Rose nodded. ‘He told me this when I was in Florence. But why are you telling me, Harriet?’
‘Because I think Dante’s lonely. He’s no playboy. He works hard and loves his family. My children adore him. So do I. And he cares for you, Rose. Otherwise he wouldn’t have asked me to call in on you. How do you feel about him?’
Rose flushed. ‘I like him very much. We met years ago, actually, at Charlotte’s wedding.’
‘So she told me—’ Harriet broke off, smiling as Bea ran into the room brandishing Pinocchio. ‘Isn’t he gorgeous?’
From then on Harriet Fortinari concentrated on Bea, and a few minutes later got up to leave. ‘I must go. It’s been lovely to meet you both. May I have a kiss, Bea?’
The child promptly held up her face, beaming as Harriet caught her in a hug and gave her a smacking kiss on both cheeks.
‘Thank you so much for coming,’ said Rose as they made for the door.
‘And for the lecture?’
‘Is that what it was?’
‘I hope it didn’t come across that way. I was just putting in a good word. When you come to visit Charlotte we must get together again. It was good to meet you, Rose.’ Harriet dropped a quick kiss on her cheek and smiled down at Bea. ‘It was lovely to meet you, too, darling. Goodbye.’
‘Bye-bye,’ said Bea, so sadly that Rose picked her up and cuddled her as they waved their visitor off.
When Dante rang that night Rose thanked him for sending his sister-in-law to see her. ‘Bea was very taken with her. So was I.’
‘Bene. I thought you might like to meet her.’
‘She’s very attractive.’
‘And the light of my brother’s life. It was fascinating to watch Leo falling in love with her when they first met. Before that it was the women who fell for him.’
‘Is he as good-looking as you?’
Dante laughed. ‘However I answer will be wrong. But Leo is an attractive man, yes.’
‘So are you.’
‘Grazie, Rose, I am glad you think so.’ He breathed in deeply. ‘I am very impatient to see you again, and not just to hold you in my arms again, but because you have invited me to supper.’
‘You haven’t tasted my cooking yet.’
‘The food will not matter if I am with you, tesoro.’
‘I bet you say that to all the girls.’
‘You are wrong. The only ladies who cook for me are my mother, Mirella and Harriet.’
‘And I’m sure they’re experts. You’re making me nervous. It’s just a casual kitchen supper. Don’t expect haute cuisine, Dante.’
‘I will enjoy whatever you choose to give me, carina,’ he said in a tone which curled her toes.
* * *
Rose would have been nervous enough about merely cooking a meal for Dante, but with the thoughts of their lovemaking fresh in her mind and the spectre of confession lurking to round off the meal she lived in a state of tension which gradually increased until on the day of the dinner she was wound so tight that Grace took Bea off to the park with Tom so Rose could make her preparations uninterrupted.