In The Count's Bed: The Count's Blackmail Bargain / The French Count's Pregnant Bride / The Italian Count's Baby

Once again, it seemed, he was—letting her go.

‘It’s kind of you to be concerned, signora,’ she returned with total insincerity. ‘But I’m quite accustomed to my own company. Besides, His Excellency has already given me far too much of his time. And I have my packing to do. The time will pass in a flash.’

The Signora gave her a long look, then addressed herself to her nephew. ‘Camilla tells me that her son, Fabrizio, will be joining us tomorrow, with his beautiful wife—I forget her name. Do you wish me to convey any message to them on your behalf?’

There was another tingling silence. Then: ‘No,’ Alessio said icily. ‘I thank you.’

‘Then let us dine,’ said the Signora. ‘I have quite an appetite. Come, signorina.’

On the way to the dining room, Alessio detained his cousin. ‘Why in the name of God have you agreed to go to Trasimeno tomorrow?’ he demanded in an undertone.

Paolo shrugged. ‘Mamma has suddenly become more amenable on the subject of my marriage plans. I felt she deserved a small concession. Besides,’ he added, leering, ‘you heard her say that tasty little plum Vittoria Montecorvo was going to be there. I thought I might try my chances with her.’

A single spark of unholy joy penetrated Alessio’s inner darkness. ‘Why not?’ he drawled. ‘Rumour says the lady is—recep-tive.’ He paused. ‘Although there is an obstacle, of course.’

‘Obstacle?’ Paolo stared at him, then laughed. ‘You mean the husband? No problem there. He’s a total fool.’

‘I was thinking,’ Alessio said levelly, ‘of Signorina Mason.’

‘Ah—yes.’ Paolo looked shifty. ‘But we are not married yet, and a man should be allowed his bachelor pleasures.’

‘I could not agree more,’ Alessio told him softly. ‘I wish you luck, cousin.’

If Laura had thought the presence of other people at the table would make the situation easier, she soon realised her mistake.

Only the Signora, who seemed to have belatedly rediscovered the laws of hospitality and chattered almost vivaciously throughout dinner, appeared to enjoy the lengthy meal. Paolo was lost in some pleasant day-dream and hardly said a word, while Alessio’s responses to his aunt’s heavily playful remarks were crisp and monosyllabic.

Altogether, the atmosphere was tricky, and Laura, to her shame, found herself remembering almost nostalgically the meals she’d eaten alone with Alessio.

Don’t even go there, she adjured herself severely as the ordeal drew to a close.

They returned to the salotto for coffee, and it occurred to her that she ought to talk to Paolo privately, and make certain that he’d taken seriously her insistence on going home. And that he intended to call the airline and change their flight as soon as he got back tomorrow.

She said with feigned brightness, ‘Paolo, darling, why don’t we have our coffee on the terrace? It’s such a beautiful night and we can—enjoy the moonlight together.’

For a moment, she thought he was going to refuse, then comprehension dawned. ‘But of course,’ he said. ‘What a wonderful idea.’

As she walked out through the windows she was aware of Alessio’s enigmatic stare following her. She paused, realising that she was breathing much too fast, and went to lean on the balustrade as she tried to regain her composure.

If she was honest, she thought, looking up at the sky, it was far from being a lovely night. The air was hot and stifling, and there was a haze over the moon. Wasn’t that supposed to be a sign of bad weather to come?

Then, as she waited she heard somewhere in the distance the long-drawn-out howl of an animal, an eerie sound that echoed round the hills, and made the fine hairs stand up on the nape of her neck.

Gasping, she turned and almost cannoned into Alessio, who was standing just behind her.

She recoiled violently. ‘Oh, God, you startled me.’ She swallowed. ‘That noise—did you hear it?’

‘It was a wolf, nothing more.’ He put the cup of coffee he was carrying on the balustrade. ‘They live in the forests, which is one of the reasons Fredo likes to stay up there too—to protect his goats. Didn’t Paolo warn you about them?’

‘Yes,’ she said. ‘He mentioned them.’ She added coldly, ‘But he failed to tell me that they don’t all live in forests.’

Alessio winced elaborately. ‘A little unjust, bella mia. According to the experts, wolves mate for life.’

‘The four-legged kind, maybe.’ She paused. ‘I’ve never heard any of them before this evening. Why is that?’

‘They are more vocal in the early spring, when they are breeding,’ he explained. ‘Perhaps, tonight, something has disturbed them.’

‘Perhaps.’ She looked past him towards the lights of the sal-otto. ‘Where’s Paolo?’

‘His mother decided that the night air would be bad for his chest,’ he said solemnly. ‘And, as they have a journey tomorrow, she has persuaded him to have an early night.’ He indicated the cup. ‘So I brought your coffee to you.’ He added, silkily, ‘I regret your disappointment.’

‘Paolo’s health,’ she said stonily, ‘is far more important.’

The howl of the wolf came again, and she shivered. ‘That’s such a—lonely sound.’

‘Maybe he is alone, and lonely.’ Alessio faced her, leaning against the balustrade. ‘A wolf occasionally does separate from the pack, and find that he does not wish to be solitary after all.’

‘Well, I won’t waste too much sympathy.’ Laura kept her tone crisp. ‘Wolves are predators, and I expect there are quite enough stray females about to prevent them becoming totally isolated. What do you think, signore?’

He grinned at her, unfazed. ‘I think that I would very much like to put you across my knee, and spank you, signorina,’ he drawled. ‘But that, alas, would not be—politically correct. So I will leave you before you draw any more unflattering comparisons.’

And that, Laura thought bleakly, when he’d gone and she was left staring into the darkness, was probably our last exchange. I insulted him, and he threatened me with physical violence. Tomorrow he’ll be in Perugia. The day after, I’ll be on the plane to London. End of story.

And she looked up at the blurred moon, and realised unhappily that she felt like howling herself.

Laura made sure she was around in the morning to bid Paolo an openly fond farewell.

‘As soon as you get back,’ she whispered as she hugged him, ‘you must phone the airline and change our flights. Please, Paolo. I—I can’t stand it here much longer.’

‘You are better off here than lunching with Camilla Montecorvo. She is a bigger dragon than my mother,’ he returned morosely. ‘And at least you will have the place to yourself while my cousin is in Perugia on this mysterious business of his.’ He gave her a knowing look. ‘If you ask me, he has a woman there, so he may not come back at all.’ Then, more loudly, ‘Arrivederci, carissima. Hold me in your heart until I return.’

Breakfast, as usual, was served on the terrace, although Laura was not so sure this was a good idea. It was not a pleasant morning. The air was sultry, and there was no faint breeze to counteract it. Looking up, she saw that there were small clouds already gathering around the crests of the hills, and realised that Fredo’s change in the weather was really on its way.

She thought, Everything’s changing… and shivered.

She also noticed that two places had been set at the table.

‘His Excellency comes soon,’ Emilia told her. ‘He swims.’

Yes, thought Laura, biting her lip, fighting the sudden image in her mind. He—told me.

For a moment she let herself wonder what would happen if she went down to the pool and joined him there.

‘I’ve come for my swimming lesson,’ she could say as she slid down into the water, and into his arms…

She shook herself mentally. She would never behave in such a way, not in a thousand years, so it was crazy even to think like that. And futile too.

A woman in Perugia, Paolo had said.