Lucy Gordon: Rinaldo’s Inherited Bride

‘Good company?’ she asked.

‘Your English writers, Shelley and Dickens, once admired this valley. Down there is the villa where Lorenzo de Medici entertained his literary friends. This little town is known as the mother of Florence. Look around and you’ll see why.’

Alex saw it at once. The whole panorama of Florence, barely five miles away, was spread out before them, glowing in the noon haze, the great Duomo rising out of a sea of roofs, dwarfing everything else.

‘What are you doing up here?’ he asked lightly.

‘Do I need your permission?’

‘Not at all, but wouldn’t you be better occupied negotiating? You’re a woman of business. There’s work to be done, and here you are, wasting time, staring into the distance.’

Alex didn’t normally quote poetry, but this time she couldn’t resist it.

‘What is this life if, full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare?’

Rinaldo frowned. ‘Who said that?’

‘An English poet.’

‘An Englishman? ’ he demanded on an unflattering emphasis.

‘Yes,’ she said, nettled. ‘Strange as it may seem, an Englishman wrote it. Shock! Horror! Now you might have to adjust your ideas about the English.

‘You think of me holding court, receiving my financial suitors one by one, selling you out to the highest bidder. And let’s face it, that’s how you prefer to see me.’

Rinaldo hailed a passing waiter and ordered two coffees. Alex had an amused feeling that he was giving himself a breathing space to come to terms with her attack.

‘You were probably following me up here,’ she added, ‘to see if I met up with a prospective buyer behind your back.’

‘No, I’ve been visiting friends in Fiesole. This is pure chance.’

Suddenly she remembered that Gino had said his wife came from this town, and wondered if he had been to see Maria’s family.

‘Anyway, you’re wrong,’ she said in a gentler tone. ‘I have nothing to negotiate, not with Montelli or anyone else of his kind, until I’ve first talked seriously with you. Anyway, I dislike him.’

Rinaldo gave her a grin that was as harsh as it was humorous. ‘The question is, do you dislike him as much as you dislike me?’

‘I haven’t quite decided, but it makes no difference. I never allow personalities to interfere with business.’

‘Like a good accountant?’ he mocked.

‘No, like a civilised human being actually,’ she said crisply.

He gave a half nod, acknowledging a hit to her.

The coffees were served, giving them both a brief time out.

‘I wonder what your notion of “civilised” includes,’ he mused when they were alone again. ‘My brother?’

‘Your brother is a nice lad, but I told him, and I’m telling you, don’t treat me like a fool.’

‘Meaning?’

‘Meaning that you should have been ashamed to be so obvious. You sent him out to say pretty nothings to me because you thought I was a ninny who’d faint the moment an Italian gave her the eye. Well, he’s delightful and he made my head spin-not perhaps as much as you planned, but enough for a very nice day.

‘But let me make one thing plain to you, Signor Farnese. I do not make serious decisions while my head is spinning. I hope that’s clear.’

He began to laugh, a robust, virile sound that was free from strain. He could be really attractive, she realised; a man, in contrast to his brother’s boyishness.

‘I see that Gino has been fooling himself,’ he said. ‘This isn’t the impression I got from him.’

There was a silence, during which they eyed each other. Alex smiled.

‘Signor Farnese, if you’re waiting for me to ask what he said about me, you’ll wait for ever.’

He raised his eyebrows. ‘You’re not interested in knowing?’

‘Let’s just say that I have exceptional self-control.’

He inclined his head in salute.

‘My compliments, signorina . You fight with courage and skill. Poor Gino. I’m afraid you’ll break his heart.’

‘I don’t think there’s any fear of that! He knew the nature of the duel. His heart isn’t involved any more than mine.’

‘Don’t be too sure of that. Gino is a man who gives his affections easily. In that, he is not like me, or you.’

‘You know nothing about me.’

‘Only what you’ve just told me, which is that you’re a woman who likes to be in control-’

‘Just like you.’

‘Just like me. Also like me, your head rules your heart. I respect that, but it makes me wary of you.’

‘You mean I’m not going to be the simple-minded walkover that you were expecting.’

‘I don’t think I would ever call you simple-minded,’ he said gravely. ‘May I buy you lunch?’

‘No, thank you. I’ve had a snack and it’s time for me to be going.’

‘Let me walk with you to your car.’

She led the short distance to where she had parked, and as soon as he saw her car he grimaced.

‘What’s wrong?’ she demanded.

‘I know this car. I know the firm you hired it from. Neither are reliable.’

As if to prove it, the car made forlorn choking noises and refused to budge.

‘Oh, great!’ she said, exasperated. ‘How do I start this?’

‘You don’t. You’ll have to abandon it and tell the firm to come for it later.’

Muttering, she got out and called the hire firm on her mobile phone. The ensuing conversation was terse on both sides. The firm was reluctant to accept responsibility, insisting that the car had been perfect when consigned to her, and that it was her job to get it back.

As the argument grew heated she saw, to her annoyance, that Rinaldo was observing and taking in everything. At last, with the air of a man who could endure no more, he reached over, took the phone from her and spoke into it sharply and in Tuscan.

The effect was instantaneous. As she recovered the phone and put it to her ear the man on the other end was burbling with eagerness to please. Alex couldn’t decide whether she was more relieved to have the business sorted, or exasperated at being beholden to Rinaldo. His grin told her that he understood her dilemma perfectly.

‘Thank you,’ she said crisply. ‘I’m grateful to you.’

‘No you’re not,’ he said cheerfully. ‘You’d like to murder me.’

‘I’m far too much of a lady to say so.’

The phone rang before she could switch it off. She answered, turning away slightly.

‘Alex?’ It was David’s voice.

‘Hello, darling.’

‘I got your message. Sorry I couldn’t call back before. How are you doing out there?’

‘It has its ups and downs.’

‘I take it the arrangements are problematic?’

‘Very,’ she said. ‘But I’ll get there.’

‘Are the Farnese brothers being difficult?’

‘Nothing I can’t cope with,’ she said, loud enough for Rinaldo to hear.

‘Don’t stand for it,’ David told her. ‘You hold all the cards.’

‘Well, I know that. But everything isn’t as simple as it seemed when we were talking in England.’

‘If they start making themselves unpleasant, just set the lawyers onto them.’

‘It’s sweet of you to worry about me,’ she said tenderly, ‘but honestly darling, I’m coping really well.’

‘Hm! Well, I suppose that’s true. I know how efficient you always are.’

Alex made a wry face. As a tribute ‘efficient’ lacked something. But David had never been a man for emotional pronouncements. Once she had liked that about him. Now it struck a jarring note.

‘Just leave everything to me,’ she said.

He laughed suddenly. ‘I begin to feel sorry for them. They don’t know what they’ve taken on.’

She joined in his laughter, but she would have preferred to hear it put some other way.