Read Online From Venice With Love by Alison Roberts - Free Book Online
Authors: Alison Roberts
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sitting.
Maybe Charlotte often wore an elegant silver dress to such a formal occasion but Nico had a strong sensethat it was not usual practice for her to leave her hair loose like that—a tumble of soft waves that gleamed an ash blonde in the candlelight. Had she be thinking of him when she’d brushed it out and chosen not to wind it back into its prison of pins?
And the grandmother! Nico had expected an English dowager of some kind. Tall and forbiddingly aloof. He had smiled the moment he’d set eyes on the old lady sitting beside Charlotte. Even from a distance he had caught the flash of her bejewelled hands and even a small tiara nestled in fiery red hair. He could sense her interest in the people around her and an ability to see beneath the surface of social niceties. This was going to be a much more entertaining evening than he could have hoped for.
‘I can’t tell you how often I’ve thought about her since then,’ he told Lady Geraldine with palpable honesty. ‘And then fate brings us together in the most romantic city in the world.’ He shrugged, his smile suggesting he hadn’t made much of an effort to stand firm against the winds of fate.
Was he overdoing things? Judging by the mistiness in Lady Geraldine’s eyes, she was swallowing this very happily, but from the corner of his eye he could see that Charlotte was simply sitting there, staring at him, her lips slightly parted and her expression dazed.
He still had his hand covering hers, so he picked it up. Such a soft hand. Such elegant, long fingers and neat nails that were not disguised by any unnatural colours. He touched his lips to her hand and then leaned forward as though drawn irresistibly to kiss her lips next. They looked soft, too, and when Charlotte unconsciouslydampened them with the tip of her tongue, Nico realised that he actually
did
want to kiss her.
Dio…
That wasn’t meant to happen. He closed his eyes for a heartbeat to take control of the unexpected shaft of desire but then he let his breath out in a soft sigh. Did it matter? Charlotte wouldn’t need to know it was anything other than good acting and it would certainly make his performance more believable. He opened his eyes and focused on the owner of the hand he still had imprisoned in his.
‘It was meant to be,’ he said softly. ‘I’m lucky enough to have been given a second chance and even luckier that this beautiful woman seems to feel the same way.’ He added a few words in Italian, knowing how limited Charlotte’s grasp on the language was, and hoping that it would add to the impression of sincerity.
It had more of an effect than he had anticipated. Lady Geraldine sniffed delicately and picked up her linen serviette to dab at the corner of her eye.
‘Bella,’ she said, her Italian accent flawless. ‘Carlotta
è una ragazza fortunate.’
Beneath his fingers, Charlotte’s hand stiffened with tension. ‘What?’
‘She said you are a lucky girl,’ Nico murmured. ‘That the story of how we met is beautiful.’
‘At last…’ Lady Geraldine smiled mistily at her granddaughter. ‘Oh, darling. I can’t begin to tell you how happy this makes me. This…this is the best night of my
life.’
Charlotte’s lips trembled but she managed to smile. In the instant before she turned to look at her grandmotherNico caught the flash of emotion in her eyes that told him how huge this gift of happiness was.
And she couldn’t have given her grandmother this if it hadn’t been for him. It made him proud.
It made him want to give
more
.
The interruption of the first course of their dinner arriving was a welcome distraction that gave Charlotte time to try and collect herself. Not that she had the slightest appetite and she couldn’t help her gaze straying sideways to look at Nico at noticeably frequent intervals as she wondered how he could be so incredibly good at this pretence, but that was just the sort of behaviour a woman who’d just fallen head over heels
Maybe Charlotte often wore an elegant silver dress to such a formal occasion but Nico had a strong sensethat it was not usual practice for her to leave her hair loose like that—a tumble of soft waves that gleamed an ash blonde in the candlelight. Had she be thinking of him when she’d brushed it out and chosen not to wind it back into its prison of pins?
And the grandmother! Nico had expected an English dowager of some kind. Tall and forbiddingly aloof. He had smiled the moment he’d set eyes on the old lady sitting beside Charlotte. Even from a distance he had caught the flash of her bejewelled hands and even a small tiara nestled in fiery red hair. He could sense her interest in the people around her and an ability to see beneath the surface of social niceties. This was going to be a much more entertaining evening than he could have hoped for.
‘I can’t tell you how often I’ve thought about her since then,’ he told Lady Geraldine with palpable honesty. ‘And then fate brings us together in the most romantic city in the world.’ He shrugged, his smile suggesting he hadn’t made much of an effort to stand firm against the winds of fate.
Was he overdoing things? Judging by the mistiness in Lady Geraldine’s eyes, she was swallowing this very happily, but from the corner of his eye he could see that Charlotte was simply sitting there, staring at him, her lips slightly parted and her expression dazed.
He still had his hand covering hers, so he picked it up. Such a soft hand. Such elegant, long fingers and neat nails that were not disguised by any unnatural colours. He touched his lips to her hand and then leaned forward as though drawn irresistibly to kiss her lips next. They looked soft, too, and when Charlotte unconsciouslydampened them with the tip of her tongue, Nico realised that he actually
did
want to kiss her.
Dio…
That wasn’t meant to happen. He closed his eyes for a heartbeat to take control of the unexpected shaft of desire but then he let his breath out in a soft sigh. Did it matter? Charlotte wouldn’t need to know it was anything other than good acting and it would certainly make his performance more believable. He opened his eyes and focused on the owner of the hand he still had imprisoned in his.
‘It was meant to be,’ he said softly. ‘I’m lucky enough to have been given a second chance and even luckier that this beautiful woman seems to feel the same way.’ He added a few words in Italian, knowing how limited Charlotte’s grasp on the language was, and hoping that it would add to the impression of sincerity.
It had more of an effect than he had anticipated. Lady Geraldine sniffed delicately and picked up her linen serviette to dab at the corner of her eye.
‘Bella,’ she said, her Italian accent flawless. ‘Carlotta
è una ragazza fortunate.’
Beneath his fingers, Charlotte’s hand stiffened with tension. ‘What?’
‘She said you are a lucky girl,’ Nico murmured. ‘That the story of how we met is beautiful.’
‘At last…’ Lady Geraldine smiled mistily at her granddaughter. ‘Oh, darling. I can’t begin to tell you how happy this makes me. This…this is the best night of my
life.’
Charlotte’s lips trembled but she managed to smile. In the instant before she turned to look at her grandmotherNico caught the flash of emotion in her eyes that told him how huge this gift of happiness was.
And she couldn’t have given her grandmother this if it hadn’t been for him. It made him proud.
It made him want to give
more
.
The interruption of the first course of their dinner arriving was a welcome distraction that gave Charlotte time to try and collect herself. Not that she had the slightest appetite and she couldn’t help her gaze straying sideways to look at Nico at noticeably frequent intervals as she wondered how he could be so incredibly good at this pretence, but that was just the sort of behaviour a woman who’d just fallen head over heels
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