I wish you were really here with me, she told him. How we’d enjoy the looks your male relatives are giving me. You’d just love that, and you’d egg me on to flirt with them, but then we’d sweep out together at the end, and you’d enjoy that more than anything. Oh, caro, I miss you so much.

It was strange, she thought, how the passion she’d found with Salvatore, after waiting so long, had done nothing to diminish her longing for Antonio. There was more than one kind of love.

Love. The thought halted her. She’d loved Antonio. With Salvatore she resisted the word, although it somehow crept up on her.

No, she didn’t love him. He had merely shown her how to enjoy another side of life. It wasn’t love, and there was no need to worry about it.

Having settled that, she made her solitary way across the island to the landing stage and caught the next ferry back to Venice.

At the Palazzo Veretti the banqueting hall was set out in splendour. Two long tables ran down the centre of the great room, set with the finest china and crystal.

Helena had dressed conservatively for tonight, in a gown that was long and black with a modest neckline. It was intended to be respectable, but it didn’t hide any aspect of her beauty because nothing could do that.

She was seated between Salvatore and his grandmother, from whom she could sense a barely veiled hostility. The signora professed great affection for Antonio’s memory and great pleasure in meeting his widow, but her eyes were cold as they flickered over Helena. She did her duty gamely, but she was glad when the dancing began and she could escape.

She gave the first dance to Lionello, then to his son, then to one of his grandsons, a nineteen-year-old youth who sighed over her so blatantly that she wanted to laugh. He was followed by an endless stream of others, all competing for the right to hold Helen of Troy in their arms. Franco, the man who’d taken bets at the auction, glided past, saying, ‘I’m going to make a fortune out of this.’

‘Franco, don’t you dare!’ Helena told him.

‘I can’t help myself,’ he pleaded outrageously.

‘Well, make sure you give something to the hospital,’ she called as he danced away.

She wasn’t sure exactly how he managed it but he was soon surrounded by a little crowd.

Antonio seemed to be haunting her today. He’d been there on the Lido Island and now he was here again, reminding her of evenings like this when he’d glowed with the pride of ownership.

‘And I did you proud, didn’t I?’ she whispered.

‘What was that?’ her partner asked sharply.

Startled, she looked up and found herself in Salvatore’s arms.

‘I excused your last partner who was making an exhibition of himself, and you,’ he said crisply. ‘You barely noticed.’

‘I’m sorry-I was thinking about something else,’ she said hastily.

‘Something or someone?’

The cool authority in his voice annoyed her.

‘Don’t interrogate me,’ she snapped. ‘My thoughts are my own, although you don’t seem to think so. You’ve been in an odd mood today.’

He knew it and was annoyed with himself for letting his feelings show, something he normally found it easy to avoid. All day he’d sensed people looking at her, and then at him, enviously, for everyone knew of their association. Once he would have taken those looks as his due, and enjoyed escorting the most beautiful woman. Now he hated to see other men gazing at her. He knew what they were thinking, how they were imagining making love to her, and as far as he was concerned they were trespassing on his private property.

‘Why are you scowling at me?’ she asked, trying to speak lightly.

‘Because I’m not Antonio.’

‘What does that mean?’

‘Unlike him I don’t relish the sight of you flaunting yourself before other men.’

‘How dare you?’

‘Don’t act the injured innocent. You know what you’ve been doing.’

‘If I have, I’ve been doing it for him, as a kind of farewell.’

‘A very cunning excuse, but not good enough. He might have put up with it but I won’t.’

‘You won’t what? You have no property rights over me, Salvatore. I do as I like, with your permission or without it. Don’t try to order me about, because I won’t stand for it.’

His grip tightened, drawing her closer. ‘You won’t-?’

‘It’s been a long day. I think I’ll be going soon.’

His mouth hardened. ‘Thus snubbing me in front of everyone.’

‘Nonsense. It’s late, I’m tired. I couldn’t stop Franco taking bets, but I told him to give some to the hospital-’

‘After, or before, your cut?’

Helena stopped sharply. ‘How dare you? I’m leaving right now.’

‘I would prefer it if you didn’t.’

‘Tough! I’m going, now!’

‘Do you think I’ll allow you to do that?’

It was an unwise thing to say and he knew it as soon as the words were out of his mouth. She knew it too, for she surveyed him, a wry smile playing on her lips.

‘Why don’t we put it to the test?’ she asked. ‘I’ll head for the door, you try to turn me back and we’ll see which one of us comes off worst.’

‘Strega!’ He’d called her a witch before, but then it had been a compliment. Now it was venomous.

‘Goodnight, Signor Veretti. Thank you for a pleasant evening, but I must go now. I’ll say my goodbyes to your family, and then I’ll leave.’

‘You will not!’

‘How are you going to insist?’

For a moment she almost believed that he would make a fight of it there and then, but his control exerted itself just in time, warning him not to allow fascinated onlookers to sense any division between them. But his eyes were full of another warning, to her. This wasn’t over, and she had better beware.

Formally he offered her the use of his boatman to convey her to the hotel.

‘No, thank you,’ she said gaily. ‘I fancy the walk.’

‘I’ll escort you-’

‘No, I will-’

‘I offered first-’

The clamour of young men was loud, and Salvatore seized her arm, drawing her close to mutter in her ear.

‘Are you mad to go with them? They’re all hot for you.’

‘Don’t worry,’ she chuckled, ‘there’s safety in numbers. If any one of them gets too near me the others will toss him into the canal. Goodnight.’

Waving over her shoulder, she sauntered off, pursued by an eager crowd.

As she’d predicted, her admirers behaved themselves, and once in the hotel she rewarded them by sharing a drink in the downstairs bar before retiring to her room, adamantly refusing all requests to accompany her.

An orchestra was playing in St Mark’s Piazza, just out of sight. It was a sweet, aching tune and she listened to it with a faint smile, wondering how long Salvatore would be.

Exactly an hour later the bell on her door rang as though someone was leaning against it. She opened to find Salvatore, his shirt wrenched open, his hair awry. He was through the crack in a moment, locking the door behind him.

‘I take it you knew I’d be coming,’ he grated.

‘I had a feeling you might be dropping in.’

‘What the hell did you think you were doing?’

‘Being a good guest, entering into the spirit of things, having a good time.’

‘You had a good time all right, and so did everyone else, with you putting it all on display.’

‘If you mean that as an insult, Salvatore, you’re way off the mark. It’s my trade. It’s how I earn my living, putting it all on display.’

That drove him mad, she was glad to see. She might be taking a risk, provoking him, but she didn’t care. She was high on excitement, dizzy with power, desperate to provoke him further and then further. It had been too long.

‘Of course,’ she added, nudging him on, ‘you have to know exactly how to do it-subtly is best.’

She was pulling at the fastening of her skirt, which was separate from the top. It came away easily and she tossed it aside-perhaps it had been designed that way. Salvatore was watching her, breathing hard. She backed further, reaching for her top.

But he beat her to it, reaching out to grasp the black silk and yank it away. A ripping sound, and it was gone. Then he was throwing off his own clothes, seizing her and tossing her down onto the bed.

‘Suppose I asked you to leave?’ she demanded.

‘How are you going to insist?’ he echoed her words from earlier.

His fingers were working at her black slip, tearing it off, revealing the naked breasts. Her delicate panties went the same way and at last he was there, between her legs, inside her, not seeking permission, just entering, completing her, owning her.

Something that had been raging inside her during the days apart came up to meet him, exploded then yielded, melting but ready again at once. Later she would regain her independence, challenge him, defy him. For now this was all that mattered.

‘So now,’ he growled in her ear, ‘now what do you say?’

Slowly she turned her head on the pillow, meeting his eyes, her own full of mocking humour, murmuring, ‘I say-what took you so long?’

CHAPTER TEN

‘HOW did you get away so soon?’ she murmured. ‘I thought it would take you much longer.’

‘One of my aunts took pity on me and told me to clear off because I was useless.’

They were lying in the dark. It was almost dawn and they had loved each other to exhaustion. Now they simply lay together, naked, resting.

‘I’ll have to go back soon,’ he groaned, ‘and spend today being a host. But the last of them will leave early tomorrow, and then I’ll come straight here. I want to be alone with you.’

‘That sounds lovely,’ she said. ‘But is it possible to be alone in Venice?’

‘It is where I’m going to take you.’

‘Where’s that?’

He grinned. ‘Wait and see. All I’ll tell you is-wear sensible clothes.’

‘Define sensible.’

‘Shirt and trousers.’

Reluctantly he got out of bed and began picking up his clothes from the floor. When he’d finished dressing he sat on the bed and took her hand, gazing down at it.

‘What I said about “your cut,”’ he said awkwardly. ‘You know I-’

‘I know,’ she said gently.

‘I’d have said anything to hurt you. I’m afraid I’m like that.’

‘So am I,’ she admitted.

‘I don’t believe that. But sometimes a cruel devil comes over me and I give in to it.’

She sat up and rested her cheek against his shoulder.

‘Sometimes the urge to make a dramatic effect is just too strong,’ she offered.

‘Thank you. That’s very generous.’

She chuckled. ‘Let me give you a tip about making an effect. When you get home, don’t creep in. Make sure everyone knows that you were away for hours.’

He stared at her, his eyes gleaming.

‘You mean-?’

‘Then those eager young lads will know that you achieved what they couldn’t,’ she finished triumphantly.

‘You’re a wicked, wicked woman,’ he said fervently, kissing her.

‘I know. Isn’t it fun? Now be off. I need lots of sleep before I can be wicked again.’

She spent most of that day dozing in perfect contentment. Next morning there was a message from Salvatore to be ready on the dot of ten. He was there promptly, driving a large white motor boat. His eyebrows rose when he saw her attire.

‘You said trousers,’ she defended herself.

‘I also said sensible, not trousers that hug your waist and hips so tightly that-well-’

‘They’re the only ones I have.’

‘Yes, I suppose they are. Get in, and I’ll try to keep my mind on my driving. It won’t be easy but I’ll try.’

It was a glorious day, full of the sparkling delight of early summer. As the boat headed out over the lagoon she stood beside him, rejoicing in the feel of the wind in her hair.

‘Where are we going?’ she yelled above the noise of the engine.

‘To one of the islands.’

She knew there were about a dozen small islands in the lagoon, places so small that nobody lived there, and as they went further out she guessed they were heading for one of these. Even so she had a surprise when Salvatore finally drew into a tiny cove. There was a small landing stage and a post with a metal ring to which he tethered the boat.

‘It’s so tiny,’ she said, astonished. ‘At least, what I can see of it is tiny.’

‘That’s right. It’s about half a mile in one direction, and three quarters of a mile in another. When we’ve gone through those trees at the edge of the beach you’ll be able to see the whole place.’

The ground sloped up so that as they emerged from the trees Helena found that she did indeed have a perfect view of the tiny island, including how the shore curved away on each side, until it enclosed the island in the distance. Looking around, she discovered that she could just make out Venice far away across the lagoon.