скачать книгу бесплатно
After the drenching rain of the not-quite-dark of the lagoon night Domenico’s salotto glowed with welcome from lamps that threw light on the high white cornices and sparked muted gleams from a collection of mirrors in different sizes, all of them old with carved, gilded frames, some of them in need of restoration.
‘I noticed yesterday that there were mirrors instead of pictures,’ said Laura as he took her raincoat.
‘I am not so very vain,’ he said, grinning. ‘The glass is original in my entire collection; which means it is almost too dim to give a reflection.’
‘They’re beautiful.’
He held out his hand. ‘Come. Sit down, Laura, and let me give you a drink.’
‘I don’t suppose you have any tea?’ she said without hope.
Domenico smiled in smug triumph. ‘I bought some today, but I do not drink tea, so it is best you make it yourself.’
‘Wonderful!’
In the small kitchen he handed her a packet of teabags labelled ‘English Breakfast’. ‘It is a little late for breakfast, but I thought you would like this.’
‘I’ll love it,’ she assured him as he filled the kettle. ‘Do you have any milk?’
‘Of course! I knew that tea would be no use to my charming English guest without it. But there is lemon, if you prefer,’ he added.
‘You’ve thought of everything. Thank you.’ She gave him a radiant smile.
‘Such a smile will gain you anything you wish,’ he told her, watching as she poured boiling water on the teabag.
‘At this moment all I want in life is a cup of tea,’ she said, and savaged the teabag with a spoon. ‘What are you having?’
‘A glass of wine. Perhaps you would like one later, also.’
Domenico took a tray into the salotto and set it down in front of her, watching indulgently as she sipped her tea with a sigh of bliss.
‘I’ve been suffering withdrawal symptoms.’ She laughed at his blank look and explained that three days without tea was a personal best for her.
‘But why did you not say?’ he demanded, sitting beside her. ‘We can provide you with tea in any café in Venice.’
‘I love the coffee here so much I never thought to ask for tea.’ She gave an admiring glance at the gros point embroidery on the cushions. ‘I envy you these, Domenico.’
He smiled, pleased. ‘They are my mother’s work.’
‘She’s very clever. I’m not at all talented when it comes to sewing.’
‘Can you cook?’
‘It all depends,’ she said guardedly.
He looked amused. ‘On what, exactly?’
‘Your idea of a good meal. Can you cook?’
‘Of course,’ he said matter-of-factly.
‘I thought all Italian males were spoilt rotten by their mammas!’
‘Often this is true,’ he admitted. ‘But when I am here in the apartment I sometimes like to make a meal. It is a change for me.’
‘And in the hotel?’
‘I eat hotel meals,’ he said, shrugging.
She eyed him curiously. ‘What exactly do you do in this hotel of yours?’
‘I work very hard!’ He smiled. ‘Allora, would you like more tea, or shall I give you a glass of wine?’
Laura shook her head. ‘Nothing more, thanks. But if you’d be kind enough to hand over those bags I left behind I’d love to gloat over my purchases.’
Domenico deposited her shopping at her feet, smiling at her pleasure as she examined her trophies.
‘With your help I spent a lot less and bought far more than I expected,’ she told him with satisfaction. ‘But I also need a proper wedding present for Fen Dysart. I’d like to buy her some Venetian glass—something special.’
‘Then we shall go to Murano tomorrow. A reproduction of something old would be good, yes?’
‘Perfect.’ Laura hesitated. ‘As long as they accept credit cards.’
‘Of course. They will also ship anything you wish to England.’
‘That would be marvellous.’ She turned to look him in the eye. ‘Allora, as you Italians say, give me the bill for the meal, please.’
‘I hoped you had forgotten.’ Domenico sighed heavily. ‘I do not like this.’
‘Tough. I insist.’
‘You are a hard woman.’
‘You’d better believe it!’ She smiled at him to soften her words, and managed not to wince at the total when he produced the bill from his wallet.
‘But remember this, Laura,’ he said very deliberately. ‘You may pay this one time since it matters so much to you, but that is all. It is understood?’
She nodded meekly, and counted out a pile of euros, relieved to discover she had enough to cover it.
‘Do you feel better now?’ he demanded.
‘Much better,’ she assured him, and smiled. ‘I think I would like a glass of wine after all.’
‘Do you insist on paying when you dine with men in London?’ he asked, handing a glass to her.
‘That’s different,’ she said firmly. ‘You’ve not only paid for meals, you’ve taken time off from your job to help me.’
‘Let us talk no more of money.’ He sat down beside her. ‘Instead, I will make a confession which will amuse you very much.’
‘Confession? That sounds serious.’
‘It is comical, not serious,’ he assured her. ‘I will start from the beginning. Last night I was not pleased to find you gone when I went to your hotel.’
‘I was afraid of that,’ she admitted. ‘But, Domenico, you didn’t put a phone number on your note, and I couldn’t sit for hours twiddling my thumbs in my room when Venice was out there, luring to me to come out and play, now could I?’
‘No, of course not.’ He smiled and took her hand. ‘But when Signora Rossi gave me your message—’
‘You were pretty ticked off,’ she teased.
‘E vero, if that means annoyed,’ he agreed. ‘I had planned the evening so carefully, you understand, and it was not part of the plan to find you gone when I came for you. But when I saw you sitting there at Florian’s I was angry no longer. You looked so beautiful—and I was not the only man who thought so,’ he added darkly.
She brushed that aside. ‘So tell me about this plan.’
‘To explain I must go back to our first meeting, when you did not notice me at all!’
She shook her head. ‘I did, you know—mainly because you were in such a hurry to get rid of me. But also because you looked respectable and had been sent by Lorenzo Forli—’
‘Respectable? Dio!’ He shook his head in mock despair. ‘Women usually have more flattering things to say of me than that, Laura.’
‘I bet they do!’
‘I met a friend in the San Marco sestiere later that day,’ he went on, ‘and on impulse afterwards I decided to make sure all was well with you. Signora Rossi told me you had gone to Florian’s, but when I looked for you there I did not recognise you at first.’
‘I clean up well,’ she agreed, and Domenico gave a delighted laugh.
‘Very well indeed.’ He smiled crookedly. ‘Until that moment my plan was merely to ask if the hotel was satisfactory—’
‘And bowl me over with your charm!’ she accused.
‘Esattamente.’ He nodded, unrepentant. ‘But after meeting with you it was I who was bowled over, Laura. I enjoyed our time together very much—until you refused my escort back to the hotel.’
‘That offended you?’
‘I was hurt!’ he said, hand on heart. ‘I wanted very much to see you again. But to avoid another rejection I sent a note.’
‘Very clever,’ said Laura, grinning.
‘I think so,’ he said smugly. ‘Allora, the next part of my plan was to impress you with dinner at Harry’s Bar.’
‘Excellent move.’
‘But during the meal I learned of your dislike of romantic gestures,’ he said with a heavy sigh, ‘so I abandoned my plan and gave money to one of the waiters to pay off the gondoliere. Instead of taking you on a moonlit gondola ride I walked with you back to your hotel.’
Laura stared at him for a moment, then began to laugh helplessly. ‘My story about the proposal lost me a trip in a gondola?’
Domenico nodded, grinning. ‘But if you wish for one some other time this can be arranged.’
‘No, thanks. Besides—’ She hesitated.
‘Besides?’ he prompted.
‘Our walk back by moonlight was more to my taste.’
His eyes gleamed. ‘You include the kiss?’
She nodded, smiling. ‘Short but sweet.’
‘I used much self-control,’ he said virtuously.
‘I was impressed. Your plan worked like a charm without the gondola, Domenico.’
His hand tightened on hers. ‘Today there was no plan.’
‘And I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.’
‘Even the walk in the rain?’
Laura smiled. ‘Especially that.’ She leaned nearer and held up her face. ‘It’s still raining out there so you’d better kiss me goodnight right here.’
To her astonishment Domenico jumped up, shaking his head. ‘No.’
Laura stared blankly. ‘No?’
‘I did not bring you here for that.’
‘For what?’ She jumped to her feet, eyes cold. ‘A kiss is the only thing on offer!’
‘I know this,’ he said roughly. ‘Come. I will take you back.’ He strode out of the room, leaving her to stow her shopping away in the bags, all her pleasure in the evening gone. Domenico returned, wearing a black leather jacket, and in silence she thrust her arms into the sleeves of the raincoat he held out.
‘It is too wet to take your presents tonight,’ he informed her. ‘I shall bring them in the morning when I come for you.’
‘Are you still going to do that?’ she demanded, tying her belt viciously tight.
He frowned. ‘Of course. Unless,’ he added with sudden hauteur, ‘you no longer want me to spend the day with you.’
‘Do you want to?’
‘You know very well that I do.’ He took her by the shoulders, the blue eyes darkening as they bored down into hers. ‘Try to understand. My instructions were to take care of you. So I am taking you back to your hotel.’
‘Message received, loud and clear.’ She marched out of the room and down the smooth, worn stone stairs, and at the entrance waited, face averted, while Domenico put up the umbrella. He stood looking down into her set face for a moment then slid his arm round her and held her very firmly.
‘It is necessary to share the umbrella,’ he informed her.
Still smarting from his rejection, Laura controlled a childish urge to shove him away but held herself poker-stiff, wishing she’d brought her own umbrella as they walked in silence Domenico was the first to break.
‘You are very angry with me?’ he demanded at last, his accent more noticeable than usual.
‘Hurt as well as angry,’ she informed him. ‘The one time I actually offer to kiss a man he turns me down.’
