I had no idea who he was. He thought I was you.”
“Did he say anything else?”
“Only that he acted surprised you were here at the castle and commented that you’d cut your hair since he’d been with you on the yacht. He said you’d told him you had another show to do in Rome. I took it that’s why he seemed shocked to find you here. I told him I wasn’t you, then I went up the staircase. That’s it.”
Dea sipped her coffee slowly. “So he mentioned the yacht.”
“Yes.”
She could hear her sister’s mind working. “Is that all he told you?”
Dea sounded so worried, Alessandra was perplexed. “I swear it.”
Her sister’s mouth tightened.
“Have you worked this out with Papà?”
She put down her empty cup. “Not yet, but I will when we fly back to Metaponto in a few minutes.”
“But you just got here last night!”
“I have to return to Rome for another show. As soon as Papà finishes up business with Signor Montanari, he’s flying me to the airport.” She checked her watch. “They’ve been together for the last half hour.”
With nothing more forthcoming, Alessandra knew she’d been dismissed and rose to her feet, feeling chilled. “Then I’ll say goodbye to you now.” She leaned over to kiss her cheek.
Until Alessandra could talk to her father alone, she would have to wait to know what had gone on. Dea was going back to Rome without clarifying anything about her relationship with Rinieri Montanari. In fact she hadn’t been this cold to Alessandra in a long time.
She left the dining room without saying anything and rushed down the hallway to the library, where she could get to work.
When her phone rang two hours later, she saw that it was her father and clicked on. “Papà? Where are you?”
“At the airport in Metaponto, waiting for your mother. She’s flying in from Taranto.”
Thank goodness. Alessandra needed to talk to her. “Has Dea gone back to Rome?”
“After our talk this morning I put her on the plane.”
“You sound more calmed down. Is everything okay?”
“There was a misunderstanding that was all my fault, but I’ve spoken with Signor Montanari and it’s been cleared up.”
Except that Alessandra still knew next to nothing. She gripped her phone tighter. “I’m relieved for that. How did Dea seem? She was chilly with me.”
“That’s because I upset her. After I apologized for minding her business, I explained it was my way of being protective to prevent her from being hurt in case Signor Montanari wasn’t being sincere. You did absolutely nothing wrong, so don’t worry about it. Now the main reason for my call. Do you have plans for the rest of the day?”
“I’m working on my book.”
“Would you have time to do me a favor?”
“Of course.”
“Signor Montanari is going to be our guest for the next few days.”
What? Alessandra almost fell out of her chair. The change in his attitude toward the other man was astounding.
“He needs someone knowledgeable to show him around today. Since I don’t know how long I’m going to be gone, you’re the only one I trust to drive him and answer his questions. Your work with the institute has given you vital insight into the importance of any changes or disturbances to the environment here in the south. Will you do it?”
His compliment warmed her heart, but it was already getting a workout because it meant she would be spending time with a man whose name was renowned throughout Italy. Her father had yet to explain what he’d found out about Dea’s relationship with Signor Montanari.
“Yes.” But Alessandra was so attracted to him, she would have to be careful it didn’t show. No way would she give her sister a reason to suspect her of coming on to him when she’d met him first.
“Get him back in time, piccola. I’ve asked him to join us for dinner. Liona has put him in the guest apartment on the third floor. He’s probably eating lunch right now. Your mother’s plane is arriving so I have to get off the phone. A piu tarde, figlia mia.”
* * *
Rini had just finished a second cup of coffee when the beautiful woman he’d seen yesterday on the stairs walked in the dining room. He should have realized right away that she wasn’t quite as slender as Dea, but he preferred her curves. “Signor Montanari? I’m sorry if I’ve kept you waiting. I’m Alessandra.” She sounded slightly out of breath and looked flushed.
Earlier in the morning, after the count had asked him about his relationship with Dea, he’d left the castle for the airport. Rini thought it odd to be questioned about her, but he let it go.
At that point the count said that while he was gone, his daughter Alessandra would give him a tour of the property. According to him, she understood the impact of drilling on the environment better than anyone else and he would be in the best of hands. If she was an engineer, Rini had yet to find out.
He got up from the table. “We meet again. I’ve never met identical twins before.”
“Dea’s the older sister by three minutes.”
“Which accounts for the difference,” he teased. “I can see that.” He smiled and walked toward her. “Call me Rini.”
After a slight hesitation she shook the hand he extended. “Benvenuto a Posso, Rini. Papà told me you’d be our guest for a few days and asked me to show you around today.”
“That’s very kind of you, but I don’t want to inconvenience you.” He couldn’t read her thoughts.
“It’s all right. Papà said this was important.”
She’d dressed in a simple short-sleeved peach top and jeans. Her tanned olive skin indicated she spent a lot of time in the sun. His gaze traveled from her cognac-brown eyes to her neck-length slightly tousled brown hair rippled through with golden highlights.
As she pulled her hand away, he noticed she didn’t wear nail polish. The reason she looked so natural was her lack of makeup. Except that she did wear lipstick, a coral color that blended with the golden tone of her skin and drew his attention to her voluptuous mouth.
He remembered Dea’s mouth being sculpted the same way before she’d kissed him. How remarkable that identical twins could look so much alike, yet on closer inspection were so different.
“Your father said you’re the one who knows everything.”
“Oh, dear. I hope he really didn’t say it like that.”
Rini got the idea he’d embarrassed
