A Vengeful Reunion. Catherine George

distinctly. ‘You made Fenny very happy.’

      ‘I’m glad,’ he responded in kind. ‘She’s a delightful little girl.’ He turned to smile at Tom and Frances Dysart. ‘It was a great party. Thank you for inviting me.’

      Jonah departed with the Andersons, after general farewells that required nothing more of Leonie than the smile which felt pasted to her face. Afterwards she told her parents she was too tired to rejoin the dancing.

      ‘You won’t get much sleep,’ said her mother ruefully. ‘I’m afraid the music won’t stop until two at the earliest.’

      ‘Never mind.’ Leonie eyed her spike-heeled scarlet sandals with hostility. ‘At least I can take these off!’

      Later, huddled under a quilt on the inflated mattress set up beside Fenny’s double bed, Leonie knew that even if the house were perfectly quiet she would still be awake. Seeing Jonah again, and, worse still, discovering that the old, familiar chemistry was as strong as ever, was no recipe for sleep. Seven long years, she thought bitterly, yet the pain still cut like a knife. When she’d posted Jonah’s ring to him and fled back to Italy that fateful spring her astounded parents had taken a lot of convincing before accepting her repeated explanation about changing her mind. They had taken to Jonah from the first. And very obviously still looked on him as the injured party. She gritted her teeth in frustration. Now he was in the neighbourhood, it was an impossible situation. And because everyone knew the school was closed she could hardly hurt her parents by running back to Florence again to keep out of the way. Nor would she. Jonah couldn’t be allowed the satisfaction of spoiling her unexpected holiday.

      ‘Are you awake?’ whispered Jess, closing the door quietly.

      ‘You have to be joking!’ Leonie switched on a lamp and sat up, eyeing the tray Jess put down beside her. ‘Do I smell hot chocolate?’

      ‘You certainly do. I’m a star,’ said Jess, handing her a steaming mug. ‘I take it I share with Kate? Good thing she’s so small.’ She sat down on the edge of the bed with a yawn, then sipped with relish. ‘I hope this sits well with champagne.’

      ‘So do I. If you get up in the night don’t wake me!’

      ‘Do you boss Roberto round like that?’

      Leonie smiled demurely. ‘No. He’s the masterful type.’

      Jess stared. ‘Really? Does that turn you on?’

      ‘A bit, I suppose.’

      ‘Personally,’ said Jess, grinning, ‘I think this Roberto of yours must be really something if he outdoes Jonah in the turning-on department.’

      ‘That was a long time ago,’ said Leonie dismissively.

      ‘Who are you trying to kid?’ Jess’s dark eyes mocked beneath the ash-blonde hair. ‘I saw you earlier on tonight.’

      Leonie felt heat rush to her face. ‘You could see?’

      ‘Only because I was just behind you. No one else noticed, Leo. But from where I was standing—shuffling about, really; the boy couldn’t dance—it was pretty steamy.’

      Leonie groaned and laid her head down on her knees. ‘Jonah was making an experiment to prove something to me. And it worked, damn him.’

      ‘Chemistry lesson?’

      ‘Exactly.’

      Jess sighed. ‘No wonder you looked a bit hacked off when he asked me to dance.’ She grinned. ‘Not that I was flattered. I just happened to be nearest. He never said a solitary word except to thank me politely afterwards and take off as soon as he could.’

      Leonie raised her head again, her eyes heavy. ‘It was so mortifying, Jess. The hormones still responded to Jonah no matter how hard the brain tried to put on the brakes.’ She shrugged. ‘Not that it matters. I’m unlikely to see him again.’

      Jess frowned. ‘But if you still feel like that after all these years, Leo, couldn’t you bring yourself to forgive Jonah’s one indiscretion and get together again? I assume it was just the one?’ she added.

      ‘As far as I know. But don’t be fooled by what happened tonight, there’s absolutely no chance of my getting back with Jonah. Ever.’

      ‘Pity.’ Jess sighed, then stood up to wriggle out of her dress. ‘Though that’s tempting fate a bit, Leo. Never say never.’