Forgive me for last night,’ it began abruptly. ‘I spoke churlishly. But this is a new and beautiful day and I shall be driving to the coast later this morning. I hope that you allow me to make amends by agreeing to be my companion, and joining me downstairs at eleven o clock.’ It was signed with his initials.
Maddie read it twice, her brows creased. Was ‘I shall be driving’ to be taken literally, or would Camillo once again be behind the wheel?
Common sense told her that to spend a whole day in Andrea’s sole company would be playing with fire.
On the other hand, refusing his invitation was tantamount to admitting as much. Telling him she was scared of being alone with him.
And not because she feared he might break his word and try to make love to her, she thought unhappily. On the contrary, it was because she couldn’t trust herself.
Something that, for her own piece of mind, she couldn’t allow him to suspect. Ever...
So when Eustacio came for the tray, she handed back the note saying quietly, ‘Please thank Count Valieri and tell him I shall look forward to it.’
He repeated the words carefully, bowed slightly and left.
Leaving Maddie to review her limited wardrobe.
In the end she chose a plain white linen skirt teamed with a black tunic-style top, fastening her hair at the nape of her neck with a silver clip.
Neat and businesslike rather than seductive, she reassured herself as Luisa conducted her downstairs to meet him.
Andrea, in cream chinos and a dark red polo shirt, was standing in the hall, clearly issuing some last-minute instructions to Eustacio, but he broke off at Maddie’s approach, looking up at her, the smile in his eyes jolting her like a sudden electrical charge.
For a second she hesitated, telling herself it was not too late to change her mind and scurry back to her room for a dull but safe day reading.
Except that this was probably her only chance to see something of Italy. She could not imagine Jeremy permitting her to return any time soon, if ever.
So, she completed her sedate descent, just as if her heart was not hammering fit to break out of her ribcage, and walked across the tiled expanse of the entrance hall to join him.
She said, ‘Isn’t this rather a risk?’
His brows lifted. ‘In what way?’
‘By inviting me to go with you, back into the real world.’ Maddie swallowed. ‘Aren’t you afraid I’ll run away again?’
He gave a faint shrug. ‘There is certainly that possibility. But will you?’
They looked at each other, Andrea’s gaze intense, questioning as it locked with hers.
And she heard