Veretti’s Dark Vengeance

From Salvatore there was no word. He seemed to have gone to ground, meaning that he was more dangerous than ever.

One evening, as she reached the hotel the desk clerk told her that a parcel had been left for her. In her room she unwrapped it and sat gazing in awe at its beauty.

It too was a head, but not a recognisable one. There were no distinct features, just a general air of beauty and fair hair streaming back. Any woman would be proud to believe that a man saw her that way.

There was no note or any sign to show who’d sent it, but she called Salvatore, and he answered with a speed that showed he’d been waiting. As soon as she heard his voice she said, ‘I give in.’

‘What-exactly-does that mean?’ he asked with exaggerated caution.

‘It means you’re better at this than I am. It means you wrong-footed me. It means thank you, it’s beautiful.’

‘I hoped you’d like it,’ he said warmly. ‘Are you free to have dinner with me tonight? I know a restaurant that I think you would enjoy.’

‘That sounds lovely.’

This time there was no gondolier. Salvatore came to the hotel on foot. By chance Helena was looking out of her window and had a long view of him approaching. She watched as he crossed a small bridge, pausing at the top to lean on the rail and look out over the lagoon.

She drew back, enjoying the chance to study him without his knowing. Hostility apart, she had to admit that with this man nature had distributed her gifts unjustly. There were better men in the world, good, civilised men with kindly natures, who deserved the best. Yet women would overlook them in favour of an arrogant schemer, who couldn’t be trusted an inch, for no better reason than that he seemed to embody all masculine attraction in himself.

From this distance she could see what hadn’t been so clear before, that his legs were long like an athlete’s, and he moved with a careless grace that almost, but not quite, concealed his power.

At the thought of that power a tremor of excitement ran through her, warning her that she’d started on a dangerous road. She wanted him. She was honest enough to admit that to herself. She wanted that body and whatever it could offer to her own body. She wanted his hands on her, touching her intimately in the places that he’d brought alive just by his presence, and bringing them even more alive by the skill of his caresses.

Her head was on guard against him, but her flesh refused to be cautious. Nature had designed him to give her pleasure, and she would make him fulfil nature’s purpose or live desolate for the rest of her days.

While she watched he straightened up and turned to finish the journey to the hotel. A few moments later she went down to greet him with a bland smile that gave no hint of the turmoil within.

He escorted her a short walk to a tiny restaurant, where he led her out into the garden and towards a small table in the far corner, lit only by a candle and a few fairy lights overhead.

‘Did I make a good choice?’ Salvatore asked. ‘Of course it’s not a fine, luxurious place-’

‘All the better for that. It’s charming. Thank you for not trying to overwhelm me with finery.’

‘That would be very foolish of me, wouldn’t it? I can’t compete with “Helen of Troy”.’

‘So you know about that?’

‘Yes-finally. Everyone else in Venice seems to have known about it first. And I must admit, you tried to warn me that there was something I didn’t know, but I just charged on, didn’t I? And I got my just deserts.’

She studied him for any trace of irony, but failed to find it. While she was still trying to make her mind up a waiter appeared with a bottle of champagne.

‘The very finest, signor, just as you said.’

‘Don’t be fooled by the modest appearance of this place,’ Salvatore told her. ‘Their cellar is the best.’

When the waiter had gone he raised his glass to her.

‘I salute you,’ he said. ‘And I congratulate you.’

‘Shouldn’t I be congratulating you for the neat trick you pulled?’

‘I never intended to pull one. Jacopo isn’t in my pay. He used to work for me, but I fired him for laziness. He got a job with Larezzo, but I gather it doesn’t pay so well, and he persuaded himself that he could get back into my good books by spying on you. I’ve never encouraged him, but when he saw that head he took a picture of it and hurried to see me, saying I was being slandered.’

‘Slandered? How?’

‘That head shows me as the devil.’

Helena’s lips twitched. ‘Yes, but where’s the slander?’

He grinned. ‘Thanks, you’ve just confirmed what I thought. You didn’t leave it out by accident. Jacopo was supposed to find it. In fact, he did exactly what you meant him to-which is what men usually do, of course.’

She smiled and moved in closer so that he could feel her breath on his face, murmuring softly, ‘You don’t really expect me to answer that, do you?’

She saw by his face that she’d given him precisely the hard time she’d intended. His voice was shaking as he moved towards her and replied, ‘No answer necessary.’

He laid his lips softly on her cheek, let them drift to her mouth for the lightest possible touch, and withdrew.

‘You just proved it,’ she whispered.

‘Did I?’

‘That was what I meant you to do.’

‘Your wish is my command.’

Helena groaned. ‘Here’s the waiter.’

They sat in well-behaved silence while he refilled the champagne glasses, laid out the menu and made a few suggestions. By the time he left the moment had passed, and they sipped champagne with perfect propriety.

‘To let you enjoy the full extent of your victory,’ Salvatore resumed, ‘I’ll tell you that when I realised how financially successful you must have been for years I was appalled at my own temerity in daring to challenge you. How I could have been so deluded-?’

‘Oh, shut up,’ she said, doubled up with laughter. ‘You don’t fool me with that stuff.’

‘Well, I thought it was worth a try,’ he said, abandoning the act and adding his laughter to hers.

A frisson of excitement went through her, making her heart beat with apprehension. How could she have forgotten that laughter was the most dangerous thing on earth between a man and a woman? More perilous than desire because more likely to spring on you suddenly.

She was helplessly off-guard now, caught in the delight of feeling their minds in tune, even if only briefly. It was almost a relief when the waiter returned and they got down to the serious business of ordering.

Suddenly he said, ‘If I’m honest I’ll admit that I’m glad we’re at a standstill, because that means you’ll stay in Venice. And I really want you to stay.’ He met her eyes. ‘You’re not going to ask me why, are you?’

‘No, I’m not going to do that.’

‘We have unfinished business, and I don’t mean the glass factory.’

She hadn’t meant to give him the satisfaction of agreeing, but she found herself nodding. It was almost as though he’d hypnotised her into wanting whatever he wanted. But in truth she knew that the spell came from within herself as much as from him.

‘Tell me,’ he said after a moment, ‘were you really going to release that devil head to the public?’

‘Of course not. I knew you’d get to hear of it, but I hadn’t expected your answer to be so neat. I’m going to treasure that lovely piece.’

‘I hope you’re going to give me mine.’

‘Actually I thought I’d auction it,’ she said mischievously. ‘It should raise a fortune.’

‘Try it. Just try it.’

‘What would you do? Sue me for violating your personal copyright?’

His voice was soft and vibrant.

‘There are many things about you that trouble me, Helena, but that’s the least of them.’

‘I’m glad to hear it.’ She met his eyes and was stunned almost to silence by the unmistakeable message she found there.

‘Am I still doing what you meant me to do?’ he asked.

‘Definitely, but since it’s mutual we can say that battle honours are even.’