Italian Romance Boxed Set by Diana Fraser

Author:Diana Fraser [Fraser, Diana]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bay Books

* * *

What the hell was he talking about? A smile? A problem?

Isabella followed Luca into the castello wondering if he’d been out in the sun too long or if there really was a problem she’d not been told about. Either scenario made her anxious. When he stopped in the hallway, now filled with the scent of freshly picked flowers and beeswax, she studied his face for clues. It wasn’t reassuring. His lips were quirked in a grin he didn’t seem to be able to contain and his eyes darted restlessly around the hall. Then he appeared to make a decision and strode over to the main reception room. “I think we need to be in here.”

She shrugged, completely bewildered, followed him into the room and looked around. It wasn’t exactly as she’d planned but that was most definitely not her responsibility. The sunlight swept across the shining parquet floor from huge windows that overlooked the valley. Above them, the crystal chandelier sparkled and bounced a rainbow of colors over the newly cleaned stonework. In one corner she’d installed a subtle, comfortable arrangement of settees but, on the other side was a games area, including a full-size table-tennis table, she most definitely hadn’t planned for. Isabella raised her eyebrows, bent down and picked up a bat that had dropped to the floor. She placed it carefully onto the table.

“Not exactly as I’d imagined it.”

“No. Nor me.”

“Well you added the table-tennis table. It doesn’t exactly help the ambience.”

She swung round to face him. His eyes searched hers as if looking for answers to a question she didn’t know had been asked. She turned away abruptly, confused. She walked over to the window and threw it open, allowing a cooling breeze and the sound of the river into the room.

“Still seeking the soothing sound of the river? What will you do when you’re away?”

She blinked. She hadn’t even realized she was doing it. But he was right. She’d miss the sound of the water, flowing gently some times, raging at others, but always there, always soothing. “It’s just habit. I’ll miss the sound, I’ll miss many things but I’ll get by.”

“What other things will you miss?”

“The castello, Allegra, you…”

“Me?”

She jumped at the proximity of his voice. She swallowed but didn’t turn around.

“Yes, of course.”

“You told Allegra you loved me. Did you mean what you said?”

“Yes.”

“And I love you too.”

“Not enough to be faithful though.”

“I had no-one to be faithful to. You made sure of that.” He sighed heavily and went to turn away.

Panic suddenly filled her. She touched his arm briefly and his hand went to the place she’d touched as if she’d burned him. “Luca, I know—”

“And if you can’t see that what I did—while it might not have been the right thing to have done—was not about us at all but about my own inadequacies then…” He shook his head. “What did you say?”

“I know. I’ve gone over and over what happened. I’d thought the separation was temporary; you thought it permanent.

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