Rachel Lindsay - Business Affair by Rachel Lindsay

Author:Rachel Lindsay [Lindsay, Rachel]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2010-10-30T00:40:04.811000+00:00

CHAPTER IX

FOR the rest of the weekend Kate avoided being alone with Marcus. On Sunday evening Angela came down for dinner. Pale, shaky, but still lovely in an ethereal way, she made Kate feel raw-boned and gauche. Marcus divided his attention between the two of them, but occasionally Angela let her hand rest on his, sometimes leaning towards him so that her breath fanned his cheek and always, with every gesture that she made, keeping her eyes on Kate.

They were due to leave for London on Monday morning and making .an excuse that she was tired, Kate went to bed early. It was impossible to sleep and she sat on her balcony and looked at the blue-grey sky. It was a colour typical of Italy, to be seen only in the Renaissance pictures that hung in the Uffizi gallery. Even the raucous sounds of the little motor-bikes could not dispel the glamour that pervaded the atmosphere and occasionally floating up from the river bank came the lilting sounds of a woman's laughter and the deeper tones of a man. Nights like this were made for love, and resolutely Kate thought of Charles. He would like Florence, she told herself, for he had a great appreciation of beauty. What would he say when he learned she was going to sell her home and the many treasures it held? She had still not told him. Unlike Marcus, he would not accept the news in silence; but then, as her fiancé, he had the right to comment

She scraped her chair back and standing up, leaned over the edge of the wrought iron railing.

"Hello," Marcus said, and she drew back with a start of surprise.

"Where are you?" she called.

"On the balcony beneath you."

"How did you know it was me?"

"I knew where your room was. It's a beautiful nighty isn't it?"

"Yes," she said softly, "beautiful Where's Angela?"

"I made her go to bed. She's still far from well."

She heard him move and visualised him sitting down in a chair and taking out the inevitable cigarette.

"You wouldn't care to come and join me for a cup of coffee, would you?"

"No," she said sharply, "I wouldn't."

"That's what I thought You're a good girl, Kate. Good in every sense of the word."

She trembled with anger at the note of amusement in his voice. "I'm sorry if that annoys you, I'm going to bed now. Good night, Marcus."

"Kate?" his voice held her back.

"Yes? What is it?"

"I wish with all my heart I were Petruchio!"

Without a word she went into her room and with a sharp bang closed the window.

It was raining when they arrived at London Airport and somewhat to Kate's surprise Charles was there to meet them. Marcus and Angela drove off in a hired car and Kate and Charles returned together. Although it was only a week since she had seen him, she looked at him with the eyes of a stranger. How thin he was compared to Marcus, how pale his face. The eyes were a little

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