‘No, you weren’t,’ Suzanne denied. ‘We were in the middle of a personal conversation ourselves. You certainly don’t have to leave, Robert. We have our arrangements to make.’
Robert didn’t at all like the looks he was receiving from the older man. ‘They’re quite simple, Suzanne. We have to get the four o’clock train, so I’ll call for you at three-thirty.’
‘Are you sure?’
He knew she referred to him leaving now. ‘I’m sure,’ he confirmed.
‘Okay then, I’ll see you later.’ Once he had left she turned angrily on Vidal. ‘Now that you’ve quite finished insulting my friend perhaps you would like to start on me?’
Vidal sighed impatiently. ‘I did not mean to be rude to your friend. I am not myself today. Celeste refusing to speak to me has confused and upset all my plans.’
‘Upset all your plans? How do you think Celeste feels? She was all set to marry you and you’ve let her down.’
He took a firm hold of her arm. ‘Let us go out into the garden where we will not be disturbed.’
Suzanne reluctantly went along with him, speaking again once they were seated. ‘What do we have to talk about, Vidal? You’ve changed your mind about marrying Celeste because your brother doesn’t approve. Forgive me if all my sympathies lie with her and not with you.’
‘But you are wrong, Suzanne. I have not changed my mind at all.’ He patted his breast pocket. ‘I have the licence for my marriage to Celeste right here, I have done for several days now.’
She frowned her puzzlement. ‘But Celeste said you’d told her Cesare doesn’t approve.’
‘He does not. But that does not worry me. I am adult enough to make my own decisions concerning my own wife.’
‘Then if I were you I would tell Celeste that straight away. And don’t listen to any arguments, just rush her off her feet and don’t give her time to think. You know how stubborn she can be.’
He gave a rueful grin. ‘I am learning. Oh, how I am learning!’
‘Well, go on, then. Celeste was in the dining-room five minutes ago, she can’t have got far.’
‘First I must speak to you. Your friend Robert said you were leaving. Where are you going?’
‘Home.’
‘Does Cesare know of this?’
‘Cesare? Why should he know?’ Her question came out casually enough, but that wasn’t how she felt. Cesare’s name only had to be mentioned and she felt a trembling mass of nerves.
‘But you and Cesare are— Well, you are—’ he sought in his mind for the right word.
‘I can guess what you’re trying to say, Vidal—and you would be completely wrong. Cesare and I aren’t anything. I don’t know where you gained the impression that we were.’ Suzanne successfully evaded his searching eyes.
‘From Cesare himself, of course. Do you know the reason he disapproved of my marriage to Celeste? It was because of you.’
‘Me?’ She was astounded. Surely Cesare didn’t hate her enough to include Celeste in his displeasure? ‘What have I done?’
‘Apparently you have told Cesare that you do not love this Robert Thompson, and so he has concluded you are in love with me. I have told him that he is mistaken, but he insists that your wan appearance can be due to nothing else.’
‘How ridiculous! Why should I have to be in love with anyone? You men are so conceited,’ she said crossly.
‘Then you are not in love with me?’
‘Certainly not!’ she answered angrily.
‘I did not think you were. Once Cesare came on the scene I knew I did not stand a chance with you. That was why it was so easy for Celeste and me to become friends—and fall in love. I do not usually drop one woman so callously in favour of another, but I could see I had lost my charm as far as you were concerned.
And Celeste and I seem to have so much in common …’
‘You don’t have to sound apologetic, Vidal. As you’ve said, we’re not suited at all. I don’t love anyone. So you can safely marry Celeste with a clear conscience.’
‘You are not telling the truth, Suzanne,’ he shook his head. ‘You are in love, I can see that. I can also see who you are in love with. Cesare must be a fool not to see it.’
‘You’re mistaken,’ she denied vehemently. It was bad enough admitting it to herself, without everyone else realising it.
Again he shook his head. ‘I am not. And he loves you top.’
She looked at him sharply. ‘That isn’t true. I don’t love him and he doesn’t love me. I admit we’re attracted to each other, but that’s all.’
‘It is not all,’ Vidal insisted. ‘Why else should Cesare insist that my first duty lies with you? I will tell you why. His jealousy has led him to believe you are in love with me, and to feel jealousy he must be in love with you himself.’
‘You’re wrong, Vidal.’
‘I do not think so. It is strange, is it not, that when you and I first met I said I would like to see Cesare bowed with love for a woman. I did not expect that woman to be you.’
‘It isn’t,’ Suzanne told him impatiently.
‘It is also strange, but I do not feel the elation I expected to,’ he said slowly.
‘That’s quite simple to explain, Vidal. You don’t hate your brother at all, you only thought you did.’
‘I think perhaps you are right. I have always been rather in awe of him, perhaps because he had to take care of me when he was only twenty himself, and I resented it. It is not important now. What is important is that you see him before you leave.’
‘No,’ she said firmly. ‘I don’t think we have any more to say to one another. And I think you should go and see Celeste now.’
Vidal stood up. ‘Perhaps you are right.’ He stopped suddenly. ‘Have you thought, Suzanne, I will be your stepfather when Celeste and I are married?’ He gave a mischievous grin. ‘I promise to try not to be too strict.’
‘You won’t be strict at all, because I doubt we’ll meet very often. Celeste and I rarely meet.’ And she certainly wasn’t going to go anywhere where there might be the remotest possibility of her bumping into Cesare.
‘Things will be different when we are married. As your only male relative I will be responsible for you.’
‘Don’t be silly, Vidal. We won’t be even vaguely related.’
‘In Venice we do not take these things so lightly. You will come and stay with us often.’
‘I don’t think Celeste will agree with you,’ she told him with a smile. She and Celeste might have come to a better understanding of each other during the last few weeks, but she didn’t think they would ever be that close.
Vidal held himself haughtily. ‘Celeste and I have already discussed it.’
‘You—you have?’
‘Yes,’ he replied stiffly. ‘And we have agreed that during the vacation time you will stay with us. We will of course leave you to finish your education in Manchester, Celeste assures me this is perfectly correct, but for the holidays you must come to us.’
‘Don’t you think you should have asked me first before making all these plans for me?’
‘It was not necessary. Geleste and I will be responsible for you.’
‘Don’t you think it’s rather late in the day for Celeste to be feeling this way?’
‘I know all about your life since Celeste married your father, she has held nothing back from me. But Celeste realises she has been wrong, she wishes to make it up to you for all the hardship you have suffered because of her in the past.’
‘Really?’
They both turned at the shrillness of that voice. Vidal moved forward, only to stop in his tracks at the look on Celeste’s face. ‘Cara?’ he prompted softly.
Her eyes flashed; ‘Don’t you “cara“ me! It isn’t two minutes since we decided not to marry after all and already you’re chasing Suzanne again. I was right about you, Vidal. Thank goodness I found out about you before we were married!’
Vidal looked devastated. ‘Cara!’ he
said reproachfully.
Suzanne cut in before Celeste once again remonstrated him for using that endearment. ‘Vidal and I were only talking, Celeste. As usual you’re jumping to conclusions. Vidal came here to talk to you, apparently you didn’t let him finish his conversation earlier. Your wedding plans aren’t cancelled at all. Now will you let him talk to you?’
‘Vidal?’ Celeste looked at him uncertainly.
‘It is true, my love. The fact that Cesare has raised certain objections is not important. His reasoning was wrong anyway.’
‘Excuse me,’ interrupted Suzanne when it looked as if Celeste might launch herself into Vidal’s waiting arms. ‘I feel like an unwanted third. I wish you both the best of luck. ‘Bye!’
She made her escape before they completely forgot her existence. They wouldn’t even notice her absence for an hour or so, and with any luck by that time she would have packed and left the hotel altogether.
* * *
The journey back to Manchester had been quite uneventful, and Suzanne had felt relieved when they eventually reached the house where they both rented rooms. This had been where they first met, although their both being at college had strengthened their friendship.
Patsy was ecstatic about seeing Robert again, following him about wherever he went, her purrs loud and joyful. Suzanne couldn’t help laughing at the drooling cat, which caused Patsy to stick her nose arrogantly in the air whenever she came near her. This caused her even more humour at Patsy’s expense.
Oh, it was so good to be home, far away from Cesare’s disruptive influence on her life. She would have liked to have seen him again before she left, but had found out from the desk that the Conte Martino was out for the day, presumably at his office. If he had continued asking her to go back to Venice with him she had a feeling she would have given in, so perhaps it was as well she hadn’t seen him.
It didn’t take her long to unpack the elegant clothing she had worn in London, although she had no idea when she would ever be anywhere smart enough to wear them again. They weren’t exactly the sort of clothes she could wear to college. In fact it was quite a relief to be able to relax in denims and a vest top.
The door to her room stood open as usual, all the tenants in this house being college students and most of them friends. They wandered into each other’s rooms quite freely, and Suzanne looked up and smiled as Robert walked in, followed closely by the loyal Patsy.
‘The crowd are all going down to the coffee-bar in about an hour. Feel like going?’ He sat down on the floor, which was his usual practice.
Suzanne put down the patchwork quilt she had been working on. ‘I guess so, I haven’t had anything to eat since lunchtime.’
‘What a shame,’ he teased. ‘You must be almost starving to death!’
She looked down in exasperation as Patsy climbed up on to the bed and sat herself down on the patchwork quilt, making a big show of cleaning herself. ‘Look at this cat,’ she said in disgust. ‘Doesn’t she realise that some of us have work to do?’
‘She couldn’t give a damn,’ Robert chuckled. ‘She does it to me all the time, especially when I’m trying to study.’
Patsy had finished washing now and was settling more comfortably on the quilt. Suzanne tickled her under the chin. ‘You’re spoilt, young lady,’ she told her sternly.
‘Isn’t she just? So you think your dear stepmama and the younger Martino will definitely marry?’ he asked, changing the subject.
‘Yes,’ she answered shortly. ‘Do we have to talk about them?’
‘Not if you don’t want to.’
‘I don’t.’ She looked up as Mrs Holmes came to the door; a woman in her mid-fifties, she was perhaps the nearest thing Suzanne had ever had to a mother. She was plump and homely and had mothered Suzanne from the day she had moved in here two years ago. ‘Hello, love,’ Suzanne smiled. ‘I’m back from sin city,’ she joked.
‘So I can see.’ Mrs Holmes looked harassed. ‘And you already have a visitor.’
Suzanne raised a surprised eyebrow. Mrs Holmes didn’t usually bring up the visitors herself. ‘A visitor?’ she repeated stupidly.
The man behind Mrs Holmes stepped forward and Suzanne gasped her surprise. Cesare! No wonder Mrs Holmes looked slightly overwhelmed. She shot off the bed, disturbing the sleeping cat and receiving a loud screech for her thoughtless action. Robert jumped up guiltily from his lounging position against the side of her bed, adding to the incongruousness of the circumstance.
‘Cesare,’ she muttered softly.
Robert shifted uncomfortably under the piercing stare of the other man. ‘Er—We—We’ll see you later, Suzanne.’ He scooped up the ruffled Patsy off the bed. ‘Nice to see you again, Conte.’
The Conte merely nodded acknowledgment of having heard him at all, stepping into the room and closing the door firmly behind him. ‘This is your room?’ His voice was cold and clipped.
Suzanne ran nervous hands down her denims, sure that Cesare had never entered such a humble abode before. ‘Yes,’ she answered defensively. ‘What do you want?’
‘Well, I certainly did not want to find Robert Thompson in your bedroom.’
‘Why not? You’re in it yourself now. I only have the one room so it’s difficult not to be.’ She was being shrewish and she couldn’t stop herself. What was he doing here? Goodness, she had only left London a few hours ago herself, he must have driven straight here when he found out she had left. But why?
Cesare moved further into the room, unbuttoning the jacket of his lightweight suit. Goodness, he was handsome! ‘Why was Thompson here?’
‘I’m sure you can answer that for yourself,’ she said tartly.
‘I could, but I would not necessarily be correct. Why was he here?’ There was an inflexibility about his mouth that demanded she answer.
Suzanne shrugged. ‘He lives here,’ she told him truthfully.
‘With you?’
‘No, not with me! He has a room on the next floor.’
‘And his wife?’
‘Will you get it into your head that Robert is not married!’
‘And Patsy? Explain her.’
‘You just met her,’ she said impatiently. ‘She was the one with four legs and covered in fur.’
‘A cat?’ he asked sharply. ‘Are you trying to tell me Patsy is a cat?’
‘I’m not just telling you, I’m almost screaming it at you! If you don’t believe me just ask Robert. Or even Patsy herself—she’d soon let you know that she answers to her name. Is that what you came here for, to question me again?’
‘I would hardly drive all this way just to ask you a few questions. You do realise that Vidal and Celeste are going to be married?’
He was prowling about like a caged lion, making her room seem smaller and shabbier than usual. ‘Yes, I realise that.’
‘Is that why you left?’
‘Look, Cesare, considering you said you didn’t drive all this way to ask me questions you’re doing an awful lot of it.’ Suzanne attempted a light laugh. ‘And no, that isn’t why I left. I knew a few days ago that they intended getting married, I would have left then if it had bothered me. You could have asked me how I felt about Vidal before assuming I was in love with him. He told me about your refusing to accept Celeste as his future wife.’
‘I have changed my mind. That is why I am here. They are getting married tomorrow. You will naturally wish to be there. If you had seen Celeste before leaving she could have explained all this to you.’
‘I had already told her I was leaving.’
‘So I believe.’
‘I left her a note explaining,’ she defended herself.
‘I know that also. Would you like to collect a few things together and we will be on our way.’
Suzanne looked puzzled. ‘On our way where?’
‘Back to London. I have come to collect you and take you back for the wedding tomorrow.’
‘I could have come on the train.’
�
�You would not have known,’ he said haughtily. ‘I believe this house does not have a telephone.’
‘There is such a thing as a telegram,’ she replied tartly.
‘Do not be so stubborn all the time, Suzanne. I am here now. If you can be ready to leave in ten minutes or so?’
‘I suppose so,’ she answered ungraciously. ‘Although it seems slightly ridiculous to be returning to London so soon after leaving. I’ve only been home a few hours.’
‘That is your own fault. If you had only curtailed your impetuosity for a few minutes I am sure Celeste would have told you that you had no need to return at all. After Celeste and Vidal are married you can continue to stay on at the hotel as my guest.’
His face told her nothing of his thoughts and she blushed at her own imaginings. She had no doubt what being his guest would entail—nights spent in the luxury of his arms, their bodies intimately entwined, and in the daytime acting almost like strangers—in fact, all the things she feared. To let Cesare make love to her would only make it more difficult for her to give him up.
‘That wouldn’t be possible.’ She held herself tautly, suppressing the desire to launch herself into his arms. Here and now wasn’t the right time for that, and she hoped by the time they reached London she would have been able to put these thoughts out of her head—and her body, her traitorous body that softened against his in complete surrender, ignoring the logical dictates Of her brain.
‘You have nothing of importance to return to here,’ he told her scathingly.
Suzanne’s hackles rose. ‘This may seem nothing to you, but it happens to be my home.’
‘That is easily recognisable.’
‘Are you being insulting?’ she asked uncertainly.
‘No, I am not,’ he said patiently. ‘The room is small, but it is completely you; bright and cheerful.’
‘Oh.’
‘Yes, oh. Now would you please get some of your things together so that we can be on our way. I do not want to arrive back too late.’ He relaxed his long length in the only armchair in the room, watching her through shuttered eyes.
‘Oh. Right.’ She became flustered as he continued to watch her as she pulled out her suitcase from under the bed and began throwing things inside. She swore as a lace bra landed on the floor at his feet, picking it up and throwing it angrily into the case.
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