The Jealous Husband

ntinued. 'There has been no divorce,

k maleness as he held her fast. 'You might be my husband by contract, but that is

t are you feel

place as she focused her deep blue eyes on the concerned face of the ste

enetrating the horror tha

e watching her didn't look convinced and she added quickl

smiled her professional smile of sympathy as she str

tion. 'If it's no trouble,' she added

since she had received the telegram could be dealt with as easily as a headache. Th

f his mother, and to request your presence at the funeral on 23rd April. The

that she call or contact the family in any way, j

r, Signo

by the autocratic head of the Vittoria clan, whose word was law and power absolute. Donato. Oh,

despair and into the real world as she handed Grace a glass of water and the aspirin. 'Not long no

losed her eyes. She knew what the stewardess was thinking; it had been transparently obvious. Poor little th

boo to a goose. If only she looked her twenty-three years, that would give her a little more confidence for the days ahead but her petite five feet four inches ad

She shuddered her hand

than old enough to cope with Donato

hrough Customs she collected the one suitcase she had brought with her and prepared to find a taxi, he

ock of hearing that deep, cool voice with its heavy Italian accent speaking her

mouth unsmiling like hers. He was still the same! She felt her heart begin to slam against her ribcage with the force of a sledgehammer and, willed the panic to cease. She h

the slight quiver in her

a truly g

d dark blue cotton shirt immaculate as always and sitting on the big, lit

ot hers, never again. 'The telegram said it was sudden?' she asked carefully,

ement emphasizing the heavy gold watch on his wrist and the thick gold ban

g to someone behind him. 'An

face in front of her darkened. 'I...I've made arrangements,' she said hastily. 'It's all taken care of.' How had he known of her arrival? Why was he

e was pure Vittoria and as such hit her on the raw, causi

el La Pergola,' she said

ckness of his eyes. 'It would not be fitting in the circumstances an

hauffeur reached for her case again at Donato's tight nod she

is expected of me, not an

o one else. You can't order me

ow, with a thread of steel that she knew was meant to i

tossed back bitterly. 'I'm only

e a punch in the chest and it took all of her will power not to let it s

one of voice that was belied by the glittering inten

e asked hotly, her

y as the truth in his words left her pale and shaking. Liliana would have wanted her to stay at the family home,

lded such power and influence within her own family and shown Grace nothing but love and kindness from their first meeting. Yes,

tentative link with Italy was broken by her demise, and she would endeavor to see out this final travesty with the sort of dignity and aplomb

The words were smooth and self satisfied a

or the case, his pock marked face beneath its chauffeur's cap of blue and gold apologetic. 'Sc

th a touch of wryness, but he had certainly had no tro

servant, and this idea was reinforced now as she followed the swarthy, dark figure out to the Vittoria Me

oning added to the fact that the late April temperature was only just touching seventy degrees made traveling at midday sti

or the funeral, returning the same day. That would have meant she could have paid her last respects to Liliana while r

ding in, looking up into his cold, handsome face as she aske

attitude she had seen him adopt many times in the past and it usually had the desi

r vivid blue eyes with their thick, curling lashes dark wit

y not,'

do anything about it; his arrogance was bringing up a stron

e still had the power to make her weak but she would rather ha

snapped tightly

you?' he asked smoothly, with simulated surpris

f weariness that narrowed his eyes on the whiteness of h

the truth.' For a moment something fierce and hot, blazed in the heavily lashed black eyes but then his lids shutte

specially made for him, the wickedly blended allure of spices and lemon and something indefinable made her nerve ends jump. How many nights had she spent locked in his arms, she asked herself tremulously, breathing in t

d or the one beyond could possibly separate them, that they were two halves of one glorious whole. But

lightly, although his nearness sent her heart flickering

the last year, Grace,' he said calmly. 'You

eally don't see...' And then it dawned. 'You don

lour rising in unison. 'I

e straight line of his mouth expres

y, but she had given up trying to maintain the new coo

d heatedly, 'without the slightest shred of guilt or embarrassment? How