Venetian Masquerade (6 page)

“Hotel Maria,” she replied without hesitation. “It will be Hotel Maria.”

Chapter Four

A
my called Jake during the morning and explained to him how her circumstances had changed. She told him she would be returning briefly to England the next week to pack her belongings and have them shipped to Venice and that she would call into the office to clear her desk. He was grumpy but understanding and wished her well. Janice was poised to step into her job, so everyone would be happy.

Nervously, she asked if there had been any repercussions from her small traffic accident, and he said no, Alessandro di Benedetto was set to spend a great deal of money with the company and all was forgiven.

“It seems you know the man?”

“From years ago. Can I speak to Sandra?”

A few minutes later, her friend came to the phone agog to hear all the news. Amy filled her in quickly, then asked anxiously how much Alessandro had divined about her from conversations at the office.

“He never mentioned you, Amy, until Jake said how sorry he was about the car. Then Alessandro casually mentioned he had known you some years ago and asked where you were living now. I jumped in and said you were about to move and we didn’t yet know the new address. He looked very hard at me and nodded, obviously realizing I had been primed to keep my mouth shut.”

“No one mentioned James?”

“No. I was holding my breath, but I guess, being a man, it never occurred to Jake to say anything.”

“Sandra, I think I have to ask you to take Jake into your confidence and under pain of death, ask him never to mention James to Alessandro. Tell him why, and I’m sure he will understand. I’m coming over to pack my things in a few days—we’ll catch up then.”

“Okay. I can’t wait to see you.”

“Me, too. Bye, and thanks.”

The next few days passed in a fever of activity. Amy hardly went out of the house and was almost continually covered in dust and cobwebs from clearing out the worst of the junk.

Gabriel’s architect came to the villa several times and was able to tell Amy that the house could be converted easily to make a ten-bed hotel with a two-bedroom apartment for her and James. He agreed to draw up the plans to be submitted to the planning department for approval and to get quotes from builders. If all went well, he told her, building could commence in a couple of months or less.

Amy then went to see the head mistress of the local school, where James would be going with Donna, and was impressed with the friendly atmosphere. It was agreed he would start the next week when term began. It meant Amy couldn’t take him to England with her, but Sonya was happy to look after him for a few days, and James was completely unfazed at the prospect. He adored Donna and was used to his mother being out of his sight. So, Amy booked her flight and then began to go through all Maria’s things, a heartbreaking job after any death. She disposed of bags of old clothes, gave some treasured mementos to Carmela and Antonio, and went through her papers with Gabriel.

By the time she left for England, the worst was done and she was glad to get away to catch her breath. She still found it difficult to comprehend how drastically her life had changed, but she couldn’t deny a frisson of excitement at what now lay ahead.

James came with Gabriel to the airport in the boat and waved her off quite happily. She smiled as she watched them together, wishing she could feel for Gabriel the way she had for Alessandro. How simple life would be.

She arrived at her flat late and slept badly. Alessandro kept intruding into her dreams, and he was there like a ghost in the background when she finally gave up on sleep and went downstairs. She was still in her dressing gown, trying to make sense of a pile of post that had been on the doormat, when her mother, who lived very close by, arrived with milk, bread, and eggs.

“I thought you would like a hand sorting out the things you’re taking to Venice,” she said, putting the kettle on to boil. “Are you going to sell the flat or let it?”

“I hadn’t thought about it... Selling it seems rather final. Mama, why don’t you come to Venice too? There’s lots of room.”

“No, Amy, my life is here. I never learned much Italian, and I love England. But never fear, I shall come and visit—and if you sell the flat, you will always have a bolt hole with me if you need one.”

The next day, Amy drove to her office in London. She parked close by and walked warily towards the building, looking out for signs that Alessandro might be there. No red Jaguar was anywhere to be seen, so she went in and took the lift to the third floor. Sandra came rushing to her for a hug, and her other colleagues crowded round, wanting to hear her news. They swept her off to their old watering hole nearby for lunch, and afterwards, Jake waved her to come into his office. To her surprise, he also gave her a hug and wished her well, telling her the company would always take her back if things didn’t work out for her. She was touched.

“Sandra told me your secret, Amy. To say I was astonished would be an understatement, but no one will get to hear about James from me. By the way, you know he married Sophia Bellucci?”

“Yes. Please can we not talk about him?” She stiffened, wishing he would change the subject.

“Very well, but I wondered if you knew that he—”

“Please, Jake, I know. I know everything I need to know about Alessandro di Benedetto.”

“Fine. Sorry. Well, here are your papers and a reference in case you ever have to work again…which I doubt. Good luck, Amy. We’ll miss you,” he said gruffly.

With a quivering smile, she left his office and went into her own to clear her desk. Ten minutes later, the door opened, and she didn’t instantly look up because she was shuffling through a pile of papers. Then a long shadow fell over her and a waft of a familiar scent drifted past her nose. With a violent start, she gazed up into Alessandro’s blazingly angry eyes.

Her whole body went into a spasm, as though she had been electrocuted, and with a horrified gasp, she clutched the edge of her desk and stared, mesmerized by him.

“Please come with me…unless, that is, you want me to cause you great embarrassment by carrying you off over my shoulder.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Alessandro,” she managed to say at last. “I’m not going anywhere with you. Get out of my office.”

“It plainly isn’t your office anymore.”

“Nevertheless, I won’t be bullied by you. Who do you think you are?”

“Déjà vu,
” he replied. “You asked me that once before, and I told you then that our souls recognized each other. Nothing has changed. Now come…”

He held out a hand, but ignoring it, she rose and brushed past him, watched by the fascinated staff in the main office as she preceded him into the lift.

Once inside, she knew she had made a mistake, because suddenly, she was trapped in a very confined space with Alessandro. She folded her arms protectively over her breasts and, giving him a withering look, leaned back against the wall. He mirrored her action, leaning against the opposite wall, and glared at her in silence until the lift doors opened at the ground floor.

“Where are we going?” she demanded as they emerged into the sunshine.

He took her arm and led her to his car. The red Jaguar, now mended, sat outside, and he opened the passenger door and almost pushed her into the car. Wordlessly, he pulled out into the traffic, causing a blaring of horns from irate taxi drivers, and headed for Kensington.

“How did you know I was at the office?” she demanded.

“I had a call.”

“Can’t I trust anyone?” she groaned.

“You could have trusted me!” he shouted at her.

“Oh, really?” she tossed at him scornfully. “Where are you taking me? Is this another of your over-the-top grand gestures? Are you going to surprise me with a fabulous apartment?”

“How well you know me, my darling. Yes, as a matter of fact, except it’s not just an apartment. It’s the new hotel your former employers have just helped me negotiate for.”

Amy, in spite of herself, began to laugh.

He led her through reception, and a buzz went round the staff and guests. As always, Alessandro was a striking figure in his grey Italian suit. He oozed good looks, style and money. Beside him, in her Levis and T-shirt, her hair caught in a curly ponytail, Amy felt incongruous. She had not dressed for the office, intending only to stay long enough to collect her belongings and then to be gone.

Alessandro pulled her into the lift and pressed the button labeled “Penthouse.”

“I don’t believe this,” grumbled Amy. But standing so close to him, even when they were both feeling so antipathetic, the hairs on her arms rose and every fiber of her being seemed to be aware of him. Her nerves jangled, her breathing was uneven, and a rising sense of panic threatened to engulf her.
No, no,
she pleaded, silently.
Please don’t let him try to seduce me. I hate the man, and now, to make matters worse, he’s married.
But a fire had been lit, and she was terrified of being alone with him. The pain she had already suffered at his hands was enough for a lifetime.

After what seemed like an eternity, the lift door opened and he took her across the hallway into a predictably sumptuous apartment.

“Please sit down, Amy. I don’t know about you, but I need a drink.” He poured himself a scotch and soda and raised his eyebrows, gesturing to the drinks cabinet.

“A brandy,” she snapped.

When he brought it to her, he sat opposite her, studying her thoughtfully. “You look amazing. You have filled out a little, but it suits you.”

She didn’t answer and simply twirled the brandy in her glass. If he thought a few compliments and this over-stuffed apartment were going to seduce her, he was going to be disappointed.

“Why did you run away, Amy? I thought you loved me.”

“And I thought you loved me. That was my big mistake. You trampled through my life when I was young and inexperienced and made a fool of me. You tried to dazzle me with all your worldly goods, but you know what, I wasn’t impressed with them—I’m still not. I was impressed with you. You were exciting and fun, and I saw…thought I saw…a man who had humanity and who cared for me. You taught me to make love in a way I had only ever dreamed of, and I was so, so stupid because I really believed it might be for life.” She was on her feet now, screaming at him in a rage.

“So why, in God’s name, did you disappear into thin air?” he demanded.

“Because I would never be your clandestine mistress, Alessandro, the courtesan of a rich Italian kept in a pretty flat in Rome.”

“I never asked you to do that…”

“But that’s what you had in mind for me, wasn’t it? I was never going to be rich enough or influential enough to be a part of your family; just an adoring lover who would satisfy your every whim on a Saturday afternoon while your beautiful wife was playing bridge. That’s why I ran away. That’s why I want you to stay out of our lives.”

“Our lives?”

“Yes!” Amy realized her mistake. “Me and…and my mother, who had such a terrible time watching me suffer after I left. Now, if you will excuse me, I have things to do.”

“No, I won’t excuse you!” He moved swiftly between her and the door and stared into her furious face, his eyes dark and intent.

She knew she had no chance of getting past him, and to her chagrin, tears poured down her face.

“Oh stop it…” she moaned softly to herself. And then to Alessandro, brokenly, she sobbed, “This is your fault! I never cry, but the past few weeks, I’ve almost become dehydrated. Why did you have to come back into my life? Please, please…leave me in peace. I can’t do this again…please!”

Instantly, he moved to her, and she was helpless when he reached out with his thumb and wiped her tears away. His touch and the suddenly soft look in his eyes lit a fuse.

“There are many explanations to make, but they can wait a while. You want this as much as I do—there will be plenty of time to talk after I have convinced you that you are only ever going to be mine.” And he took her in his arms and brought his mouth down on hers in a crushing kiss, which left her breathless with desire.

She wound her arms around his neck, ignoring the voice of common sense telling her this was madness, but every nerve in her body, every inch of tingling skin craved his touch. He lifted her, as though she weighed no more than a feather, and carried her into the bedroom, where he dropped her on the bed and proceeded to undress her, tugging off her jeans and, inch by inch, kissing and caressing each exposed part of her body until, not long afterwards, an ecstatic cry escaped her lips. Triumphantly, he moved across her and, with a moan, possessed her as only he ever could.

Afterwards she lay staring at the ceiling, incapable of speech, wondering what on Earth she had done. Six years of trying to get over this man wasted,

Alessandro lay very quietly, eyes closed beside her, caressing her stomach, and she turned and examined his face. There were a few extra fine lines on his brow and one or two silver hairs among the dark ones at his temple, which only served to make him look more distinguished. She gazed at the deep dimple in his chin and knew that if he ever saw James, he would know instantly the boy was his. This had been a disastrous mistake, and she knew somehow, she had to escape.