A Lady Dares by Bronwyn Scott

Author:Bronwyn Scott [Scott, Bronwyn]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9781472003980
Publisher: HarlequinUKLtd
Published: 2013-03-26T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

Italian food. Yet another thing she’d never done, and most certainly, she’d never done it this way—dining out in Soho. Elise took Dorian’s hand and stepped down from the carriage into the crowded mélange of the neighbourhood.

It was hard to believe they were still in the West End of London. The Soho area had a cosmopolitan feel to it that was entirely foreign to the stiff English uniformity of Mayfair’s wealthy citizens. London’s rich had forsaken Soho almost fifty years ago, leaving it to the immigrants who would make a home for themselves away from home. As they walked, the languages of Europe swirled around them. Elise laughed up at Dorian at one point, ‘There’s so much French being spoken here, I feel like we’re in Paris!’

‘We’re to be Italian tonight, remember?’ Dorian grinned. ‘But perhaps we can be French the next time we come.’

The next time. Her heart gave an irrational trip of excitement. There was a wealth of promise and commitment in those words he tossed off so casually. Did he mean for there to be other nights like this one? And what did that mean? She knew what it didn’t mean. He wasn’t courting her. Dorian Rowland wasn’t the courting type. Yet, he was investing time in her, time that went beyond an employee’s obligation. It made her wonder what he wanted and what she’d give in return.

‘Ah, here we are.’ Dorian ushered her towards a little restaurant with three arched windows with a sign reading ‘Giovanni’s.’ The immigrant population of Soho had taken good advantage of the growing penchant for dining out and opened eateries showcasing the foods of their native homes. Giovanni’s was no exception: an Italian trattoria lodged between a French bistro and a German delicatessen.

Elise stepped inside and was immediately wrapped in the enticing smells of tomato and basil, garlic and fresh baked bread. A dozen tables draped in white cloths with candles in red jars to mute the light filled the room, all of them occupied with patrons and enormous bowls of pasta. Elise closed her eyes and breathed deeply, taking a mental picture complete with scents. She felt adventurous and decadent in her red dress and she wanted to remember this moment, being here in this exotic neighbourhood with this exciting man beside her. Moments like this, experiences like this, had been rare in her life. Her world had been far smaller than she’d realised. ‘It smells divine. What is it?’

‘Spaghetti bolognese,’ Dorian whispered at her ear. ‘Giovanni makes it on Wednesdays and Sundays. It is his special dish.’

The kitchen door swung open and an enormous black-haired man swathed in a great white apron burst through, arms outstretched. There was only a moment’s warning before he embraced Dorian, kissing him soundly on both cheeks. ‘Buona sera, mi amico.’ More loudly, he called out, ‘Che Capitano Dorian!’

‘It is good to see you, Giovanni.’

‘You have brought a pretty signorina,’ Giovanni said in broken English, turning his attention her direction.

‘Allow me to introduce Miss Elise Sutton.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.