A Fatal Encounter in Tuscany by Vivian Conroy

Author:Vivian Conroy [Conroy, Vivian]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780008549312
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Chapter Eleven

The next morning Atalanta awoke to discover it was almost ten o’clock. Ashamed that she had slept so long, she hurried to freshen up, dress herself and go downstairs to see if there was any breakfast left. In the dining room she found Lorenzo standing at a buffet that had fresh bread, fruit, preserves, and cheeses.

Atalanta went over and said to him, “Scusi, I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced. Atalanta Ashford. How is your nose?”

Lorenzo scowled at her. “Not good, thanks to your friend Catharina.”

“I only met her on the train. I barely know her.” It might help to distance herself a bit from Catharina, inspire confidence in Lorenzo, and learn something about last night.

“But that friend of yours does know her. I saw him coming from her compartment.”

Atalanta felt as if she had been struck. “Excuse me?” she said coldly, hoping he wouldn’t see her shock.

“I was watching Catharina’s compartment in the night and saw Raoul Lemont came out from it. She has always been a man-eater.” Lorenzo started to pile breakfast on his plate. For someone with weak health he had a large appetite. “I shouldn’t trust her if I were you.”

Atalanta tried to hide her confusion at the sudden revelation about Raoul. It revived all her earlier suspicions that he had known in advance that Catharina would be on the train and had only acted surprised at their “accidental” meeting in the dining car. She didn’t want to think about that now. She had to focus on gathering relevant information about the case. “Did you send that threatening note?”

“Of course not. She made it up to get your friend to come here and protect her. Too bad she’s now in jail. Or is he going to get her out again?” Lorenzo sat down and began to eat.

Atalanta said, “Isn’t it strange for a half-brother to watch a compartment?”

Lorenzo shrugged. “I was looking for something to blacken her name with, something I could tell Papa to use against her. Just a tactic. They say all’s fair in love and war. Well, I say, all is fair when you want a part of your legacy. I am as much his son as the others. I should get something.”

“You say others. Do you mean Giovanni and Thomasso?”

Lorenzo shrugged. “Papa thought he was going to spring a major surprise on us with Thomasso’s return. But I already knew about it. I had listened at the door when Thomasso was here weeks ago. Melina was out that day, as well as Giovanni. They had no idea, and I didn’t tell them either. I thought it would be good to see how they responded.”

Lorenzo had apparently inherited his father’s trait of collecting information that could be advantageous.

Atalanta said, “Why do you call your mother Melina?”

“She doesn’t like men our age calling her mother. It makes her look old.” Lorenzo grimaced. “She is old to me. But she thinks she can still vie with younger women. She will probably remarry now that Papa is dead.

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