she’d placed too much emphasis on the last two words, or whether they’d contained a hint of bitterness that she’d never quite dispelled, Sienna studied her for a second, as if weighing up her answer. Then she nodded and reached over to squeeze her free hand. ‘I think I understand.’ And Marietta felt a surge of affection for the Australian woman who would soon be her sister-in-law.
The two men turned then, Rafe gesturing towards the women, and something twisted in her gut, pulling her lower into the chair. She let go the glass she was still holding in a rush, lest she tip it over and spill its contents, and battled to dredge up a plastic smile to affix to her face as they came closer.
‘You remember Marietta, of course,’ her brother said as he led the way, and the dark cloud hovered before her, brooding dangerously over her before she’d had a chance to find her feet, even if she’d been able to remember how to do so, standing so close to her that she dared not attempt the feat now. Not when the look in his eyes damned her to the core, without the merest shred of warmth at meeting her again.
She’d done that, she realised in a rush. She’d banished every good memory he might have of their years together with one foolish and reckless act. And now, just as he had done thirteen years ago, he was still making her pay the price.
So many years later. She’d been a teenager back then. Made just one foolish mistake. Had what she’d done been so unforgivable?
‘Yannis,’ she said, needing to do something to break the silence that stretched taut like piano wire between them, ‘it’s been a long time.’
The searing look he sent her in reply told her he thought it nowhere near long enough, before he dipped his head in the barest nod. ‘Princess,’ he said, and Marietta swallowed. The way he said it made it sound like an insult, but before she could force her tight vocal cords to relax enough to tell him that he could call her Marietta, as he had always done, Rafe had already turned away to introduce his fiancée, and Yannis had severed contact.
Sienna clearly had more presence of mind than Marietta or maybe it was just that the other woman’s knees were still working, as she rose from her chair to greet Rafe’s lifelong friend, her smile broad and welcoming as he lifted her hand and pressed his lips to the back of it.
‘Raphael always insisted he would beat me at everything. At finding the perfect wife, I’m afraid I must concede this contest.’
Sienna laughed a little, her smile widening. ‘Rafe told me you were a charmer. I’m surprised you haven’t found the woman of your dreams by now.’
Marietta stiffened in her chair as she awaited Yannis’s response, although she wasn’t entirely sure why. She’d long ago given up the notion that she was the woman of his dreams. Long ago given up caring who he was with. So she topped up her glass of mineral water, needing the distraction and waving away the waiter who had descended upon her ready to do the task himself.
‘Yannis will never marry now, I am convinced of that,’ Rafe answered for his friend. ‘No woman is good enough for him.’
Especially not Marietta. She hadn’t even been good enough to sleep with.
Beyond her, Sienna shook her head at her husband-to-be and smiled softly. ‘Tell me, Yannis, how is your father now? Rafe said he’s been very ill.’
‘He has been, although he’s thankfully off the critical list. He suffered another stroke a month ago. My mother apologises for not coming to the wedding, but she cannot leave him now.’
‘I’m sorry that they can’t both be here, but it is so good to meet you at last,’ she said. ‘Rafe’s told me so much about you.’
‘None of it good,’ Rafe added, urging them all to sit as waiters appeared from nowhere to bring another meal and fill wine and water glasses. Yannis took his place alongside Sienna, and with a sigh of relief Marietta settled in her brother’s shadow, happy for the barrier of the grateful couple separating her from their new arrival.
‘Although now,’ Rafe continued, ‘I’ll have to take back the bit about not making it to our wedding. You’ve missed the rehearsal, though. What kept you? You were supposed to be here days ago.’
Yannis shrugged and picked up the large wine glass, swirling the contents and lifting it casually to his nose, and Marietta thought he would never answer, until finally he spoke. ‘The US market has been jittery, and with it some of our clients. It seemed unwise to leave too early. As it is, I’ll have to head back straight after the wedding.’
Rafe’s face darkened, his brow creased. ‘You never mentioned jittery clients in your emails.’
‘You’re getting married,’ Yannis countered, ‘there are some things you don’t need to know. Besides, you have enough on your plate sorting out Montvelatte’s finances.’
‘Then why not let Kernahan handle it? After all, you hand-picked the new manager yourself. Why couldn’t you have left it to him?’
The other man’s eyes glowed unnaturally bright as he stared silently out over the crowd, his jawline tight and rigid.
Marietta chose that moment to reach forward for her water, needing to feel something cool in a throat that felt too tight, too dry. In itself it wasn’t a foolhardy action. The mistake she made was in turning her head, only to have her eyes connect once again with the man three seats down, who was staring right at her. Sensation sizzled down her spine as the connection was made—and held.
‘Oh, I had my reasons,’ he muttered, his voice low, his lips tightly drawn, and his eyes still locked on hers so that she was in no doubt that he had waited until the last moment to attend his best friend’s wedding so as to avoid her.
Beside her, Rafe made a move to remonstrate, but his fiancée stopped him with one hand on his wrist. ‘Rafe, Yannis is here now, in plenty of time for the wedding. That’s all that matters.’
And her brother shrugged and let it go, just as Yannis released her eyes so that at last she could drop back in her chair and disappear behind the shield of her brother, her breathing suddenly too shallow and too fast, her pulse racing, as if she’d just run up the Castello’s marble staircase.
This was crazy. She should go—tell them she had a headache. It was almost the truth; her nerves were so strung out that she didn’t know what she felt other than this decade-plus ache in her bones that just felt plain wrong. She’d plead a headache and go to bed early, and then there would only be the wedding tomorrow and the reception, and then she wouldn’t have to see Yannis again. Wouldn’t have to sense his near hatred in every look, in every single word.
She’d almost found the courage to stand, had almost found the words she needed to say, when the music suddenly changed tempo, the orchestra switching to a waltz and an air of hushed expectancy falling over the crowd. Her brother beat her to her feet, took his fiancée’s hand and pressed his lips to the back of it. ‘Come, cara, they await the dance.’
‘But surely that’s after the wedding—at the reception.’
‘Not all of these people—’ he waved his hand around the room ‘—will be able to be here for the reception. Many are villagers who have performed a special task or who will be busy themselves tomorrow, preparing the flowers or working in the kitchens. Tonight is our way of saying a special thank you to them.’
Sienna
