Stephanie Howard - The Lady's Man

It was also going to be a thoroughly demoralising one for Matthew Allenby, for though he thought himself incredibly clever he had come nowhere near winning. Caterina smiled at that thought. It was deeply cheering, as also was the fact that he would not be at the dinner. For she knew very well that a man of Matthew Allenby’s towering self-importance was scarcely likely to want to show his face in defeat.

She threw him an oblique look now. ‘Yes, it will definitely be interesting.’ Then, out of sheer badness, savouring his imminent humiliation—for an architect of his standing didn’t enter such a contest, even anonymously, unless he intended winning—she added, ‘The winning design is really quite superb.’

He was watching her with a curious look. ‘Of course, you know who the winner is.’

‘Indeed I do. I was on the panel that did the choosing.’

And the rejecting, she thought with a twist of satisfaction, though she had rejected his design—as had the rest of the panel—not because it was his, for they had only discovered the connection later, but simply because it quite genuinely wasn’t good enough. Still, when she had found out, it had given her an immense amount of pleasure.

Mock-innocently now, she added, just to stir him up a bit, ‘It’s a foreign company. One we’d never heard of. And, like I said, the design is really quite brilliant. It’ll be my privilege to finally meet their representative this afternoon and present him or her with the contract for the extension.’

. Matthew smiled a shuttered smile. ‘You’re making me curious,’ he told her. ‘I shall be watching the proceedings now with even more interest.’

Caterina smiled back at him sweetly. And I’ll be watching you, she was thinking. And it will be my inestimable pleasure to see the look on your face when I stand up on the podium and announce the winner.

As she turned to go, there was a cheerful spring in her step. The day was turning out not so badly after all.

The atmosphere was electric as the seven members of the panel, with Caterina at their head, dressed in a butter-yellow dress, stepped out to loud applause onto the stage.

And as she looked out over the rows of faces—for the hall was packed to the gunnels—Caterina felt a fierce thrust of excitement and satisfaction. It had been hard work organising the contest, but it had been a resounding success. Entries had poured in from all over the globe and the publicity it had stimulated had done nothing but good for her beloved charity. Donations had more than trebled over the past six months.

And for a moment she quite forgot her private beef with Matthew Allenby. Since the break-up of her romance she had turned her back on men and love and poured all her energies into her charity work, and she was thrilled that this particular project had turned out so well.

All her charities were dear to her, but Bardi especially so, and she was deeply involved in the new extension. And now she couldn’t wait to meet the winner of the competition, for it would be her duty and her privilege to work closely alongside him.

The panel members took their seats as Signor Roberto Lecori, chairman of the Bardi children’s home, stepped up to the microphone to make an introductory speech. A hush fell across the hall and the audience settled back in their seats, all eyes fixed on him, as he began to speak.

All eyes, that was, except a pair in the fourth row which were fixed unblinkingly on Caterina.

She looked quite beautiful, Matthew thought. Serene and relaxed. Not at all the spiteful vixen who had confronted him a few hours earlier. His eyes narrowed; he was intrigued. There were so many different sides to her. Any man who got involved with her would have a real challenge on his hands. And he smiled, savouring that thought. He had always enjoyed a challenge. What a stroke of good fortune if fate were to throw them together.

He let his gaze sweep over her as he sat unseen in the fourth row—for he was aware that she hadn’t spotted him yet—and the iron-grey eyes were full of appreciation. She really was quite stunning, far more beautiful than she seemed to realise, for she possessed none of the vanity that often accompanied such beauty. That wonderful glossy hair, that lovely face so full of character, that softly feminine, willowy figure...

Though not too willowy these days, as had been the case a few months ago at the time of the break-up of her romance. And as he remembered her unhappiness and how thin she’d got then Matthew felt a twist of regret at his part in the whole débâcle. Though, of course, he’d had no choice. He’d had to intervene. But he was pleased to see that she’d recovered. These days she was looking perfectly splendid.

And again he reflected that it really would be rather nice if fate were to offer him the opportunity to enjoy this gorgeous creature.

Signor Lecori was coming to the end of his speech now and the audience were starting to shift expectantly in their seats as the moment they had all been waiting for grew near. Then at last he turned to Caterina.

‘And here to announce the winner... our beloved patron, the Lady Caterina...’

Caterina rose to her feet, smiling, though inwardly she was cursing. For the past ten minutes, with the utmost discretion, she’d been searching the sea of faces for a glimpse of Matthew Allenby. But there was no sign of him at all. Damn it, she was thinking. Was she to be denied, after all, the pleasure of looking into his face and seeing his disappointment when she announced the winner?

“Thank you, Signor Lecori...’ She took her place on the podium and turned to address the audience before her. ‘Ladies and gentlemen...’ she began. But then her heart jumped inside her—for, joy of joys, at last she’d spotted her quarry!

He’d been half-hidden behind a woman in a wide-brimmed hat, but from up here on the podium she could see him perfectly—looking, it must be said, as dangerously handsome as ever in a dark blue suit and bright red tie. And as he met her eyes and smiled she mentally rubbed her hands with glee. In a couple of minutes’ time he wouldn’t be feeling much like smiling!

She began the short speech she had prepared, praising the high standard of the entries, her eyes flicking from time to time to the face in the fourth row, savouring the moment, fast approaching, when she would see the confident look in those dark grey eyes crumble.

And as the moment drew near her heart was hammering. It was shameful just how much she was going to enjoy this!

She paused. ‘And now it’s my very great pleasure to announce the winner, whose design, in spite of the high standard of its competitors, stood out, in the unanimous opinion of the judges, head and shoulders above the rest...’

Her gaze flicked to the fourth row. Here it comes, she silently warned him. Brace yourself for a nice big disappointment.

‘And the winner is...’ She licked her lips mentally. ‘The winner is Secolo Designs of Geneva!’

The audience burst into applause, everyone looking excitedly round them to see who would stand up to claim the prize. But, before she did likewise, Caterina turned with a smile to focus for a gloating moment on the figure in the fourth row. That’s one in the eye for you, Matthew Allenby! she thought.

But what on earth was happening? Her heart tripped inside her and suddenly her blood was turning to powder—for, right before her eyes, Matthew was rising from his seat and, with a triumphant little smile, walking towards her.

CHAPTER TWO

‘FOR a piece of blatant, barefaced dishonesty I would say that really takes the cake!’

The presentation was over, all the photographs had been taken and Caterina and Matthew were back at the Palazzo Verde, confronting one another across the desk in her private office.