"I didn"t realize I was supposed to take it so seriously. He brings that horrible priest over every week, and I"m supposed to study. All I should have to do is go and sit with him during the services. I don"t need to know all the mumbo jumbo that goes along with it. I doubt if anybody else really knows it. In any case, why can"t he just be a Catholic like everybody else? Who cares which religion is the true one and who broke away from what? It"s just silly."
Antonietta sighed again. "You can"t have a fling with a policeman when you"re engaged to one of the more powerful men in the world. I think the tabloids would get wind of it."
"Who mentioned a fling? I could really fall for him. He has the most wonderful chest you"ve ever imagined. Even Byron doesn"t have a chest like his, well, not as perfect anyway." She made a rude noise. "Why do you like him?"
Deliberately Antonietta misunderstood. "I"ve never met your policeman, Tasha, so how could I possibly have an opinion?"
"You know very well I was talking about Bryon!"
"Why don"t you like him?" Antonietta countered.
"He doesn"t look at me. Never. That"s just not normal," Tasha said. "All men look at me. And he"s scary. There"s just no other word for him. His eyes are flat and cold, and he stares at people like he sees inside of them. He never smiles." She shivered. "He reminds me of a tiger I saw at the zoo one time, pacing back and forth in its cage and watching me without blinking."
"He smiles."
"He bares his teeth, it isn"t the same thing." Tasha gasped loudly. "Antonietta! What is on your neck? You have a love bite."
Antonietta could feel the sudden burning, a throbbing on her neck that caused an instant reaction in her body. Fire smoldered in the pit of her stomach. There was an answering throb between her legs. For a moment she could actually taste him in her mouth.
Wild. Untamed. A dark, erotic dream better left for night yet persisting into daylight hours. The throbbing spread to include a spot on the swell of her breast. She tried not to blush, remembering the feel of Byron"s mouth, hot and wet and wild on her skin. She covered her neck with the palm of her hand, captured his kiss there, holding him to her with that small caress.
"It is a love bite! He was here last night with you!" It was an accusation, nothing less, as if Antonietta were on trial for criminal behavior. "You took Byron Justicano into your bed! Look at you, what you"re wearing!" Tasha was nearly hysterical. "That lace barely covers you! Have you no decency?"
"Tasha." Antonietta forced herself to remain calm when she wanted to order her cousin out of the room. "You bought me this gown. I sleep in it because it is comfortable, and I have always considered you to be the epitome of good taste."
"Well, yes, I am, it is true." Tasha was somewhat mollified. "But I didn"t mean you to wear it for that horrible man. He"s a fortune hunter, out for your money all along. All this time pretending to be friends with Nonno, but in truth he was willing to seduce a blind woman."
"Must you be so dramatic all the time, Tasha? I"m thirty- seven years old. Did you think I never slept with a man? This may surprise you, but you don"t have to have sight to share s.e.x with someone." Antonietta dragged on her robe and shoved her dark gla.s.ses over her eyes. "And I don"t appreciate you telling me I have hideous scars when they are barely noticeable." She swept past her cousin toward the enormous bathroom. She should have slept with him. She"d been an absolute idiot not to sleep with him.
It was all so hazy. She had wanted Byron to make love to her. Had she fallen asleep in the middle of it all? The idea was humiliating.
Tasha followed her. "That was years ago, Toni, you know it was. And the scars were much worse then. And you were getting so much attention from everyone. Poor little orphaned girl. It was like a movie. Just imagine what I could have done with that role."
"It wasn"t a role, Tasha." Exasperation crept into Antonietta"s voice in spite of her resolve to be patient. "I lost my mother and father. It was horrible. A tragedy."
"I know. I was born for tragedy."
"You have suffered tragedy."
"Not that I can talk about." Tasha sniffed indignantly. "And no one"s thought about your scars in years."
"I thought about them every time I went out in public."
Tasha studied one perfectly manicured fingernail. "If you weren"t so vain, thinking about your looks all the time, you wouldn"t have even remembered."
Antonietta bit her tongue to keep from pointing out that Tasha spent half of her life in front of mirrors. "You should have told me they weren"t that bad. Not being the center of attention your every waking minute is not a good enough reason to hurt me."
"Oh for heaven"s sake, Toni, you know I"m sorry, it was years ago. And you know I can"t help my need for constant affection. My shrink said it"s Daddy"s fault. He paid Paul all the attention."
"He showered you with presents," Antonietta contradicted. "You were his little princess. He gave you anything you ever wanted."
Tasha sank into a deep-cushioned chair. "Presents can never make up for parental affection, and you know very well Daddy"s entire world was the polo fields. I couldn"t stand getting my shoes dirty, and he never forgave me. And he took Paul everywhere with him." Her perfect pout was always wasted on Antonietta, so Tasha didn"t bother with it.
"You certainly know how to rewrite history. Poor Paul couldn"t do a thing right. He tried to please your father for years." Paul and Tasha"s father had been obsessed with women, not with the polo fields, but Antonietta refrained from correcting Tasha"s version of history.
"And then Paul gave up and began gambling and drinking and doing everything he could to embarra.s.s our family," Tasha pointed out. "He went through every cent he inherited, first from Mama, and then Daddy. And then he lost all of my money. Daddy was perfectly right about his weak character all along."
"That isn"t true. You went through most of your money yourself and then insisted on that investment Paul came up with. I told you it wasn"t sound. You knew it was throwing money away, but you did it anyway."
Tasha jumped to her feet. "Ooh! How would you know what it"s like? Everything you touch turns to gold. You don"t have to sell yourself to a man who"s about as cold as a fish."
"You and Paul have plenty to live on, Tasha, and you always have a home here, you know that. You don"t have to sell yourself, either. I told you not to invest your money. As I recall, I was adamant about it, but you wouldn"t listen." To prevent further argument, Antonietta firmly closed the bathroom door.
She took her time showering, hoping Tasha would be gone by the time she dressed, although she knew it was unlikely. Her cousin was tenacious when there was a man in the picture, and apparently the authorities had made the supreme mistake of sending a handsome officer. She couldn"t imagine where the palazzo chef, Enrico, had disappeared to, but a distinct chill was working its way down her spine in spite of the hot shower. Byron was certain that someone was introducing poison into the food. Could Enrico"s disappearance have something to do with that?
She turned her face up to the hot water spray above her head. Byron had killed her a.s.sailant. She was certain he had. And the body had been dropped on the cliffs, carelessly, with little thought of what the authorities might think. What did she think? She knew things others didn"t. She could do things others couldn"t. And she knew Byron wasn"t quite human. She accepted it as she accepted it in herself, yet he had killed easily, swiftly, without hesitation. He claimed he hadn"t been suspicious of Enrico. Had he found evidence linking Enrico to the poison?
For a moment Antonietta leaned her head against the shower tile, allowing the spray to pour over her. Byron was many things she didn"t quite understand, but he would not have murdered Enrico. She was not going to allow Tasha, with all her drama, to make her suspicious. With a little sigh she turned off the hot water and dried the beads of water from her skin. The towel lingered over the one spot on her breast that felt hot and throbbed for attention. She dressed with great care, braided the thick ma.s.s of hair, and swirled it into an intricate knot to give her more height. To give her added confidence.
Tasha was still in her bedroom. Antonietta could smell her distinctive perfume and hear the continual rustle of clothing. Tasha was not a patient or restful person, and waiting would have been difficult for her. Antonietta forced a smile. "You"re still here. It must be important."
"Finally! You could have hurried, Toni." Tasha caught her arm. "This is important, you don"t know how important. You have to talk to Nonno. I must be allowed in the room when the authorities return to question you."
"I"ll speak to him, Tasha," Antonietta agreed.
There was a moment of silence while Tasha searched for the right words. "Don"t get upset with me. You know I always look out for you. You"re not nearly as worldly as I am, although, of course, you"re much older."
"Have you forgotten we share the same birthday?"
Tasha hissed out a soft whisper of aggravation. "I don"t know you in this mood, Toni. Do you see? Already he is driving a wedge between you and your family!"
"I"m not having this conversation with you, Tasha. I don"t interfere in your personal life, no matter how bizarre I think it. All I ask is the same respect. What I do is my business, no one else"s. Don"t you dare bring up Byron to the rest of the family."
"Are you really going to talk to Nonno for me?" Tasha asked.
"Yes, I said I would."
A knock on the door was loud. Antonietta recognized Mar-ita"s distinctive way of announcing herself. Marita tried very hard to come across with authority and importance, even in minor things. "Come in, Marita." In another few minutes, all of her cousins would be crowding into her room.
"My husband, Franco, has sent me out of concern for your well-being, Antonietta." Marita made the announcement formal and loud. "You have never slept this long in all the time we can recall."
"You"ve been married to Franco for ten years, Marita," Tasha said with exasperation, "we know he"s your husband. Do you have to announce it every time you walk into a room? You do have your own ident.i.ty. If you"d just see Dr. Venshrank, you wouldn"t need to identify so strongly with Franco."
Marita stuck her chin in the air. "Just because I"ve managed to stay married and happy for ten years and you"ve gone through two husbands and three fiances doesn"t mean I need to see your doctor, Tasha. Franco is a good man, and I"m proud to be his wife. In any case, it reminds you I am a member of the family, too, if only by marriage."
"You are so insecure," Tasha said, rolling her eyes in disgust. "You"ve been in the family for ten long years, you have two children, and you"d think you"d get over the fact that you had totally inferior breeding and no social status whatsoever when Franco found you. We all have."
"Don"t start, you two. I have to speak with Signora Helena immediately and find out what is happening, or you may not have food for the next few days." Antonietta was exasperated with the both of them, grown women always feuding.
"Marita would live just fine for a day or two, but I wouldn"t survive." Tasha patted her flat stomach lovingly.
Marita nearly screamed in frustration. "My stomach is a badge of courage, two bambini, and you with none."
"Enough!" Antonietta nearly yelled it. "I don"t want you to ever say that again to Tasha in my presence, Marita."
"I"m sorry, forgive me, Tasha. Toni is right, I shouldn"t have said such a thing."
"I don"t pay attention to anything you say," Tasha said belligerently, but her voice trembled.
Marita turned her attention to Antonietta. "Toni, I really needed to talk to you about Franco. He"s in a meeting with Nonno. I don"t want you to interrupt them. You must see he deserves another chance. It is time Nonno realized his worth and paid him accordingly. He should be vice president and respected by all."
"You know I have no say in what Nonno"s decisions arc, Marita."
"Just promise me not to ruin Franco"s chance. I must insist, Antonietta. You know he works hard and deserves so much more than Nonno gives him. One little mistake should be forgiven."
"It wasn"t a little mistake, as you well know, Marita. You pushed him until he was bitter and angry and wanting your respect.
He betrayed his family and our company. He was lucky charges weren"t brought against him and that Nonno listened to Tasha"s and my pleas to allow him to stay here. If you"re pushing him again to do something he will later regret, think hard, Marita. Nonno won"t forgive another betrayal, not even for the children, and Marita, neither will I."
"He turned down a huge offer from Christopher"s company to join with them. A merger would be good for both companies.
Franco has proved his loyalty even though he knows the merger would make us all wealthy."
Antonietta sighed. "We are wealthy already, Marita, and there is no advantage to our company from a merger, only on the Demonesini side. You know very well Christopher"s father even tried to court me in hopes of a merger."
"The families will merge when Christopher marries Tasha."
A loud crash followed by a bloodcurdling scream of pain interrupted the two women. There was no mistaking a child"s continuous scream of agony. Tasha turned toward the sound instantly. "That"s little Margurite!" She was already racing from the room as she called out the warning.
The screams emerging from the lower story were appalling. Antonietta had never heard anything like it. "Something is really wrong with Margurite."
"She just wants attention." Marita pressed her hands over her ears. "Tasha should make her stop that noise, no Scarletti should make such a scene. That"s Tasha"s influence. If Franco hears her, he"ll rush to her side instead of keeping his mind on business as he should!" But she was running even as she complained.
Antonietta listened to her tone, not the words. Marita was terrified, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Antonietta took her hand as they hurried down the wide hall toward the sound of the screams. She had to slow down on the sweeping staircase, not wanting to chance a misstep. Marita suddenly pulled her hand away, pressing back against the wall.
Antonietta could hear Tasha soothing the six-year-old girl. "There, there, Toni"s here now, and she"ll see to it that the doctor comes. He"ll fix you right up. Your madre is here. It"s going to be all right now." Antonietta judged by the direction of the voice that Tasha was sitting on the floor beside the child right at the bottom of the stairway. She stepped cautiously off the last stair and stopped walking, careful not to trip over them.
Marita screamed, a terrible sound, adding to Margurite"s cries of pain. There was a thud as her body crashed to the floor.
"What is it? What happened to her, Tasha?" "Don"t mind Marita. She fainted like she always does in a crisis. Here, Toni."
Tasha caught her hand and guided her to the floor beside the crying child. Already the screams were becoming sobs as Margurite tried to regain control. "It"s her right leg. Tell me what you think. Hold still, piccola, it will take only a moment to examine you, and Antonietta is always so gentle. Your madre is fine. She just fainted. You"ve seen her do that before." Tasha kissed the curly head over and over, brushing at the tears running down the little face. "Watch yourself, Toni, there"s rubble everywhere."
Antonietta ran her hands gently over the thin leg. Her breath caught in her lungs when she felt the jagged bone protruding. "Tasha is right, cara mia, we need the doctor immediately for you. You"re so brave to stay here with Tasha." She raised her voice, knowing her a.s.sistant would be close, drawn by the screams. "Justine! We must have an ambulance at once." Justine Travis had been her a.s.sistant for thirteen years, and she acted as her eyes and ears in the ever-changing household.
"Right away, Miss Scarletti!" Justine answered from where she hovered in the hallway. "Helena is calling straightaway."
"Tell them to hurry, it"s most urgent!" Antonietta kept her voice calm, not wanting to alarm Margurite. "Try to wake Marita.
And get Franco in here."
Marita moaned. "Bambina. Mia bambino.. How could this happen?" She kept her face averted, allowing Helena to help her to her feet. "There"s so much blood, and the bone. She"ll be crippled for life."
"Marita!" Tasha hissed her name. "That"s not helping. Go to Vincente. He must be frightened by Margurite"s cries. Franco will attend her."
"Yes, yes, you"re right, Tasha." Marita pressed a hand to her stomach, turned her head, and was sick. "Grazie, take care of my poor bambina."
Franco gathered Tasha and his daughter into his arms. "Helena, take Marita up to the room. She"s ill, and this is too much for her."
Helena complied, wrapping her arm around Marita while one of the maids immediately began to clean the floor.
Tasha rocked back and forth in an effort to soothe both the child and herself. "Do something Toni, I can"t stand to see her in such pain," Tasha begged in a whisper. "How did such a thing happen?"
"Hurry, Toni, take the pain from her," Franco urged.
"Describe for me what you see."
"The Scarletti coat of arms above Nonno"s door has come down. Didn"t we just have that inspected and secured? Margurite was coming out of Nonno"s room, and it came right down on her. She could have been killed." There was a sob as well as anger in Tasha"s voice. "She went to visit Nonno but he was gone."
Antonietta stiffened. The palazzo was undergoing repairs, and she had been with the inspectors when they had gone through her grandfather"s wing of the house. She knew they had paid particular attention to the Scarletti coat of arms, due to the heavy weight of it. "Don"t touch anything. We"ll let your policeman take a look around."
All at once the home Antonietta loved, the home with which she was so familiar, took on a sinister atmosphere.
Margurite lay against Tasha, keening her distress softly while her father caressed her hair and face, murmuring how much he loved her. Tasha"s fingers tightened around Antonietta. "Do something, take her pain away, Toni. Do it right now, I can"t stand her being in so much pain."
"The ambulance will be here soon," Antonietta whispered back, but her hands were still on the little leg. She took a deep breath and concentrated, blocking out the sounds of weeping, blocking out the overwhelming emotions of everyone in the room.
She let everything flow through her, around her, finding the deep well inside of her where she could free the energy that was so strong, so much a part of her and her heritage.
Antonietta knew Byron Justicano was capable of healing because the ability to heal was also a part of her family legacy. She couldn"t heal in the same way he did, but she could diagnose a problem, lessen the pain, and speed her people onto the path of recovery. She felt the heat building, spreading, moving through her body to her hands, to the child"s leg.
Almost at once, Margurite became quieter, her sobs reduced to sniffs and small shudders. Antonietta felt most of the tension leave Tasha"s body.
Franco leaned over and kissed his cousin. His face was wet with tears.
"Grazie, Toni. I wish I could do that." Tasha hugged Margurite closer to her.
"The ambulance is on the way, Antonietta," Justine said as she picked her way carefully through the mess. "I also notified the authorities. The bolts holding the Scarletti shield are completely sheared through. This was no accident." Before her employer could protest, she hastily rea.s.sured her. "Don"t worry, I was careful not to touch anything and leave fingerprints. I"ve seen enough movies to know you"re not supposed to do that." She crouched down close to Antonietta. Almost protectively. "This was no accident, and coming on the heels of last night, I don"t think you should take any chances."
"I believe you"re right, Justine," Antonietta agreed.
"Please give Joie Sanders a call and let her know I need an appointment. Ask if she would be willing to come here to the palazzo."
"I"ll set it up immediately. Sanders is renowned for her security measures, but she"s very hard to get. She might be able to recommend someone to us though. Shall I cancel your performance at the local charity event next week?"