A Venetian Affair

by Catherine George

  Her voice brought him back to full attention. ‘I wouldn’t have agreed to become part of this scheme of yours if I didn’t want to be involved.’ What was his alternative—not to see her?

  ‘Just be sure you know what you’re letting yourself in for, Luca—’

  ‘I do know,’ he cut across her. In truth, he wasn’t sure of anything right now. But on this one point he could reassure her. ‘I took charge of the family trust when I was twenty-five—’

  ‘Around the time we first met?’

  He gave a nod of assent.

  Which might explain why he had taken himself so seriously, Nell conjectured. It was one hell of a responsibility. ‘And the trust runs the hospital.’

  ‘That’s why I’m so protective of it,’ Luca confirmed. ‘That’s where all my own spare cash goes…when it’s not going into the house. Hospital first, house second.’ He gave a rueful smile. ‘They’re both my life’s work, as they were my father’s. I made a promise to him before he died that I would carry on his work, and I have.’

  The ache in Nell’s chest grew worse. She didn’t want to hear this. She didn’t want to like him any more than she already did. She didn’t want proof that he could be trusted, or had principles and strength of purpose…because that made it even harder not to fall in love with him.

  He turned away to order wine.

  ‘Just water for me, please. Aqua naturale, per favore.’ She spoke directly to the waiter and could feel Luca’s gaze burning into her.

  ‘Bene,’ he murmured approvingly. ‘Won’t you have one glass of wine?’

  ‘I prefer to keep a clear head, if you don’t mind. And I’ll just have a starter. I have to get back to the hotel in…’ Glancing at her wrist-watch, she exclaimed with surprise, ‘Goodness, I didn’t realise that was the time. I’m really sorry, Luca, but I’ll have to leave here in about half an hour.’

  The disappointment he felt was even worse than he could have imagined.

  They had been working side by side for almost a week, and Luca had to admit Nell’s voluntary scheme was working well. Hell! Even his mother was involved!

  He stood watching for a while as Nell laughed at some joke she was sharing with one of his patients. Professionally speaking, his insistence that she should be part of the voluntary service on the ground was the best call he’d made in a long time. She was a natural; everyone loved her. But from a personal point of view it stank. She was under his gaze every day, forcing her delicious scent up his nostrils and making him watch her silky hair swinging round her shoulders as she walked her sassy walk. He had to observe her kindness at close quarters, share in her humour, witness her strength—all of which dug into him, reminding him what might have been if he had found his feelings a little sooner.

  As it was, she barely noticed him when she was working. She was so busy—too busy. That was what she had said the first time he had invited her for coffee, and now she said it every time he asked, talking to him in a no-nonsense voice she apparently reserved for him alone. A voice that made him feel like a recalcitrant child who was getting under her feet—in his own hospital!

  She could make time for everyone else, why not for him? What did he have to do to change things back to how they had used to be? Had he dreamed up the attraction between them? Only the constant ache in his groin reassured him that wasn’t true…

  And along with the purely physical ache, there was a growing need for closeness on a very different level—and that was proving to be almost a bigger problem than the first. He didn’t have any coping strategies for dealing with his emotional needs. How could he, when he’d never had any before?

  He needed to woo her.

  Woo her? Luca’s lips pressed down as his inner voice came up with the suggestion. He’d been trying to do just that, not that he’d known where to begin—he hadn’t had attempted to woo anyone since leaving school. He’d arranged a romantic meal, and made sure there were fresh flowers in her office. He’d taken the whole damn group of volunteers including Nell to a concert. He’d even contemplated queuing in the rain for tickets to one of the art galleries, before deciding that contracting pneumonia was contrary to all the accepted principles of seduction. As far as wooing went he had so far proved to be an abject failure.

  Running a liberating finger beneath his collar, Luca stared out broodily through the window. Even the weather was against him.

  ‘Luca?’

  He looked round at her voice and watched her as she came swiftly across the ward towards him, smiling pleasantly. Pleasantly! He would have to take action soon.

  He responded sensibly and professionally. ‘Nell, hello.’ He even curbed his smile, allowing himself just a small nod of approval. ‘You’re fitting in really well. And I thought you said your talent was for management, not hands-on?’ He couldn’t hold back the smile now, because it was true: she had made a real difference to morale on the wards.

  When Luca smiled at her, hardly smiling really, more a slight tug at one corner of his mouth, but with so much challenge and humour in his voice, Nell wondered how she was staying so strong. Common sense, she told herself firmly, controlling the impulse to excitedly share everything she had learned that day. ‘Oh, you know…’ She flicked her wrist in a casual gesture. ‘I’m really enjoying it. I like people.’

  Luca’s expression darkened. She didn’t like him…not enough. ‘How are the volunteers coming along? Are they ready to carry on without you yet?’

  ‘Can’t you wait to get rid of me?’ she said wryly. ‘I’d like to give them a couple more weeks.’ She consciously diverted the conversation onto a practical track before Luca had chance to absorb her teasing remark. ‘Your mother has offered to take over the pastoral side for me when I return home. She’ll make an excellent superintendent for the scheme.’

  His mother working—that had been another shock. Nell had certainly wrought some changes during her short stay in Venice.

  ‘She can’t wait to start,’ she added.

  He was shut out while his mother was in the loop. How had that happened? ‘When did you say you were leaving?’ he demanded.

  ‘I didn’t. But this was never going to be forever, Luca.’

  As Nell held his gaze, Luca wondered how much pleasure she was getting from turning the tables on him. When they had first met he had wanted sex and nothing more. Then he’d discovered how much he enjoyed her company on a personal basis. Now he wanted to deepen the relationship, but she was holding out on him—making him pay. ‘I know you have to leave,’ he said impatiently. ‘But don’t you think you should tell me when?’

  ‘I won’t disappear without telling you.’

  ‘Not like you tried to do after dinner that time?’

  ‘Of course not. This is different.’

  Was it? It only took a word, or a glance, for passion to flare between them, and now they were facing each other like contestants in the ring. ‘Before you go I’ll need to see your database of volunteers,’ he pointed out, unnecessarily harshly. ‘I shall want the names of everyone involved in the project so I can check up on them—particularly who’s actually going to be in charge. And keep me up to speed in future, will you?’ His unfocused anger was rising with every word.

  ‘I’ll be sure to release the necessary details so you can check up on your mother,’ she told him drily. ‘Or you could boot up your own computer, and hit “volunteer database”. Relax, Luca. I’m not trying to hide anything from you. Your mother only confirmed today, and I haven’t had chance to amend the records yet. Now, if you’ll excuse me…’

  ‘You’re leaving?’

  ‘I’ve finished my shift.’

  ‘Let me see you to the door—’

  ‘That’s not necessary, Luca.’ She held up her hand to stop him. ‘I know my way out.’

  It had been a long day on her feet and Nell was desperate to get away from Luca and back to the hotel. Confrontation with him always shook her up, made her ache for all the things she couldn’t have. Bu
t for the first time since setting up the voluntary scheme she knew where she really belonged, and that was at the sharp end, dealing with people, not in the office. And it galled her to think that Luca appeared to know her better than she knew herself.

  She lost herself with considerable relief amongst the press of people boarding the water-borne vaporetto. It was full of strangers going about their business, and at this moment she envied every one of them; they all seemed to know in which direction they were heading, which was more than she did. She was increasingly drawn to the richness of life in Italy, but she couldn’t forget that her home was in England and that this was just a temporary stay. Perhaps one day she would be able to come back…

  Gazing over her shoulder at the hospital building, Nell realised that Luca had made her reconsider her life and see things very differently. She should thank him for that—but from a safe distance, she reflected wryly.

  Luca was like a band about to snap. There was something in the air…ions, electric particles, the sultry heat of Venice that made everything in the city slow to a crawl. Even the pigeons couldn’t be bothered to fly, and had taken shelter beneath the seats on the Piazza San Marco, hoping for scraps. He couldn’t concentrate in order to do his job properly. He couldn’t seem to get on with anything. He couldn’t manage without her.

  He had to do something—something different, special, unique, to grab her interest. He wanted to start again from the beginning, get everything right this time, and then see how it panned out.

  He found her sitting in the beautiful walled garden his mother had created before she gave him the palazzo. The two women were watching the children playing under Marianna’s supervision as if they were friends of long standing. ‘Buona sera, Mama, Nell.’ He didn’t wait; he jumped straight in. ‘I had an idea…’

  ‘Really, bello?’

  ‘No need to make it sound such a landmark, Mother.’

  The shrewd blue gaze remained on his face, prompting him to say what he had on his mind. ‘It’s impossibly hot in the city. The scheme is running smoothly. I thought we should all take off, and go up to the chalet.’

  ‘To the chalet?’ The contessa thought about it. ‘That is a good idea, bello. But don’t you have work to do?’

  ‘I couldn’t possibly leave,’ Nell confirmed, shaking her head.

  Luca had anticipated that. ‘This is the ideal opportunity for you to see if your scheme works without you, Nell. Or aren’t you ready to test it yet?’ He knew she couldn’t resist the challenge.

  ‘I’m ready to stand in for you, Nell,’ his mother cut in, as he had also anticipated. ‘But who will take your place, Luca?’ She shook her head, but more to give him an opening than to point up any problems with his idea, Luca suspected.

  ‘I have a full team at the moment. They can do without me for a couple of days.’

  ‘You not suggesting we go away together?’ Nell looked horrified at the prospect.

  He fielded both women at once. ‘I’m covered at the hospital, and we’ll take the children with us. I’m suggesting a long weekend of mountain air, Nell, not a prolonged sojourn in my harem.’

  ‘Luca!’ His mother frowned severely at him. Then their gazes locked and understanding dawned in her eyes. ‘The children love it here. Why do you want to disturb them?’ She turned to Nell. ‘The heat doesn’t affect them at all, does it?’

  ‘But surely the heat affects you, Contessa?’ Nell said. ‘You’d like to go to the mountains, wouldn’t you?’

  ‘I won’t be hot in Venice if I’m taking over from you in an air-conditioned hospital,’ the contessa pointed out. ‘And Marianna won’t leave the children…’

  ‘So you and I will take off, Nell,’ Luca finished.

  Nell gasped, but his mother only managed to spear him a look as if to say she was surprised any son of hers had taken so long coming to the point. But then she didn’t appreciate the subtlety required. He’d tried the way that came naturally to him and found he’d made no progress at all—and normally, whenever a door slammed in his face he could usually find a window to climb through…

  But as he eased the collar of his shirt Luca wondered if he might self-combust before Nell gave him her answer. Taking things at such a slow pace was not his modus operandi of choice.

  Before Nell had chance to get over her shock at his suggestion, his mother held up her hand. She was wearing the mock-innocent expression she always employed whenever she was on the verge of pulling off some great coup. ‘But going up to the chalet is a wonderful idea! Didn’t I say you should spoil yourself a little, Nell?’

  ‘I’m not sure…’ Nell’s brow puckered up.

  He could see she was thrown by the fact that his mother was all for his suggestion. Having the contessa’s endorsement gave it a seal of respectability, of propriety…

  ‘You’ll be all the better for coming fresh to your work, Nell,’ his mother added. ‘But of course, it’s up to you. I wouldn’t dream of influencing you.’ Closing her eyes, she sank back in her seat.

  When the devil came tempting, he didn’t wear Chanel and have centuries of refinement and good sense to back him up, Nell thought as she stared at the contessa. All she really wanted was someone to push her over the line between, ‘No, I couldn’t possibly,’ and, ‘Why not?’ And the contessa was a good friend, someone she had come to trust in the short time she’d known her.

  ‘You know what Molly will say, don’t you?’ Lifting her head, the contessa smiled at Nell.

  As a family the Barbaros had perfected the art of the low blow. Molly frequently complained to Nell that she should give her some space. It was a typical pre-teen moan, but it wouldn’t have surprised Nell to learn that Molly had confided all the details of their latest minor disagreement to the contessa.

  ‘It’s not forever,’ the contessa cajoled.

  ‘Just a long weekend,’ Luca added.

  ‘And the air in the mountains would do you so much good.’

  ‘What do you think?’

  As Nell held Luca’s stare she had to stifle the buzz of excitement she felt in case it showed in her eyes. ‘We wouldn’t be alone?’

  ‘Alone?’ the contessa exclaimed. ‘Certainly not. We keep a large staff at the chalet. There isn’t a chance of you being alone. Do you think I would expose you to gossip, Nell?’ She opened her eyes very wide.

  But that was a hard one. Something told Nell the contessa would be totally indifferent to gossip.

  Luca was beginning to show all the signs of a man who had been forced to sit down too long. If anything, he looked bored by the whole discussion, Nell thought, watching him ease his powerful legs as he stood up.

  ‘Too many women for you, bello?’ his mother teased, seeing Molly come running up to them.

  ‘I’ve always got time for this one.’ His brooding mood changed in an instant. Catching Molly to him, he swung her high into the air, and as she heard her daughter’s delighted squeal, Nell realised she had made a decision.

  Chapter Twelve

  THE large staff turned out to be one smiling cook and her husband, who told Nell in perfect English that he was gardener-cum-snow-shoveller, as well as general factotum to Luca’s family when they were in residence. And he couldn’t have been happier to welcome her to the palazzo.

  ‘Palazzo?’ Nell murmured, gazing at Luca. ‘Another one?’

  ‘An affectation of the staff. I think of it as a chalet.’ His lips pressed down as he shrugged.

  ‘You seem blessed with an overabundance of very large houses. And talking of the large staff your mother referred to, where are they?’

  ‘It’s late summer—they must be away on holiday.’

  ‘All of them?’ If such a large force ever existed at all, Nell thought, realising they were probably going to be left pretty much to their own devices. When Luca had spoken about a chalet, Nell had pictured something small and quaint such as she had seen in Switzerland, but the word palazzo put everything in its proper perspective. Chalet Aquila
was only quaint as far as its wooden walls and steeply pitched ceilings were concerned. Small, it was not. But there was a benefit to that, Nell reassured herself. She could easily find her own private space in the library, or the snug, or even outside on the fabulous, glass-lined balcony overlooking the mountains.

  Perhaps the contessa was right after all, Nell decided as she started to unpack in her room. This break in the mountains was just what she needed.

  ‘Dinner at eight?’

  Her feet almost left the ground as Luca poked his head round the door. Their bedrooms were on separate wings, which had reassured her, but she hadn’t expected things to be so casual.

  ‘Sorry…should have knocked,’ he said.

  ‘Yes, you should!’

  He found it hard to hold back, hard to adjust to all the strictures he’d placed upon himself now that he had decided to woo Nell properly. But, seeing her expression when he took her by surprise, he gathered that his new career as her respectful suitor would be short-lived if he couldn’t adapt. What he wanted to do was walk right in and take her on the bed. It was about time. But no…he had to hold himself in check and curb his natural instincts—adopt the sex-drive of a sloth.

  ‘I’ll see you at dinner,’ she said firmly.

  ‘I thought I’d take a walk first.’ Maybe the crisp night air might cool his ardour! ‘If you need anything, just ask Maria or Tomas.’

  So she was to be left alone. Was Luca regretting his invitation already? Nell stood motionless, listening to Luca’s footsteps disappearing down the wooden steps until he reached the ground floor. Then she hurried across to the window overlooking the front of the house, where she could see the path leading from the front door. Why hadn’t he invited her along? She would have liked a walk…

  She had never taken such trouble with her appearance, Nell realised. She was doing it out of pique because Luca was making it clear he wasn’t interested and she had no intention of losing her self-esteem. No woman, however determined she was to resist a man, liked to think she was invisible.