Dark Symphony Page 0,35

taken to the hospital. Marita is there with her now. Justine thinks the bolts were sheared straight through. And our chef has gone missing.

There was a small silence. She found she was holding her breath.

I will be there soon, Antonietta. I know you are upset over young Margurite. I will visit her in the hospital late this night and see if I can aid her in some way.

Grazie.

She was in so much pain. Everyone is upset. I had the grounds searched for Enrico, but there is no sign of him.

Antonietta took a cautious sip of water, finding she was not in the least hungry for food or drink.

I do not like that your chef is still missing after what I found last night. Someone had to be feeding you poison over a period of time. You knew Enrico was missing last night? He was not in his room.

She didn't want to have this conversation with him. She wanted to know if he had thought of her. If he burned for her. If he woke up consumed with need for her.

Yes, I did.

He answered her thoughts in a smoldering tone.

And I still do. I cannot wait to be at your side. I must feed first. I wish to be at full strength when I come to the palazzo.

She found herself smiling right in the middle of her grandfather's and cousin's squabbling. Byron was gone, yet he wasn't entirely. She felt she had only to reach for him in her mind, and he would be with her. She hugged the thought to her, astonished that it mattered so much. Astonished that Byron mattered. Astonished that he could make her feel that everything would be all right.

"Are you paying attention, Toni?" Franco demanded. "This is becoming a serious issue, and Nonno has no choice but to address it. He may not want to pay me a decent salary, but he has to listen to reason."

"I don't have to listen to anyone, boy. I've guided our company through stormy waters more than once, and we've come out better than ever. There is no advantage on our side to this merger. If you were a true Scarletti, you would look deeper, look past the lure of fast money, and see what this offer is really about."

Antonietta deliberately stepped between her grandfather and cousin. "The Demonesini Company needs a bailout, and they're looking to us to do it, Franco. It's that simple. I've thoroughly investigated their company. They run on a very small cash flow, and they took a large loss when they lost one of their freighters."

Antonietta could feel the thick tension in the room. She turned her back on her grandfather and deliberately smiled at her cousin, determined to change the subject. "Franco, have you any idea where Enrico could have gone? Helena says he has no woman and rarely left the palazzo."

Franco shook his head. "I spoke to the servants and to the authorities when they came this morning. They were allowed to search Enrico's room."

A soft knock on the door heralded Helena's arrival. "Pardon me, but Signora Marita is on the phone, and young Margurite would like to say good night to her father. Signora Marita says Margurite is sleepy from the medicine, Signor Franco, and I'm afraid she will fall asleep if I ask her to wait for you to call back."

"No, no, Helena, you did the right thing, grazie.

Forgive me, Nonno, I know this meeting is important, but I must speak to mia bambina.

I don't want her to go to sleep without giving her my love."

"I understand completely," Don Giovanni said and waved him out of the room.

There was a moment of silence. "That is the one thing that makes that man endearing. I can't help but love him for that. I still cannot quite believe he betrayed us."

Antonietta slipped her hand onto her grandfather's arm. "Franco has many wonderful qualities, Nonno

; he just had the poor luck to fall deeply in love with a woman who is never satisfied."

As she spoke she thought of Byron. Wanting to touch him again. Wanting to feel the fluttering in her mind, in her stomach. What was he? A stranger with a commanding voice and a quiet, self-sufficient air, who had come out of the storm-drenched night when they needed him most. She had no idea where his home was, had no idea where he was staying. Even if he had another woman somewhere.

"Franco is strong-headed, Toni," Don Giovanni said. "He has ambition.