The Millionaire Tycoon's English Rose

on.’

‘We can’t go without talking to your relatives if they’ve seen us. It wouldn’t be polite.’

From above them came riotous cries of, ‘Woof, woof!’

‘Take a running jump,’ Francesco called back. ‘Preferably out of that window.’

‘Celia, tell your hound to lead you in this direction,’ Ruggiero called down.

‘Well, go on,’ she told him. ‘Good doggie. Obey!’

‘I’ll get my own back,’ he vowed as they went up. But he was grinning.

‘You’ve been avoiding us,’ Ruggiero said when they were each settled with cake and a glass of white sparkling prosecco.

‘And you’ve been looking out for us,’ Francesco said. ‘Don’t tell me you haven’t leaned out of the window every night, hoping for a good laugh at me.’

‘All right, I won’t say it,’ Ruggiero agreed.

Newly married, they had just finished visiting the more far-flung family members. Justin and Evie had welcomed them in England; Luke and Minnie had given them a riotous party in Rome.

‘Mind you, most of the riot came from Minnie’s previous in-laws,’ Polly recalled. ‘Heavens, they know how to give a party! We were exhausted when we went on to Uncle Franco and Aunt Lisa the next day. Luckily they’re much more sedate, because I don’t think we had enough energy for another mad evening.’

‘How are they?’ Francesco asked.

There was nothing in his voice to suggest that the subject particularly concerned him, and Celia wondered if she only imagined that the casual note was just a little contrived.

‘They seem fine,’ Ruggiero replied. ‘Of course, they’re getting old. Aunt Lisa has had bronchitis recently, but she’s over it now. And Uncle Franco-well, you know him.’

‘Not really,’ Francesco said quietly. ‘I’ve seen very little of him.’

Now Celia was sure she heard something strange in his voice. It seemed a good moment to discover that she had a headache, and in a few minutes they were heading home.

For a while she chatted casually, but at last it got through to her that he wasn’t responding.

‘What is it?’ she asked.

‘Nothing.’

‘It’s not like you to be so silent. Has something upset you.’

‘You’re not the only one with a headache,’ he said abruptly. ‘Let’s get home.’

When the apartment door was locked behind them he bade her good-night as quickly as possible, and she did the same. It wasn’t what she wanted. Painful as it was, she had to accept that. She longed to reach out to him and take his troubles on herself-for that he was in some kind of trouble there could be no doubt.

In the old days she would have enfolded him in her arms and her heart, giving him all her love. But now things had changed, and suddenly she knew she had to be cautious. Like him, she went to bed without delay.

She fell asleep quickly, then awoke in the early hours, certain that some noise had disturbed her, but there was only silence. Sitting up in bed, she listened, and at last heard a muffled sound that seemed to come from next door. Slipping out of bed, she opened her door and went to stand outside Francesco’s room. Now she could clearly hear the desperate, gasping mutters from inside.

Turning the handle quietly, she slipped inside and went to the bed. Sitting down on it, she discovered that Francesco was lying on his back, his eyes closed, muttering in his sleep. At first she couldn’t make out the words, but then she realised that he was saying the same thing, over and over.

‘Get out-get out-get out-’

‘Francesco-’ She shook him, but he didn’t wake. It was as though he was trapped inside his nightmare, with no escape.

‘Francesco!’

She shook his shoulders again, but he only began to toss and turn. Moving her hands gently across his face, she discovered that his cheeks were wet, as though he was weeping in his sleep.

She hesitated. They had set rules for sharing the apartment-rules that kept them firmly on different sides of a line. But this situation wasn’t covered by any rule that she acknowledged, and if it had been she would have broken it.

She was about to lean down and kiss him when he let out a cry and shot up in bed, colliding with her so that she almost fell off, and had to hold on to him.

‘Francesco, what’s the matter? Are you awake?’

‘What? What? Who are you?’ He was shaking her.

‘Francesco-it’s me-Celia.’

One of the hands holding her disappeared, and she heard the light being switched on. Dismayed, she wondered if his confusion was really so far gone that he had to see her to be sure.

‘For pity’s sake, what’s the matter?’ she begged.

‘Nothing, I-What are you doing in here?’

‘I heard you cry out in your sleep. Then you were muttering over and over to yourself-It sounded like Get out.’

She heard his sharp intake of breath.

‘You imagined that,’ he said in a cold voice. ‘It could have been anything.’

‘No, it was definitely Get out but-’

‘You imagined that.’

‘All right. Maybe I did.’

‘Who knows what people say when they have a bad dream? Don’t you ever have them?’

‘No,’ she said simply. ‘But if I did I’d come to you and ask you to put your arms around me. Especially if it was bad enough to make me cry.’

She put her hand up to touch his face, but felt him seize it, holding her away from him.

‘Don’t be absurd,’ he snapped. ‘I’m not crying.’

She knew better than to argue, but she was full of confusion. She’d never known him in this mood before.

‘Go back to bed,’ he said. The anger had gone from his voice, but instead there was a quiet implacability that was more daunting.

‘Good night,’ she said.

If he’d softened for the briefest moment she would have kissed him. But all her senses told her that he was hard as iron, and she left the room.

She lay awake for a long time, listening for any sound from his room, but there was nothing. Everything had changed, she realised. In their old quarrels it had always been him trying to reach out to her, while she withdrew from what she considered his interference. Now it was he shutting her out.

She had not the slightest inkling why it had happened. But she was suddenly afraid.

The following day Celia chose to stay at home, freeing Francesco to leave and concentrate on his factory.

‘But if you need me, just call and I’ll come home,’ he said.

‘Don’t worry. I shan’t be going out,’ she replied, as scrupulously polite as he.

‘I expect you have your day’s work all planned?’ he observed.

‘Actually, I thought I’d do some cooking.’

She could tell he was surprised, but he said no more, only lay a hand on her shoulder and departed.

Left alone, she didn’t immediately get out any ingredients, but pondered for a while, then called Hope.

‘I’m practising being a good housewife today,’ she told her cheerfully. ‘I know some of Francesco’s favourite dishes, but only the English ones. I thought you could advise me about the Italian ones.’

‘An excellent idea,’ Hope said at once. ‘Shall I come over?’

‘Lovely.’

Hope arrived an hour later to find the coffee already perking. She’d come prepared with home-made cream cakes, and they plunged into a delicious session without delay.

‘You don’t need Francesco today?’ Hope asked, looking around.

‘Not while I’m here. I know this place so well that he’s only in the way.’

They laughed together.

‘Poor Francesco.’ Hope sighed. ‘He’s trying so hard to be useful to you.’