different way. I love Australia, but this feels like my home.”
“I have a friend in Australia. Like me, she is a country doctor,” the doctor said. “I hope to go there one day, or perhaps she ’ll come here.”
Before Annabella could reply, she caught sight of her second cousin in the garden below. He was, she supposed, heading for the big cypress tree under which she ’d first seen him again, grappling with the rows and rows of figures, for under his arm he carried the old books in which their great-grandfather had kept all the estate records. But, before he could begin to climb the ivy-clad stone steps that led to his makeshift office, Claudia too noticed him. She was, Annabella saw, standing on her terrace, lifting two smallish dumbbells up and down so that the hard muscles in her sinewed arms flexed visibly. With one of the dumbbells, she waved to Alessandro and he waved back. Then, putting both the weights down, Claudia ran to the railing of her terrace and called something to him which Annabella couldn’t hear. She saw him nod, run over to her and plant a long kiss on her neck, never taking his hands from the log books.
Seeing the stricken look on her face and guessing by following the direction of her gaze what had caused it, the doctor said, “Annabella, would you do me the honour of accompanying me to the Palio tomorrow? It’s the second of July, one of only two days in the year on which it is run. I haven’t lived in Tuscany long so I’ve never seen it before and I can think of nobody I would rather enjoy it with.”
Annabella bit her bottom lip to prevent the tears spilling. She hadn ’t realized the Palio was so soon. Smiling bravely, she nodded and told the doctor she would indeed like to see the horse-race with him.
The doctor leaned across the table and rested his hand kindly on her shoulder. Just at that moment Alessandro broke away from Claudia and headed for the table under the cypress, his eyes unaccountably drawn upwards to his old bedroom. He took in the intimate scene. Annabella in his silk dressing-gown, its neck falling open to reveal the snowy expanse of her throat, the shared coffee, the gentle smile passing between the man and the woman.
Inexplicably angry all of a sudden, he knew he’d be unable to concentrate on the accounts today. He’d been planning to make an inventory for the new heiress so she knew where she stood. But he couldn’t face any of that now. Instead, having placed the old books on the steps, he lifted himself agilely over the wall that separated Casa dei Fiori from Villa Claudia.
CHAPTER FIVE
Doctor Esposito arrived, as he had promised, at eight o’clock on the morning of the second of July. He knocked on the big front door of Casa dei Fiori and Tonia admitted him into the stone-flagged entrance hall where he had a wide view of the staircase down which Annabella would come as soon as she knew he was waiting.
Dispensing with formalities, the housekeeper stood at the bottom of the stairs and shouted the heiress’ name. Within seconds, Annabella was bounding down two steps at a time, her mane of hair bouncing behind her.
Even in ordinary jeans and a T-shirt, he thought, she looked wonderful.
“ Dottore! ” she said, halfway down, genuinely pleased. She’d spent another miserable night longing for Alessandro’s friendship, but that didn’t diminish her pleasure in seeing the young doctor.
She supposed he was about the same age as her second cousin but, where Alessandro was dark and rugged-looking, the doctor had sandy-coloured hair and was of a finer build, although almost as tall.
“Please, call me Umberto,” he protested, smiling.
“Well then, you must call me Annabella.”
He bowed formally. “I hope you’ve
“I have a friend in Australia. Like me, she is a country doctor,” the doctor said. “I hope to go there one day, or perhaps she ’ll come here.”
Before Annabella could reply, she caught sight of her second cousin in the garden below. He was, she supposed, heading for the big cypress tree under which she ’d first seen him again, grappling with the rows and rows of figures, for under his arm he carried the old books in which their great-grandfather had kept all the estate records. But, before he could begin to climb the ivy-clad stone steps that led to his makeshift office, Claudia too noticed him. She was, Annabella saw, standing on her terrace, lifting two smallish dumbbells up and down so that the hard muscles in her sinewed arms flexed visibly. With one of the dumbbells, she waved to Alessandro and he waved back. Then, putting both the weights down, Claudia ran to the railing of her terrace and called something to him which Annabella couldn’t hear. She saw him nod, run over to her and plant a long kiss on her neck, never taking his hands from the log books.
Seeing the stricken look on her face and guessing by following the direction of her gaze what had caused it, the doctor said, “Annabella, would you do me the honour of accompanying me to the Palio tomorrow? It’s the second of July, one of only two days in the year on which it is run. I haven’t lived in Tuscany long so I’ve never seen it before and I can think of nobody I would rather enjoy it with.”
Annabella bit her bottom lip to prevent the tears spilling. She hadn ’t realized the Palio was so soon. Smiling bravely, she nodded and told the doctor she would indeed like to see the horse-race with him.
The doctor leaned across the table and rested his hand kindly on her shoulder. Just at that moment Alessandro broke away from Claudia and headed for the table under the cypress, his eyes unaccountably drawn upwards to his old bedroom. He took in the intimate scene. Annabella in his silk dressing-gown, its neck falling open to reveal the snowy expanse of her throat, the shared coffee, the gentle smile passing between the man and the woman.
Inexplicably angry all of a sudden, he knew he’d be unable to concentrate on the accounts today. He’d been planning to make an inventory for the new heiress so she knew where she stood. But he couldn’t face any of that now. Instead, having placed the old books on the steps, he lifted himself agilely over the wall that separated Casa dei Fiori from Villa Claudia.
CHAPTER FIVE
Doctor Esposito arrived, as he had promised, at eight o’clock on the morning of the second of July. He knocked on the big front door of Casa dei Fiori and Tonia admitted him into the stone-flagged entrance hall where he had a wide view of the staircase down which Annabella would come as soon as she knew he was waiting.
Dispensing with formalities, the housekeeper stood at the bottom of the stairs and shouted the heiress’ name. Within seconds, Annabella was bounding down two steps at a time, her mane of hair bouncing behind her.
Even in ordinary jeans and a T-shirt, he thought, she looked wonderful.
“ Dottore! ” she said, halfway down, genuinely pleased. She’d spent another miserable night longing for Alessandro’s friendship, but that didn’t diminish her pleasure in seeing the young doctor.
She supposed he was about the same age as her second cousin but, where Alessandro was dark and rugged-looking, the doctor had sandy-coloured hair and was of a finer build, although almost as tall.
“Please, call me Umberto,” he protested, smiling.
“Well then, you must call me Annabella.”
He bowed formally. “I hope you’ve
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