speak this language to each other. We were soon to discover that they did! But you are too young to know anything about those days! What are you doing in Italy?'
Deborah opened her mouth to reply, but was as speedily cut off by Signor Manzu. 'She sculpts, Mamma, and came with a group of other young artists to see Rome. Her father is Beaumont International, though, and he preferred she should stay with us en famille in view of all the kidnappings there have been recently in Rome and the bad press his company has been having.'
Deborah stared at him, not knowing whether to believe him or not. If it were not true, it was certainly an audacious lie! 'Beaumont International is nothing to do with me!' she declared.
The Signora Manzu's eyes snapped with amusement. 'You would sooner be with your friends?' she suggested. 'How young people have changed from my day! In your place I should have found it irresistible to have Domenico constantly at my side to protect me from these bad men!'
Deborah's smile reached her eyes, bringing out the green glints in her irises. 'I'm sorry to say I don't trust your son, signora . I think he may be a wolf in sheep's clothing.'
It took a second for the older woman to understand the illusion, then she shrugged. 'Who wants to be at the mercy of a silly sheep, cara? But you are wise to be careful ! My friends tell me that Domenico is seldom to be seen with the same girl twice! You must see to it that he looks after you properly while you are in Rome. It is more than time that some nice girl took him in hand and put an end to his flitting from one flower to the next. I shall rely on you to encourage him to take stock of his responsibilities for the future. Will you do this for me?'
'I'll do my best, signora ,' Deborah smiled. She eyed Domenico from beneath her lashes to see how he was taking his mother's teasing and quailed at the look in his eyes. Apparently she had made his mother the wrong answer. 'I shall want to see my own friends too,' she added on a pugnacious note. 'Especially Michael!'
'While you are in Rome and are my guest I shall naturally do all I can to entertain you,' he promised gracefully, bowing over her hand. 'If I am noble enough to take you shopping this afternoon, I shall expect to have your exclusive attention for the rest of the day. Is that fair, signorina?'
'This afternoon, yes, but don't expect me to ignore my friends all the time I'm here, because I won't!'
'Your father would prefer it if you did,' he answered dryly, 'but I'm prepared to settle for your company only for the time when I can look after you personally. Is that a deal?'
He held out his hand to her and she had put her own in his before she had time to change her mind.
'I suppose you think I've given you my word now, but I can't promise not to try to reach my friends. I came to Rome in the first place to be with them.'
'If I were you I would choose my friends more carefully,' he responded, looking grim. 'And I do think you have given your word, signorina . I am looking forward to being proved right to trust in a woman's honour. You will not disappoint me?'
'Domenico!' his mother protested. 'If these are friends of Miss Beaumont's '
'Friends! Deborah's father is a rich man, Mamma, a fact which Deborah may ignore, but which her friends do not! She is being ridiculous when she shows such loyalty to those she would be far better off without! One cannot help but question their motives '
The Signora looked upset. 'I think this cannot be any business of yours, my son,' she said quickly, her concern written clearly on her face. 'If Miss Beaumont likes them, why should she doubt that they like her too? And if they sometimes accept her father's largesse, what is that to do with you?'
Deborah's mouth twisted into a wry smile. 'Most people sit up and take notice when money is concerned, don't they, signore?'
Domenico gave her a fiery look. 'If that is your experience, who am I to gainsay you? However, I think you
Deborah opened her mouth to reply, but was as speedily cut off by Signor Manzu. 'She sculpts, Mamma, and came with a group of other young artists to see Rome. Her father is Beaumont International, though, and he preferred she should stay with us en famille in view of all the kidnappings there have been recently in Rome and the bad press his company has been having.'
Deborah stared at him, not knowing whether to believe him or not. If it were not true, it was certainly an audacious lie! 'Beaumont International is nothing to do with me!' she declared.
The Signora Manzu's eyes snapped with amusement. 'You would sooner be with your friends?' she suggested. 'How young people have changed from my day! In your place I should have found it irresistible to have Domenico constantly at my side to protect me from these bad men!'
Deborah's smile reached her eyes, bringing out the green glints in her irises. 'I'm sorry to say I don't trust your son, signora . I think he may be a wolf in sheep's clothing.'
It took a second for the older woman to understand the illusion, then she shrugged. 'Who wants to be at the mercy of a silly sheep, cara? But you are wise to be careful ! My friends tell me that Domenico is seldom to be seen with the same girl twice! You must see to it that he looks after you properly while you are in Rome. It is more than time that some nice girl took him in hand and put an end to his flitting from one flower to the next. I shall rely on you to encourage him to take stock of his responsibilities for the future. Will you do this for me?'
'I'll do my best, signora ,' Deborah smiled. She eyed Domenico from beneath her lashes to see how he was taking his mother's teasing and quailed at the look in his eyes. Apparently she had made his mother the wrong answer. 'I shall want to see my own friends too,' she added on a pugnacious note. 'Especially Michael!'
'While you are in Rome and are my guest I shall naturally do all I can to entertain you,' he promised gracefully, bowing over her hand. 'If I am noble enough to take you shopping this afternoon, I shall expect to have your exclusive attention for the rest of the day. Is that fair, signorina?'
'This afternoon, yes, but don't expect me to ignore my friends all the time I'm here, because I won't!'
'Your father would prefer it if you did,' he answered dryly, 'but I'm prepared to settle for your company only for the time when I can look after you personally. Is that a deal?'
He held out his hand to her and she had put her own in his before she had time to change her mind.
'I suppose you think I've given you my word now, but I can't promise not to try to reach my friends. I came to Rome in the first place to be with them.'
'If I were you I would choose my friends more carefully,' he responded, looking grim. 'And I do think you have given your word, signorina . I am looking forward to being proved right to trust in a woman's honour. You will not disappoint me?'
'Domenico!' his mother protested. 'If these are friends of Miss Beaumont's '
'Friends! Deborah's father is a rich man, Mamma, a fact which Deborah may ignore, but which her friends do not! She is being ridiculous when she shows such loyalty to those she would be far better off without! One cannot help but question their motives '
The Signora looked upset. 'I think this cannot be any business of yours, my son,' she said quickly, her concern written clearly on her face. 'If Miss Beaumont likes them, why should she doubt that they like her too? And if they sometimes accept her father's largesse, what is that to do with you?'
Deborah's mouth twisted into a wry smile. 'Most people sit up and take notice when money is concerned, don't they, signore?'
Domenico gave her a fiery look. 'If that is your experience, who am I to gainsay you? However, I think you
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