The Vengeful Husband(23)

'A piece of jewellery?' Luca interposed with silken soft­ness.



'A ring. My father had forgotten it even existed, but that ring fetched a really tidy sum,' Darcy shared with quiet pride.



'Fancy that,' Luca drawled, and the dark timbre of his deep-pitched accented voice slid down her spine in the most curiously enervating fashion. 'Did you sell it on the open market?'



In the darkness, Darcy turned over restively. 'No, it was a private sale. I assumed the estate was secure then. I didn't realise how serious things really were until my father died. He never confided in me. But you have to understand that there is nothing I wouldn't do to keep the Folly in the family.'



'I understand that perfectly.'



Darcy licked at her taut lower lip. 'So when my wealthy godmother died a few months ago, I was really hoping that she would leave me some money.



'Nothing more natural,' Luca conceded encouragingly.



'There were three of us...three god-daughters. Myself, Maxie and Polly,' Darcy enumerated heavily. 'But when the will was read, we all got a shock. Nancy left us a share of her estate, but only on condition that we each marry within the year.'



'How extraordinary...'



'So that's why I needed you...to inherit.' The hardness of the floor was starting to make its presence felt through the layers of both carpet and quilt. Shifting from one slender unpadded hip to the other with increased discomfort, Darcy added uneasily, 'I suppose you think that's rather calculating and greedy of me...?'



'No, I think you are very brave to take me on trust,' Luca delivered gently.



Darcy smiled, relieved by the assurance and encouraged. "This floor is kind of hard...' she admitted finally.



'And you're being such a jolly good sport about it,' Luca remarked slumberously from the comfort of the bed. 'I re­ally admire that quality in a woman.'



'Do you?' Darcy whispered in surprise.



'But of course. You're so delightfully democratic! No feminine sulks or pleas for special treatment,' Luca pointed out approvingly.



'You lost the toss and you took it on the chin just like a man would.'



Darcy nodded slowly. 'I guess I did.'



It didn't seem quite the moment to suggest that he took the floor instead. But a helpless little kernel of inner warmth blossomed at his praise. He mightn't fancy her but he seemed to at least respect her.



'Buona notte, Darcy.'



'Goodnight, Luca.'



Darcy woke with a start to find Luca standing over her fully dressed. She blinked in confusion. He looked so impossibly tall, dark and handsome.



"The Land Rover's outside,' he imparted.



'Outside...how?' She sat up, hugging the quilt and striv­ing not to wince as every aching muscle she possessed shrieked complaint.



'I called your local garage. They were keen to help. I'll see you downstairs for breakfast,' Luca concluded.



It was already after nine. Darcy hurried into the bathroom and looked in anguish at her reflection. Overnight her hair had exploded into dozens of babyish Titian curls. She ran her fingers through them and they all stood up on end. In despair, she tried to push them down again.



Ten minutes later, Darcy went downstairs, curls damped down, last night's dress crumpled, and the sensation of looking an absolute mess doing nothing for her confidence. She slunk over to the corner table where Luca was semi-concealed behind a newspaper, beautifully shaped dark im­perious head bent, luxuriant black hair immaculate, not a single strand out of place.



Darcy sank down opposite, in no hurry to draw attention to herself. And then her attention fell on the photograph of the statuesque blonde adorning the front page of his news­paper. 'Give me that paper!' she gasped. 'Please!'#p#分页标题#e#



Ebony brows knitting in incomprehension, Luca began lowering the paper, but Darcy reached over and snatched it from him without further ado, spreading the publication flat on the table to read the blurb that went with the picture.



'She's married already ...married!' Darcy groaned in ap­palled disbelief. 'Page four...' she muttered, frantically leaf­ing through the pages to reach the main story.

'Who has got married?'



'Maxie Kendall... one of Nancy's other god-daughters.'



"The lady has beaten you to the finishing line?' Luca enquired smoothly.



Darcy was too busy reading to reply. 'Angelos Petronides... oh, dear heaven would you look at that dirty great enormous mansion they're standing outside?' she de­manded in stricken»appeal. 'Not only has she got herself a husband, he looks besotted, and he has to be loaded—'



'Angelos Petronides...yes...loaded,' Luca confirmed very drily.



'I feel ill!' Darcy confessed truthfully, thrusting the of­fending newspaper away in disgust.