Lorenzos expression, but Caterina ignored it, grabbing
hold of his arm and insisting, "Answer me,
Lorenzo, or I will"
"Or you will what, Caterina?" he demanded unkindly,
removing her hand from his arm. "As it happens,
Jodie and I met some months ago. It was my
intention to bring her to the Castillo to meet my
grandmother, but unfortunately she died before I was
able to do so. Knowing now, though, that it was her
dearest wish that I should marry, I intend to follow
the dictates of my own heart as well as fulfil the terms
of her will by marrying Jodie as soon as possible."
Jodie blinked in disbelief as she listened to his entirely
fictitious account of their "relationship".
"Youre lying. None of that is true. I know the
truth, and I shall"
"You know nothing, and you will do nothing."
Lorenzo stopped her immediately, adding grimly,
"And let me warn you now against any attempt on
your part to spread gossip or rumours about either my
wife-to-be or my marriage."
"You cannot threaten me, Lorenzo," Caterina almost
screamed at him. "Does she know why you are
marrying her? Does she know that it was your grandmothers
dying wish that you should marry me? Does
she know that you?"
"Silencio!" Lorenzo commanded harshly, his icy,
furious glare slicing down in front of her like a jagged-
toothed portcullis slicing into an enemy force.
"No. I will not be silent!" She swung round to give
Jodie a contemptuously hostile look. "Has he told you
that the only reason he is marrying you is because of
this place? Because unless he marries he cannot inherit
it?"
This woman must surely be the person with their
own agenda he had spoken of earlier, Jodie thought.
Somehow she managed to stop her expression from
betraying what she was feeling a legacy, no doubt,
from all those hospital visits, and her determination
not to let others see her in pain and pity her for it.
Was Lorenzo really prepared to marry a woman he
didnt know simply to inherit this grim, crumbling
fortress?
"It is impossible that he would want to marry a
woman like you," Caterina told her venomously.
Pain jerked through her. Caterinas words were so
similar in content to the words Louise had said to
her just as Caterinas brunette beauty was also very
much like Louises. They ignited a surge of angry
pride inside Jodie that burned along her veins. She
took a deep breath, and then heard herself saying
recklessly, "But he is marrying me."
For a few seconds Jodie was so lost in the heady
For a few seconds Jodie was so lost in the heady
euphoria of delivering the very words she had so
longed to deliver to Louise that nothing else mattered
least of all the small inner voice trying desperately
to beg her to be more cautious.
Even when she heard Caterinas infuriated shriek
and caught the scent of her alcohol-laden breath she
still didnt realise her danger, and the other woman"s
scarlet-tipped hand was already raised to rake savagely
down the soft flesh of her face when Lorenzo
suddenly released Jodie and took hold of Caterina,
forcing her back from Jodie as he snapped, "Basta!
Enough."
"You cannot do this to me. I will not let you!"
Caterina screamed at Lorenzo.
Jodies head was ringing with the shock of listening
to her, and her body shook in the aftermath of
Caterinas attempt to physically attack her.
"You will pack your things and leave the Castillo
immediately," she heard Lorenzo order bitingly.
"You cannot make me. I have as much right to be
here as you. Remember, until you are married the
Castillo belongs as much to me as it does to you. Only
when you are married does it become yours. And you
will not"
"Basta!"
The command cracked across her outburst like a
whip against naked flesh, causing Jodie herself to
wince and shudder as she watched Lorenzo give the
other woman a hard shake before releasing her.
Ignoring Jodie, Caterina complained to Lorenzo,
"You have hurt me. Tomorrow there will be a
bruise" She switched to Italian and said something
softly to him, then laughed mockingly.
Jodie waited impassively. Her female instincts,
honed now by the belated recognition of all those
glances and soft, not-quite-caught words she had witnessed
John and Louise exchanging in the weeks before
they had admitted their betrayal of her, were immediately
suspicious that what Caterina had said to
Lorenzo had been both intimate and sexual. Why?
Because their relationship had once been intimate and
sexual? Had beenor still was? There was clearly
animosity between them now animosity and contempt
where Lorenzo was concerned or at least that
was the way it seemed.
"He is using you. You know that, Dont you? And
once he has what he wants he will discard you,"
Caterina told Jodie venomously, and then as abruptly
as she had arrived she was gone, banging the door
shut behind her as she left.
Completely ignoring what had just happened,
Lorenzo announced autocratically, "This way. I will
show you to our apartments."
The scene with Caterina had left her feeling slightly
sick and shaky now that it was over, Jodie realized.
Much as she had felt in the aftermath of Louises
revelations. But Lorenzo was already halfway towards
the door through which Caterina had disappeared, and
Jodie had to hurry to catch up with him. Beyond the
door was another hallway, this one containing an imposing
and unexpectedly elegant marble staircase.
"This part of the interior of the Castillo was remodelled
during the Renaissance," Lorenzo explained
when he saw her surprise.
At the top of the stairs a wide corridor branched to
the right and left. Lorenzo took the right fork, which
was dimly lit with old-fashioned electric wall lights,
beyond which Jodie could see a pair of ornate double
doors.
"My grandmother made this part of the Castillo
over to me for my own use after the divorce of my
parents," Lorenzo announced as he opened the doors.
"Gino always said"
"Gino?" Jodie questioned, her thoughts still seething
with curiosity.
"My cousin, and Caterinas late husband."
"She is a widow, then?" Jodie couldnt help asking
him.
"Yes, she is a widow."
"And she lives here?"
A cynical grimace touched his mouth and then disappeared,
to be replaced by a look of bitterness.
"She has an apartment in Milan, but she moved
here when my grandmother became ill." He frowned,
and then said abruptly, "You ask too many questions.
It is late now, and I have things to do. I will explain
everything that you need to know tomorrow. Just remember
that so far as everyone else is concerned our
relationship is of some duration, as are our plans to
marry."
"Caterina said that your grandmother wanted you
to marry her," Jodie couldnt help commenting.
His mouth hardened, and Jodie began to regret her
challenge.
"She was lying," he told her harshly. "She is the
one who desires a marriage between us, because she
covets my title and my wealth. Caterina is a bloodsucker
and a leech, a woman who has proved beyond
any doubt that she is happy to sell herself to the highest
bidder."
Jodie was curious to know more, but there was a
look on his face which said that the subject was now
closed. Cautiously she walked through the doors he
had just opened, and once she had done so her curiosity
about Caterina was pushed to one side by her
surprise. The room into which she had walked was
surprisingly modern, and furnished very simply. Plain
plastered walls had been painted a soft cream, and a
heavy-textured natural-coloured carpet covered the
floor, on which stood two large leather sofas.
"The original panelling was taken from this room
during the war, when the Castillo was occupied,"
Lorenzo informed her. "That was when my grandmothers
first husband was killed." Jodie gave a small
shudder without knowing why she should suddenly
feel chilled.
"Wherewhere are Caterinas rooms?" she asked
him uncertainly.
"She is occupying the state rooms, as did my grandmother,"
Lorenzo informed her dismissively, continuing
briskly before Jodie could ask any more questions,
"I shall arrange for my lawyer to come here
tomorrow so that we can draw up a contract and make
the necessary arrangements for our marriage."
Jodie tensed. "Ive been thinking"
"Caterina has alarmed you is that it? You are
afraid of her?"
"No!" Jodie denied the charge vigorously. "Im not
afraid of her at all."
Lorenzo lifted one dark eyebrow as though in disbelief.
"It isnt that," Jodie insisted again, "but if you are
serious about this marriage between us, then I
want"
"Yes?" Lorenzo invited her. It was just as he had
thought. Already she was working out how much she
could get out of him. "You want what? Two million
instead of one?"
Jodie flashed him an angry look. "No. Ive already
told you I Dont want your money."
"But you do want something?"
"Yes," she agreed, and took a deep breath. "I want
you to go with me to John and Louises wedding."
She held her breath, waiting for him to refuse, telling
herself that this would be the get-out, her reason
for insisting that she was not going to be dragged any
further into whatever devious plans he was hatching.
But, instead of refusing her, Lorenzo accused
softly, "So you do still want him?"
"No! I just want" She paused and shook her head.
"I Dont have to explain my reasons to you. Those are
my terms for marrying you. It is up to you whether
or not you accept them." Please, let him refuse
"Very well, then. We will go to your ex-fiance."s
wedding, but it will be as husband and wife."
Jodie could feel her body sag with relief. Relief?
Because of a fatalistic sense of having any more decisions
taken out of her hands? Because she had
weakly handed over control of her life to an arrogant
stranger?
"Come with me"
Tiredly, Jodie followed him through another set of
doors that led into a very male study, and from there
into an ante-room from which two doors opened.
"This is my room," Lorenzo informed her, indicating
one door, "and this is the guest room."
He was looking at her almost as though he was
testing her, as though he was waiting for her to make
a choice. Determinedly she stepped towards the door
to the guest room and turned the handle.
Like the other rooms, it was decorated and furnished
in a plain, modern style, but all Jodie was interested
in was the wonderful large bed. Her leg was
hurting so much she was beginning to drag it slightly.