The Forced Bride (4 page)

been a family disagreement of some magnitude in which he was involved.’

‘That is none of your business!’

‘I agree,’ Rafaele told her cordially. ‘Which is why I made an excuse and left at once, without the coffee I had been

promised.’

She glared at him. ‘Or anything else, presumably. Is that why you decided to ruin my time with Simon,signore —because

you’d missed out with Jilly’

He said gently, ‘That,mia cara , is a vulgarity not worthy of you.’ He paused. ‘I look on your father as my friend, Emilia,

and I would try to prevent anything that would distress him. And the discovery that you had agreed to a secret liaison

under his own roof would be a serious blow to him. You must know that. Your young man should have more regard for

your honour.’

Emily flung back her head. ‘It so happens,signore , that Simon and I are engaged to be married. We were meeting tonight

to—to discuss our plans for the future, and not for the sordid reason you imagine.’

His stride towards her was so quick and purposeful that she didn’t have a chance to step backwards. And, before she

could defend herself, his hand had snaked out and pulled down the zip on her robe almost to the waist. The edges fell

apart, revealing to his gaze the flimsy black triangles that barely concealed her nipples.

He said contemptuously, ‘It seems I am not the only one with a sordid imagination,signorina . Let me tell you that you are

too young and far too lovely to require such tawdry adornment. You disappoint me.’

‘How dare you’ Her voice was a strangled croak as she struggled to cover herself again, her fingers made clumsy by

haste and shame. ‘Oh, God, how dare you—touch me Insult me You call yourself Daddy’s friend He’ll throw you out

of the house when I tell him…’

‘When you tell him—precisely what’ Rafaele Di Salis cut impatiently across her stumbling words. ‘What you were doing

here Why you were dressed as you are’ He shook his head. ‘No, Emilia, I recommend that you hold your peace about

tonight, as I shall. Now, go to your room,’ he added almost wearily. ‘And I will lock up here.’

She did not wait to argue, but fled. In the quiet of her room, she threw herself across the bed, burying her face in the

covers, as shock and misery overwhelmed her.

I want to die, she told herself passionately, a sob rising in her throat. Just to die. Because then I’ll never have to see

Rafaele Di Salis again.

But, for the time being, she had to go on living—enduring the terrible memory of his condemnatory gaze and the harsh

dismissal of his words.

And, somewhere among all of that, was the realisation that Simon had tamely given up and gone home, which, she

discovered wretchedly, didn’t seem nearly as bad.

She spent a miserable and restless night, with the covers pulled over her head, and it was a pale, hollow-eyed Emily who

went reluctantly down to breakfast the next morning to confront her tormentor the best she could. She’d rehearsed a

number of dignified and cutting speeches in case he should make some ill-chosen reference to the night’s events, but they

proved unnecessary.

Because he wasn’t there, and when she forced herself to ask her father about their guest’s non-appearance, she was

breezily informed that Rafaele Di Salis had left first thing that morning to catch a flight to New York.

‘Isn’t that rather sudden’ She managed to pour her coffee with a reasonably steady hand.

Sir Travers looked surprised. ‘No, my dear. Raf always planned to leave immediately after Boxing Day. Didn’t I mention

that’

‘Actually, no,’ said Emily.

‘Well, he’s gone, anyway.’ Her father paused, then smiled. ‘And he asked me to pass on his good wishes for your future

happiness.’

‘How kind,’ Emily said woodenly, and applied herself to her scrambled eggs.

Strange, Emily thought, shifting uneasily in the big chair, that even after the passage of three years, she should have

this—instant recall, as if it had all happened yesterday. But maybe unpleasant memories stayed longer in the mind than the

cheerful variety.

Not that there’d ever been any really joyous moments to glean from any part of her strange relationship with Raf Di Salis.

The celebration would come when he signed the papers to set her free. And allow her, at last, to marry her first love and

put all the pain of separation and misunderstanding behind them.

Her mouth tightened as she remembered how, in the aftermath of that disastrous night, she’d waited in mounting

desperation to hear from Simon. But forty-eight endless hours had passed without a word and, as the time lengthened,

her pride would not allow her to contact him and demand to know what the hell was going on.

She’d been in the village, parking her bicycle outside the general stores, when Jilly Aubrey had emerged.

‘Well, hi,’ she drawled, giving Emily the usual disparaging once-over. ‘Where’s that gorgeous Italian who was staying

with you I want to invite him to our New Year bash, if he’s going to be around.’

Emily gave her a cool look. ‘I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed. He’s gone, and he won’t be coming back for New Year,

or any other time.’If my prayers are answered …

Jilly shrugged. ‘Don’t sound so pleased, honey, because you’re in the same boat. Simon’s staying on in London,

according to Mother.’

‘London,’ Emily repeated before she could stop herself.

‘You mean you don’t know’ Jilly’s eyes glinted with malice. She lowered her voice confidentially. ‘Dad found out over

Christmas that he’d been borrowing money from Ma again, and there was a massive explosion,chez nous . Fall-out

everywhere, my dear. So pretty Cousin Simon’s been sent off to seek his fortune, or find a job that will enable him to pay

a few of his debts, anyway. If such a thing exists,’ she added with a faint sneer. ‘Whatever, he won’t be allowed back

until he’s gainfully employed, so I’d look around for another boyfriend if I were you.’

‘But I’m not you,’ Emily said quietly. ‘I believe in Simon and I’m prepared to wait.’

The other girl shrugged again. ‘More fool you,’ she retorted. ‘Don’t say you weren’t warned.’ And she walked down the

street to her car and drove away.

Simon could have told me, Emily thought forlornly as she queued for her stamps at the post office counter. In fact,

heshould have told me.

And we didn’t even get the chance to say goodbye because of that bloody Rafaele Di Salis.

Even the slightest mention of his name seemed to have the power to make her burn with rage and humiliation, although

she’d done her damnedest to put him out of her mind.

But she was still haunted by the way he’d looked at her that awful night, and it was galling beyond belief that he should be

the first man to see her even semi-naked.

One of her first acts after his departure had been to wrap that horrible underwear in newspaper and add it to the

incinerator in the garden where the last of the dead leaves were burning.

Gone, she’d told herself. Over and done with. Only, somehow, it didn’t seem to be that simple, and she didn’t know

why.

She tried to give her thoughts a more positive turn as she cycled back to the house, telling herself that it was a good thing

that Simon was looking for work—the first step towards the future they were planning. Although it didn’t mean, of

course, that her father would fall over himself to give them his blessing. But it was a start.

And as for Jilly’s remarks—well, Emily decided, she shouldn’t give them credence. Simon’s cousin had been spiteful over

their relationship from the start. And her disappointment over Raf Di Salis hadn’t sweetened her disposition either.

Over dinner that evening, she said, ‘We aren’t having visitors for New Year, by any chance, are we’

‘No one. Why, is there someone you wish to invite’ her father asked.

‘No,’ Emily said too vehemently. ‘Absolutely not. I was just—checking, that’s all.’

Sir Travers examined the wine in his glass. ‘Did you hope, perhaps, that Rafaele might be joining us’

‘On the contrary,’ Emily denied quickly.

He gave her a long, steady look. ‘Why do you dislike him’

‘Does there have to be a reason’ Her tone was defensive.

‘I suppose not,’ he said. ‘But I would prefer it if you were friends.’ There was a quiet, almost stern note in his voice that

Emily knew of old. ‘I expect him to be a regular guest here, and as his hostess, my dear, you will make him welcome.’

Emily’s heart sank, but she managed a neutral, ‘Yes, of course.’

At the same, she surreptitiously crossed her fingers that there would be no return visit from the Count until she was safely

back at school.

And it seemed her luck was in, because Raf Di Salis continued to stay away and Emily found the latter part of her holiday

truly enjoyable, in spite of Simon’s absence.

She was packing to return to school when she eventually heard from him. Simon was back at High Gables just to collect

his things, having found work with an importexport company in the City.

Over a snatched lunch at the village pub, Simon explained that, although he was starting at the lowest level, the job could

be a stepping stone to real money.

‘And I could travel,’ he told her exultantly. ‘The company has branches all over the world.’ He paused, then put his hand

over hers. ‘And in a few months I’ll be earning enough to come back for you.’

Emily smiled and tried to be thrilled for him, but there was a bleakness in her heart that she could not explain. It occurred

to her that his words had a hint of afterthought about them. That maybe if he hadn’t had belongings to collect from his

uncle’s house, she might not have heard from him at all.

Also, there seemed to be a tacit agreement between them not to mention the Boxing Night party, and although she was

prepared to accept this, she still felt she deserved an explanation, if not an apology.

After all, Simon must know that he wasn’t the only one to suffer the embarrassment of an encounter with Raf Di Salis that

night. Wasn’t he even curious

But she swiftly told herself she was being unfair. His life was undergoing some sweeping changes, and part of the reason

he was undertaking them was for her.

She watched him drive away, clinging to his promise to call her every weekend.

He will come back to me, she whispered to herself, as she waved to him. He will come back. I—I know it.

But clearly not immediately, because he was far too busy. And gradually the phone calls crammed with news of his

successes at work, and the friends he was making, began to dwindle away until they stopped completely.

At Easter there was no sign of him, and Emily, hurt and bewildered, could not bring herself to ask for news when she met

any of the Aubreys. And, a week or so later, she was completely devastated when the announcement of his engagement

to a girl called Rebecca West appeared inThe Times .

‘He’s done well for himself,’ her father commented curtly over breakfast. He passed the newspaper to Raf Di Salis, who

was staying with them again. ‘Her father’s Robert West, of course, the South African media tycoon.’

The Count returned some non-committal reply, but Emily was aware that he was watching her across the table. Which

made it utterly essential that she stayed in her seat, eating her toast as if it was all that mattered, when what she really

wanted was to escape to her room and give way to the tears tightening in her chest.

But she could not—would not break down in front of Raf Di Salis, of all people.

I hate him, she thought childishly. I hate him for being here. For—knowing how I must feel, because he might just pity me,

and that would be unbearable.

But when Simon eventually did return, he had no wife with him, tycoon’s daughter or not. It was Emily herself who had

been married for over two years. And she was hesitant at first when Simon rang and asked if he could see her.

‘Nothing heavy, Em,’ he persuaded. ‘Just a chat about old times over a drink.’ He paused. ‘Unless your husband would

object.’

She said curtly, ‘He’s not here to express an opinion,’ and the die was cast.

Simon had been frank about his engagement, which had been broken after only a few months.

‘It was never right with Rebecca,’ he said. ‘And I always knew it. Her father encouraged me because her previous fiance

had a cocaine habit, and I seemed marginally more acceptable.

‘Plus it had also been made clear to me that your father had very different plans for you. That, all along, he intended you

for his aristocratic Italian financier and I had no chance. By asking Rebecca to marry me, I was trying to prove to myself

that I didn’t care. That I’d moved on. And when I heard you’d actually married Rafaele Di Salis, I felt almost justified.’

He shook his head. ‘But it was hopeless, because I knew in my heart that nothing would ever change the way I felt about

you.’

He shot her a keen glance. ‘People in the village say that he’s hardly ever around. That you rarely see him.’

‘No,’ she said. ‘Apart from the gossip columns and the pictures in glossy magazines.’

He didn’t pretend to misunderstand. ‘Doesn’t that hurt you’

She shrugged. ‘No, why should it I didn’t marry for love and, as soon as I’m twenty one, the trust will end and I can get

a divorce.’

He was staring at her as if he’d never seen her before. ‘My God, Em.’ His voice was barely a whisper as his hand closed

round hers. ‘Are you saying you’re going to be free quite soon—and that you and I might get a second chance’

She disengaged herself gently. ‘I can’t possibly say that. It’s far too soon and too much has happened.’