Ellie was never sure what woke her.
For one sleepy moment, she wondered why, on such a still night, the pale curtains at her window seemed to be billowing into the room? Only to discover, with blank terror, that she was no longer alone.
That a tall shadow, darker than all the rest, was standing beside the bed and a man’s voice was whispering teasingly, ‘Were you asleep, mia bella? Then I hope you were dreaming of me.’Then before she could move or force her paralysed throat muscles to scream, the mattress beside her dipped under a new weight, and strong arms reached for her, drawing her against bare and aroused male flesh while a warm mouth took hers in the kind of deep and sensual kiss wholly outside her experience.
And for one brief, appalled instant, she felt her ungiven body arch against him in a response as instinctive as it was shocking.
Then, as sanity came racing back, she tore her lips from his and tried to push him away, raking her nails down the hair-roughened wall of his torso.
He swore and his grasp slackened fractionally, giving her the chance to fling herself across the bed away from him, her hand reaching desperately for the lamp switch.
And as light flooded the room, Ellie’s horrified, incredulous gaze met that of her assailant.
Angelo was the first to speak.
He said hoarsely, ‘You? But I don’t understand …’‘Get out of here.’ She was blushing from head to foot, burning with shame, as she delved for the sheet, dragging it up to cover her naked breasts.
Trying at the same time not to look at him.
‘Just—go.
Now.
For God’s sake.’But it was too late.
There was a sharp knock at the door, followed by her godmother’s voice saying, ‘Is all well with you, Elena? An intruder has been seen in the garden.’Angelo muttered something soft and violent under his breath, and dived for the sheet in his turn.
And before Ellie could answer, think of some reassurance to send her latest visitor away, the door was flung wide, and the Principessa came in, swathed in an ivory silk dressing gown.
And behind her, dignified in grey satin, the Contessa Manzini, with Carlo Barzado beside her, and Giovanni bringing up the rear.
Lucrezia Damiano stopped, a hand flying to her throat, her eyes widening in shock and dismay.
There was a long and deadly silence, which the Contessa was the first to break, turning to request Signor Barzado and the gaping major domo to leave before she too stepped into the room, closing the door behind her.
She said, ‘Cosa succede, Angelo.
What is happening here? Have you lost your mind or simply all sense of honour?’ She looked at Ellie, her face like stone.
‘Is my grandson here at your invitation, signorina? The truth, if you please.’Angelo answered for her.
‘No,’ he said.
‘From first to last, Nonna, it was my own idea.’ He glanced down at the scratches on his chest, his mouth twisting wryly.
‘But clearly, I should have thought again—for several reasons.’‘You are saying you have disgraced our family name—forced yourself on this girl—on a whim?’ The Contessa closed her eyes.
‘Dio mio, I cannot believe it.’It occurred to Ellie that hoping to wake up and find she’d simply been having a nightmare wasn’t working.
Neither was praying for death.
Clutching the sheet so tightly that her knuckles turned white, she said huskily, ‘Contessa—Godmother—I know how this must look but—really—nothing happened.’‘I presume because he was interrupted.’ The Principessa’s voice was colder than her god-daughter had ever heard it, as she looked pointedly at Ellie’s nightgown lying on the floor beside the bed.
No, Ellie thought painfully.
Because he discovered he was in the wrong room, with the wrong woman.
Thought it, but realised she couldn’t say it because it would only make matters a thousand times worse.
Angelo indicated his own clothing.
He said coolly, ‘Perhaps, before anything more is said, I might be permitted to dress myself.’‘Tra un momento.
My god-daughter’s needs come first.’ The Principessa took Ellie’s robe from the chair and advanced to the bed.
‘Put this on, my child, then come with us to the salotto.’ She added, ‘You will have the goodness to join us there, Count Manzini, when you are ready.’Back turned to him, and seated on the edge of the bed, Ellie huddled awkwardly into the robe and fastened its sash, her fingers all thumbs.
She was suddenly aware that she was trembling, and on the verge of tears.
It’s all so ridiculous, she thought, like some dreadful bedroom farce.
Except that on this occasion there can be no last act explanations to make everything right again.
Because they would have to involve Silvia, and that can’t happen.
As she followed the two older women downstairs, her mind went into a kind of overdrive as she struggled to make sense of what had happened.
It went without saying that Angelo Manzini had expected to find her cousin waiting for him, but Silvia’s room was at the other end of the villa, so what could possibly have made him think she was sleeping in the tower?And what was all this about an intruder in the grounds? Who had seen him?Every question she asked herself seemed to throw up another, and she didn’t like any of the answers that were suggesting themselves to her.
Giovanni was just leaving the salotto as they arrived.
His face might be expressionless, but he radiated disapproval just the same and Ellie, who’d known him all her life, found herself avoiding his glance.
He’d lit the lamps and brought a tray of coffee to the room, and the Principessa poured a measure of brandy into a glass and brought it to Ellie.
‘I have instructed Giovanni to have another room prepared for you,’ she said.
‘You will not wish to return to the tower.’No, thought Ellie, with a swift pang.
Never again for as long as I live.
Any stupid fairy tale dreams I still had finally crashed and burned tonight.
Aloud, she said, ‘Thank you,’ and swallowed some of the brandy, feeling its warmth pervade the chill inside her.
‘But I swear to you—both of you—that nothing happened.’‘You regard my grandson’s shameful conduct—this outrage to your godmother’s hospitality as nothing?’ The Contessa’s question was icy.
‘Are you saying, signorina, that you are accustomed to share your bed with strangers? That this unforgivable insult should be—laughed off in some way? Treated as one of the aberrations of modern life? If so, I doubt if Prince Damiano will agree with you.’Ellie flushed again.
‘No,’ she said, her voice constricted.
‘No, of course not.’ She hesitated, ‘Does he—have to be told?’‘I think so,’ said the Contessa.
‘Before the story reaches him from another source.’ She paused.
‘It is unfortunate that Carlo Barzado witnessed what had happened, because he will tell his wife, and she will immediately tell the whole world.’Ellie’s lips parted in a soundless gasp.
‘Oh—surely not.’The Contessa shrugged.
‘It is inevitable.’The Principessa sat down beside Ellie, and took her hand.
She said more gently, ‘We must suppose that Count Manzini gave some indication—at dinner, perhaps—that he found you attractive, my child, and you were flattered by his attention.
Gave him reason to think that you would welcome him later.
Is that how it was?’Ellie bit her lip.
The truth was impossible, she told herself, so she would have to rely on prevarication.