from old-fashioned outrage to a defiant reminder of the fact that it
was none of his business. Instead, her face burning under his
scrutiny, she heard herself mutter, 'Yes -does it matter?'
'I think it does.' He released her chin. 'I may not have been kind to
you, Giulietta, but at least I don't have to live with the knowledge
that I seduced you.' He smiled rather mirthlessly. 'In Italy, a girl's
purity before marriage is still highly prized. I am glad I did not
cheat your husband, mia cara.'
He waited for a moment, but she did not reply, then reached
forward and took her unresisting hand.
'Come,' he said. 'Let us go back now and tell them our -joyous
news.'
And as Juliet followed him across the rocks to the road and the
steps up to the castello, she realised for the first time in her life that
sometimes the most painful tears of all are those that one cannot
afford to shed.
CHAPTER SEVEN
'Well, darling, you have been clever.' Jan leaned back against her
pillows and stared up at her sister, her eyes glittering. 'I never knew
you were quite such a fast worker -and Santino Vallone is the
cherry off a very big cake.'
Juliet felt her already guilty flush deepen at her sister's mocking
words.
'Let's not discuss that now,' she said hurriedly. 'How- how are
you, Jan ?'
'As well as can be expected-isn't that the phrase they use?' Jan
petulantly hoisted one of her pillows, and winced at the resulting
pain the hasty movement had caused to her injured ribs. 'The infant
is still firmly in place, just in case you were hoping I'd have a
convenient miscarriage.'
'Oh, Jan!' Juliet sank limply down on to the chair at the side of the
bed. 'What an appalling thing to say!'
'Have you told your handsome betrothed that his first nephew-or
niece, of course-is going to be a bastard?' Jan demanded
maliciously, and laughed. 'I wonder if he'll invite me to the
wedding. Only if it's as whirlwind as the courtship, I suppose.' She
looked her sister up and down. 'Darling Julie,' she said without a
trace of affection in her tone. 'Always so sane and sensible, like
lace-up shoes. Has the gorgeous Santino managed to unlace you, or
have you convinced him that vestal virgins are the in thing this
year?' She gave a little giggle. 'Poor Santino! It must be a new thing
in his experience, finding a girl who doesn't sleep around. I hope the
novelty lasts, sweetie. How awful to have your husband die of
boredom on your wedding night!'
'Awful indeed,' Juliet returned pleasantly. 'But just think what a
wealthy widow I'll be.'
Jan raised her eyebrows. 'Touché,' she remarked appreciatively.
'The kitten is developing claws at last. If this is what a couple of
days with Santino can do, there may be hope for you yet.'
Juliet looked down at her hands, clasped in her lap. 'Jan,' she said
quietly, 'what went wrong-with you and Mario, I mean?'
Jan gave an irritable lift of a shoulder. ' Let's just say that his family
arguments began to weigh more heavily with him than mine, and
leave it at that, shall we?'
'It wouldn't have had anything to do with the fact that he was
engaged already?'
Jan's faint scowl deepened perceptibly. 'So your involvement with
Santino has also included a crash course in family relationships,' she
said. 'Yes, of course I knew about Francesca.'
'And that didn't stop you?' Juliet stared down at her sister in utter
perplexity. 'You knew he belonged to someone else, and yet...'
'If you're going to sit around moralising at me, then you can go.' Jan
glared at her openly. 'I took a gamble which didn't come off, that's
all. Anyway, I can't imagine why the boring little Francesca didn't
stay in her convent for life. That would have solved everyone's
problem.'
'Are you so sure?' Juliet asked with some bitterness. 'From what I've
been able to gather in the past couple of days you haven't exactly
presented yourself , as the ideal bride.'
'Perhaps not,' Jan said coolly. 'But then I never pretended to opt for
the role of the family virgin. That's yours, my sweet, and I can only
say you're welcome to it.'
A troubled silence fell in the small sunny room on the fourth floor
of the clinic. Juliet began to feel as if she was living through an
endless nightmare. She had told herself so often that everything that
had happened to her, even the foolish deception she had practised
would be worth it if Jan and Mario were married. She had believed
with a kind of silly romanticism that they were a pair of star-crossed
lovers whom she was helping on their way to happiness. Now it
was more than evident that this was far from being the case. Jan
seemed put out at the upset toiler plans, but little more. Juliet
doubted whether she had any genuine feeling for Mario at all.
Muted sounds of traffic drifted up from the street below, underlying
the reality of the situation. This was no dream, and nor was the
heavy emerald she wore on her engagement finger, the type of
flawless gem she had never imagined she would ever possess. Not,
of course, that she did possess it, she reminded herself hastily. It
was a loan-a stage property. If she had found the role of Jan
difficult to play, then the part of Santino's fiancée was doubly hard,
for she had to act like a loving woman, yet at the same time conceal
the fact that no acting ability was needed. She loved him, yet she
could acknowledge the painful truth only to herself. He must not
know, he must never know, she'd kept repeating to herself over and
over again, like a charm, as they had driven to the clinic, the
Signora silent and watchful in the seat behind.
Sitting beside him, watching him drive, had not been easy. She'd
wanted very badly to touch him, to have the right to put her hand
over his, however fleetingly, even to let her arm brush his casually.
But she didn't dare, because she knew that any such gesture, no
matter how carefully masked, would give her away instantly. Any
physical contact with him was still too new, too raw to be casual.
Neither of them had said a great deal, probably because everything
that was needful had been said already, she thought dully. Santino
had briefed her fully in the short time he was done with her to give
her the ring. He had also outlined the explanation he intended to
give to his family of their sudden engagement.
Although she had been prepared, it was still a shock to hear this
coldly enunciated by the Signora.
'My son tells me he has done you a great wrong, signorina, and that
his honour and yours demands he make reparation by marrying
you.' She gave a glacial shrug. 'So be it.'
His stepfather had murmured something in an embarrassed voice,
patting her shoulder rather clumsily. It was obvious he had little
idea what to make of the situation.
But when the Contessa Leontana came down to the salotto, smiling
lazily, darting malicious glances under her lashes, Juliet saw for the
first time what family solidarity could mean. Santino had announced
to his mother that she was his chosen bride. Bene. No outsider
would be allowed to see how poorly she thought of his choice or
the motives of honour which had prompted it. Juliet found herself
presented to the Contessa by an almost vivacious Signora, who was
not above inventing a few additional details to add verisimilitude to
the story.
Juliet heard to her amazement that she had met Santino in London
the previous year, and that they would have been married then only
they had agreed to test their feelings by a year's separation. And
yes, it was quite true that she was the sister of the lovely Janina
who modelled for Di Lorenzo. Such a mercy that her looks had
apparently been spared in the accident, otherwise what a tragic
ending it would have been to her happy journey to celebrate her
sister's fidanzamento. And Mario too, who had offered to drive her
down. God was indeed merciful that he had been spared serious
injury.
The Contessa was all smiles and congratulations when she turned to
Juliet, but there was a blank look in her eyes which stated quite
plainly that she was not altogether impressed with what she had
been told. Juliet was relieved to find that the Contessa's knowledge
of English was even scantier than the Signora's, which meant that
she could avoid any overt questioning.
The Contessa tried hard to be a passenger in Santino's car for the
drive to the clinic, but she was firmly put aside by the smiling
Signora, who declared she wished to become better acquainted with
her daughter-in-law to be. It was with evident ill-grace that the
Contessa accepted a seat in her brother's car.
But it was just as well, Juliet told herself a number of times on the
journey. She doubted whether the illusion of the happy family party
could have been sustained in the presence of a third party. As it
was, no one had to make polite conversation or trouble the tense
silence that prevailed in the car for most of the hot and dusty
journey. When the Signora did speak it was to direct terse questions
at Santino. The tone in which these were uttered and his
tight-lipped replies left Juliet in little doubt as to the subject, and