Please don’t let that stop you from joining your group once you drop me off.”
Diving was the last thing on her mind. She moved around and straightened the scuba equipment. They were almost to the island. Soon he eased the cruiser to the dock. When it was safe, she jumped out with her duffel bag and tied the ropes, leaving him to shut down the engine.
He joined her at the Land Rover. Their silent drive to the castle only took a minute, proof he was surprised she hadn’t stayed in the boat before taking off again. Alessandra had the impression he couldn’t wait to get away from her.
Sure enough, as soon as she’d parked the car, he reached for his backpack and got out. Alessandra followed him inside the foyer of the castle. He looked back at her. “I phoned your father earlier. He’s waiting for me. Thank you for showing me your world. I loved every second of it.”
So did I. Why are you acting like it’s over? Rini—what’s going on?
But he kept her in the dark. Without lingering, he walked toward her father’s office.
With a heart that had fallen to the floor, she went up the staircase to shower and change into clean clothes. Her mother was probably in the day room so she hurried downstairs to talk to her. She would know what was going on with her father and Rini. This was a nightmare.
When she wasn’t there, Alessandra went to the dining room and found it empty. “Hey, Alfredo. Are you looking for Liona?” She picked up the cat. On her way to the kitchen she heard the rotors of the helicopter. Someone must be arriving from the mainland. She kept on walking to the kitchen. No one was in there.
She lowered the cat to his food and water dishes, then she took off for her father’s office. Maybe her mother was in there and she would find the three of them deep in conversation. After hesitating, she knocked on the door, unwilling to stay away any longer. “Scusi, Papà.”
“Come in, piccola.”
She found her father alone. “Where is everyone?”
“Your mother drove Liona to Metaponto for her dentist appointment.” That explained why Alfredo looked lost.
“I—I thought Rini Montanari was still with you,” she stammered.
He sat back in his leather chair. “He was here earlier to tell me that after thinking everything over, he decided that erecting oil derricks on our property would be a scab on the legacy Queen Joanna left to the family.”
Those were the very words Alessandra had used. To hear her father say them brought inexpressible pain.
“He says he’s off to search for another area to drill. After thanking both you and me profusely for our time and hospitality, he called for a helicopter and left.”
Her legs started to buckle. She grabbed the first chair before she fell. “That’s it? No other explanation?”
Her father smiled warmly. “Only to say that you discovered a large head while you were diving yesterday and he presumes it’ll make you famous.”
Except that Rini was the one with the inspiration to know where to dive.
“Oh—one more thing. He told me you’re the most charming, lovely, intelligent woman he ever met and he understood why I wanted you to show him around. I could have told him that about you, but it’s nice he discovered it for himself. As for the oil-drilling proposal, I have to admit I’m glad he withdrew it. Neither your mother or Fulvia were in favor of it.”
“I know.” A boulder had lodged in her throat.
“Fulvia phoned your mother early this morning. We were surprised to learn you’d taken him to see her. It made her very happy to see you while she’s recovering.”
But the visit had turned out to be devastating for Alessandra. Once again her world had been destroyed. This time she knew she’d never be able to put it back together.
Alessandra took a quick breath. “Since the weather kept us from making another dive, I decided to pay her a visit. She was tired, but seems to be getting along fine.”
“She was very impressed with Rinieri’s honesty.”
Honesty? What on earth did that mean?
Feeling ill, she got up from the chair. “I’ve been away from my work too long, so I’d better get busy or my editor will lose his patience. I’ll be in the library if you need me.” She hurried over to give him a kiss on the cheek before leaving the office.
When she reached her desk, she buried her face in her hands and sobbed. Several messages came in on her phone, all from Gino wanting to know if she would be joining them for the afternoon dive. None were from Rini.
Alessandra texted him that she couldn’t make it, then left the castle in the Land Rover and drove to the mainland. After grabbing some food, she drove to the ridge where she’d taken Rini on that first day. The recent downpour had greened up the fields. She walked around, playing back their conversation in her head. Alessandra was convinced that the excuse he’d given her father not to drill wasn’t the real reason he’d backed off.
Deeply troubled, she returned to the castle and got busy on the historical biography she was writing on Queen Joanna. But by Saturday morning she couldn’t stand it any longer. Rini had been cruel not to have contacted her, if only to say goodbye. After what they’d shared scuba diving, she wasn’t about to let him walk away until he’d listened to a few things she had to say.
If this was how he ended every relationship with a woman, no wonder he was still a bachelor. He’d been clever to abort their growing attraction before it burned out of control. Rini had been every bit as hungry for her as she’d been for him when they’d kissed. So why had he done this?
He’d been the one to pursue her, to want to scuba dive with her. There’d been no stopping him getting his way because she’d wanted to be with him so badly, too, and still did. So what had changed everything? Alessandra needed answers and she wasn’t going to let him get away with it.
After telling her parents she’d be home late, she drove the Land Rover to Metaponto and took a commercial flight to Positano. Without her father’s knowledge she’d looked up Rini’s home address on his computer.
She could have gone to the Montanari office in Naples, but figured he’d be home on the weekend. If she walked in on him entertaining another woman, that was too bad. She needed answers.
Three hours later the limo she’d hired wound around the lush vegetation of his property. It stopped in front of a magnificent two-storied, ochre-colored villa, probably built at the turn of the century. Good heavens, the hilltop town above the Amalfi Coast was gorgeous beyond belief!
Alessandra marveled to know that Rini lived in this flower-filled paradise. The exterior was drenched in purple and red bougainvillea, robbing her of breath. So did the view of the sea from such a dizzying height.
A warm midafternoon sun shone down on her as she got out of the back. “Stay here, please,” she said to the driver. She walked past several cars in the courtyard on her way to the front entrance. Alessandra hoped that meant Rini was home.
After using the bell pull, she waited for someone to answer and heard female voices inside. One said, “I’ll
