THE room they entered was furnished with several
pieces of intricately carved dark wooden furniture. A
coat of arms had been cut into the stone lintel above
the huge fireplace. The carpet on the stone floor beneath
her feet looked worn and shabby, and she could
see where the film of dust on a table in the middle of
the room had been disturbed by something thrown
down on it with such force that it had skidded through
it.
A door in the far wall was thrown open, and a
woman stood there, framed in the opening. Immediately
Jodie forgot her surroundings as she focused on
her. Tall and soigne.e, she was everything one imagined
a wealthy and elegant Italian woman should be.
Her dark hair was pulled back in a smooth knot to
reveal the perfect bone structure of her face. Dark
eyes flashed a look of triumphant possessive mockery
towards Lorenzo — the same kind of predatory female
look Jodie had seen in Louise’s eyes when she had
looked at John. The other woman hadn’t even seen
her, hidden as she was in the shadows. Who was she?
A sense of disquiet started to seep through her; an
awareness of deep and dark waters driven by dangerous
unseen currents that could suck her down into
their icy depths if she wasn’t careful. Instinctively
Jodie sensed that Louise and this woman were two of
a kind, and that knowledge was enough to rub against
the still painfully raw emotional nerves inside herself.
She looked at Lorenzo. He looked relaxed, but she
could feel his tension in the sudden increased pressure
of his fingers, where they were splayed across her
back. Something was going on here that she wasn’t
privy to — but what? So many unanswered questions,
and they were destined to remain unanswered, Jodie
guessed, as she watched the full mouth thin, crimson
with carefully applied lipgloss, and the delicate nostrils
flare. A huge diamond flashed blindingly as the
woman raised one hand to touch the deep vee neckline
of the expensive black dress she was wearing in
a deliberate gesture of enticement. What man could
resist following with his gaze the scarlet glisten of the
long nails as they rested briefly in the valley between
the tight, high fullness of her perfectly shaped
breasts?
Her dress moulded to a waist so small that Jodie
guessed it must be the result of a tightly laced corset,
before curving lushly over rounded hips. Its hemline
revealed a pair of long, slender, warmly tanned legs,
whilst her feet, with their scarlet-painted toenails,
were adorned with the highest and most delicate pair
of strappy sandals Jodie had ever seen. She looked
like someone who was about to walk into the most
sophisticated and luxurious kind of setting there was,
instead of being here in this dilapidated fortress in the
middle of nowhere.
A look of open triumph lit the Italian woman"s face
as she sashayed towards Lorenzo. But her brown eyes
lacked any kind of warmth, Jodie noticed, and as she
walked, talking quickly, her voice sounded harsh and
slightly flat, jarring against Jodie’s ears, rather than
warm and musical as she had expected.
She had almost reached them when Lorenzo held
up a commanding hand and said smoothly, "In
English, if you please, Caterina. That way, my wife-
to-be will be able to understand you."
The effect of his words on the woman was cataclysmic.
She stopped moving and turned to look at
Jodie, who discovered that she was being propelled
forward out of the shadows and anchored to
Lorenzo’s side by means of his almost manacle-like
grip on her wrist.
A furious, disbelieving female glare savaged Jodie
where she stood, followed by an equally furious outburst
of Italian.
"This way," Lorenzo instructed Jodie, ignoring her.
"No!" The woman placed herself in front of them,
and said in English, "You will not do this to me. You
cannot! Who is she?"
"I have just told you. My wife-to-be," Lorenzo answered
her dismissively.
"No. You cannot do this." The flat, metallic voice
was filled with fury. "No. No!" She was shaking her
head from side to side so violently that Jodie felt
dizzy, but not one single strand of the immaculately
coiffed hair escaped. "No," she repeated. "You will
not make such a nothing your duchessa, Lorenzo?"
His duchess?
"You will not speak so of my intended wife," she
heard Lorenzo saying coldly.
Dear God, what on earth had she got herself into?
"Where has she come from? What gutter did you—?"
Immediately a look of haughty rejection stiffened
Lorenzo’s expression, but Caterina ignored it, grabbing
hold of his arm and insisting, "Answer me,
Lorenzo, or I will…"
"Or you will what, Caterina?" he demanded unkindly,
removing her hand from his arm. "As it happens,
Jodie and I met some months ago. It was my
intention to bring her to the Castillo to meet my
grandmother, but unfortunately she died before I was
able to do so. Knowing now, though, that it was her
dearest wish that I should marry, I intend to follow
the dictates of my own heart as well as fulfil the terms
of her will by marrying Jodie as soon as possible."
Jodie blinked in disbelief as she listened to his entirely
fictitious account of their "relationship".
"You’re lying. None of that is true. I know the
truth, and I shall—"
"You know nothing, and you will do nothing."
Lorenzo stopped her immediately, adding grimly,
"And let me warn you now against any attempt on
your part to spread gossip or rumours about either my
wife-to-be or my marriage."
"You cannot threaten me, Lorenzo," Caterina almost
screamed at him. "Does she know why you are
marrying her? Does she know that it was your grandmother’s
dying wish that you should marry me? Does
she know that you—?"
"Silencio!" Lorenzo commanded harshly, his icy,
furious glare slicing down in front of her like a jagged-
toothed portcullis slicing into an enemy force.
"No. I will not be silent!" She swung round to give
Jodie a contemptuously hostile look. "Has he told you
that the only reason he is marrying you is because of
this place? Because unless he marries he cannot inherit
it?"
This woman must surely be the person with their
own agenda he had spoken of earlier, Jodie thought.
Somehow she managed to stop her expression from
betraying what she was feeling — a legacy, no doubt,
from all those hospital visits, and her determination
not to let others see her in pain and pity her for it.
Was Lorenzo really prepared to marry a woman he
didn’t know simply to inherit this grim, crumbling
fortress?
"It is impossible that he would want to marry a
woman like you," Caterina told her venomously.
Pain jerked through her. Caterina’s words were so
similar in content to the words Louise had said to
her — just as Caterina’s brunette beauty was also very
much like Louise’s. They ignited a surge of angry
pride inside Jodie that burned along her veins. She
took a deep breath, and then heard herself saying
recklessly, "But he is marrying me."
For a few seconds Jodie was so lost in the heady
euphoria of delivering the very words she had so
longed to deliver to Louise that nothing else mattered—
least of all the small inner voice trying desperately
to beg her to be more cautious.
Even when she heard Caterina’s infuriated shriek
and caught the scent of her alcohol-laden breath she
still didn’t realise her danger, and the other woman"s
scarlet-tipped hand was already raised to rake savagely
down the soft flesh of her face when Lorenzo
suddenly released Jodie and took hold of Caterina,
forcing her back from Jodie as he snapped, "Basta!
Enough."
"You cannot do this to me. I will not let you!"
Caterina screamed at Lorenzo.
Jodie’s head was ringing with the shock of listening
to her, and her body shook in the aftermath of
Caterina’s attempt to physically attack her.
"You will pack your things and leave the Castillo
immediately," she heard Lorenzo order bitingly.
"You cannot make me. I have as much right to be
here as you. Remember, until you are married the
Castillo belongs as much to me as it does to you. Only
when you are married does it become yours. And you
will not—"
"Basta!"
The command cracked across her outburst like a
whip against naked flesh, causing Jodie herself to
wince and shudder as she watched Lorenzo give the
other woman a hard shake before releasing her.
Ignoring Jodie, Caterina complained to Lorenzo,
"You have hurt me. Tomorrow there will be a
bruise…" She switched to Italian and said something
softly to him, then laughed mockingly.
Jodie waited impassively. Her female instincts,
honed now by the belated recognition of all those
glances and soft, not-quite-caught words she had witnessed
John and Louise exchanging in the weeks before
they had admitted their betrayal of her, were immediately
suspicious that what Caterina had said to
Lorenzo had been both intimate and sexual. Why?
Because their relationship had once been intimate and
sexual? Had been…or still was? There was clearly
animosity between them now — animosity and contempt
where Lorenzo was concerned — or at least that
was the way it seemed.
"He is using you. You know that, Don’t you? And
once he has what he wants he will discard you,"
Caterina told Jodie venomously, and then as abruptly
as she had arrived she was gone, banging the door
shut behind her as she left.
Completely ignoring what had just happened,
Lorenzo announced autocratically, "This way. I will
show you to our apartments."
The scene with Caterina had left her feeling slightly
sick and shaky now that it was over, Jodie realized.
Much as she had felt in the aftermath of Louise’s
revelations. But Lorenzo was already halfway towards
the door through which Caterina had disappeared, and
Jodie had to hurry to catch up with him. Beyond the
door was another hallway, this one containing an imposing
and unexpectedly elegant marble staircase.
"This part of the interior of the Castillo was remodelled
during the Renaissance," Lorenzo explained
when he saw her surprise.
At the top of the stairs a wide corridor branched to
the right and left. Lorenzo took the right fork, which
was dimly lit with old-fashioned electric wall lights,
beyond which Jodie could see a pair of ornate double
doors.
"My grandmother made this part of the Castillo
over to me for my own use after the divorce of my
parents," Lorenzo announced as he opened the doors.
"Gino always said—"
"Gino?" Jodie questioned, her thoughts still seething
with curiosity.
"My cousin, and Caterina’s late husband."
"She is a widow, then?" Jodie couldn’t help asking
him.
"Yes, she is a widow."
"And she lives here?"
A cynical grimace touched his mouth and then disappeared,
to be replaced by a look of bitterness.
"She has an apartment in Milan, but she moved
here when my grandmother became ill." He frowned,
and then said abruptly, "You ask too many questions.
It is late now, and I have things to do. I will explain
everything that you need to know tomorrow. Just remember
that so far as everyone else is concerned our
relationship is of some duration, as are our plans to
marry."
"Caterina said that your grandmother wanted you
to marry her," Jodie couldn’t help commenting.
His mouth hardened, and Jodie began to regret her
challenge.
"She was lying," he told her harshly. "She is the
one who desires a marriage between us, because she
covets my title and my wealth. Caterina is a bloodsucker
and a leech, a woman who has proved beyond
any doubt that she is happy to sell herself to the highest
bidder."
Jodie was curious to know more, but there was a
look on his face which said that the subject was now
closed. Cautiously she walked through the doors he
had just opened, and once she had done so her curiosity
about Caterina was pushed to one side by her
surprise. The room into which she had walked was
surprisingly modern, and furnished very simply. Plain
plastered walls had been painted a soft cream, and a
heavy-textured natural-coloured carpet covered the
floor, on which stood two large leather sofas.
"The original panelling was taken from this room
during the war, when the Castillo was occupied,"
Lorenzo informed her. "That was when my grandmother’s
first husband was killed." Jodie gave a small
shudder without knowing why she should suddenly
feel chilled.
"Where…where are Caterina’s rooms?" she asked
him uncertainly.
"She is occupying the state rooms, as did my grandmother,"
Lorenzo informed her dismissively, continuing
briskly before Jodie could ask any more questions,
"I shall arrange for my lawyer to come here
tomorrow so that we can draw up a contract and make
the necessary arrangements for our marriage."
Jodie tensed. "I’ve been thinking…"
"Caterina has alarmed you — is that it? You are
afraid of her?"
"No!" Jodie denied the charge vigorously. "I’m not
afraid of her at all."
Lorenzo lifted one dark eyebrow as though in disbelief.
"It isn’t that," Jodie insisted again, "but if you are
serious about this marriage between us, then I
want…"
"Yes?" Lorenzo invited her. It was just as he had
thought. Already she was working out how much she
could get out of him. "You want what? Two million
instead of one?"
Jodie flashed him an angry look. "No. I’ve already
told you I Don’t want your money."
"But you do want something?"
"Yes," she agreed, and took a deep breath. "I want
you to go with me to John and Louise’s wedding."
She held her breath, waiting for him to refuse, telling
herself that this would be the get-out, her reason
for insisting that she was not going to be dragged any
further into whatever devious plans he was hatching.
But, instead of refusing her, Lorenzo accused
softly, "So you do still want him?"
"No! I just want…" She paused and shook her head.
"I Don’t have to explain my reasons to you. Those are
my terms for marrying you. It is up to you whether
or not you accept them." Please, let him refuse…
"Very well, then. We will go to your ex-fiance."s
wedding, but it will be as husband and wife."
Jodie could feel her body sag with relief. Relief?
Because of a fatalistic sense of having any more decisions
taken out of her hands? Because she had
weakly handed over control of her life to an arrogant
stranger?
"Come with me…"
Tiredly, Jodie followed him through another set of
doors that led into a very male study, and from there
into an ante-room from which two doors opened.
"This is my room," Lorenzo informed her, indicating
one door, "and this is the guest room."
He was looking at her almost as though he was
testing her, as though he was waiting for her to make
a choice. Determinedly she stepped towards the door
to the guest room and turned the handle.
Like the other rooms, it was decorated and furnished
in a plain, modern style, but all Jodie was interested
in was the wonderful large bed. Her leg was
hurting so much she was beginning to drag it slightly.
"Those doors on either side of the bed lead into a
dressing room and a bathroom," she could hear
Lorenzo explaining. "I shall have your bag sent up.
Are you hungry?"
Jodie shook her head. She had gone beyond that.
All she wanted was to lie down and feel the pain
easing out of her leg. She took a step forward and her
weak leg, already overtired from the long drive, buckled
and started to give way. Automatically she put out
her hands to try and save herself as she fell. She heard
Lorenzo cursing, and then he was reaching for her,
just managing to catch her before she hit the floor,
yanking her back to her feet so sharply that the pain
slicing into her made her cry out.
"Diablo! What is it? what’s wrong?"
"Nothing. It’s just my leg," Jodie told him, pushing
him away and trying to stand up straight. But it was
too late. Her leg had had enough and was refusing to
support her properly. She could see the way Lorenzo
was frowning. Immediately her chin tilted proudly.
"I have a problem with my leg. I was in an accident
and it was damaged. Sometimes when it gets overtired…"
She looked away from him. "If you Don’t
want to marry me because of it, then—"
"Is that what he told you? The man you were to
marry?" Lorenzo guessed. "That he didn’t want you
because of it?"
Jodie’s face burned. She had said too much — a
mistake she could only put down to her tiredness and
the stress of everything that had happened to her.
"No."
"But it was a cause of some conflict between you?"
Lorenzo continued to probe.
"He didn’t like the fact that it was…damaged." She
made an attempt at a dismissive shrug. "But then,
that’s only natural, isn’t it? Men do like beautiful
women, and—"
"It is an intrinsic part of human nature to value
beauty," Lorenzo told her. "But sometimes the greatest
beauty of all comes only through suffering and pain."
Jodie looked at him uncertainly. She was too tired
to try and analyse such a cryptic, sombre remark.
Instead, she looked longingly towards the bed.
Lorenzo followed the direction of her gaze.
"I’ll leave you now. You should find everything
you need in the bathroom, but if you do not then just
ask Pietro when he brings up your case. He will inform
Maria, and she will attend to it."
"Pietro and Maria," she said, carefully repeating
their names. "Your servants?"
"They look after the Castillo. Originally they were
employed by my grandmother. By rights they should
both retire, but this has always been their home and
it would be a cruelty to send them away now — or to
imply that they are not able to be of any use," he
added warningly. "Once I have spoken with my lawyer,
and put in hand the arrangements for our marriage,
I shall address the matter of making this place
more habitable."
They were going to be living here? There were so
many questions she knew she ought to be asking, but
right now she was too exhausted to care about anything
other than getting some sleep.