THE ITALIAN DUKE’S WIFE

by Пенни Джордан

  the tight, high fullness of her perfectly shaped

  breasts?

  Her dress moulded to a waist so small that Jodie

  guessed it must be the result of a tightly laced corset,

  before curving lushly over rounded hips. Its hemline

  revealed a pair of long, slender, warmly tanned legs,

  whilst her feet, with their scarlet-painted toenails,

  were adorned with the highest and most delicate pair

  of strappy sandals Jodie had ever seen. She looked

  like someone who was about to walk into the most

  sophisticated and luxurious kind of setting there was,

  instead of being here in this dilapidated fortress in the

  middle of nowhere.

  A look of open triumph lit the Italian woman"s face

  as she sashayed towards Lorenzo. But her brown eyes

  lacked any kind of warmth, Jodie noticed, and as she

  walked, talking quickly, her voice sounded harsh and

  slightly flat, jarring against Jodie’s ears, rather than

  warm and musical as she had expected.

  She had almost reached them when Lorenzo held

  up a commanding hand and said smoothly, "In

  English, if you please, Caterina. That way, my wife-

  to-be will be able to understand you."

  The effect of his words on the woman was cataclysmic.

  She stopped moving and turned to look at

  Jodie, who discovered that she was being propelled

  forward out of the shadows and anchored to

  Lorenzo’s side by means of his almost manacle-like

  grip on her wrist.

  A furious, disbelieving female glare savaged Jodie

  where she stood, followed by an equally furious outburst

  of Italian.

  "This way," Lorenzo instructed Jodie, ignoring her.

  "No!" The woman placed herself in front of them,

  and said in English, "You will not do this to me. You

  cannot! Who is she?"

  "I have just told you. My wife-to-be," Lorenzo answered

  her dismissively.

  "No. You cannot do this." The flat, metallic voice

  was filled with fury. "No. No!" She was shaking her

  head from side to side so violently that Jodie felt

  dizzy, but not one single strand of the immaculately

  coiffed hair escaped. "No," she repeated. "You will

  not make such a nothing your duchessa, Lorenzo?"

  His duchess?

  "You will not speak so of my intended wife," she

  heard Lorenzo saying coldly.

  Dear God, what on earth had she got herself into?

  "Where has she come from? What gutter did you—?"

  Immediately a look of haughty rejection stiffened

  Lorenzo’s expression, but Caterina ignored it, grabbing

  hold of his arm and insisting, "Answer me,

  Lorenzo, or I will…"

  "Or you will what, Caterina?" he demanded unkindly,

  removing her hand from his arm. "As it happens,

  Jodie and I met some months ago. It was my

  intention to bring her to the Castillo to meet my

  grandmother, but unfortunately she died before I was

  able to do so. Knowing now, though, that it was her

  dearest wish that I should marry, I intend to follow

  the dictates of my own heart as well as fulfil the terms

  of her will by marrying Jodie as soon as possible."

  Jodie blinked in disbelief as she listened to his entirely

  fictitious account of their "relationship".

  "You’re lying. None of that is true. I know the

  truth, and I shall—"

  "You know nothing, and you will do nothing."

  Lorenzo stopped her immediately, adding grimly,

  "And let me warn you now against any attempt on

  your part to spread gossip or rumours about either my

  wife-to-be or my marriage."

  "You cannot threaten me, Lorenzo," Caterina almost

  screamed at him. "Does she know why you are

  marrying her? Does she know that it was your grandmother’s

  dying wish that you should marry me? Does

  she know that you—?"

  "Silencio!" Lorenzo commanded harshly, his icy,

  furious glare slicing down in front of her like a jagged-

  toothed portcullis slicing into an enemy force.

  "No. I will not be silent!" She swung round to give

  Jodie a contemptuously hostile look. "Has he told you

  that the only reason he is marrying you is because of

  this place? Because unless he marries he cannot inherit

  it?"

  This woman must surely be the person with their

  own agenda he had spoken of earlier, Jodie thought.

  Somehow she managed to stop her expression from

  betraying what she was feeling — a legacy, no doubt,

  from all those hospital visits, and her determination

  not to let others see her in pain and pity her for it.

  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
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  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

  for insisting that she was not going to be dragged any

  further into whatever devious plans he was hatching.

  But, instead of refusing her, Lorenzo accused

  softly, "So you do still want him?"

  "No! I just want…" She paused and shook her head.

  "I Don’t have to explain my reasons to you. Those are

  my terms for marrying you. It is up to you whether

  or not you accept them." Please, let him refuse…

  "Very well, then. We will go to your ex-fiance."s

  wedding, but it will be as husband and wife."

  Jodie could feel her body sag with relief. Relief?

  Because of a fatalistic sense of having any more decisions

  taken out of her hands? Because she had

  weakly handed over control of her life to an arrogant

  stranger?

  "Come with me…"

  Tiredly, Jodie followed him through another set of

  doors that led into a very male study, and from there

  into an ante-room from which two doors opened.

  "This is my room," Lorenzo informed her, indicating

  one door, "and this is the guest room."

  He was looking at her almost as though he was

  testing her, as though he was waiting for her to make

  a choice. Determinedly she stepped towards the door

  to the guest room and turned the handle.

  Like the other rooms, it was decorated and furnished

  in a plain, modern style, but all Jodie was interested

  in was the wonderful large bed. Her leg was

  hurting so much she was beginning to drag it slightly.

  "Those doors on either side of the bed lead into a

  dressing room and a bathroom," she could hear
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  Lorenzo explaining. "I shall have your bag sent up.

  Are you hungry?"

  Jodie shook her head. She had gone beyond that.

  All she wanted was to lie down and feel the pain

  easing out of her leg. She took a step forward and her

  weak leg, already overtired from the long drive, buckled

  and started to give way. Automatically she put out

  her hands to try and save herself as she fell. She heard

  Lorenzo cursing, and then he was reaching for her,

  just managing to catch her before she hit the floor,

  yanking her back to her feet so sharply that the pain

  slicing into her made her cry out.

  "Diablo! What is it? what’s wrong?"

  "Nothing. It’s just my leg," Jodie told him, pushing

  him away and trying to stand up straight. But it was

  too late. Her leg had had enough and was refusing to

  support her properly. She could see the way Lorenzo

  was frowning. Immediately her chin tilted proudly.

  "I have a problem with my leg. I was in an accident

  and it was damaged. Sometimes when it gets overtired…"

  She looked away from him. "If you Don’t

  want to marry me because of it, then—"

  "Is that what he told you? The man you were to

  marry?" Lorenzo guessed. "That he didn’t want you

  because of it?"

  Jodie’s face burned. She had said too much — a

  mistake she could only put down to her tiredness and

  the stress of everything that had happened to her.

  "No."

  "But it was a cause of some conflict between you?"

  Lorenzo continued to probe.

  "He didn’t like the fact that it was…damaged." She

  made an attempt at a dismissive shrug. "But then,

  that’s only natural, isn’t it? Men do like beautiful

  women, and—"

  "It is an intrinsic part of human nature to value

  beauty," Lorenzo told her. "But sometimes the greatest

  beauty of all comes only through suffering and pain."

  Jodie looked at him uncertainly. She was too tired

  to try and analyse such a cryptic, sombre remark.

  Instead, she looked longingly towards the bed.

  Lorenzo followed the direction of her gaze.

  "I’ll leave you now. You should find everything

  you need in the bathroom, but if you do not then just

  ask Pietro when he brings up your case. He will inform

  Maria, and she will attend to it."

  "Pietro and Maria," she said, carefully repeating

  their names. "Your servants?"

  "They look after the Castillo. Originally they were

  employed by my grandmother. By rights they should

  both retire, but this has always been their home and