Isabel looked unconvinced. ‘You need rest, my girl. I don’t suppose you can read with that eye, and television’s out right now, but I’ve got a new audio book from the library. It’s a really gruesome thriller—you’ll like it.’
Next morning Laura sat up in bed gingerly, decided she felt halfway human again, and limped downstairs before her mother could toil upstairs with her breakfast.
‘What on earth are you doing up at this hour?’ demanded Isabel.
‘Making sure you don’t run about waiting on me before you take off to school.’ Laura pulled a face. ‘I had a look in the mirror. The bruises are right down my neck now.’
‘You took quite a crack on your chin, too,’ said her mother, getting up to examine it. ‘How’s the ankle?’
‘Bearable. A couple of painkillers and a few more cups of tea will help.’
Fen rang during the morning with anxious enquiries and messages of sympathy from every member of the Dysart family.
‘Thank them for me,’ said Laura, touched. ‘Now go! Get on with being a bride, Fenella Dysart. Tomorrow is your big day, so concentrate on it and be happy.’
‘I’ll see you when we come back from Italy—we’ll have a little party!’
Time hung so heavy Laura was very glad of company by the time her mother came home from school that afternoon. But it took effort to be cheerful during the evening, knowing that both of them should have been at the pre-wedding family dinner up at Friars Wood.
‘There’s no reason why you couldn’t have gone, Mother,’ said Laura, but Isabel shook her head firmly.
‘Not without you, darling.’
Laura groaned in frustration. ‘It’s not fair that you should have to miss the fun, too.’
The wedding day dawned hot and sunny, but after an early call to the bride to wish her joy the morning was hard for Laura. It hurt to know she should have been up at Friars Wood in the thick of the Dysarts, having her face and hair done and helping with the trio of teenage bridesmaids, but, most important of all, just being there for Fen on her big day.
When Isabel came downstairs after lunch, the perfect wedding guest in a slim fawn linen dress and dashing bronze hat, she struck an exaggerated pose.
‘How do I look?’
‘Absolutely gorgeous! Off you go, or you won’t find a place to park. Take lots of photographs, and give Fen a big kiss for me.’ Laura hurried her mother to the door before either of them could get emotional, waved her out of sight, then with a sigh limped back inside to get through the long afternoon as best she could.
To kill time she washed her hair for the first time since the accident, but with a hair-dryer ruled out styling had to be restricted to gentle towelling and a very careful brush through. Afterwards Laura smoothed moisturiser into her skin, pleased that repeated applications of ice had at least reduced the swelling on the eye surrounded with arresting shades of maroon and plum. Making a face at it, she took wings of hair back from her ears, secured them on the crown of her head with a giant clip and let the rest hang down the back of her pink vest top to dry in the sun.
The garden went back a long way behind the house. In the years since the move Isabel had gradually transformed the bramble-choked wilderness into a haven of green lawn surrounded by flowering shrubs, which softened the outlines of the high laurel boundary hedges. A shallow rockery planted with alpines separated the lawn from the small, paved area outside the sitting room window, and during the morning Isabel had unfolded two director’s chairs, and put up the parasol over the picnic table there for an early salad lunch.
All morning Laura had maintained such a determinedly cheerful mood it was a relief to relax now she was alone. She found an extension lead to attach to her tape-player, filled a jug with orange juice and ice cubes, collected a glass and went outside to sit under the parasol. She propped her feet up on a stool, and, eyes closed, listened to the church bells welcoming the guests arriving to see the youngest Dysart daughter married. Her mouth tightened as she wondered if one wedding guest in particular had arrived—and if he’d come with company. Laura thrust the thought away, and when the bells stopped sent a silent message of love to the bride, switched on the tape, and concentrated fiercely until the plot absorbed her again.
She leaned back, bare legs outstretched, removed the barrette and combed her fingers through her damp hair, and then sat utterly still other than to change the tape at intervals and refill her glass. She grew so drowsy in the afternoon warmth as the hours passed that when the current tape ended she couldn’t be bothered to put in a new one.
Laura woke with a start from a restless doze and shot upright with a gasp of fright, her heart thumping madly at the sight of Domenico gazing down at her. Shaken and breathless, she shook the hair back from her incredulous face to meet blue eyes blazing with such horror she shut her own in self-defence. When she opened them again his familiar smile was firmly in place. A white gardenia adorned the lapel of a suit with the superb fit of all Domenico’s clothes, and Laura was immediately, resentfully conscious of her battered face and untidy hair, her short denim skirt long past its shelf-life, and the crowning touch of scruffy old trainers loose enough for her swollen foot.
‘Come esta, Laura,’ Domenico said gently.
She pulled herself together, trying to breathe normally. ‘Not at my best, I’m afraid,’ she said unevenly, and thrust her hair behind her ears to display the full effect of her bruises. ‘This is a surprise.’
He drew the other chair close and with a familiar ‘Permesso?’ sat down. ‘Ah, Laura!’ His voice was husky with compassion as his eyes travelled over her face. ‘Your mother told me of your fall, but I did not imagine—’
‘That I looked so scary?’
‘That you had been hurt so very badly,’ he contradicted. ‘Are you in pain still?’
‘Not pain, exactly. My face is just sore and throbs a bit. So does my ankle.’ She smiled coldly. ‘If I’d expected to frighten anyone I would have worn a mask. I bought one in Venice, remember.’
‘I do remember. And you did not frighten me,’ he assured her. ‘I feel only sympathy for your injury.’
She found that hard to swallow. ‘The worst part was missing Fen’s wedding. How did it go?’
‘It was very beautiful. But to my great disappointment you were not in the bridal party.’
‘You can see why now.’ She smiled politely. ‘It’s very kind of you to take time to visit me, but shouldn’t you be up at Friars Wood with the other guests?’
He shook his head. ‘I have been there already. I congratulated the radiant bride and her proud husband, and introduced myself to your mother.’ Domenico smiled warmly. ‘She is so much like you. I recognised her immediately.’
‘She looks good, doesn’t she?’ said Laura, thawing slightly.
‘Molto elegante,’ he agreed, and eyed her warily. ‘Mrs Dysart consulted with your mother and made a suggestion.’
Laura raised her good eyebrow. ‘What is it?’
‘She gave me champagne so that you and I may toast the bride and groom together.’ He smiled. ‘The bride thought this was an excellent idea.’
‘Did you come to the wedding alone, then?’
‘Yes, of course,’ he said, surprised. ‘I have rung you twice since Thursday to say I was arriving today, but your number was unobtainable.’
‘I broke my phone when I fell.’ She eyed him suspiciously. ‘Domenico, are you here because you feel sorry for me?’
‘No.’ His chin lifted. ‘But if you do not want me here I will leave the champagne and go.’
She turned her face away, fighting sudden tears, but after a moment she was pulled to her feet and into Domenico’s arms with her good cheek pressed to his crisp shirtfront.
‘You took off your jacket,’ she muttered, breathing in the male scent that was so bone-meltingly familiar she almost forgot she was furious with him.
‘My suit is new,’ he explained. ‘The shirt will wash.’
‘And
I thought I was the practical one!’ She tried a laugh, which sounded so much more like a sob his arms tightened.
‘Piangi!’ he commanded, but having been told to cry Laura lost all desire to, and pushed him away.
‘Sorry. My emotions are a bit near the surface since the fall.’
He winced, and touched a finger to her uninjured cheek. ‘You could have done yourself such serious injury, Laura.’ He paused. ‘So. Shall I stay?’
She lifted a shoulder. ‘If you like.’
‘Then I shall fetch the champagne from the car.’
‘I’ll get some glasses.’ Laura limped into the house, and for pride’s sake took time to tie her hair back before collecting a couple of champagne flutes.
‘I feel happier with my hair under control,’ she told Domenico as she rejoined him.
He smiled a little. ‘Bene. I like you to feel happy.’
She raised a cynical eyebrow. ‘Really? You were pretty cutting on the phone!’
Heat flared in his eyes. ‘You hurt me so much, Laura.’
‘You or your pride?’ she said, unmoved.
He shrugged. ‘Both. To help you I paid a very little part of your hotel bill, and in return you accuse me of paying for your body. I believed we had made beautiful love together,’ he added angrily. ‘So, yes, my pride was hurt.’
Her eyes flashed. ‘So was mine, Domenico, when I found out you’d been having a little joke with me.’
‘I have given you my reasons for that,’ he reminded her, and without spilling a drop removed the cork from the champagne, filled two glasses and handed one of them to her. ‘Now we make the toast,’ he said.
‘To Fen and Joe,’ said Laura, raising her glass.
‘To the bride and groom,’ he agreed, and raised his own. ‘Also a toast to you, Laura, with the wish that your beautiful face will soon be whole again.’
‘I’ll drink to that!’ she said dryly. ‘Though even at its best my face is hardly beautiful.’
‘It is to me,’ he said softly.
But Laura couldn’t forget Domenico’s knee-jerk reaction at first sight of it, nor the lady back in Venice somewhere. ‘It was kind of you to come,’ she said politely. ‘I was feeling pretty blue earlier on.’
‘It is very sad that you could not be at your friend’s wedding,’ he agreed. ‘When I learned that you were hurt I wanted to come here at once to see you. But I had to wait while many photographs were taken, then drive to the Dysart home to congratulate the bride and groom, also to ask your mother her permission to visit you.’ Domenico smiled. ‘She is a charming lady.’
‘That she is,’ agreed Laura. ‘Where are you staying?’
‘At an inn called the Forrester’s Arms. You know it?’
‘Yes, it’s a nice country pub with good food, but a far cry from the Forli Palace.’
‘Non importa. A change is good, yes?’
‘It will certainly be that—’ She broke off as the phone rang, and excused herself to go inside to answer it. ‘Hi, Mother.’
‘Are you all right, darling?’ asked Isabel anxiously.
‘I’m fine.’
‘Is Domenico still with you?’
‘Yes.’
‘How long is he staying?’
‘I don’t know. Are you ready to come home, then?’
‘Actually, Frances wants me to stay on for a while, so if you’ve still got company maybe I will.’
‘Stay as long as you like. Have fun. I’ll see you later.’ Laura put the phone down and went back to Domenico. ‘That was my mother, asking how long you’re likely to stay.’ She smiled coolly. ‘But you can go now, if you like. I’ll be fine on my own until she comes home.’
His face darkened. ‘You wish me to go?’
‘Not quite yet. First there are one or two things I want to say. As you said, it’s difficult over the phone—’ She broke off as rain began to fall and reached for the tape-player. ‘Grab your jacket and leave the rest. We’d better go inside.’
In the small sitting room Laura switched on lamps, waved Domenico to a chair and sat down on the sofa with her feet up.
‘So tell me these one or two things,’ he commanded, tearing his eyes from the length of bare brown leg on display.
‘First,’ began Laura, ‘when we became lovers I didn’t know who, or what, you were.’
He frowned. ‘What do you mean?’
‘It was obvious from your apartment and your clothes that you earned good money, but I took it you were in some management job at the hotel. I had no idea that you owned it.’
‘I do not own it. The hotel belongs to the Forli Group, of which I am a part because I am family,’ he said, with the air of one explaining to a child. ‘I am in charge in Venice now because my father has retired.’ He threw out his expressive hands. ‘What difference does this make?’
‘Quite a lot to me. You live among the pillars and frescoes of the Palazzo Forli or in your smart San Marco apartment overlooking the Grand Canal.’ She waved a hand at the small, crowded room. ‘I live here, or in my tiny flat in London.’
‘So? I do not understand the problem.’
Her chin went up. ‘It’s not a problem any more. When we parted that last night I was moonstruck enough to think that a relationship of some kind was possible. But now I know the facts it’s out of the question. You lied to me, Domenico.’
He sighed impatiently. ‘I did not lie, exactly. It was so good to be with someone who seemed to like me for myself, I did not tell you—’
‘That’s not the lie I’m talking about. You said there was no woman in your life, yet according to Fen’s sister, Jess Forli, there is.’ Laura’s eyes stabbed his accusingly. ‘Admit it, Domenico, you said all that nonsense about falling in love just to get me into bed. And like a fool I fell for it.’
The translucent eyes narrowed to glittering shards of ice. ‘There is no other woman in my life. And I did not lie about my feelings for you.’ He got slowly to his feet and picked up his jacket, controlled fury in every move. ‘But if you can believe such things of me you are right, Laura. There is no possibility of a relationship between us.’
‘So why did you come here today?’
He smiled scornfully. ‘Do not imagine it was to discuss this boring subject of relationships. My visit is courtesy only, because you are injured.’
‘How very kind of you,’ she managed, when she could trust her voice.
He put on his jacket, suddenly a remote, elegant stranger. ‘Allora, I must go back to the Dysart home to wish the bride and groom well before they leave for their honeymoon.’
Laura led the way into the hall to open the front door. ‘Goodbye, then. Thank you for taking time to visit me.’
‘Prego,’ he said, shrugging.
‘Wait—I almost forgot. I have something for you.’ She went back into the sitting room to search in her handbag, then returned to him, holding out an envelope.
Domenico opened it, his face stony as he saw money. ‘Grazie,’ he said savagely, and thrust the envelope in his pocket. ‘Now you owe me nothing and you can be happy, yes? But tell me, Laura, if you had such harsh things to say, why did you not accuse me of these things at once and send me away?’
She smiled at him sweetly. ‘I was bored. Your company was better than none.’
His eyes glittered with outrage for an instant, then with a graceful, insolent bow he strode off through the rain to his hired car. An Italian model, Laura noted dully. Domenico liked to maintain his image at all times and in all places.
Chapter Eight
LAURA rescued the champagne flutes, washed them and put them away, emptied the leftover wine down the kitchen sink, took some rubber boots and an umbrella from the closet, then, knowing her mother wouldn’t be long, sat slumped at the table in a cagoule to wait. When she heard the car she limped down the path as fast as she could and managed to reach it just as Isabel switched off the ignition.
‘Mother, put these boots on and leave your shoes in the ca
r with your hat,’ ordered Laura. ‘You take the umbrella; I’ve got my hood up.’
Isabel followed her into the kitchen soon afterwards and thrust the dripping umbrella into the sink. ‘Why did Domenico leave?’
‘To speed the bride and groom on their way.’
‘He could have stayed with you a lot longer. The happy couple are dancing the night away in the marquee with everyone else. Fenny won’t leave until the band does.’
‘Of course she won’t. They’re going back to Joe’s house tonight. The real travelling starts tomorrow.’ Laura smiled bleakly. ‘Domenico was just making an excuse to get away, Mother.’
‘From you?’
‘Right.’
‘You had a quarrel?’
‘Not exactly. I just cleared the air a bit.’
Isabel dispensed with the boots and sat down at the table, motioning Laura to do the same. ‘I like Domenico.’
‘He likes you, too.’
‘He was appalled when I told him what had happened to you.’
Laura glowered. ‘Even more so when he actually laid eyes on my face!’
‘Ah. I see,’ said Isabel, enlightened.
‘I was dozing in the garden, and he woke me up. But the Prince lost the plot. He stared at Sleeping Beauty in horror instead of kissing her awake.’ Laura shrugged. ‘Only for a split second, but long enough.’
Her mother sighed. ‘So you sent him packing?’
‘Not right away. He’d brought champagne to toast Fen and Joe, and I was tired of my own company by that time, so we sat in the garden until the rain started.’
‘What went wrong?’
‘I told him a relationship between us wasn’t possible due to the difference in our circumstances—’
‘What?’
Laura quailed at the look her mother gave her. ‘Well, it isn’t, is it?’ she said defensively. ‘You should see his apartment, not to mention the Forli Palace—’
‘Stop right there. I’ve never heard such rubbish!’ Isabel jumped up to fill the kettle. ‘It’s an insult to your father and me to say you’re not good enough for Domenico Chiesa—or any other man, for that matter.’
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