Chapter Thirteen #3
‘Your sister,’ he said now in his halting Italian, ‘is so very used to male attention. Receives so much of it. It is not surprising, of course, because she is so very beautiful and, as she said, your husband is her former fiancé, so naturally…’
He trailed off uncertainly.
‘Yes,’ said Eleanora. Because what else was there to say? But her own misery was so great she had none to spare for Tonia’s husband.
As she led the way into the marble-floored hall with its grand staircase leading up, the cool of the house embracing her, Eleanora listened for voices. Where had Sanzio got to in showing Tonia around? She could hear nothing, and like claws in her stomach, sudden alarm, dread, possessed her.
* * *
Sanzio stood smiling down at Tonia, his smile warm…appreciative. Tonia was basking in it. Lapping it up.
‘Oh, Sanzio, darling, how I’ve missed you!’ she said huskily, her eyes devouring him.
‘Have you?’ he murmured. His eyes were resting on her as they stood in the master bedroom, the one that still had the original huge bedstead in it, where they had finally reached on their tour of the Palazzo.
His eyes might be on Tonia, but his ears were listening intently—and not on what Tonia was saying in her so-seductive husky voice.
He’d banked on the afternoon heat—let alone any other anxious motive—driving their respective spouses back indoors into the cool, and now, as he heard footsteps on the marble staircase, he knew he’d judged it perfectly.
‘You know I have!’ Tonia’s husky tone was more seductive than ever. ‘I’ve always wanted you.’
She stepped towards him. Sanzio’s smile deepened—and twisted. He, too, knew exactly what he wanted.
And how to get it.
* * *
Eleanora was leading the way upstairs, Edouard beside her, their footsteps echoing on the stone steps. With each step her sense of alarm and dread mounted. She could hear no voices still. But as they gained the wide galleried landing a low, husky voice came to them from the master bedroom.
‘I’ve always wanted you.’
She stepped into the doorway, Edouard behind her. They both froze.
Tonia was standing right in front of Sanzio, by the side of the bed. She could not see the doorway—but Sanzio could.
But he was not looking at the doorway, not looking at his wife and Tonia’s husband standing there, frozen. His gaze was fixed on Tonia. It flickered for a moment, Eleanora dimly registered through her anguish.
‘But you’re married now, as am I.’ Sanzio’s reply to Tonia was audible.
Tonia’s riposte was derisive. ‘Oh, who gives a damn about my stupid sister? You only married her to get at me! I know that! She means nothing to you! As for Edouard—’ she gave a jeering laugh ‘—I couldn’t care less about him!
He’s totally useless in bed! Useless and pathetic!
And he bores me rigid! If it weren’t for his title and his money, I wouldn’t have looked twice at him! God knows how I put up with him!’
Dimly, at her side, Eleanora heard a noise in Edouard’s throat, of shock and dismay.
But she had no time for him, no time for anything except the cruel, hideous tableau playing out in front of her.
Tonia was swaying towards Sanzio on her high heels.
He wasn’t moving, not a muscle. Just stood there, looking down at her.
‘I need a man, Sanzio—a real man.’ Tonia’s voice was husky again, her eyes devouring. ‘And you, you need a real woman. You need me. And now, now you can have me—all of me.’
She reached for Sanzio, stepped towards him swaying, her hand going out to him to draw him into her embrace, her mouth uplifted, lush and inviting. And Sanzio was just standing there, letting her…
At her side, Eleanora heard Edouard turn on his heel, then his rapid footsteps on the stone steps of the staircase. But she could not move.
Something must have broken from her though, some kind of cry. Tonia drew back, twisted her head, her eyes going like lasers to the doorway. To Eleanora. Seeing her standing there. Seeing the expression on her face.
Then she smiled. A smile of scorn, of mockery. Of triumph.
Of victory.
Another cry broke from Eleanora, and she turned and ran, and ran, and ran.
* * *
‘Eleanora!’ Sanzio’s call was urgent. He started forward. Tonia’s hand fastened over his forearm like a vice.
‘Let her go! Let them both go! Who cares? Oh, God, Sanzio, I’ve missed you so much—you’re the only man I want—right here, right now.’ She was trying to pull him down on to the bed, trying to reach his mouth with hers, trying to press her body against his.
He peeled her hand from him roughly, stepped free of her. His eyes hard as nails. A word broke from him that made her gasp.
‘Don’t you dare speak to me like that!’ Outrage and disbelief were in her face.
He said it again for good measure.
‘You’ve served your purpose, Tonia. Now you can go to hell! Where you so richly belong!’
He pushed past her. He needed to catch up with Eleanora—he must.
But even as he strode from the room and plunged downstairs to yank open the front door, he heard the gunning of Edouard’s car. And in the passenger seat sat Eleanora…