said Laura as he took her raincoat.
‘I am not so very vain,’ he said, grinning. ‘The glass is original in my entire collection; which means it is almost too dim to give a reflection.’
‘They’re beautiful.’
He held out his hand. ‘Come. Sit down, Laura, and let me give you a drink.’
‘I don’t suppose you have any tea?’ she said without hope.
Domenico smiled in smug triumph. ‘I bought some today, but I do not drink tea, so it is best you make it yourself.’
‘Wonderful!’
In the small kitchen he handed her a packet of teabags labelled ‘English Breakfast’. ‘It is a little late for breakfast, but I thought you would like this.’
‘I’ll love it,’ she assured him as he filled the kettle. ‘Do you have any milk?’
‘Of course! I knew that tea would be no use to my charming English guest without it. But there is lemon, if you prefer,’ he added.
‘You’ve thought of everything. Thank you.’ She gave him a radiant smile.
‘Such a smile will gain you anything you wish,’ he told her, watching as she poured boiling water on the teabag.
‘At this moment all I want in life is a cup of tea,’ she said, and savaged the teabag with a spoon. ‘What are you having?’
‘A glass of wine. Perhaps you would like one later, also.’
Domenico took a tray into the salotto and set it down in front of her, watching indulgently as she sipped her tea with a sigh of bliss.
‘I’ve been suffering withdrawal symptoms.’ She laughed at his blank look and explained that three days without tea was a personal best for her.
‘But why did you not say?’ he demanded, sitting beside her. ‘We can provide you with tea in any café in Venice.’
‘I love the coffee here so much I never thought to ask for tea.’ She gave an admiring glance at the gros point embroidery on the cushions. ‘I envy you these, Domenico.’
He smiled, pleased. ‘They are my mother’s work.’
‘She’s very clever. I’m not at all talented when it comes to sewing.’
‘Can you cook?’
‘It all depends,’ she said guardedly.
He looked amused. ‘On what, exactly?’
‘Your idea of a good meal. Can you cook?’
‘Of course,’ he said matter-of-factly.
‘I thought all Italian males were spoilt rotten by their mammas!’
‘Often this is true,’ he admitted. ‘But when I am here in the apartment I sometimes like to make a meal. It is a change for me.’
‘And in the hotel?’
‘I eat hotel meals,’ he said, shrugging.
She eyed him curiously. ‘What exactly do you do in this hotel of yours?’
‘I work very hard!’ He smiled. ‘Allora, would you like more tea, or shall I give you a glass of wine?’
Laura shook her head. ‘Nothing more, thanks. But if you’d be kind enough to hand over those bags I left behind I’d love to gloat over my purchases.’
Domenico deposited her shopping at her feet, smiling at her pleasure as she examined her trophies.
‘With your help I spent a lot less and bought far more than I expected,’ she told him with satisfaction. ‘But I also need a proper wedding present for Fen Dysart. I’d like to buy her some Venetian glass—something special.’
‘Then we shall go to Murano tomorrow. A reproduction of something old would be good, yes?’
‘Perfect.’ Laura hesitated. ‘As long as they accept credit cards.’
‘Of course. They will also ship anything you wish to England.’
‘That would be marvellous.’ She turned to look him in the eye. ‘Allora, as you Italians say, give me the bill for the meal, please.’
‘I hoped you had forgotten.’ Domenico sighed heavily. ‘I do not like this.’
‘Tough. I insist.’
‘You are a hard woman.’
‘You’d better believe it!’ She smiled at him to soften her words, and managed not to wince at the total when he produced the bill from his wallet.
‘But remember this, Laura,’ he said very deliberately. ‘You may pay this one time since it matters so much to you, but that is all. It is understood?’
She nodded meekly, and counted out a pile of euros, relieved to discover she had enough to cover it.
‘Do you feel better now?’ he demanded.
‘Much better,’ she assured him, and smiled. ‘I think I would like a glass of wine after all.’
‘Do you insist on paying when you dine with men in London?’ he asked, handing a glass to her.
‘That’s different,’ she said firmly. ‘You’ve not only paid for meals, you’ve taken time off from your job to help me.’
‘Let us talk no more of money.’ He sat down beside her. ‘Instead, I will make a confession which will amuse you very much.’
‘Confession? That sounds serious.’
‘It is comical, not serious,’ he assured her. ‘I will start from the beginning. Last night I was not pleased to find you gone when I went to your hotel.’
‘I was afraid of that,’ she admitted. ‘But, Domenico, you didn’t put a phone number on your note, and I couldn’t sit for hours twiddling my thumbs in my room when Venice was out there, luring to me to come out and play, now could I?’
‘No, of course not.’ He smiled and took her hand. ‘But when Signora Rossi gave me your message—’
‘You were pretty ticked off,’ she teased.
‘E vero, if that means annoyed,’ he agreed. ‘I had planned the evening so carefully, you understand, and it was not part of the plan to find you gone when I came for you. But when I saw you sitting there at Florian’s I was angry no longer. You looked so beautiful—and I was not the only man who thought so,’ he added darkly.
She brushed that aside. ‘So tell me about this plan.’
‘To explain I must go back to our first meeting,
