Sara Craven Tribute Collection

Clare winced. ‘Poor Paola.’

‘He believed, you see, that I did not know where to find her, and would be frantic to get her back on any terms.’

‘How did you know?’ Clare’s curiosity got the better of her.

He shrugged again. ‘Unfortunately for him, Paola had left his letter detailing all the arrangements in her bedroom.’

In spite of weariness, strain and anger, Clare’s mouth curved into an involuntary smile. ‘Oh, no. Surely not.’

‘She is not a very experienced conspirator,’ the Marchese conceded sardonically. ‘When he realised that I knew the time and place of their rendezvous, he decided it was better to be discreet than brave, and rang off in a great hurry.’ He paused. ‘I went to collect Paola—and instead I found you,’ he added softly.

‘Yes, you did.’ Clare gave him a defiant stare. ‘And, even if it was interference, I’m still glad I didn’t just abandon her.’

‘Would you believe that I am glad too? Even grateful?’

‘Oh, please don’t go overboard,’ Clare begged sarcastically. She hesitated. ‘What will happen to Fabio? Are you going to pursue him? Charge him with something?’

The Marchese shook his head. ‘He was not a serious kidnapper. Just an unpleasant leech who saw a chance to make himself some easy money at my expense. I imagine it is not the first time he has been paid to go away.’

‘But this time he misjudged his opponent.’ Clare’s tone was ironic.

‘As you say.’

‘Congratulations, signore. I hope next time you don’t have to mount a full-scale operation to stop Paola running away.’

‘There will not be a next time,’ he said curtly. ‘I believed she was sufficiently protected. However, I was wrong, and other steps will have to be taken.’

‘Not the school in Switzerland, I trust,’ Clare said before she could stop herself.

The dark eyes raked her. ‘She seems to have taken you fully into her confidence.’

Clare met his gaze steadily. ‘Sometimes it’s easier to talk to a stranger. Someone you’ll never see again.’ She paused. ‘Talking of which, I hope I’m free to go now.’

‘Of course.’

‘Oh, I’m taking nothing for granted.’ Not until I’ve put at least a hundred kilometres between us, she added silently.

‘I regret that your vacation has been interrupted so unpleasantly. Do you intend to journey on to Cenacchio?’

‘I’m not sure what my plans are,’ Clare said guardedly. Whatever, she wasn’t prepared to share them, especially with an Italian aristocrat who seemed to regard the rest of creation as so many puppets to dance to his tug on the strings.

He picked up her bag and replaced the items that had fallen out, with the exception of her passport, which he opened and studied for a moment.

Then he looked at her, his lips twisting in a faint smile. He said softly, ‘Your photograph does not do you justice—Chiara.’

It had been a long time since anyone had used the Italian version of her name. Not since her mother…

Clare bit her lip hard, staring rigidly at the table.

There’d been an odd note in his voice, she realised. Something disturbing—even sensuous—that had prickled along her nerve-endings.

‘Would you like to see Paola?’ he went on in the same quiet tone. ‘I am sure she would wish to thank you.’

The walls of the room seemed to be contracting strangely, startling her with a sudden vivid awareness of his proximity to her. A troubling certainty that she was in more danger now than she had been all day. Or even ever before.

She thought, I’ve got to get out of here—away from here…

She forced a stiff little smile. ‘I’d prefer to leave things as they are. Please tell her I said goodbye—and good luck,’ she added deliberately. ‘I think she’s going to need it.’

He smiled back at her. ‘Oh, I think we all make our own good fortune—don’t you?’

‘I—I haven’t given it much thought.’ She put out her hand. ‘May I have my bag, please?’

For an uneasy moment she was sure he was going to make her reach out and take it from him.

But he passed it across the table to her without comment. He had good hands, she noted without pleasure, with square, capable palms and long fingers. Strong, powerful hands. But, she wondered, could they also be gentle…?

She caught herself hastily. She couldn’t afford to indulge in that kind of speculation. It simply wasn’t safe.

Guido Bartaldi wasn’t safe, she thought, making a play of checking the contents of her bag.

‘You will find everything there.’ He sounded amused.

‘As I said, I’m taking nothing for granted.’ She found her watch, and fastened it back on to her wrist, her fingers clumsy with haste as she struggled with the clasp.

‘May I help?’

‘No—no, thank you,’ she said hastily. The thought of him touching her, even in such a brief asexual contact, was enough to bring warm colour into her face. She kept her head bent as she completed the fastening.

And then something else in her bag attracted her attention, and she stiffened.

‘Just a moment.’ She extracted an envelope. ‘This isn’t mine.’

‘Open it.’

The envelope contained money—lira notes in large denominations. Getting on for a thousand pounds, she thought numbly.

She looked up and met his expressionless gaze. She said, ‘What is this? Some kind of set-up?’

‘On the contrary,’ he returned. ‘Let us call it a tangible expression of my regret for the inconvenience you have suffered.’

‘Of course,’ she said. ‘The rich man’s solution for everything. Throw money at it.’

‘I had hoped,’ he said, ‘that it might make you look more kindly on me.’

Clare shook her head. ‘I’m sorry, signore.’ She kept her voice clipped and cool. ‘You may have bought the local police force, but my goodwill isn’t for sale. Not now. Not ever.’

The notes tore quite easily. As Guido Bartaldi watched her, motionless and silent, Clare ripped them across, and across, reducing them savagely to the most expensive confetti in the world, then tossing the fragments into the air.