child automatically corrected, her gaze fixed curiously on this new, elegant being who had come into her small sphere. 'You dress like my mummy did,' she told Sabrina. 'She used to wear nice dresses like that, and smell nice like you, only her hair was the colour of sunshine, and she smiled with her eyes.'
Out of the mouths of babes, Cass thought ruefully, as she watched the startled movement Sabrina gave at the unexpected shrewdness of the child's final observation. She didn't much like it, either, going by the way her mouth tightened, Cass noted.
But Sabrina recovered quickly, sending Terri a more relaxed smile as she lowered herself into the chair beside her. 'But you are very like your papa, no?' she quizzed lightly. 'You have his brown eyes and silky black hair...'
And his blunt manner, Cass added silently, on a wry smile to herself.
'You are enjoying living here, Teresa?' Sabrina asked.
Instantly, the child's face closed up. 'It's all right,' she mumbled, refusing to pass judgement on anything here yet—except perhaps her pony, and maybe Maria because they didn't understand each other and that amused her.
The lukewarm reply took the smile from Sabrina's lips, and sent her almond eyes in search of a new quarry, which, of course, had to be Cass. 'And how long are you hoping to stay here, Miss Marlow?' she enquired.
Cass frowned, not sure she liked the tone Sabrina had used—or the inflexion she had placed into certain key words in the remark. Nor was this a subject she wished to discuss in front of her niece, and the cool expression she lifted to Sabrina told the other woman so.
'It all depends,' she answered non-committedly. 'At the moment, we are enjoying the Valenti hospitality too much to want to think about returning home.'
'Ah,' Sabrina nodded sagely. 'I understand your reticence, Miss Marlow. You will find it a wrench to leave Teresa behind here when you go.'
Terri's face came out of her glass, ears pricked and buzzing on that potentially explosive remark. Cass's green eyes began to spark ominously. And Mrs Valenti jumped in quickly before Sabrina really put her foot in it. 'Don't be so meddlesome, Sabrina!' she scolded, glancing pensively from Terri's frowning face to Cass's angry one. 'Or I shall have to tell my son how you try to make trouble.'
'Doesn't she always?' a deep voice drawled, and Carlo himself came into view, looking absolutely devastating in slate-grey trousers and a pale blue shirt. 'What are you up to now, you aggravating witch?' he grinned at Sabrina and bent to kiss her on both cheeks.
'I won't stay here with you when Cass goes home,' his daughter informed him promptly.
Carlo went still, all his good humour leaving him. Slowly he turned to face his daughter, and Cass caught Sabrina's small grimace as she too turned to study Terri's defiant little face.
'I do not remember inviting you to, Teresa,' he answered coolly. The child glowered at him, any hint of the companionship they had built up during their riding lesson gone in a flash. 'Grazie, Sabrina,' he muttered sotto voce.
'I meant no malice, Carlo!' Reaching out, she laid a coaxing hand on his bare forearm where the dark hair grew thick and crisp, red-tipped fingernails curling firmly muscled flesh. 'I just did not realise that-----'
'Your lack of perception has always been your worst fault, cara,' Carlo drily inserted before Sabrina could pour more oil on the troubled waters.
'Oh, you're going to be horrible to me again!' she cried, pouting in a way that was both sulky and provocative. 'You threw me out of here yesterday, and now you are scolding me for something I did not understand!' She sat back in her chair. 'When I think about it, Carlo, you are quite the rudest man I have ever met, and if it weren't for Zia Elicia-----' she sent Carlo's mother a warm smile '—I would never set foot in this valley again!'
'Then I apologise for my rudeness and beg your humble forgiveness,' Carlo drily conceded. 'For the idea of you
Out of the mouths of babes, Cass thought ruefully, as she watched the startled movement Sabrina gave at the unexpected shrewdness of the child's final observation. She didn't much like it, either, going by the way her mouth tightened, Cass noted.
But Sabrina recovered quickly, sending Terri a more relaxed smile as she lowered herself into the chair beside her. 'But you are very like your papa, no?' she quizzed lightly. 'You have his brown eyes and silky black hair...'
And his blunt manner, Cass added silently, on a wry smile to herself.
'You are enjoying living here, Teresa?' Sabrina asked.
Instantly, the child's face closed up. 'It's all right,' she mumbled, refusing to pass judgement on anything here yet—except perhaps her pony, and maybe Maria because they didn't understand each other and that amused her.
The lukewarm reply took the smile from Sabrina's lips, and sent her almond eyes in search of a new quarry, which, of course, had to be Cass. 'And how long are you hoping to stay here, Miss Marlow?' she enquired.
Cass frowned, not sure she liked the tone Sabrina had used—or the inflexion she had placed into certain key words in the remark. Nor was this a subject she wished to discuss in front of her niece, and the cool expression she lifted to Sabrina told the other woman so.
'It all depends,' she answered non-committedly. 'At the moment, we are enjoying the Valenti hospitality too much to want to think about returning home.'
'Ah,' Sabrina nodded sagely. 'I understand your reticence, Miss Marlow. You will find it a wrench to leave Teresa behind here when you go.'
Terri's face came out of her glass, ears pricked and buzzing on that potentially explosive remark. Cass's green eyes began to spark ominously. And Mrs Valenti jumped in quickly before Sabrina really put her foot in it. 'Don't be so meddlesome, Sabrina!' she scolded, glancing pensively from Terri's frowning face to Cass's angry one. 'Or I shall have to tell my son how you try to make trouble.'
'Doesn't she always?' a deep voice drawled, and Carlo himself came into view, looking absolutely devastating in slate-grey trousers and a pale blue shirt. 'What are you up to now, you aggravating witch?' he grinned at Sabrina and bent to kiss her on both cheeks.
'I won't stay here with you when Cass goes home,' his daughter informed him promptly.
Carlo went still, all his good humour leaving him. Slowly he turned to face his daughter, and Cass caught Sabrina's small grimace as she too turned to study Terri's defiant little face.
'I do not remember inviting you to, Teresa,' he answered coolly. The child glowered at him, any hint of the companionship they had built up during their riding lesson gone in a flash. 'Grazie, Sabrina,' he muttered sotto voce.
'I meant no malice, Carlo!' Reaching out, she laid a coaxing hand on his bare forearm where the dark hair grew thick and crisp, red-tipped fingernails curling firmly muscled flesh. 'I just did not realise that-----'
'Your lack of perception has always been your worst fault, cara,' Carlo drily inserted before Sabrina could pour more oil on the troubled waters.
'Oh, you're going to be horrible to me again!' she cried, pouting in a way that was both sulky and provocative. 'You threw me out of here yesterday, and now you are scolding me for something I did not understand!' She sat back in her chair. 'When I think about it, Carlo, you are quite the rudest man I have ever met, and if it weren't for Zia Elicia-----' she sent Carlo's mother a warm smile '—I would never set foot in this valley again!'
'Then I apologise for my rudeness and beg your humble forgiveness,' Carlo drily conceded. 'For the idea of you
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