An Innocent In His Bed Bundle by Lindsay Armstrong

Author:Lindsay Armstrong
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2008-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWO

‘THIS is Signor Amato’s itinerary for the next thirty days.’ Eduardo handed Katie a piece of heavy cream paper that bore the Amato crest. ‘Business appointments are in red, social ones in green, and engagements combining the two are crosshatched. The timing of your month here was chosen because he will be based at the Villa Antico, rather than travelling between his other properties here in Italy and abroad. You will be able to experience Signor Amato’s taste for yourself and, of course, talk to him about his personal preferences.’

‘My goodness,’ Katie murmured as she studied a closely typed timetable. It covered the current month in detail, but the previous and following weeks also crowded in at the top and bottom of his busy schedule in note form. ‘The Hamptons, Manhattan, a yacht, Nice…Does the man never spend more than a couple of nights in any of these places?’

‘No.’ Eduardo looked thoughtful and then reached out a neatly manicured hand for the paper she held. ‘I understand from Signor Amato that you are to be allowed full access to the villa, in which case now might be an ideal moment to make a study of the White Bedroom. Signor Amato is guest of honour at a dinner this evening. If you begin now, Miss Carter, you will have some time in which to work upstairs, undisturbed.’

‘Oh, but I couldn’t possibly go to Signor Amato’s suite now. He’ll be getting ready to go out.’

Eduardo laughed, his prosperous jowls shimmering. ‘I do not mean you should work on his personal suite, Miss Carter. You would be dealing with separate rooms. They were used, until the old Count’s death, for—’ he looked up, searching for what to say among the carved fruit and flowers that decorated the ceiling of his office ‘—something that Signor Amato would rather have wiped from the record as soon as possible, shall we say?’

Katie’s imagination went into overdrive, but she was too discreet to ask for more details. This impressed Giovanni’s assistant, who soon lost his initial suspicion of her. He led her through the marble halls quite cheerfully, but was surprised when she wanted to be shown her own suite first. ‘I shan’t be a minute, Eduardo, but I need to collect a toolbox…Wow!’ she gasped as he showed her into a large salon.

On closer inspection it was as faded and shabby as the rest of the house, but Katie’s first impression was of glamour, space and light. It was a world away from her small city flat. All the huge windows had been thrown open to air her suite, and filmy net curtains billowed in a sweetly scented breeze coming in from the gardens. Work forgotten, Katie wandered through her spacious temporary home. She gasped at the marble, gold and mirrors of her bathroom and marvelled at the size of her dressing room. She had brought the minimum amount of luggage and her first thought was that it would be lost in the echoing vastness of cupboards and racks when she came to unpack.

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