Mediterranean Rebel's Bride by Lucy Gordon

Author:Lucy Gordon
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2007-10-12T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVEN

AS THEY ate Polly studied him. He might only have been starving for two days but it looked more like a week. What had happened while he’d been shut up alone with those photographs and his pitifully few memories?

And then she knew why he hadn’t wanted to come to this place.

Her cousin was there in her mind again, as she’d been in the last few weeks of her life, giving one of her cruel monologues in a voice that had begun to rasp.

‘He used to talk about how we’d go to Naples together and he’d take me to this little fish restaurant he part-owned. He said he’d show me off to all his friends—as if I wanted to be displayed to a load of fishermen! No, thank you! He thought he was really something, but he didn’t have a clue.’

That was why he hadn’t wanted to bring Polly here. In his mind it was reserved for Sapphire. He’d never known that she’d appreciated him only for his skill in bed. When he’d grown sentimental she’d despised him.

Get out, she told the evil imp in her head. You don’t deserve him.

But the imp was clever. She changed, becoming beautiful again.

‘And you think you do?’ she jeered. ‘Do you think you’ll take him from me by mothering him? I know what he wants from a woman, and it isn’t that.’

I’ll free him from you, no matter what I have to do.

Sapphire vanished, sulking, as she’d always done when she didn’t get her own way easily.

‘Are you all right?’ Ruggiero asked. ‘You went strange all of a sudden.’

‘Yes, everything fine. This food is good. Tell me, did you ever go into work?’

‘Yes, but after the first day I realised I wasn’t ready.’

‘And you always meant to come back to your apartment. That’s why you took the pictures of Sapphire.’

He avoided answering this directly, but gave her a curious look.

‘Do you know that you just called her Sapphire?’ he asked. ‘It was always Freda before.’

‘I didn’t realise. Well, it’s awkward if we’re using different names.’

But that wasn’t the reason, she knew. Freda had gone. Only Sapphire existed now. Increasingly she had the feeling that her enemy was taking shape before her, ready for a fight that was inevitable.

‘I’m not a very good host,’ he said with a faint smile. ‘When a man takes a woman for dinner he should talk about her—her eyes, her face…’

‘You try that and I’ll make you sorry,’ she threatened, her eyes gleaming.

‘Ah, yes. Brian wouldn’t like it.’

‘I wouldn’t like it. I’m here to look after you. Your mother hired me as your nurse, and I’m going to earn my salary.’

‘My mother’s paying you?’ he asked, in a voice that sounded surprised and not entirely pleased.

‘Certainly. I’m providing a service and she’s paying the going rate. Well, more than the going rate, if I’m honest, but that only means I have to be more conscientious about doing my job.’ A burst of inspiration made her add, ‘Brian’s very pleased.

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