He laughed with genuine amusement. ‘Not I, Signorina Hammond. Unlike you, I am not so lucky as you seem to be with your stepmother. I have the proverbial wicked stepbrother, the Conte Cesare Martino. And I would like it very much if I had no correspondence with him for three years.’ The last was said with bitterness and the boyish charm left his face.
‘You don’t like your brother?’
‘Cesare is difficult to like or dislike. He is like a rock, and you cannot feel emotion for a rock.’ He sprang up from the lounger. ‘It is too depressing to talk of Cesare. Would you like to go for another swim?’
Suzanne was still muddling over Vidal Martino’s remarks concerning his brother. So his brother was a count! A much older, embittered man, by the sound of it, who tried to rule this charming man with an iron will. She couldn’t imagine anyone more charming than Vidal Martino, so she could only assume that the Conte Cesare Martino was unreasonable to his fun-loving younger brother.
She shook her head regretfully, looking at the watch she was just attaching to her slim wrist. ‘I really must shower and then find myself some dinner.’
Vidal Martino put a restraining hand on her arm, and Suzanne found she liked that warm caressing touch, feeling strangely bereft as his hand was removed. ‘You do not intend dining at the hotel?’
‘Not this evening. I feel in need of a change of scenery. I thought this evening I might try one of the little restaurants just outside the hotel. They look nice, and more my—my taste, if you know what I mean?’
‘Oh, I know exactly what you mean,’ he smiled at her. ‘Would it be permissible for me to join you? I too feel in need of more simple surroundings.’
She was taken aback by his request. Surely he had something better to do than join her, people he should go and see if he had just arrived? It would appear not, by the look on his face.
‘Signorina Hammond?’
‘Oh, yes, Mr Martino, of course you can join me if you want to. I’m not going anywhere exciting, though.’
‘Believe me, I have had enough excitement these last few weeks to welcome a quiet dinner with a beautiful companion. Venice can be rather exhausting.’
‘Surely no more so than London.’
‘Perhaps not,’ he conceded. ‘If you intend either working or enjoying the night life. Unfortunately I did both.’
‘You—you work?’ Although his athletic body and active brain did not point to him spending his time idly, neither did he look the sort of man who sat behind a desk all day.
Vidal Martino laughed aloud, a deep pleasant sound that evoked a smile on her own face. ‘Cesare would say not, but I would say yes, My brother has many business interests all over the world. I run the London office. Again Cesare would say it runs itself, but ultimately I have to make the final decisions—and face Cesare if anything goes wrong.’
‘You actually live in England?’ Excitement entered her voice as she thought of the possibility of seeing this man when she left the hotel. She mentally shook herself. She was just being silly. Just because he was at a loose end this evening it didn’t mean she would ever see him again. But she wanted to! Oh, yes, she wanted to.
‘For perhaps six months of the year.’ A look of consternation crossed his face. ‘I will have to be excused dinner, I am afraid. I have just remembered a previous engagement that I cannot break. Meeting you put all other thoughts out of my mind. Could I join you for drinks later this evening?’
‘You don’t have to meet me at all, if you don’t want to. I won’t be upset.’ But she would, she would! Vidal Martino was her ideal and she couldn’t lose him so soon after meeting him.
For answer he took one of her hands firmly in his own, threading their fingers together intimately. ‘That is a great pity, because I personally would be very upset—upset?’ he repeated with disgust. ‘I would be devastated, Suzanne Hammond. My engagement this evening is one that I cannot evade, otherwise I would do so. But please do me the honour of meeting me later. I should return by ten o’clock, ten-thirty at the latest. Is that too late for you?’
‘Oh, no, no, of course not. I rarely retire before midnight.’
‘Then I am permitted to join you in the lounge later?’
‘Please,’ she smiled at him shyly, acutely aware of her hand still held firmly in his. It seemed incredible that she had only met him an hour earlier, and even more incredible that he actually wanted to see her again. Her hand was suddenly free and he ran to the edge of the pool, diving into the clear depths with hardly a ripple. He struck out with strong movements, swimming two lengths before coming back to the side of the pool.
‘I will see you later, Signorina Hammond—Suzanne,’ he amended warmly.
‘Very well—Vidal,’ she replied breathlessly, surprised at her own daring.
With a last intimate smile Vidal Martino sank beneath the water. Suzanne picked up her wrap and towel and walked dreamily back into the hotel. Having dinner anywhere else didn’t seem such a good idea now, not if there was a chance of seeing Vidal later in the evening. There was always the possibility that he might return early.
It was already seven o’clock by the time she reached her room, and seven-fifteen by the time she had showered. Choosing what to wear was a difficult decision. Should she wear the clinging black silk and look sophisticated, or wear the lemon chiffon that made her hair look like spun gold? She finally decided on the black silk. At nineteen to Vidal Martino’s thirty-two, thirty-three, she wanted to appear as worldly as possible.
Her hair was another problem, a golden mass of riotous curls, it was difficult to tame into any semblance of order. Pinning the majority of the curls on to the top of her head, she allowed one or two tendrils to curl provocatively at her temples and three or four at her slender nape. It gave her a look of childish sophistication and she knew it was as good as she was going to get. A light make-up and pale lipstick to add colour to her face and she was ready to face even the watchful Celeste.
A hasty look in the mirror showed her that she had what Robert would call her ‘adult look’. Robert! She had completely forgotten him since her meeting with Vidal Martino. As she had thought, Robert paled to insignificance when compared with her ideal man. And since meeting the vibrant masculine man in the flesh, Robert had been put completely out of her thoughts.
Her hotel room door swung open without any warning and she didn’t need two guesses who it was, in fact, she didn’t even need to turn round. Nevertheless she did turn round, only to come under the scornful gaze of Celeste.
‘Well, well, well,’ she drawled silkily, swaying gracefully into the room to walk mockingly round Suzanne as she willed herself not to be bothered by Celeste’s taunting. ‘And who is this little lot for?’ she flicked one of the curls caressing Suzanne’s temple.
Suzanne flinched away from her stepmother. ‘What’s what little lot for?’ she asked steadily.
‘Why, the outfit, darling,’ purred Celeste. ‘Do you have an assignation with one of the waiters? Carlo perhaps?’
‘Don’t be childish,’ she snapped, picking up her evening bag in preparation to leave the room. ‘I’m merely dressed for dinner, nothing more.’
‘Really?’ I haven’t noticed such an effort on any other of the evenings we’ve been down to dinner.’
‘Are you trying to tell me I usually look a mess?’
‘Of course not, Suzanne. I would have told you so if you did. So who is it for?’
‘No one,’ Suzanne said sulkily. ‘I just felt like making an effort. Do you object?’
‘Oh, no.’ Celeste shook her head, her vibrant auburn hair gleaming as she moved. ‘I just hope you aren’t getting any big ideas about your own future. I made it obvious to you before we came here that it was my fortune we were seeking. Have you forgotten?’
‘How can I forget anything so disgusting?’
‘Quite,’ Celeste’s mouth twisted sneeringly. ‘And I think it’s just arrived.’
‘Really?’
‘Ye
s, really. You don’t have to sound quite so eager to get rid of me.’ Celeste looked at her stepdaughter suspiciously, picking up bottles at random from the dressing-table to study their contents.
Suzanne saw her mistake as she felt Celeste’s keen looks in her direction. It was just that it would be so convenient if she didn’t have Celeste watching her every move over the next few days. But she mustn’t let Celeste know that; already she had given away too much to this perceptive woman.
‘Come along, Suzanne, we can discuss this better over dinner. Well, perhaps not better, but at least in comfort.’
‘All right,’ agreed Suzanne, herself eager to get dinner over with as soon as possible. The sooner she had eaten the sooner she could go to the lounge and wait for Vidal.
Dinner was delicious as usual and Celeste in her more mellowed mood was quite convivial company. They even laughed together a couple of times, something they had never done before. Celeste often laughed at Suzanne but never with her.
‘You many not believe this, Suzanne,’ Celeste said quietly as they drank their coffee at the end of the meal. ‘No, I’m sure you won’t believe it. But in my own selfish way I loved your father very much.’
‘You can safely say that now, can’t you, now that he’s dead and can’t refute such a statement?’ Suzanne said vehemently.
‘Are you trying to say I didn’t make your father happy?’ Celeste gave a slight smile. ‘I don’t think you can say that with any degree of honesty.’
‘Maybe not. But I was his daughter, didn’t I deserve to be included in his life too?’
‘I said in my own selfish way, Suzanne, and that didn’t include you. Children have never entered into my plans for my future, and that means other people’s as well as my own.’
‘Surely this wealthy man will want children?’ Suzanne pointed out spitefully. Celeste certainly brought out the worst in her.
‘Perhaps. It may be a necessary evil,’ she said in a bored voice. ‘Perhaps just one, to satisfy the man’s vanity.’
Suzanne looked about her curiously. The only man she could see who remotely fitted into Celeste’s mercenary plans was a man sitting at a corner table of the dining-room, but even he didn’t have to be the man, this dining-room was open to the public and he could just be a visitor, not an actual guest. He was a man in his mid-sixties, with grey streaked hair and a body that was running to fat. He was quite handsome for a man of his obvious years, but surely Celeste couldn’t be contemplating marriage to a man so much her senior.
But why not? Suzanne’s father had been eighteen years her senior, so what did it matter that this man could give her at least thirty years? It didn’t matter in the slightest to Suzanne, Celeste must make her own future, in any way she wanted. But to marry a man like that! It made her feel slightly sick.
She looked at her stepmother. Celeste might be hard and grasping, but surely she deserved something better than that. Her father had loved the woman, so she couldn’t be all bad. But she couldn’t be all good either, not when she could shut out a child of ten from her own father’s love.
‘What on earth is the matter now?’ Celeste asked impatiently. ‘Surely I haven’t shocked your puritan little mind again? Dear, oh dear, Suzanne, you’ll have to toughen up if you want to survive in this harsh cruel world your father and mother introduced you to. It’s a rough world out there and you have to be the same if you want to survive, and I intend to do just that.’
‘I’m not shocked, Celeste,’ Suzanne gave a rueful smile. ‘I think I’m past that where you’re concerned.’
Celeste laughed, a completely natural gesture that added to her already considerable beauty. Blue, often mercenary eyes were filled with amusement and Suzanne wished that Celeste would act this naturally all the time. How much more attractive it made her. Not that her stepmother needed any extra attraction tonight, dressed as she was in a clinging russet-coloured gown that should have clashed with her rich auburn hair, but somehow didn’t.
‘Why were you looking so serious, then?’
Suzanne shrugged, unwilling to start another argument. ‘I was—I was just looking round to see if I could spot the man—you know, the man you—’ she broke off in embarrassed confusion.
‘The man I’ve picked out to be my husband,’ finished Celeste, completely unembarrassed herself. ‘And who did you decide it was?’
‘Well, I—’ Suzanne looked at the elderly man she had picked out earlier and Celeste followed her gaze.
‘Not him, Suzanne!’ she burst out laughing. ‘Give me credit for a little taste!’
‘Then who?’
‘Oh, he isn’t here, darling,’ again Celeste affected that false drawl. ‘He’s otherwise engaged this evening, but I’m meeting him tomorrow. He’s absolutely fascinating, Suzanne, a shame he’s only a means to an end.’
‘So who is he, Celeste? Don’t keep me in suspense!’
‘You are interested, aren’t you? Well, I suppose it makes a change from your apathy. His name is Vidal Martino.’
CHAPTER TWO
‘VIDAL MARTINO?’ Suzanne echoed weakly.
‘Mmm—lovely name, isn’t it? And so is the man. I think Celeste Martino sounds quite distinctive, don’t you?’
Suzanne felt physically sick. Oh, God! Not Vidal Martino! Why couldn’t it be anyone else but him? And Celeste had said she was meeting him tomorrow. Oh, how could he, when he had already arranged to meet her this evening! Her distress must have shown on her face, because Celeste looked quite concerned.
‘Are you all right, Suzanne?’ She touched her arm. ‘You’ve gone terribly pale.’
‘Oh, I—I’m fine. I felt rather faint for a moment, but I’m all right now,’ Suzanne lied. How could she feel fine when she was dying inside? In the space of an hour she had fallen in love for the first time in her life, and now it was completely shattered by a few short words. Celeste meant to marry Vidal Martino, and knowing Celeste that was exactly what she would do.
‘It is rather warm in here,’ Celeste agreed. ‘Why don’t you go out into the garden for a while?’
‘Yes. Yes!’ Suzanne said jerkily, rising unsteadily to her feet. ‘It is rather stuffy, isn’t it? I won’t be long.’
Celeste sat back lazily. ‘Take your time, darling. I may just wait here on the off chance that Vidal returns earlier than expected.’
‘Oh, oh, I see,’ Suzanne said dully. She had to escape from here, be on her own for a while to sort out her thoughts.
The garden was definitely cooler than the hotel dining-room, although the hotel was air-conditioned. The fragrance of the many flowers out here was exquisite.
She had escaped here many times during the last few days, when she couldn’t stand Celeste’s overbearing attitude any longer. And now this! For the first time in her life she had found someone she was sure she could love, and he was destined for Celeste! She was certainly no competition for the beautiful redhead, and she might as well give up any hope of keeping a man like Vidal Martino interested in someone as plain as herself when Celeste wanted him.
It was a bitter blow and one she had faced once before in her life—and both of them dealt by Celeste. First her father and now Vidal Martino. She should hate Celeste, but she didn’t. At times Celeste showed a gentler side of her character, a facet of her nature she took great pains to hide. And she mostly succeeded.
She said Vidal had arranged to meet her tomorrow—he couldn’t have wasted much time after leaving Suzanne this afternoon. This knowledge hurt her somehow, and she wasn’t feeling particularly friendly towards him when she saw him walking across the garden towards her.
‘Suzanne,’ he put out his hands to her, drawing her close to him. ‘You were not waiting in the lounge,’ he scolded gently. ‘Luckily I spotted your hair in the darkness.’
‘I see,’ she said huskily, unable to draw her gaze away from those warm compelling brown eyes. ‘My stepmother was in the lounge.’
‘Ah, I see,’ he nodded understandingly. ‘You
did not want to meet me in front of her. Well, I think she must have gone to bed because the lounge was deserted when I came through just now.’
Suzanne felt angry at his casual dismissal of Celeste, and yet excited too. Celeste hadn’t made such a big impression on Vidal that he didn’t want to see her again. ‘Oh,’ she licked her lips nervously. ‘Did you—Did you have a nice evening?’
Vidal Martino grimaced. ‘As pleasant as one could when visiting a grandmother. When Cesare’s mother married our father her mother moved in too. She now lives in her own home in England and complains that we neglect her. She does not think that it would have been better for all of us if she had stayed at the Palazzo like any other grandmother would. And of course Cesare visits her regularly when he is here.’ Again that harshness entered his voice when talking of his brother. ‘But I must not bore you with my family. Shall we go in and have that drink now?’
Why not? Celeste wasn’t in the lounge, and by the look of things she would have to make the most of this meeting with Vidal Martino, tomorrow Celeste would take over. She nodded her head, renewed eagerness entering her eyes. ‘I’d love to.’
He grinned at her. ‘Good.’
As he had said, the lounge was deserted, and within minutes they were ensconced at a corner table with two drinks on the table in front of them.
‘So,’ Vidal turned on the bench seat they were both sitting on, his knee touching hers intimately before it was politely withdrawn. But he was still sitting very close to her and she found she liked his closeness, liked the fresh male tangy smell that his body exuded and the expensive aftershave that she had come to realise he wore exclusively. ‘Tell me a little about yourself, Suzanne.’
‘There isn’t much to tell, and I’m not being trite when I say that, there really isn’t much to tell. I’m a student, training to be a teacher, eventually.’
Tempted by Desire Page 2