arms, holding her close as he reached out to stroke the pony's snowy white mane. He was trying to encourage Terri to do the same thing, but she was more intent on studying his face at such close quarters. Cass could read every thought and expression flitting through her niece's mind, even from this distance. And her heart squeezed in aching understanding. The poor darling wanted so much to reach out and stroke him rather than the pony, learn the feel of his skin, its clean, smooth firmness.
Her own hand twitched, remembering, and she felt herself go pale. Everything was becoming so complicatedly interlinked within her mind that she was finding it difficult to distinguish her natural concern for Terri from a concern on her own behalf! It was as if the pair of them were treading a parallel line—Terri in learning how to accept Carlo's love as her father, and Cass learning how to accept him as a man she could quite easily fall in love with.
It was frightening, worrying, very, very disturbing. He was in danger of becoming an obsession. Even now, from so far away, she could feel an inner vibration which seemed to flow from him into her and back again.
As if he too picked up the vibrations, his dark head lifted suddenly, eyes lancing up the hillside to where she stood. He couldn't possibly see her standing here beneath the shade of the olive tree, she was sure of it. He didn't have the advantage of height to help him, and the sun had to be in his eyes. But she felt the fierce burn of his gaze as if he had actually reached up and touched her, and she quivered, the feeling leaving her shaken and perplexed.
CHAPTER SIX
Lunch was a relaxed affair—mainly because Carlo didn't join them. 'Busy catching up on business in his study,' his mother explained as they gathered on the terrace.
Cass had changed into another of the provided sundresses in a soft lilac print that set off the bright glow of her hair. And, although she felt uncomfortable wearing clothes she hadn't bought and paid for herself, she was aware she looked good—fit to be seen out with Carlo Valenti, at any rate.
They had finished lunch and were listening to Terri giving them a blow by blow account of her first riding lesson when the sound of high heels tapping on the tiled floor brought all three heads swinging around to watch the open doorway.
Sabrina Reducci appeared, looking as if she'd just stepped out of the centre-fold of Vogue.
'Ah, Sabrina!' Carlo's mother welcomed warmly. "This is a pleasant surprise!'
'Buon giorno, Zia Elicia.' Sabrina laid her smooth cheek against Mrs Valenti's. 'I came here to see you yesterday, but that naughty Carlo sent me away!' Her lush mouth pouted sulkily.
'He told me,' the older woman confessed. 'He will be here soon, so I will make him apologise to you, Sabrina. But for now, you have met our very special guests, I believe?'
'Ah, yes, briefly—though Carlo did not seem to think it worthy of a formal introduction.' Her expression said she was still piqued over Carlo's rude dismissal of her the day before.
"Then let me do so properly now,' Mrs Valenti offered.
"This is Miss Cassandra Marlow,' she began, turning her warm smile on Cass. 'Cassandra, this is la Signorina Sabrina Reducci—a friend of our family from the time she ran around this valley in pigtails with my daughter Louisa, their only ambition in life to tease and torment poor Carlo.'
'Now I torment him in other more—subtle ways,' Sabrina smiled suggestively—a smile that died away completely as she turned to look at Cass. 'Miss Marlow,' she acknowledged coolly, offering the kind of aloof nod of her sleek dark head that Cass suspected she would use to someone she considered not quite the thing.
'Miss Reducci,' Cass nodded back, keeping her own tone strictly polite. After all, she thought wryly, she was quite prepared to admit that she was not in Sabrina Reducci's league.
'And this,' Mrs Valenti continued proudly, 'is my granddaughter Teresa!'
'Terri,' the
Her own hand twitched, remembering, and she felt herself go pale. Everything was becoming so complicatedly interlinked within her mind that she was finding it difficult to distinguish her natural concern for Terri from a concern on her own behalf! It was as if the pair of them were treading a parallel line—Terri in learning how to accept Carlo's love as her father, and Cass learning how to accept him as a man she could quite easily fall in love with.
It was frightening, worrying, very, very disturbing. He was in danger of becoming an obsession. Even now, from so far away, she could feel an inner vibration which seemed to flow from him into her and back again.
As if he too picked up the vibrations, his dark head lifted suddenly, eyes lancing up the hillside to where she stood. He couldn't possibly see her standing here beneath the shade of the olive tree, she was sure of it. He didn't have the advantage of height to help him, and the sun had to be in his eyes. But she felt the fierce burn of his gaze as if he had actually reached up and touched her, and she quivered, the feeling leaving her shaken and perplexed.
CHAPTER SIX
Lunch was a relaxed affair—mainly because Carlo didn't join them. 'Busy catching up on business in his study,' his mother explained as they gathered on the terrace.
Cass had changed into another of the provided sundresses in a soft lilac print that set off the bright glow of her hair. And, although she felt uncomfortable wearing clothes she hadn't bought and paid for herself, she was aware she looked good—fit to be seen out with Carlo Valenti, at any rate.
They had finished lunch and were listening to Terri giving them a blow by blow account of her first riding lesson when the sound of high heels tapping on the tiled floor brought all three heads swinging around to watch the open doorway.
Sabrina Reducci appeared, looking as if she'd just stepped out of the centre-fold of Vogue.
'Ah, Sabrina!' Carlo's mother welcomed warmly. "This is a pleasant surprise!'
'Buon giorno, Zia Elicia.' Sabrina laid her smooth cheek against Mrs Valenti's. 'I came here to see you yesterday, but that naughty Carlo sent me away!' Her lush mouth pouted sulkily.
'He told me,' the older woman confessed. 'He will be here soon, so I will make him apologise to you, Sabrina. But for now, you have met our very special guests, I believe?'
'Ah, yes, briefly—though Carlo did not seem to think it worthy of a formal introduction.' Her expression said she was still piqued over Carlo's rude dismissal of her the day before.
"Then let me do so properly now,' Mrs Valenti offered.
"This is Miss Cassandra Marlow,' she began, turning her warm smile on Cass. 'Cassandra, this is la Signorina Sabrina Reducci—a friend of our family from the time she ran around this valley in pigtails with my daughter Louisa, their only ambition in life to tease and torment poor Carlo.'
'Now I torment him in other more—subtle ways,' Sabrina smiled suggestively—a smile that died away completely as she turned to look at Cass. 'Miss Marlow,' she acknowledged coolly, offering the kind of aloof nod of her sleek dark head that Cass suspected she would use to someone she considered not quite the thing.
'Miss Reducci,' Cass nodded back, keeping her own tone strictly polite. After all, she thought wryly, she was quite prepared to admit that she was not in Sabrina Reducci's league.
'And this,' Mrs Valenti continued proudly, 'is my granddaughter Teresa!'
'Terri,' the
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