Leonie grinned. ‘I’m sure he will. That’s a brilliant idea, Jess. I’ll ring Jonah and tell him—’ She halted. ‘No, I won’t. You were the one talking about trust, Jess. This time Jonah should be trusting me. I won’t embarrass you with the details, but he has good reason to, believe me.’
Leonie had expected to hear from Jonah every minute while she was getting ready later, but the only phone call came from Flora Savage, to say how much they’d enjoyed the party and how grateful Helen had been to meet Fenny.
‘Poor Rachel had no need to keep her existence secret after all,’ said Flora sadly. ‘Helen is a very special person, Leo, dear. She’s glad Rachel gave Richard a child.’
Leonie was very quiet on the journey to Pennington, happy to let her sister drive.
‘No word from Jonah, then?’ asked Jess, before they set out.
‘No.’ Leonie looked down at the ring on her finger. ‘But I’m not giving this up—and everything it stands for—without a fight.’
If Roberto Forli was taken aback to find Leonie had brought her sister along, he concealed it with admirable aplomb. As he came down the stairs to the foyer of the Chesterton, Jess exchanged a speaking glance with Leonie. He was wearing a pale, unstructured suit, of the type that needs a muscular body to carry it off, and moved with the co-ordinated grace of the champion skier. His heavy-lidded oval eyes were dark and his nose imperious in a tanned face framed in close-curling hair of the dark blond shade common in Northern Italy.
‘Leonie!’ he said, smiling, and kissed her on both cheeks before turning to Jess. ‘And who is your beautiful companion?’
‘My sister Jessamy,’ said Leonie. ‘Jess, may I present Roberto Forli?’
‘Piacere!’ said Roberto, bowing over Jess’s hand.
‘How do you do?’ she responded, smiling. ‘Are you here for long, Signor Forli?’
‘Roberto, please,’ he entreated, and cast a glance at Leonie. ‘I return to Florence in the morning. Come,’ he added, ‘we shall sit in the bar with a glass of wine while we choose the meal.’
Leonie had instructed Jess to wait until the meal was over before leaving her alone with Roberto. She would have preferred to say her piece straight away, but couldn’t bring herself to spoil the entire evening for Roberto, who, with innate grace, was asking Jess animated questions about her life in London, as though her presence added the crowning touch to the evening instead of depriving him of time alone with Leonie.
Roberto asked about the birthday party, and they both described it to him in every detail bar one, and then Leonie told him about the dog’s adventures, which amused him enormously. During the meal Leonie could see that Jess was very taken with Roberto Forli, whose manners were impeccable, despite the questioning look he sent in Leonie’s direction from time to time.
‘Right,’ said Jess briskly, once coffee was served. ‘If you’ll excuse me I must make some phone calls, so I’ll leave you two to chat for a while. Thank you for the meal, Roberto.’
‘Prego,’ he said, jumping up to hold her chair. ‘But please do not feel you must absent yourself.’
‘It’s very kind of you, Roberto, but nevertheless I will,’ she said firmly, smiling up at him as he held her jacket for her. ‘I’ll be in the bar later, Leo.’
Alone with Roberto, Leonie decided to set matters in motion by taking her ring from her handbag to slide it on her finger. ‘I’m going to marry someone else, Roberto,’ she said quietly, holding out her hand.
Roberto stared at the ring in stunned silence, then brought his dark eyes up to meet hers, his face suddenly stern. ‘So. I knew, when you brought your beautiful sister with you, that something was wrong, Leonie. But could you not have warned me? And how has this happened so quickly?’ He smiled in self-derision. ‘I have been so careful to court you with patience, to control my natural instincts and wait until your feelings were as warm as mine. Stupido! It is obvious, now, that I would have waited for ever!’ His eyes narrowed. ‘I would very much like to meet this man who took you by storm.’
Heaven forbid, thought Leonie, suppressing a shudder. ‘I was engaged to him before. Years ago. Long before I met you. When we met again I realised I’d never stopped loving him.’
Roberto flinched. ‘You have made a fool of me, Leonie,’ he said harshly.
‘It was never my intention!’
He made a dismissive gesture. ‘I should have contacted you before I left Firenze.’ He gave a mirthless laugh. ‘But, like a fool, I wished to surprise you.’
‘You succeeded,’ she said miserably. ‘I’m so sorry, Roberto. I could have rung you, I know, but it seemed so cold and unfeeling to tell you over the phone.’
‘You were wrong. I would have preferred that to this,’ he retorted. ‘You have taught me a lesson, Leonie. I shall never give in to impulse again.’ He rose to his feet and came round to hold her chair, coldly punctilious. ‘And now we must rejoin your tactful sister. Do not misunderstand me, Leonie, it was a pleasure to meet her, but you had no need for protection. Were you afraid to face me alone?’
‘Certainly not,’ she said, stung. ‘But Jonah—my fiancé—strongly objected to my coming here alone tonight. When I refused to explain things to you via a phone call he wanted to come with me. I thought it best to spare you that, so I brought Jess instead.’
‘I understand his objection very well,’ said Roberto coldly, as they walked back to the bar. ‘It is a natural one for any man.’
They found Jess in a corner of the crowded bar, receiving a tray of coffee from a waiter. When she saw them she got up quickly. ‘Time to go?’ she asked, looking from one face to the other.
‘Yes,’ said Leonie and glanced up at her hostile companion. ‘I’ve had my say, and made my apologies. I’d like to go home now.’
‘Do you mind going on out to the car?’ said Jess, ‘Just give me five minutes’ grace. If I’m driving I must have some of this coffee before I start.’
‘But of course,’ said Roberto politely. ‘I shall escort Leonie to the car park.’
‘No need,’ she said swiftly, taking the keys.
‘I insist,’ he said suavely. He bowed to Jess, then escorted Leonie through the foyer and out into the brightly lit car park. She hurried towards her sister’s car, desperate to put an end to the uncomfortable interlude, not blaming Jess at all for avoiding the final, awkward leavetaking.
‘I know it’s pointless to make more apologies, so goodbye, Roberto,’ she said unhappily, then gave a gasp of horror as a tall figure strolled casually towards them.
‘Won’t you introduce me to your friend, darling?’ said Jonah.
‘Yes, of course,’ said Leonie, after a tense pause. ‘Roberto, this is my fiancé, Jonah Savage. Jonah, this is Roberto Forli.’
‘Piacere,’ lied Roberto, since it was obvious that the last emotion he was feeling was pleasure.
‘How do you do?’ said Jonah, putting a possessive arm round Leonie’s waist. ‘I’ve heard a lot about you.’
Roberto gave her a startled glance, then smiled coldly. ‘You have the advantage of me, Signor Savage. Until tonight I had no idea you existed.’
‘Good heavens, you here, Jonah?’ said Jess, hurrying to join them.
He stared at her in surprise. ‘Yes. I came to drive Leo home. What are you doing here, Jess?’
‘I flatly refused to stay at home, so I made Leonie bring me along,’ she said flippantly, and smiled at Roberto. ‘Thank you for putting up with an extra guest.’
‘It was my great pleasure,’ he assured her, and this time made it plain he actually meant it.
‘I didn’t know you were with Leo, so I came to take her home,’ said Jonah. ‘Would you mind driving back on your own, Jess?’
‘Not in the least!’ she assured him.
‘Then if you are not returning with your sister, Miss Jessamy,’ said Roberto smoothly, ‘can I persuade you to stay awhile, and drink more coffee with me? It is early yet.’
Jess exchanged a mischievou
s look with Leonie, and held out her hand for the car keys. ‘Why not? I’d like that very much. I’ll see you two back at the ranch.’
Roberto took formal leave of Leonie and Jonah, then escorted Jess into the hotel, leaving a simmering silence behind them.
‘It’s been quite a day for surprises,’ said Jonah at last, and looked down into Leonie’s face. ‘I couldn’t reach you on your cellphone.’
‘It’s out of juice, so I left it at home.’
‘When I couldn’t reach you I rang Friars Wood, but your father just said you’d gone into Pennington. He didn’t say you’d taken Jess with you.’
‘I thought you’d be pleased that I did,’ she snapped, as they walked towards his car.
‘Pleased? I’m delighted. I hated the thought of you dining alone with the man. And that was before I knew he looked like a bloody film star!’ Jonah unlocked the car and helped her in. ‘It was a great idea to bring Jess, darling.’
‘It was her idea, not mine.’
Jonah slid in behind the wheel and turned to look at her. ‘So you were determined to have your own way, no matter what I said?’
‘Yes,’ she said, seething. ‘And a fat lot of good it did me.’
Jonah grinned suddenly. ‘If the poor devil had Jess listening while you dumped him, I almost feel sympathy for him.’
‘Do you indeed?’ Leonie glared at him. ‘Jess tactfully removed herself after dinner, of course, so I could talk to Roberto alone.’
‘Ah. How did he take it?’
‘Badly. He feels I’ve made a fool of him.’ She stared angrily through the windscreen. ‘I hate to admit it, Jonah, but I should have listened to you and stayed at home. The personal touch was a stupid mistake. Roberto, it seems, would have much preferred a phone call after all. So much for my high-flown principles.’
Jonah eyed her furious profile warily, then started the car. ‘Let’s go back to the lodge—’
‘If you’ve got a repeat performance of last night in mind,’ she snapped, ‘I’m not in the mood.’
There was a very nasty pause.
‘I was actually thinking of lighting the fire and just having a quiet drink in front of it to round off a damned exhausting day,’ said Jonah coldly. ‘But if that’s the mood you’re in I’ll take you straight home.’
‘No, please don’t!’ she said quickly, and gave him a penitent smile. ‘Sorry. I’ve been in a foul mood all evening.’
‘Why?’
‘Because you didn’t ring before I went out.’
He laughed, and put a hand on her knee. ‘I missed you by minutes. I rang to give you my deeply reluctant blessing and offer to drive you home afterwards.’
‘I wish I’d known. I was horrified when you appeared out of the blue like that,’ she admitted.
‘Why?’
‘I didn’t want you and Roberto to meet. I didn’t even want him to come with me to the car, but he insisted.’
‘Very right and proper, too!’
‘So you’re on his side now?’
‘No, Leo. I’m not. In fact I’d quite like to drop the subject of Signor Forli. Let’s go home and forget everyone in the world but the two of us for a while.’
Leonie was all for it, and sat as close to Jonah as she could all the way back to the lodge, beginning to relax at last as they left the tensions of the day behind.
When they arrived she made tea in the kitchen while Jonah set a match to the logs in the fireplace in his office, chuckling to herself as she investigated the box on the table.
‘Can I have something to eat?’ she called.
‘Anything you like.’ Jonah came in, grinning. ‘My mother gives me a food parcel every time she sees me.’
‘Good,’ said Leonie with satisfaction. ‘I fancy a sandwich.’
‘You’ve just had dinner in the best restaurant for miles around, not to mention the wonderful lunch your mother gave us earlier on, and you’re still hungry?’
‘I didn’t eat much either time. Tension is a very effective appetite depressant.’ Leonie smiled at him seraphically. ‘I’m not the least bit tense now.’
They made cheese and ham sandwiches, added some of Flora Savage’s renowned coconut cake, then took a loaded tray into the other room.
‘This,’ said Leonie, with a sigh, ‘is just what I need. Some nice plain food, a roaring fire, and just you and me together, Jonah.’
‘My sentiments exactly,’ he agreed. ‘Do you know what really made me come after you tonight?’
‘Jealousy?’ she said hopefully.
‘That, too. But it suddenly occurred to me that what Jess said about trust applied to me as much as to you. I rang you up to tell you that, but the bird had flown.’ He grinned down at her. ‘I couldn’t quite bring myself to have you paged at the Chesterton. Knowing that temper of yours, you’d probably have told me to get lost before I could get a word in.’
Leonie opened her mouth to deny it, then laughed instead. ‘I was in such a strop I might have done, at that.’
They finished their meal in perfect accord, idly discussing the when and where and how of their wedding.
‘We can live in the flat to start with, and look for a house at our leisure,’ he said musingly. ‘Once I’ve got Brockhill up and running I shan’t be needed much down here. Do you intend looking for a teaching post in London?’
Leonie stacked the tray with their used plates, then resumed her place on the sofa. ‘It depends.’
‘On what?’ he asked, pulling her close.
‘On whether we were successful last night.’
‘Ah!’ He turned her face up to his and kissed her gently.
Leonie smiled at him. ‘Remember what I said in the car?’
‘About what, in particular?’ he enquired, his kiss rather less gentle as she wriggled closer.
‘I said I wasn’t in the mood.’
‘So you did.’
‘I’ve changed my mind.’
‘That’s a pity,’ Jonah sighed. ‘Because I don’t think I’m in the mood now.’
Leonie stared up at him in utter dismay. ‘Do you mean that?’
Jonah pretended to think about it. ‘Well,’ he said slyly, ‘I suppose you could always try seducing me.’
‘Oh, could I?’ Leonie gave him a very unloverlike dig in the ribs. ‘For a moment there I thought you were into revenge again.’
‘No.’ He smiled into her eyes. ‘But I have a problem. Since you mentioned the seduction idea I can’t get it out of my mind. And you’ve got a lot to make up to me, remember?’
She nodded demurely. ‘You’re right. I do. However, as I said before, I’ve never tried seducing anyone. But I’ll do my best.’
Leonie’s ‘best’ began with a slow, provocative striptease, and, as she warmed to the task, became so creative that in the end Jonah seized the initiative and embarked on a highly satisfactory seduction of his own.
‘How about this wedding?’ demanded Jonah later, when he could speak coherently.
‘As soon as possible,’ gasped Leonie, with unblushing fervour.
‘You could move in with me until we actually tie the knot,’ he suggested.
She smiled up at him coaxingly. ‘Indulge me, Jonah. I’d rather live at home until we’re actually married.’
‘Of course I’ll indulge you!’ He sighed and held her close. ‘I’ve been seven years without you, so I suppose I can exist a couple of weeks longer. What do you say to a special licence to speed things up?’
‘Brilliant idea.’ Leonie kissed him ardently. ‘This sofa’s all very well, darling, but I prefer the bed in your flat. Provided with a few home comforts, I fancy I could do a lot better at this seduction thing!’
ISBN: 978-1-4592-0280-1
A VENGEFUL REUNION
First North American Publication 2001.
Copyright © 2000 by Catherine George.
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