A Night In The Palace. Carole Mortimer

PA to Count Scarletti.

      Lily had always been the responsible twin—the sensible one. Always there to pick up the pieces from whatever scrape Felix had got himself into.

      From the murderous expression now on Dmitri’s face, just at the mention of her brother’s honourable intentions, Lily realised there might not be any pieces of Felix left for her to pick up this time!

      His mouth thinned ominously. ‘Your brother’s intentions are irrelevant when my sister is already promised in marriage to someone else.’

      ‘What?’ Lily felt a sinking sensation in her stomach.

      He nodded. ‘Or at least she will be. Her betrothal to Francesco Giordano was to be announced at Claudia’s birthday celebrations tomorrow, at our home in Venice.’

      Instead of which, she’d run off with another man! ‘Could that possibly be the reason she and Felix chose to elope today?’

      Dmitri drew in a sharp breath. ‘Possibly.’

      ‘Which seems to imply that Claudia isn’t in love with this Francesco Giordano,’ Lily pointed out.

      Those pale green eyes narrowed to glittering slits. ‘The betrothal has been arranged since Claudia’s sixteenth birthday.’

      Lily shrugged. ‘Obviously she’s changed her mind since meeting Felix. And as the betrothal hasn’t yet been announced there’s no real harm done.’

      ‘The Giordanos and the Scarlettis have neighbouring vineyards in the hills above Venice,’ he grated harshly.

      Lily’s brow cleared and she eyed him scathingly. ‘How romantic—a marriage made in the boardroom!’ She pursed her lips. ‘I simply can’t imagine why Claudia would prefer to elope with a handsome Englishman who’s in love with her rather than agree to an arranged marriage with your next door neighbour,’ she said sarcastically.

      Dmitri looked annoyed. ‘You do not understand these things.’

      ‘I understand enough!’ There was no mistaking the disgust in her expression; those blue eyes glittered, her cheeks flushed and her top lip curled back in a slight sneer.

      ‘Obviously the vineyard is not Francesco’s only interest in her.’ He found himself defending the arrangement—much to his own annoyance.

      ‘I don’t see anything “obvious” about it,’ she challenged. ‘In fact, I find it pretty obscene that you intend marrying your only sister off to some man who’s probably old enough to be her father.’

      ‘Francesco is the only son of Franco Giordano, and is twenty-five years of age. He and Claudia have been friends since childhood!’ Dmitri’s patience—what little he had left after the shocking events of this morning—was fading fast in the face of this young woman’s insults.

      ‘Doesn’t he have an older or younger sister that you could marry to cement the business merger instead of Claudia?’ she asked pertly.

      Dmitri’s nostrils flared at the obvious derision in her tone. Never, in all of his thirty-six years, had anyone ever spoken to him in the way she now did. ‘Francesco is an only child,’ he ground out through clenched teeth.

      ‘Pity,’ she said dryly.

      ‘Claudia gave no indication that she was unhappy with the betrothal,’ he insisted.

      ‘I think eloping with another man the day before her engagement is to be announced might be a hint in that direction, don’t you?’ She arched a mocking brow.

      Dmitri clenched his hands together behind his back, knowing that if he didn’t he was seriously in danger of putting his hands about this outspoken young lady’s throat and throttling her!

      ‘Just out of interest, how have you explained Claudia’s present...absence to Francesco and his family?’ she now asked curiously.

      Yes, perhaps a good shake was in order—even if he couldn’t strangle her! ‘Not that it is any of your business, but I have cancelled both the party and the announcement of the betrothal tomorrow evening with the excuse that Claudia has contracted...I believe in England you call it the mumps?’

      ‘Very clever.’ Lily eyed him admiringly. ‘Not only would that make Claudia highly contagious, and so prevent Francesco from visiting, but her swollen glands would also mean she won’t be able to speak to him on the telephone for several days.’

      ‘I am pleased it meets with your approval.’

      Lily looked thoughtful. ‘You realise that excuse is only going to work for a limited time?’

      ‘By which time I will have ensured my sister’s safe return to her home and family.’

      Lily quirked a mocking brow. ‘Ever heard the saying “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink”, Dmitri? My implication being—’

      ‘I am well aware of your implication, Miss Barton—’

      ‘Oh, Lily, please,’ she cut in pointedly. ‘After all, we’re almost related.’

      Almost being the relevant part of that statement, she acknowledged. His anger was now such that he looked in danger of blowing smoke out of his ears. Or rather icy vapour, of course. Dmitri was too cold, too controlled, ever to really lose his temper in the way most people did and end up shouting at her.

      Which made Lily’s baiting him like this dangerous in the extreme. Except she couldn’t seem to help herself. There was just something so—so arrogantly superior about this man—such an air of certainty that he was right—that she couldn’t seem to prevent herself from antagonising him even further.

      Sculptured lips tightened in annoyance. ‘Claudia will see the error of her actions once she has returned and we have had a chance to speak together.’

      ‘I can see it now—big, scary and dominating older brother bullying his much younger and sweetly innocent sister,’ she mused naughtily.

      Dark brows shot up. ‘I am not sure that I appreciate being described as scary and dominating.’

      ‘Too late,’ Lily quipped, knowing she found his cold determination completely intimidating!

      Dmitri’s mouth thinned at the insult. ‘I also believe that minutes ago you described Claudia as being a grown woman, old enough to make her own decisions?’

      ‘Which doesn’t preclude her from being sweetly innocent.’

      ‘You obviously have not met my sister!’ He eyed her with mocking amusement.

      She frowned. ‘Felix assured me that Dee is very sweet and innocent.’

      ‘Innocent, certainly,’ Dmitri agreed—hoping fervently that was still true. ‘Sweet may be something of an exaggeration, however.’

      ‘Claudia isn’t sweet?’

      He gave a hard smile. ‘As syrup—until she does not get her own way.’

      ‘Oh, dear.’ Somehow Lily doubted that even-tempered and fun-loving Felix was aware of that side of the young woman he had supposedly eloped with.

      ‘Indeed.’ Dmitri gave a humourless smile. ‘I should also inform you that until Claudia reaches the age of twenty-five it is perfectly within my power to disinherit her,’ he explained.

      Lily looked at him searchingly, realising from the coldness in those pale green eyes, and the sharp, uncompromising angles of his harshly handsome face, that Dmitri Scarletti was capable of doing exactly that. It was unlikely that there was ever an occasion on which this arrogant man didn’t mean exactly what he said.

      His gaze was mocking. ‘Is your brother in a position to keep Claudia in the life of wealth and indulgence which she has so far enjoyed?’

      Lily’s cheeks felt warm. ‘You know he isn’t.’

      ‘Yes,’