Пенни Джордан: THE ITALIAN DUKE’S WIFE

Was Lorenzo really prepared to marry a woman he

didn’t know simply to inherit this grim, crumbling

fortress?

"It is impossible that he would want to marry a

woman like you," Caterina told her venomously.

Pain jerked through her. Caterina’s words were so

similar in content to the words Louise had said to

her — just as Caterina’s brunette beauty was also very

much like Louise’s. They ignited a surge of angry

pride inside Jodie that burned along her veins. She

took a deep breath, and then heard herself saying

recklessly, "But he is marrying me."

For a few seconds Jodie was so lost in the heady

euphoria of delivering the very words she had so

longed to deliver to Louise that nothing else mattered—

least of all the small inner voice trying desperately

to beg her to be more cautious.

Even when she heard Caterina’s infuriated shriek

and caught the scent of her alcohol-laden breath she

still didn’t realise her danger, and the other woman"s

scarlet-tipped hand was already raised to rake savagely

down the soft flesh of her face when Lorenzo

suddenly released Jodie and took hold of Caterina,

forcing her back from Jodie as he snapped, "Basta!

Enough."

"You cannot do this to me. I will not let you!"

Caterina screamed at Lorenzo.

Jodie’s head was ringing with the shock of listening

to her, and her body shook in the aftermath of

Caterina’s attempt to physically attack her.

"You will pack your things and leave the Castillo

immediately," she heard Lorenzo order bitingly.

"You cannot make me. I have as much right to be

here as you. Remember, until you are married the

Castillo belongs as much to me as it does to you. Only

when you are married does it become yours. And you

will not—"

"Basta!"

The command cracked across her outburst like a

whip against naked flesh, causing Jodie herself to

wince and shudder as she watched Lorenzo give the

other woman a hard shake before releasing her.

Ignoring Jodie, Caterina complained to Lorenzo,

"You have hurt me. Tomorrow there will be a

bruise…" She switched to Italian and said something

softly to him, then laughed mockingly.

Jodie waited impassively. Her female instincts,

honed now by the belated recognition of all those

glances and soft, not-quite-caught words she had witnessed

John and Louise exchanging in the weeks before

they had admitted their betrayal of her, were immediately

suspicious that what Caterina had said to

Lorenzo had been both intimate and sexual. Why?

Because their relationship had once been intimate and

sexual? Had been…or still was? There was clearly

animosity between them now — animosity and contempt

where Lorenzo was concerned — or at least that

was the way it seemed.

"He is using you. You know that, Don’t you? And

once he has what he wants he will discard you,"

Caterina told Jodie venomously, and then as abruptly

as she had arrived she was gone, banging the door

shut behind her as she left.

Completely ignoring what had just happened,

Lorenzo announced autocratically, "This way. I will

show you to our apartments."

The scene with Caterina had left her feeling slightly

sick and shaky now that it was over, Jodie realized.

Much as she had felt in the aftermath of Louise’s

revelations. But Lorenzo was already halfway towards

the door through which Caterina had disappeared, and

Jodie had to hurry to catch up with him. Beyond the

door was another hallway, this one containing an imposing

and unexpectedly elegant marble staircase.

"This part of the interior of the Castillo was remodelled

during the Renaissance," Lorenzo explained

when he saw her surprise.

At the top of the stairs a wide corridor branched to

the right and left. Lorenzo took the right fork, which

was dimly lit with old-fashioned electric wall lights,

beyond which Jodie could see a pair of ornate double

doors.

"My grandmother made this part of the Castillo

over to me for my own use after the divorce of my

parents," Lorenzo announced as he opened the doors.

"Gino always said—"

"Gino?" Jodie questioned, her thoughts still seething

with curiosity.

"My cousin, and Caterina’s late husband."

"She is a widow, then?" Jodie couldn’t help asking

him.

"Yes, she is a widow."

"And she lives here?"

A cynical grimace touched his mouth and then disappeared,

to be replaced by a look of bitterness.

"She has an apartment in Milan, but she moved

here when my grandmother became ill." He frowned,

and then said abruptly, "You ask too many questions.

It is late now, and I have things to do. I will explain

everything that you need to know tomorrow. Just remember

that so far as everyone else is concerned our

relationship is of some duration, as are our plans to

marry."

"Caterina said that your grandmother wanted you

to marry her," Jodie couldn’t help commenting.

His mouth hardened, and Jodie began to regret her

challenge.

"She was lying," he told her harshly. "She is the

one who desires a marriage between us, because she

covets my title and my wealth. Caterina is a bloodsucker

and a leech, a woman who has proved beyond

any doubt that she is happy to sell herself to the highest

bidder."

Jodie was curious to know more, but there was a

look on his face which said that the subject was now

closed. Cautiously she walked through the doors he

had just opened, and once she had done so her curiosity

about Caterina was pushed to one side by her

surprise. The room into which she had walked was

surprisingly modern, and furnished very simply. Plain

plastered walls had been painted a soft cream, and a

heavy-textured natural-coloured carpet covered the

floor, on which stood two large leather sofas.

"The original panelling was taken from this room

during the war, when the Castillo was occupied,"

Lorenzo informed her. "That was when my grandmother’s

first husband was killed." Jodie gave a small

shudder without knowing why she should suddenly

feel chilled.

"Where…where are Caterina’s rooms?" she asked

him uncertainly.

"She is occupying the state rooms, as did my grandmother,"

Lorenzo informed her dismissively, continuing

briskly before Jodie could ask any more questions,

"I shall arrange for my lawyer to come here

tomorrow so that we can draw up a contract and make

the necessary arrangements for our marriage."

Jodie tensed. "I’ve been thinking…"

"Caterina has alarmed you — is that it? You are

afraid of her?"

"No!" Jodie denied the charge vigorously. "I’m not

afraid of her at all."

Lorenzo lifted one dark eyebrow as though in disbelief.

"It isn’t that," Jodie insisted again, "but if you are

serious about this marriage between us, then I

want…"

"Yes?" Lorenzo invited her. It was just as he had

thought. Already she was working out how much she

could get out of him. "You want what? Two million

instead of one?"

Jodie flashed him an angry look. "No. I’ve already

told you I Don’t want your money."

"But you do want something?"

"Yes," she agreed, and took a deep breath. "I want

you to go with me to John and Louise’s wedding."

She held her breath, waiting for him to refuse, telling

herself that this would be the get-out, her reason