beautiful.’
‘My mother loved it here,’ he said. ‘She wanted her grandchildren to grow up like Miette and I did, with both French and Italian cultural experiences.’
Sienna looked at the bubbles in her glass, trying not to think of Andreas’s future children running about the chateau and its gardens. It was unsettling to think of him with some other faceless woman on his arm, a woman he had selected as prime wife material. Or maybe he would take Portia Briscoe back once his brief marriage to Sienna was over. But that thought was even more upsetting. The more she knew of Andreas, the less suited Portia seemed to be for him. Couldn’t
he
see that?
‘Was Miette upset that the chateau was left to you and not to her?’ Sienna asked after a little silence.
‘My sister was more upset it was co-inherited by you,’ he said. ‘She is worried you will do everything in your power to make me default.’
Sienna could see why his sister would feel the way she did about her. Their relationship during the time she had lived with the family had been fraught with tension. Many a petty or bitchy argument had broken out between them, which, to be fair, Sienna knew she was largely responsible for. She had been insanely jealous of Miette as the only daughter of the Ferrante dynasty. To Sienna, Miette was everything she was not. Miette had two parents who adored her, an older brother who was loving and protective towards her, and she had grown up with the sort of wealth that meant she never had to worry about anything other than what designer brand tochoose over another. Like Andreas, Miette had been to the best schools and university. Miette had even spent a year at a Swiss finishing school before she’d moved to London, where she had met her now equally well-heeled husband. Miette’s life was the dream life Sienna had always wanted for herself. ‘What did you say to her?’ she asked before taking a sip of her drink.
‘I told her not to worry,’ he said. ‘I am well aware of the tricks you might feel compelled to play.’
Sienna shrugged off his comment. ‘Well, you can assure her I only want the money,’ she said. ‘The chateau is nice and all that, but what would I do with a place this size? I’d have to sell it. I could never afford to maintain it. The heating bills in winter must be crucifying.’
Andreas took a sip of his drink, still watching her with his hazel eyes. ‘Just so you know, Sienna,’ he said. ‘I will not be tricked out of inheriting this property. You can do the time the nice way or the hard way but, either way, I am not leaving until I inherit what rightly belongs to my family.’
‘Fine,’ Sienna said, throwing him a testy look. ‘But the same goes for you. I’m not going to be forced out by your brooding, boorish behaviour or your bad moods.’
Andreas gave an ironic chuckle. ‘You’re a fine one to talk of bad moods,’ he said. ‘You’ve been spoiling for a fight from the moment you stepped in the room. I can see it in your eyes. They’ve been flashing like sheet lightning for the last five minutes.’
Sienna glared at him. ‘Maybe that has something to do with your own chicanery in making sure I have no choice but to sleep in your bed,’ she said.
‘What is the problem with sharing a bed that is largeenough to house a family of five?’ Andreas asked. ‘I bet I won’t even notice you’re there.’
She set her mouth. ‘Just another nameless woman lying beside you, eh? Nice one, Andreas. You have such class.’
‘Are you jealous?’ he asked.
‘Of course not!’ Sienna gave her head a toss. ‘It’s just that I don’t like the thought of you suddenly forgetting who’s lying beside you. You might take liberties that I’m not comfortable with.’
‘Take liberties?’ He gave a little snort of amusement. ‘You sound like someone out of a Regency period drama. What, are you worried I might see one of your naked ankles or wrists, are you? I’ve seen a lot more
‘My mother loved it here,’ he said. ‘She wanted her grandchildren to grow up like Miette and I did, with both French and Italian cultural experiences.’
Sienna looked at the bubbles in her glass, trying not to think of Andreas’s future children running about the chateau and its gardens. It was unsettling to think of him with some other faceless woman on his arm, a woman he had selected as prime wife material. Or maybe he would take Portia Briscoe back once his brief marriage to Sienna was over. But that thought was even more upsetting. The more she knew of Andreas, the less suited Portia seemed to be for him. Couldn’t
he
see that?
‘Was Miette upset that the chateau was left to you and not to her?’ Sienna asked after a little silence.
‘My sister was more upset it was co-inherited by you,’ he said. ‘She is worried you will do everything in your power to make me default.’
Sienna could see why his sister would feel the way she did about her. Their relationship during the time she had lived with the family had been fraught with tension. Many a petty or bitchy argument had broken out between them, which, to be fair, Sienna knew she was largely responsible for. She had been insanely jealous of Miette as the only daughter of the Ferrante dynasty. To Sienna, Miette was everything she was not. Miette had two parents who adored her, an older brother who was loving and protective towards her, and she had grown up with the sort of wealth that meant she never had to worry about anything other than what designer brand tochoose over another. Like Andreas, Miette had been to the best schools and university. Miette had even spent a year at a Swiss finishing school before she’d moved to London, where she had met her now equally well-heeled husband. Miette’s life was the dream life Sienna had always wanted for herself. ‘What did you say to her?’ she asked before taking a sip of her drink.
‘I told her not to worry,’ he said. ‘I am well aware of the tricks you might feel compelled to play.’
Sienna shrugged off his comment. ‘Well, you can assure her I only want the money,’ she said. ‘The chateau is nice and all that, but what would I do with a place this size? I’d have to sell it. I could never afford to maintain it. The heating bills in winter must be crucifying.’
Andreas took a sip of his drink, still watching her with his hazel eyes. ‘Just so you know, Sienna,’ he said. ‘I will not be tricked out of inheriting this property. You can do the time the nice way or the hard way but, either way, I am not leaving until I inherit what rightly belongs to my family.’
‘Fine,’ Sienna said, throwing him a testy look. ‘But the same goes for you. I’m not going to be forced out by your brooding, boorish behaviour or your bad moods.’
Andreas gave an ironic chuckle. ‘You’re a fine one to talk of bad moods,’ he said. ‘You’ve been spoiling for a fight from the moment you stepped in the room. I can see it in your eyes. They’ve been flashing like sheet lightning for the last five minutes.’
Sienna glared at him. ‘Maybe that has something to do with your own chicanery in making sure I have no choice but to sleep in your bed,’ she said.
‘What is the problem with sharing a bed that is largeenough to house a family of five?’ Andreas asked. ‘I bet I won’t even notice you’re there.’
She set her mouth. ‘Just another nameless woman lying beside you, eh? Nice one, Andreas. You have such class.’
‘Are you jealous?’ he asked.
‘Of course not!’ Sienna gave her head a toss. ‘It’s just that I don’t like the thought of you suddenly forgetting who’s lying beside you. You might take liberties that I’m not comfortable with.’
‘Take liberties?’ He gave a little snort of amusement. ‘You sound like someone out of a Regency period drama. What, are you worried I might see one of your naked ankles or wrists, are you? I’ve seen a lot more
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