Instinct told her that he could show her new worlds, carry her to the stars and satisfy something desperate inside her that had been denied too long. All her frustrated womanhood rose up, crying out for release, ready to do anything, offer him anything if he would only take her to that peak.
The words seemed to shriek, like demons howling with laughter at her naivety. How easily he’d brought her to this moment, and she, who’d prided herself on being armed and ready, had succumbed without a protest. How he must be enjoying it!
It was over. The desire, so tormenting one minute, was extinguished the next, turning her body to ice. Part of her wanted to cry out as the beauty vanished, but another part knew that she was safer this way.
Safety. That was what mattered. Nothing else.
Vaguely she heard footsteps, felt his arms loosen about her, heard his sigh of resignation.
‘People are coming,’ he growled. ‘We don’t want to be stared at.’
He drew her away and in a few moments they had reached St. Mark’s Square. Not much further to the hotel, and as she walked she was planning what to say when they got there.
How sure of himself he must be. How easily she’d fallen for it. How he must be laughing in triumph, and how she was going to enjoy wiping the smile off his face!
They were entering the hotel. She would let him escort her to the elevator, shake hands and coolly bid him goodbye. Just a few more feet. There was the elevator, the doors were opening-
‘I’ll leave you here,’ he said. ‘Goodnight,
‘Wh-what did you say?’
‘I said goodnight. I think we both know the time isn’t right.’
‘What do you mean by that?’ Helena demanded.
Salvatore spoke softly.
‘I mean that when I’m ready to make love to you, I won’t go to your room with the world watching.’
‘
‘I’m not fooling myself, but perhaps you are. The decision has already been taken for both of us. It’s only a question of when. That was clear to both of us from the first moment.’
‘I know no such-’
‘Don’t pretend,’ he cut her off harshly. ‘You know as well as I do what lies ahead. You decided to seduce me in the exact same moment you became my enemy, as a demonstration of power. That’s fine because I decided the same thing, and when the time comes the power will be equal. I may even allow you to see how badly I want you, but I’ll do it at a time and a place of my own choosing. Is that clear?’
‘You must be out of your mind,’ Helena said furiously.
‘No, but I have seen into yours, and I find it fascinating. Let us not rush. We can fight and fight, and please each other at the same time. I look forward to it.’
‘Well, I certainly don’t.’
She stormed into the elevator and tried to close the door against him, but he moved quickly to get in beside her, closing the doors and pressing a button that held them closed.
‘You’re lying, Helena,’ he said. ‘Or perhaps you’re just deceiving yourself. Whichever it is, we’ll both enjoy finding out.’
‘We will not. Kindly get out,
She thought he would refuse. He didn’t move, but stood regarding her intently, his hand still on the button that controlled the door, effectively imprisoning her.
‘We’ll meet again soon,’ he murmured.
Giving her no time to reply, he released the door, got out and closed it again. In a rage she pressed the button for the third floor. Once in her room she slammed the door.
At that moment she could have committed murder. Salvatore had deliberately inflamed her desire because he’d been trying to subdue her as she was trying to subdue him. And when he’d made her half-crazy he’d shown her deliberately and unmistakeably that he, not she, was master of the situation.
The fact that she’d meant to do exactly the same to him made it much, much worse. Worst of all was the fact that her excitement, which she’d thought safely dead, had come searing back when he rejected her, and was now tormenting her again.
Tearing off her clothes, she got into the shower and ran the water as cold as possible.
‘No!’ she said. ‘That isn’t going to happen!
Desperately she slammed her fists against the wall as the water laved her naked body. She wouldn’t let it happen, but it was already happening. She would never forgive him for that.
But then she remembered how he’d trembled against her. The trap that had caught her had also caught him. The battle honours were even and the best was yet to come.
‘Emilio Ganzi is a fine manager,’ Antonio had said. ‘He’s run Larezzo for years and what he doesn’t know isn’t worth knowing.’
Helena could well believe it as he came to meet her from the motor boat. He was in his early sixties with white hair and a genial face.
‘Everything is ready for you,’ he said. ‘We are so glad that Antonio’s wife is going to stay with us, and we will all do our best to help you.’
The workers were gathered to get their first glimpse of the new owner. Some of them recognised her from her earlier visit.
‘I couldn’t resist taking a look that day,’ she explained. ‘It was so fascinating that I decided I didn’t want to sell. I wanted to stay here and be part of Larezzo.’
They liked her for that. They liked her even more when they found she spoke Venetian. But what really made her popular was the red glass heart she wore, and the fact that Antonio had given it to her.
He was remembered as a man who’d enjoyed riotous living: plenty of eating, drinking and loving. In other words, a true Venetian. Several of the middle-aged women sighed, misty-eyed, at their memories.
Then one of the younger girls gave a little shriek, pointed at Helena and whispered, ‘Helen of Troy’. That put the seal on their approval. How like Antonio to end his days married to a beautiful model!
Emilio gave her the grand tour, similar to the one she’d already taken but deeper, more intense. When they had finished her decision was confirmed. She loved this place, and these people, and she was going to defend them from Salvatore with her last breath-or, more practically, her last euro.
That became more evident when she studied the books. Antonio had warned her that there was a loan against the factory, taken out five years before, and rescheduled twice. The firm was keeping its head above water, but the repayments were taking a big chunk out of the profits.
‘The fact is,’ Emilio said when they were alone, ‘that our wages bill is too big because Antonio had a kind heart. People reach retirement age and they don’t want to leave, because we are like a family. So he always let them stay.’
‘Then they stay,’ Helena said firmly. ‘We’ll have to find another way to increase the profits.’
Emilio beamed and went off to tell the ‘family’ that everything was going to be all right.
Then the bombshell hit.
The letter from the bank was polite but firm. In view of the ‘change of circumstances’ the loan must be repaid at once.
‘I’m afraid they can do it,’ Emilio sighed. ‘There’s something in the small print about change of circumstances giving them the right to nullify the agreement.’
‘We’ll see,’ Helena seethed.
As always she dressed carefully for the aspect she intended to present, in this case cool, efficient and, if possible, unsexy. That last bit was hard but she did her best with a matching dark coat and dress. The hotel’s hairdresser almost wept when she told him to draw back her tresses into a style as stark and restrained as possible, but he reluctantly obeyed.
‘Now I look like a Victorian governess,’ she said with deep satisfaction. ‘Excellent.’
A call to Valerio Donati, the bank manager, set up an appointment for that afternoon. She arrived ten minutes
