disaster on disaster. Instead she would smile and smile, concealing the turmoil in her heart.
‘I never knew him,’ she repeated quietly.
It was true. She’d thought she knew him so well, but all the time he’d been a stranger. The affectionate friend she’d trusted had never existed, because he’d been laughing at her, encouraging her to confide in him as she’d never done with anyone before, making a fool of her. When she thought of some of the things she’d said to him she went hot and cold.
Worst of all, she’d actually begun to believe that she might fall in love with him. And all the time he’d been sitting back, enjoying the situation at her expense.
She must hurry away from here, get back to England, leave the firm and go where she need never meet him again.
‘There you two are,’ Luke said, appearing beside his mother. ‘Mamma, everyone’s looking for you. There’s some sort of crisis in the kitchen.’
When she had hurried away he glanced at Olympia, concerned. ‘Are you all right?’
‘I’m fine, fine!’ she said brightly.
‘Come and have some champagne and I’ll introduce you to everyone.’
She followed like an automaton, while behind the facade her mind seethed.
She had only herself to blame because she’d always known he was a deceiver. That first day he’d pretended to be her secretary. Just a little tease, easy to pass off as a joke. But he hadn’t told her until someone else had exposed him. It had been a warning she should have heeded.
Instead, she’d blundered on blindly, convincing herself that it was only a game. But the bitter hurt that consumed her now was shocking, terrifying, and she almost staggered under its impact.
After the first concerned question Luke hadn’t spoken again. But he’d glimpsed the photograph and seen her horror. Now things were coming together in his mind and he had a suspicion of the truth.
So brother Primo had kicked over the traces, he mused. And with a vengeance!
He took her to meet his family-Toni, his father, his brothers, Toni’s elderly parents who were paying them a visit and were guests of honour. There were also some business acquaintances.
Now Olympia seemed pervaded by a glacial calm that Luke found disturbing. He’d lived long enough in Italy to be comfortable with shouting and smashed plates. But freezing control made him uneasy.
‘Do you want to talk about it?’ he asked gently.
‘There’s nothing to talk about.’
‘Well, my family are crazy about you, especially Mamma.’
‘I think she’s wonderful. She’s been so nice to me.’
Someone called Luke’s name and he turned briefly away. Olympia’s eyes sought out Hope and found her at the exact moment Primo walked through the door.
She drew a sharp breath and turned away, hoping she’d hidden her face in time. He wasn’t supposed to be here. Why hadn’t he let her know he was coming back?
Had he noticed her? Please, no! She needed a moment to get control of herself so that she could meet him calmly. At all costs she must be the one in charge of this situation. Just a few more minutes and she would be strong enough to outface him.
Hope was eagerly hugging Primo, exclaiming over his early return.
‘You made it! I thought you were going to be trapped in England for ages.’
‘No, I got through everything at the speed of light,’ he said. ‘I just wanted to hurry back here.’
This was true. The thought of what might be happening in his absence was making him nervous.
‘You’re here in time for the excitement,’ she told him. ‘Luke brought a really nice girl tonight. She’ll make him an excellent wife.’
‘You know that already, do you?’ he asked, grinning.
‘I knew the moment I set eyes on her.’
‘So all you have to do is persuade her.’
‘I’m halfway there already. I suggested-in the mildest possible way, of course-that she would look wonderful in a long crimson dress. And tonight she turned up wearing the very thing. She wants the same thing that I want and that’s her way of telling me.’
‘And what about what Luke wants?’ Primo asked with a grin. ‘Has anyone thought of asking him, or will he just take what’s supplied as long as it’s stamped Approved by Mamma?’
‘Don’t be cheeky. He knows she’s right for him. If you could have heard the way he spoke of her tonight, the way he said, “She’s all mine.” Oh, it’ll be wonderful to see him married. And then I must set to work on you.’
‘Mamma, you set to work on me twenty years ago,’ he said with a laugh.
‘I want you to find a woman as perfect for you as this one is for Luke.’
‘Well, that may have already happened.’
She gave a little shriek of joy. ‘Is this the mystery woman, the one you’ve been dropping hints about and won’t bring to meet your family?’
‘How could I? We’ve been in England. But I’ll bring her to meet you soon, I promise.’
‘You’ve made up your mind?’
‘Yes, definitely.’
She shrieked again and threw her arms around him.
‘What’s all the fuss?’ Toni asked, appearing and clapping Primo on the shoulder.
‘Primo’s going to be married, and so’s Luke,’ Hope said ecstatically.
‘I thought Luke only met her today,’ Toni said. ‘Isn’t it a bit soon-?’
‘What does time matter when two people are made for each other?’ his wife reproved him. ‘Perhaps we’ll end up having a double wedding-Primo and his mystery woman, and Luke and his fiancee.’
‘Mamma, will you calm down?’ Primo begged. ‘I can’t even think of a wedding yet. There are-practical difficulties.’
‘Well, if you’re not careful, your brother will steal a march on you. Come and meet her.’
He followed her, happy to be home in the place he loved and wishing he could have brought Olympia with him. He had thought of her all the time he’d been away and every moment on the plane back. He’d even worked out how he would arrive without warning, take her by surprise and then tell her the truth.
But he’d reached her hotel to find that she’d gone out for the evening, nobody knew where. Resigned, he’d come to the party to please his mother, yet now he found his thoughts fixed on Olympia again. How he longed to bring her here openly to meet his family. He was smiling as he let his mother lead him across the room.
There was Luke in animated conversation with a young woman who stood with her back to Primo, her black hair elegantly dressed and streaming down her back in glossy waves.
That sight caused a nervous flinching inside him. Even from this angle there was something dreadfully familiar about her, but it couldn’t be-it surely couldn’t be-
Then she turned and the nightmare became real.
He was still some feet away from her and now that little distance seemed like a mile, going on for ever. He approached slowly, like a sleepwalker, transfixed, watching the ironic smile on her face until at last, after a long, long time, he stood before her.
‘Olympia,’ he murmured.
‘
She was cool and composed, but her eyes warned him of trouble to come.
Hope embraced her.
‘My dear, I want to introduce you to Primo, whom I was just telling you about. I can’t believe you two haven’t run across each other before.’
‘Oh, no,’ Olympia said silkily. ‘I’ve never met Signor Rinucci before.’
She extended her hand and when he took it her fingers tightened in a grip that was painful, warning him to say nothing about the real situation. She needn’t have worried. Nothing on earth would have persuaded him to tell anyone about this disaster.
‘Never mind,’ Hope exclaimed. ‘The two of you have met now, and that’s all that matters.
She hurried away, leaving the other two gazing steadily at each other.
