‘Darling, it’s all right. I think it’s hilarious. That’ll teach you to reject a lady before you’ve even met her. One part of me wants to say that you should simply have “taken your winnings”. But the other part says it’s better as it is. All that fighting we did-we needed it. We could never have got to know each other so well otherwise.’
‘I could never have “taken my winnings”,’ he said. ‘To approach you like that-’ he shuddered. ‘On the other hand I was angry enough for anything. Perhaps I-’
‘Stop this.’ She put her fingertips over his mouth. ‘You don’t have to explain yourself to me. I
‘Yes, you do, don’t you?’ he said slowly. ‘You’ve known me all through right from the beginning. That night you said I was lonely, and like a fool I shut you out because you’d seen to the heart of me. I’d kept my heart locked away for so long that I couldn’t take the risk of revealing it to you. So I rejected you, then I turned on you, accusing you of deviousness, to protect myself. And it was all useless, because there’s no protection from love.’
‘That’s true,’ she said, leaning her head against him. ‘There’s no protection for either of us, except each other.’
‘Except each other,’ he repeated. ‘I was so alarmed by my own feelings that I left the house that night, running like a coward. When I heard you’d gone I thought it was safe to come home, but that just made everything worse. I couldn’t bear the thought of never seeing you again. If you hadn’t returned I’d have given in and come seeking you in England. The night you broke in and we struggled-do you remember?’
‘Yes,’ she said with a reminiscent smile. ‘I remember everything.’
‘Feeling you against me, beneath me-I swear you weren’t safe. If Gino hadn’t been there I’d have-well, I wanted to, anyway.’
‘Mm! Me too.’
‘But I didn’t know what to say to you. You came back with flags flying, full of confidence. I knew you were free from that man, but I didn’t know how you felt about it. So many times I’ve wanted to take you in my arms and say that nothing else mattered. But it did matter, so I started counting on the harvest. And I got it wrong because I could only hear my heart, not my head. I wanted to pay you, and then face you with pride.’
He saw her looking at him with gentle understanding, and sighed. ‘I got that wrong too, didn’t I?’ he said ruefully.
‘You think all the wrong things matter. Love matters. Not pride.’
‘Is it really that simple,
‘Yes,
They kissed tenderly, but she could see that he was still troubled by one thought.
‘Are you sure it will be that simple for Gino?’ he asked. ‘I thought once he was in love with you. Now I don’t know.’
‘He isn’t. Oh, he made a big theatrical comedy of it, but I think that’s just his way.’
Rinaldo nodded. ‘You’re right. All his life, everything had to be a production number.’
‘But since I came back he’s been a quieter, very polite, very respectful. Haven’t you noticed?’
‘Yes. And it’s not like him.’
‘He’s probably just a bit embarrassed about backing off after all that theatrical “passion”,’ Alex mused. ‘Especially after my engagement broke up.’ She laughed suddenly. ‘Oh, now I understand. Poor Gino. He was afraid I’d expect him to marry me, and he was trying to let me know, very kindly, that it’s not on.’
Rinaldo’s brow cleared.
‘That would be it. But to be fair, he was probably madly in love with you at one time-for about two days.’
Alex raised an eyebrow at him. ‘That’s all you think I’m worth, eh?’
‘No, but it’s his record.’
They laughed together.
‘Trust me, he’ll be glad to have the problem solved,’ she said.
She glanced into the corridor, saw that it was clear and signalled to Rinaldo. A brief kiss, and he was gone.
She followed him down a few minutes later and found him alone in the kitchen. Gino was just entering the house.
‘Now?’ Rinaldo asked her softly.
But Alex shook her head. ‘No, I have something to tell you both first.’
He looked puzzled.
‘Wait and see,’ she said in a voice of teasing anticipation.
Gino came in, smiling when he saw Rinaldo.
‘You look more cheerful than you did last night,’ he said.
‘And you’re both going to look more cheerful when you’ve heard what I have to say,’ Alex told them.
They looked at her expectantly.
‘Enrico Varsi owes you money,’ she said. ‘Quite a lot of money if I’ve got my figures right.’
‘But how?’ Rinaldo asked.
Alex took a deep breath. ‘Because he’s been cheating you for years,’ she announced.
The exclamation was Gino’s. Rinaldo was more wary.
‘Alex, I really think that’s very unlikely. Varsi is an eminent man-’
‘Which makes it easier for him to get away with it.’
‘He was also an old friend of our father, who trusted him completely.’
‘Someone who trusts you is the easiest to deceive. I don’t suppose it ever occurred to your father that his friend was stealing from him. It occurred to me as soon as I got a long look at your books.’
‘I know you mean well,’ Rinaldo said, ‘And you’re an expert in British accounting practices, but this is Italy. We have a different financial year, remember?’
‘I know, and all sorts of other things are different. That’s why I’ve been taking a crash course in Italian accountancy.’
‘Where? How?’
‘From a man called Tomaso Andansio. His offices are just up the street from Varsi’s.’
‘Is that what I saw you looking at that day?’
‘That’s right. I knew I’d heard the name somewhere, then I remembered we had some dealing with him in London. Signor Andansio is brilliant and totally honest.
‘I called him, and he let me spend a week in his office, learning all I needed. When I showed him my evidence he agreed there was a case, and gave me a whole lot of reading to do. There’s no doubt of it. Varsi’s stolen a fortune from you.’
She added wryly, ‘But for that, your father might never have needed a mortgage.’
Gino flung his arms about Alex in a fierce hug that turned into an exuberant waltz about the room.
‘You’re a genius,’ he yodelled. ‘A genius, our good angel, our glorious, shining star-’
‘Yes, that’s very nice,’ Rinaldo interrupted him, ‘and I admit it opens interesting possibilities, but-’
‘Interesting possibilities, you soulless man!’ Gino protested, releasing Alex. ‘Is that all you’ve got to say for what Alex has done for us? You’ve never appreciated her properly and I think it’s time you-’
‘I’m trying to be realistic,’ Rinaldo cut him short quickly.
‘Rinaldo means he doesn’t trust me to get it right,’ Alex said cheerfully. ‘I anticipated that, so I’m arranging for us all to go and see Signor Andansio. I dare say you’ll believe him, seeing that he’s a man.’
‘Seeing that he’s an Italian,’ Rinaldo said, smiling at her and refusing to be provoked. ‘I think visiting him is a very good idea, Alex.’
She went straight to the phone, followed by Gino who whispered in her ear, ‘You’re having a really civilising effect on Rinaldo. Keep up the good work.’
They drove into Florence later that day and in a few brief words the accountant confirmed everything Alex had said.
‘It’s a matter of how you define things,’ he explained. ‘Transfer certain things from one column to another and the whole picture changes. In between the two “pictures” there is a gap. A lot of money can fall into that gap, and an unscrupulous accountant can help himself. For years your tax liability has been less than the amount you paid,
