One Christmas Night In...: A Night in the Palace / A Christmas Night to Remember / Texas Tycoon's Christmas Fiancée

Dmitri stopped his pacing long enough to look down at her. ‘As it happens, my sister will be twenty-one tomorrow.’

‘Twenty-one?’ Lily repeated incredulously as she stood up. ‘Oh, for goodness’ sake. I thought from the way you were behaving that she must be about sixteen or so instead of a grown woman!’ At twenty-one Lily had already worked to support herself through her university degree and had been embarking on a course for her teaching certificate. ‘Obviously she has a mind of her own.’ Not surprising, if she was anything like her arrogant older brother! ‘And she’s definitely old enough to have decided for herself whether or not she’s in love. With Felix or anyone else.’

Dmitri looked at her disdainfully. ‘She has merely become … infatuated with his Englishness.’ He scowled darkly. ‘Felix is blond haired and blue-eyed, and—’

‘My twin.’

‘What?’ Dmitri stared at her uncomprehendingly. Lily gave a rueful smile. ‘Felix and I are twins. Born only five minutes apart.’

Dmitri closed his eyes briefly. ‘Which of you is the elder?’

‘I am,’ she announced.

Obviously, the two could not be identical, but Dmitri could see certain similarities in their colouring and the shape of their faces. And he had to acknowledge that at twenty-six years old Lily Barton was as beautiful as her brother was handsome …

He turned away from that fragile beauty to stare out of the window, searching for the soothing calm he always felt when looking at the majestic skyline of his beloved Roma. It was a calm that completely eluded him today, though, and he knew he would know no peace again until Claudia had been returned safely to him.

Dmitri had been fifteen years old when his mother had died giving birth to Claudia, but he had always adored his much younger sister—so much so that when their father had died of a heart attack, six years later, Dmitri had gladly accepted guardianship of her. It had not always been easy, and much of his time had been spent ensuring that her childhood was a happy and contented one—to the extent that he had put aside any ideas of marriage or a family of his own until Claudia’s own future was settled.

He realised now that perhaps he should not have done so. That a wife might perhaps have helped guard him against spoiling Claudia, of indulging her as much as he obviously had.

None of which was in the least helpful in this present situation!

‘Count Scarletti … er … Dmitri?’

His shoulders tensed at the husky softness of Lily’s voice before he slowly turned to look at her bleakly.

She took a deep breath before speaking. ‘If, as you claim, Felix has eloped with your sister, then I am sure that his intentions are honourable.’

At least Lily sincerely hoped that they were! Certainly Felix had never done anything as stupid as this before …

Crashed his motorbike when he was eighteen, yes. Dropped out of university during his first year to backpack around the world instead, yes. Telephoned Lily from Australia only three months later to ask for the fare home, yes. He had paid her back as soon as he had saved enough money from his winter season as a ski-instructor in France, though. Felix might be many things, but he was not a sponger.

Nevertheless, she had breathed a sigh of relief when, three years ago, Felix had finally seemed to shake the wanderlust from his system and settled down to take a business course before working his way up the corporate ladder to become PA to the managing director of a company in England. In turn, that had led to him coming to Rome three months ago to be PA to Count Scarletti.

Lily had always been the responsible twin—the sensible one. Always there to pick up the pieces from whatever scrape Felix had got himself into.

From the murderous expression now on Dmitri’s face, just at the mention of her brother’s honourable intentions, Lily realised there might not be any pieces of Felix left for her to pick up this time!

His mouth thinned ominously. ‘Your brother’s intentions are irrelevant when my sister is already promised in marriage to someone else.’

‘What?’ Lily felt a sinking sensation in her stomach.

He nodded. ‘Or at least she will be. Her betrothal to Francesco Giordano was to be announced at Claudia’s birthday celebrations tomorrow, at our home in Venice.’

Instead of which, she’d run off with another man! ‘Could that possibly be the reason she and Felix chose to elope today?’

Dmitri drew in a sharp breath. ‘Possibly.’

‘Which seems to imply that Claudia isn’t in love with this Francesco Giordano,’ Lily pointed out.

Those pale green eyes narrowed to glittering slits. ‘The betrothal has been arranged since Claudia’s sixteenth birthday.’

Lily shrugged. ‘Obviously she’s changed her mind since meeting Felix. And as the betrothal hasn’t yet been announced there’s no real harm done.’

‘The Giordanos and the Scarlettis have neighbouring vineyards in the hills above Venice,’ he grated harshly.

Lily’s brow cleared and she eyed him scathingly. ‘How romantic—a marriage made in the boardroom!’ She pursed her lips. ‘I simply can’t imagine why Claudia would prefer to elope with a handsome Englishman who’s in love with her rather than agree to an arranged marriage with your next door neighbour,’ she said sarcastically.

Dmitri looked annoyed. ‘You do not understand these things.’

‘I understand enough!’ There was no mistaking the disgust in her expression; those blue eyes glittered, her cheeks flushed and her top lip curled back in a slight sneer.

‘Obviously the vineyard is not Francesco’s only interest in her.’ He found himself defending the arrangement—much to his own annoyance.

‘I don’t see anything “obvious” about it,’ she challenged. ‘In fact, I find it pretty obscene that you intend marrying your only sister off to some man who’s probably old enough to be her father.’

‘Francesco is the only son of Franco Giordano, and is twenty-five years of age. He and Claudia have been friends since childhood!’ Dmitri’s patience—what little he had left after the shocking events of this morning—was fading fast in the face of this young woman’s insults.

‘Doesn’t he have an older or younger sister that you could marry to cement the business merger instead of Claudia?’ she asked pertly.

Dmitri’s nostrils flared at the obvious derision in her tone. Never, in all of his thirty-six years, had anyone ever spoken to him in the way she now did. ‘Francesco is an only child,’ he ground out through clenched teeth.

‘Pity,’ she said dryly.

‘Claudia gave no indication that she was unhappy with the betrothal,’ he insisted.

‘I think eloping with another man the day before her engagement is to be announced might be a hint in that direction, don’t you?’ She arched a mocking brow.

Dmitri clenched his hands together behind his back, knowing that if he didn’t he was seriously in danger of putting his hands about this outspoken young lady’s throat and throttling her!

‘Just out of interest, how have you explained Claudia’s present … absence to Francesco and his family?’ she now asked curiously.

Yes, perhaps a good shake was in order—even if he couldn’t strangle her! ‘Not that it is any of your business, but I have cancelled both the party and the announcement of the betrothal tomorrow evening with the excuse that Claudia has contracted … I believe in England you call it the mumps?’

‘Very clever.’ Lily eyed him admiringly. ‘Not only would that make Claudia highly contagious, and so prevent Francesco from visiting, but her swollen glands would also mean she won’t be able to speak to him on the telephone for several days.’

‘I am pleased it meets with your approval.’

Lily looked thoughtful. ‘You realise that excuse is only going to work for a limited time?’

‘By which time I will have ensured my sister’s safe return to her home and family.’

Lily quirked a mocking brow. ‘Ever heard the saying “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink”, Dmitri? My implication being—’

‘I am well aware of your implication, Miss Barton—’

‘Oh, Lily, please,’ she cut in pointedly. ‘After all, we’re almost related.’