A Venetian Affair: A Venetian Passion / In the Venetian's Bed / A Family For Keeps

He took a look around the small room, and tossed his jacket on a chair. ‘Come. Let us sit down together and I shall tell you why your jealousy, much as it delights me, was unnecessary.’ He drew her down on the sofa, smiling as she apologised for its size. ‘I am glad of it because we must sit very close together.’

Laura was glad, too. It was bliss to sit with Domenico’s arm round her, breathing in the scent of him. The scent she would know in the dark. ‘So why did Jess Forli think there was someone in your life?’

‘She rang me to tell me where to stay for Fenella’s wedding.’ Domenico’s arm tightened. ‘And Jess asked me, as she always does, if I had someone special in my life yet. And this time I said yes, but would not give her a name.’ He turned her face up to his. ‘I thought it best to consult you first, tesoro.’

Laura stared at him. ‘You mean it was me?’

He kissed her parted mouth fleetingly. ‘Of course it was you!’

‘I was jealous of myself?’

‘Who else would it be? I am in love with you, Laura, only you. And because you wanted to kill me,’ he added with satisfaction, ‘you are in love with me, yes?’

‘Hopelessly!’

Domenico shook his head. ‘Our situation is not hopeless at all, innamorata.’

‘It was after you stormed out of my house the day of the wedding!’

His eyes kindled. ‘I came to comfort you, and you accused me of lies and threw money at me. What man would not be angry?’

‘Sorry, Domenico,’ she said, so meekly he laughed and tugged on her hair.

‘So meek and mild, but I know better.’ He raised her hand to his lips, then stood up and pulled her with him. ‘Now, tell me where we can dine. I am hungry.’

Laura shook her head firmly. ‘I’m not going out like this.’ She grinned. ‘I do a great omelette—remember?’

‘I will never forget. And I will enjoy another very much.’ He took her in his arms and rubbed his cheek against her hair. ‘I am hungry for so much more than food, Laura, but I am afraid to hurt you.’

She tipped her head back to look at him. ‘It didn’t hurt when you kissed me. And my ankle doesn’t hurt when I’m lying down.’

Domenico’s breathing quickened. ‘You mean this?’

‘With all my heart,’ she assured him breathlessly, and smiled into his blazing eyes as he picked her up and carried her into the bedroom.

He undressed her as though he were unwrapping a priceless gift, and made love to her with exquisite gentleness that was just as rapturous in its own way as the heat and passion of the first time. And later, after sharing a vast omelette with her, Domenico made it clear to Laura that in future their lives must be arranged to allow as much time together as humanly possible.

‘If you love me, carissima,’ he said as he finally left her, ‘come to me in Venice very soon.’

‘I do, and I will,’ she promised, and stood on tiptoe for one last kiss.

The surprise visit from Domenico did more for Laura’s face and frame of mind than any medication. Within days her face was less painful, soon she was able to disguise her fading bruises with cosmetics, and there were no more problems with concentration during her working day. She received postcards from Abby in France, from her mother in the Lakes, and the newlyweds in Italy, but her regular phone calls from Domenico were the highlights of her days. She was so much happier with life it caused comment on the trading floor at the bank, with demands about who was the lucky guy.

‘I wondered why he wanted your London address,’ said her mother, when she heard the phone was a present from Domenico. ‘If you’ve kept it I take it things are more cordial between you now?’

‘Much more. He came to see me and explained a few things.’

‘Did he, indeed? I take it there is no lady in his life?’

‘Other than me, no. So I’m off to Venice again once I can get more time off. I shan’t need a hotel; I’ll stay with Domenico in his apartment.’

‘Well, well, things are more cordial.’

‘He rings me up a lot to make sure they stay that way. How’s Janet?’

‘She’s wearing me out. I haven’t done so much walking in years.’

Laura laughed. ‘You’ll be fit as a fiddle by the time you come home. And Abby’s obviously having a ball in France by her postcards. I’m glad. She deserves it.’

Domenico was unable to leave Venice again at the height of the tourist season, and Laura, wanting more than a snatched weekend break, had to wait until the middle of September before she could take more time off from the bank. In the meantime she’d been home to Stavely for a celebration dinner to mark the newlyweds’ return and admire the wedding presents, and Isabel and Abby had come to London for a day so that the three of them could hit the shops together to stock Abby up for college.

‘At last!’ exclaimed Domenico, when Laura told him her flight was booked. ‘I am tired of waiting. It is a very long time since we were together.’

Laura could have told him to the minute just how long. ‘Can you keep the entire week free?’

‘Every second of it, carissima. Is your face truly healed now?’

‘Like new,’ she assured him.

‘Ah, Laura, now that my time of waiting is nearly over I cannot wait to hold you in my arms again.’

‘Just two more weeks,’ she said huskily.

‘I will be waiting at Marco Polo.’

‘In a less impatient mood than last time, I hope!’

He laughed softly. ‘I shall be even more impatient to rush you to a boat again, but this time to a water taxi, for the fastest journey possible to my apartment.’

By which, thought Laura happily, Domenico meant to make love to her the moment they were through his door. With this in mind she went on a shopping expedition with money her mother had given her from her windfall, and spent a shamelessly large part of it on underwear.

Laura went down to Stavely regularly, but during one weekend she’d stayed in the flat the doorbell rang while she was enjoying the luxury of a late breakfast with the Sunday papers.

‘It’s me,’ said a hoarse little voice through the intercom. ‘Let me in, please.’

‘Abby?’ Laura pressed the release button and opened the door to see her sister creeping up the stairs in such obvious pain she flew down to help her. ‘What on earth’s the matter, love? Have you hurt yourself? Where’s Mother?’

When her only answer was a visceral groan, Laura put an arm round Abby’s waist and helped her up to the flat. ‘Tell me what’s wrong,’ she said urgently.

‘Bathroom,’ gasped Abby, and staggered through the door Laura opened for her.

When she heard anguished groans Laura disregarded her frantic pleas for privacy and went in after Abby, her practical side taking over when it dawned on her what was happening. She soaked a hand towel in cold water to bathe Abby’s sweating face, and unable to help in any other way, held her sister’s hand until the inexorable process was over. She turned on the shower and helped the shocked, sobbing girl out of her clothes, and when Abby was clean and dry wrapped her in a dressing gown and made her lie on the bed to recover.

Laura went to the kitchen to make tea, but Abby slid off the bed to follow her, looking at her with huge reddened eyes, her face ashen beneath its suntan.

‘I’m sorry about landing you with this,’ she said unsteadily.

‘Don’t worry about that,’ said Laura firmly. ‘The important thing right now is to get you to a hospital—’

‘No,’ wailed Abby, sounding more like eight than eighteen.

‘I’m afraid you must, love. Don’t worry, the hospital’s quite near. I’ll give you something to wear, then I’ll ring Mother and bring her up to speed.’

‘Don’t do that!’ said Abby frantically. ‘I don’t want her to know.’

‘Of course she must know,’ said Laura gently. ‘Where does she think you are now?’

‘Out for the day with Rachel.’

‘And where does Rachel think you are?’

‘Up here for the day with you.’

‘You were taking a chance!’

‘I was desperate,’ sobbed Abby.

Laura put a comforting arm round her. ‘Don’t cry. I know you feel rough, but get these clothes on, love. The taxi should be here any minute.’

With a feeling of déjà vu Laura reported at Reception in the A & E department, but Abby keeled over while they were taking her details, which meant that she was wheeled away immediately. While her sister was examined Laura rang her mother, who took the news on the chin and said she would start out at once for the flat, in case Abby was allowed out of hospital before she got there.

On her way back to her sister Laura’s heart sank when a familiar white-coated figure came striding towards her.

‘Laura! Is something wrong?’ demanded Edward Lassiter.

Not with me, she thought glumly. ‘I’m fine. I’m just here with someone.’

His hazel eyes studied her face closely. ‘Your face has healed well. It was a hell of a shock to see you covered in contusions.’

‘It was to me, too,’ she said dryly.

‘Could we meet for a drink some time?’ he asked in an undertone, but before Laura could answer his name was called urgently. ‘I’ll be in touch,’ he promised as he hurried away.

When Laura got back to Abby it wrung her heart to see her lively, clever young sister lying like a marble effigy in the bed. ‘Hi,’ she said, more cheerfully than she felt. ‘How do you feel?’

‘Not so hot.’ Abby tried to smile. ‘But at least I don’t need a surgical procedure. They’re giving me some drug. I’ll be discharged this evening at the latest.’

‘That’s good.’

‘Have you rung Ma?’

‘Yes. She’s on her way.’

‘Oh, God!’ The amber eyes shut tight in anguish for a moment then opened to look straight into Laura’s. ‘I didn’t do anything to make this happen, but I wanted to. I came to ask you how to get a termination.’

Laura went cold. ‘Not something I’m clued up about, I’m afraid.’

Abby swallowed hard. ‘A good thing nature did it for me, then. I was up at the crack of dawn to walk to Chepstow to catch the London coach, but I was in the underground from Victoria when I started getting these awful cramps. I thought maybe the pregnancy test was wrong and it was just the usual thing. But on the way to the flat I realised it was more than that and I really panicked, thinking I’d never make it before…’ She dissolved into bitter, painful sobs, and Laura bent to kiss her as she mopped her up.

‘Don’t, love. You got to me in time, thank God.’

‘And you just took over without a fuss.’ Abby sniffed hard. ‘You were great, sis. Thank you.’

Laura braced herself. ‘Can I ask who’s responsible?’

‘I am.’ The drawn young face turned mulish. ‘I made a big mistake.’

‘It takes two, love.’

‘I don’t want to talk about it.’ Tears started again, and Laura patted her sister’s hand reassuringly.

‘I’ll go back to wait for Mother, and then we’ll both come to collect you later. Are you all right with that?’

Abby nodded miserably. ‘Sorry I made such a mess of things.’

‘Don’t think like that.’ Laura gave her sister a fierce look. ‘Now, listen to me, Abigail Green. You put this behind you, go off to Trinity next month, and just get on with your life.’

Domenico rang as Laura was letting herself into the flat. ‘How are you, tesoro?’

‘I’m fine,’ she assured him, wishing she could let him into Abby’s sad little secret. ‘How are you?’

‘I am well, but you sound tired, amore.’

‘I’ve had things to do. Mother and Abby will be with me soon for a visit,’ said Laura, needing to tell him at least part of the truth.

‘You will enjoy that. Please give your mother my regards. Even on such brief acquaintance I find her most simpatica.’

‘You’ve hardly known me any longer.’

‘Long enough to know that you and I are meant for each other. Per sempre,’ he added, in a tone that buckled her knees.

‘Forever?’

‘Yes, Laura, forever. When you come to me I shall take great pleasure in convincing you of this!’

Later that night, after Abby had been settled in bed at the flat, Laura ordered her exhausted, wrung-out mother to sit still while she made supper. ‘Just sit there on the sofa and I’ll wait on you.’

‘That’s very sweet of you, darling, but I don’t feel very hungry.’

‘I know, but you must eat something,’ said Laura firmly. ‘Abby’s agreed to some soup, and I’ll whip up a couple of my special omelettes.’

Isabel straightened her shoulders. ‘You’re right. I’ll need all the energy I can get when I go home. Abby will heal quickly enough physically, but I’ll have to watch that she gets over it mentally, too.’

‘University will help with that.’

‘Practical Laura, as always! And thank God you are, darling. This can’t have been a pleasant experience for you.’

‘It was a lot worse for Abby.’ Laura shook her head in wonder. ‘She hiked to Chepstow to catch the London coach this morning.’

‘Over three miles in that condition! And I thought she was off to the Kents for a day out with Rachel.’ Isabel looked at Laura in despair. ‘Why didn’t she tell me what was wrong?’

‘Look at it from her point of view,’ said Laura gently. ‘Up to now Abby’s been the perfect daughter, never a moment’s trouble of any kind. Then this happened. She obviously felt she’d ruined your life as well as hers.’

‘I can see your point,’ sighed Isabel. ‘But what on earth made her trek all the way to London to see you?’

‘She wanted my support,’ said Laura, sparing her mother the real reason. She frowned. ‘I haven’t heard about any boyfriend. I asked who was responsible but she wouldn’t say. Any ideas?’

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