Not Just a Convenient Marriage Read Online Free PDF Page A

I’ll wonder all my days what she wanted to say that was so important.’
    ‘But surely, in your heart you know what it was,’ Sally said. ‘She wanted to say that she loved you. It couldn’t be anything else but that.’
    He raised his head and she saw in his eyes a smile that made her heart turn over. There was a warmth in it that felt as though he was reaching out and touching her, enveloping her in some feeling she’d never known before: a feeling that she wanted to know for ever.
    ‘I think,’ he said softly, ‘that you must be the kindest person in the world.’
    ‘No,’ she said, suddenly self-conscious at the strength of her own feelings.
    ‘Don’t tell me that you’re not kind. I wouldn’t believe it.’
    ‘You don’t really know me.’
    ‘Yes,’ he said. ‘I do. I knew you as soon as we met in the Piazza San Marco.’
    The air was singing about her ears and she was at a loss for an answer. Part of her had the same feeling, that she knew him as though they had been acquainted for ever. But another part said exactly the opposite: that here was a man of mystery and contradictions; that she might know him all her life, yet never understand the first thing about him.
    Somewhere in the back of her mind a voice was whispering that it might be intriguing to follow that path, seeking the man he really was, perhaps finding him, and then—
    Abruptly she closed off the thought, wondering what possessed her to give it even a moment. Soon they would say goodbye and he would cease to exist. Which would surely be a good thing.
    Her next words seemed to come of their own accord, without any conscious decision.
    ‘You think you know me,’ she said, ‘but I don’t even know myself. I often believe I do, but then I discover I was wrong.’
    He smiled.
    ‘Most of us could say the same. I’m convinced you’ve come to the right place. I promised Pietro that you would visit us again, which was rather impolite of me without asking you first—’
    ‘I forgive you,’ she said with a smile. ‘You couldn’t have asked me first, in front of him.’
    ‘Thank you. You’re a lady of great understanding. So when you come for your next visit we’ll spend a little time together and—who knows? I may manage to introduce you to yourself.’
    There was a hint of teasing in his voice, but also a hint of temptation, leaving her free to choose which one to follow.
    But it was an impossible choice; one she didn’t feel ready to make.
    Her reverie was interrupted by the sound of bells from the clock tower in St Mark’s.
    ‘Goodness, is that the time?’ she said, checking her watch. ‘I had no idea it was so late.’
    ‘Yes, time can slip past when you’re thinking of other things,’ Damiano agreed quietly.
    Suddenly there was a noise overhead. They both tensed with surprise, and looked up to find Pietro looking down at them from an upstairs window.
    ‘Hello,’ he said.
    ‘You should be in bed,’ Damiano told him in an unsteady voice.
    ‘I wanted to see Sally,’ he said cheekily. ‘Are you all right, Sally? Is Papa looking after you properly?’
    ‘He’s doing his best,’ she said in a voice that was also a little unsteady. ‘But it’s time I was going home.’
    ‘I’ll call my driver,’ Damiano said. ‘We’ll take you back to your hotel.’ He took out his cell phone and said a few words in Italian.
    ‘He’ll be here in a couple of minutes,’ he said when he’d hung up.
    Sally raised her head, meaning to say goodbye to Pietro, but to her surprise he’d vanished and his window was closed.
    They collected Charlie and the three of them headed for the door, where a surprise awaited them. Pietro stood there, fully dressed.
    So that was why he’d backed away from his window so quickly, Sally thought.
    ‘What are you doing here?’ Damiano demanded. ‘You’re supposed to be in bed.’
    ‘But we’re going to take Sally home,’ Pietro said. ‘We’re her friends. We should all go with