The Italian's Baby of Passion. Susan Stephens

      ‘Oh, I’m sure you read about it. That woman who became obsessed with him? It was about four years ago.’

      Scarlet shook her head. She was not about to explain that four years ago her world had narrowed to the bedside of her dying sister.

      ‘Perhaps you were out of the country?’

      ‘Not likely,’ Scarlet returned. ‘I get seasick and have a phobia of flying.’

      ‘How inconvenient. Actually it was covered quite widely in the papers—this woman developed a thing about Roman.’

      ‘An ex-girlfriend?’ That figured. Any woman who went out with him had to be slightly unbalanced to begin with.

      ‘Well, no, that’s the thing, they had never actually met, but she became convinced they had a relationship. She wrote to him, telephoned him, sent him gifts…initially Roman felt sorry for her and thought if he ignored her she’d go away. Things came to a head when he arrived at the office one morning to find her holding his PA at knifepoint.’

      ‘Gracious!’ Scarlet gasped, her eyes widening in horror. ‘Was anyone hurt?’

      ‘Roman managed to talk her into letting Alice go and apparently she was going to hand over the knife when the police arrived. The woman panicked and became quite frenzied. Roman and Alice both got injured, Alice badly. Fortunately they both recovered.’

      ‘That must have been very traumatic.’

      ‘It was, though Roman was more concerned that he had unwittingly put someone else’s life at risk. Oh, I know it wasn’t his fault.’ Scarlet, who hadn’t been going to suggest anything of the sort, remained, silent. ‘But Roman has a very overdeveloped sense of responsibility.’

      Scarlet smiled politely and wondered privately how much a mother’s natural bias had coloured this version of events. Certainly this caring, sensitive paragon didn’t sound much like the man the newspapers were so fond of writing about or the one she had spoken to earlier!

      ‘Roman admires a woman with spirit.’

      Roman manages to hide his admiration pretty well. ‘Really…?’ she responded, not sure what else she was supposed to say to this apparently irrelevant comment.

      ‘And what did my son have to say for himself?’

      Beyond threaten to sue the socks off me? ‘Oh, we didn’t really chat,’ she responded lightly.

      ‘Well, you’ll be able to get reacquainted properly when he arrives. The years have changed him, you know, my dear.’

      The turn of phrase struck Scarlet as distinctly odd, but she was so relieved that the older woman appeared resigned that her son was coming to collect her that she didn’t comment on it.

      ‘Scarlet.’ David appeared at the door. ‘Could I have a word for a moment? Mrs O’Hagan, it’s good to see you looking so much better.’

      Now that he said so, Scarlet too saw that the older woman had perked up considerably. ‘I’ll be right back,’ she promised.

      Actually she wasn’t right back because David had been informed that Roman O’Hagan was in the building and, as he put it, thought that, ‘a more senior member of staff should be here when he arrives. No reflection on your abilities, Scarlet, but as a sign of respect.’

      Scarlet gave him no argument. ‘I think it’s the least he would expect,’ she agreed.

      It suited her down to the ground not to be there when the bullying millionaire put in an appearance. If she had to be nice to him she’d choke.

      ‘I might take that time owing me and nip off now with Sam, unless you want me to hang around?’

      Roman ran his long fingers through the gleaming strands of his dark hair in a gesture of impatience. The same impatience was etched in the strong, symmetrical lines of his darkly handsome face as he looked down at his mother.

      ‘Yes, it was necessary for me to bring Philip; he is your doctor.’

      ‘And as I have told him, I fainted, nothing more. You are fussing like an old woman, Roman,’ she told her son scornfully. Graciously she extended her arm for the suited figure to apply a blood-pressure cuff. ‘Normal?’ she asked as the medic removed the stethoscope from his ears.

      The doctor nodded. ‘If all my patients were this healthy I’d be out of business,’ he told her cheerfully.

      Natalia shot her son a triumphant look. ‘I told you so,’ she murmured complacently.

      ‘But you will carry out further tests?’ Roman addressed his query to his friend.

      ‘I could, but—’

      ‘Do them.’

       Natalia gave a sigh of exasperation. ‘This is exactly why I didn’t want them to ring you. You come rushing here when I’m sure you have a million more important things to do.’

      ‘Several million things, actually,’ Roman corrected, the corners of his wide, sensual mouth lifting in a sarcastic smile. ‘Naturally all much more important than my mother’s health.’

      ‘Well, I’m glad to see that family is still important to you, Roman.’

      One dark brow quirked as, with slightly narrowed eyes, he scanned his mother’s face. Never slow when it came to reading between the lines, he asked, ‘Am I missing something here?’

      ‘You spoke to Scarlet on the phone, I believe.’

      ‘Scarlet—the blonde?’

      ‘She is not blonde. Though I suppose she might have been blonde when you knew her, though women usually go from brunette to blonde, not the other way.’

      ‘I don’t and didn’t know her.’

      ‘Well, why did you say she was blonde?’

      ‘She sounded blonde.’

      His mother looked at him blankly. ‘Sounded blonde? Really, Roman, do not insult my intelligence,’ she rebuked coldly.

      ‘Did she say I knew her?’ He was accustomed to women trying to get to him, but if this one thought she could use his mother to do so she could think again!

      ‘Relax, Roman. She hardly mentioned you at all, which,’ Natalia added heavily, ‘is hardly surprising,’ his mother reproached. ‘This must have been a very painful experience for her.’

      ‘Told you I threatened her, did she? Well, she deserved it. How could anyone not have the wit to get medical help?’

      Natalia stared at her son for a moment, then appeared to come to a decision. She turned to the doctor. ‘Philip, dear, do you mind? I’ve got something I need to say to Roman.’

      The doctor clicked closed his case. ‘Of course, no problem.’

      Roman flashed his friend a brief nod. ‘We’ll see you back at the clinic in fifteen minutes.’

      Other than give an exasperated click of her tongue, Natalia did not respond to his comments.

      ‘Is this going to take long, Mother?’ Roman asked as the door closed.

      ‘Should I have made an appointment?’ Natalia enquired spikily. ‘You may be a very important man, but you might want to remember that you’re running the company because I persuaded your father to retire.’

      It had actually been his father’s heart attack that had persuaded him and his equally reluctant brother to put their careers on hold and divide their father’s responsibilities. The injection of fresh blood and new ideas had produced results that had seen the O’Hagan family’s fortunes grow rapidly.

      Unfortunately the success had increased, not lessened, the tension between father and sons.

      ‘I’ll