his wife’s eyes on her, and feeling sorry for the older woman.
Upstairs Berta had just arrived back after a day spent choosing her trousseau, and helped Holly undress the child. As she snuggled down, Liza was trying to stay awake, but her eyes were closing despite herself.
‘It was a lovely party,’ she whispered.
‘Yes, wasn’t it?’
‘Did you have a good time, Holly?’
‘I had a wonderful time. Go to sleep now.’
She dropped a kiss on Liza’s forehead, then watched with pleasure as the child snuggled down, asleep. Then she went to the window and looked down, smiling as she remembered Tomaso and his silly jokes. She was in no danger of falling for him, but he was diverting company.
‘
The voice floated up to her from below. Looking down she saw Tomaso standing there, raising his glass to her.
‘I am not
‘No, you are no man’s. You stay up there, remote, out of reach like the sun and the moon, while below your slave yearns for you.’
‘Behave yourself,’ she chuckled.
‘Ah, you cut me to the heart. My passion is rejected.’
‘Your passion comes out of that wine glass.’
His response to this was to smite his forehead and wail in abandon. The sound brought other guests out to discover what was going on. When they saw Holly the men also saluted her with their glasses.
‘You abandoned us,’ one of them called out.
‘We are desolate,’ cried another.
Matteo appeared from the house, glancing up, eye-brows raised.
‘Has Berta returned yet?’ he called.
‘Yes, she’s here with Holly.’
‘Then come down and join us.’ When she hesitated he added, ‘A good host always fulfils his guests’ wishes. Please come down now.’
‘Go on,’ Berta urged. ‘I’ll stay here with Liza.’
Laughing, she went downstairs. Matteo met her at the door to the garden and she said reassuringly, ‘I’ll only stay for a moment.’
‘You’ll stay as long as we all want you,’ he said, grinning.
‘But aren’t you going to discuss serious legal business?’
‘Not after the second bottle, I promise you. I will only say, beware of Tomaso, who is young and enthusiastic about too many things at once.’
‘That’s rather what I thought.’
‘And beware my old friend Andrea Lionello, who ought to have learned better long ago. But most of all, beware Signora Lionello, who has murder in her heart.’
‘Well, she has all my sympathy, being married to that old rip.’
‘Don’t let her suspect your pity, whatever you do. That really would make her take out her stiletto.’
‘Thank you for the warning.’
Holly was the hit of the party. By accepting only one glass of wine, and sticking to that, she managed to stay clear-headed enough to see the curious glances at Matteo from people who wondered what he was really up to. But after a while she forgot him in the heady pleasure of being a social success for the first time in her life.
There was no more to it than that, since she didn’t take any of this seriously. It was merely an extension of the new woman she was becoming. The provocative underwear, her decisive encounter with Bruno, the heady discovery that she was strong enough to dismiss him…all these were steps along the path that led to this moment. For the first time men sighed over her and kissed her hands while their eyes swore eternal, if untruthful, vows. It had never happened before and she was going to enjoy making up for lost time.
She gracefully declined to flirt with Lionello. He was charming but she didn’t rate charm as highly as she once had, and she suspected that his wife had much to put up with. Signora Lionello ostentatiously ignored her.
‘No, I won’t drink any more,’ she said at last, laughing but firm. ‘I don’t trust a word from any of you.’
This produced cheers. Behind her somebody asked, ‘I wonder who you distrust the most.’
With no idea who had spoken, she flirtatiously retorted, ‘Why, you, of course,’ turning with a teasing smile, which faded when she saw who it was.
‘I’ve always known that you didn’t trust me,’ Matteo observed, amused.
‘Well, as long as it’s mutual,’ she said lightly, recovering herself.
‘I promise you it is,’ he returned in the same tone. ‘Although I recall that we did once form a brief alliance-’
‘Of course.’ She laughed into his face. ‘My enemy’s enemy is my friend. But when my enemy is off the scene-’
‘Then all things must be reconsidered,’ he agreed. ‘I would only warn you against being too sure that your enemy really is off the scene. Some of them have an infernal habit of reappearing.’
‘You think-?’
‘I think only that a little caution is called for. And if the moment should come,’ he shrugged, ‘I shall still be here for you to make use of me.’
He inclined his head in a brief bow and moved away, leaving her to reflect on his strange choice of words.
Holly lingered a while longer, but was clever enough to leave soon, to a chorus of disappointment.
‘There is no need for you to go,’ Matteo said quietly. ‘You are welcome to remain if you wish.’
‘Thank you, but I choose to leave. I really don’t belong here.’
‘Surely that is for me to say?’
‘You don’t need to say it. We both know it’s true. Goodnight,
CHAPTER SEVEN
FROM her window above Holly listened to the murmurs as the party drew to its close. She heard the cars as they departed, then the silence.
She should undress and go to bed, but until she did so the most exciting night of her life hadn’t officially ended. She was still restless and the moonlit grounds were very tempting. Going quietly downstairs, she slipped out of the back door, down one of the paths, into the shadows.
So many unanswered questions, so much confusion. Her life was like the paths briefly lit by the moon before winding into the darkness to an uncertain destination. Tonight that uncertainty had taken on a new and brighter aspect. The admiration that had flowed over her was such a pleasant experience that even confusion was of the cheerful kind.
She couldn’t help smiling at some of the things that had been said to her, and the many significant glances she’d been given. And not only from the guests. If she was honest, it was Matteo who had chiefly caught her attention. His looks, his voice, the admiration in his eyes. She’d seen it all, and now she had time to brood about it.
Looking back at the house, she saw that most of the windows had darkened, and realised how late it was. Time to go in. She took the quickest route that lay past the judge’s office. One of the French doors was slightly ajar, and she turned aside, meaning to pass it quickly. But she was stopped by the sound of a voice filled with malice and dislike.
‘You saw how she acted tonight, flaunting herself before the men.’
‘She was there because I invited her,’ Matteo replied.
The woman’s answer was a snort of contempt, and now Holly recognised her voice as belonging to Signora Lionello. Having concealed her feelings for most of the evening, she was giving them full expression now.
