Free Romance of a Lifetime by Carole Mortimer Page A

she avoided telling her mother about this man last night? But she hadn't lied, she consoled herself, she just hadn't mentioned the fact that Marcus was now in Venice too.
    It was even hotter outside now than it had been when they went in to lunch, and the thought of a rest in her cool room seemed even more inviting as they strolled back to the hotel.
    'It really is a coincidence, your being in Venice too,' she remarked casually.

    'Is it?' Marcus drawled.
    She arched dark blonde brows. 'Isn't it?'
    'No,' he answered derisively, the sun glinting on the darkness of his hair.
    She was supposed to be disconcerted by the admission, she knew that, but nevertheless his honesty did shake her a little.
    'How did you know I was coming here?'
    He shrugged. 'I telephoned your hotel and asked them.'
    Her eyes widened. 'And they told you of my travel plans, just like that?'
    'More or less.' He chuckled at her indignation. 'Actually, I told them I was your brother and wanted to make sure your reservations were OK. They seemed happy with that.'
    This man's undeniable authority would open a lot of doors to him, Beth felt sure.
    She didn't want to ask him why he had followed her here. It was enough that he had. And that he had admitted it.
    She was silent for the rest of the walk back to the hotel; what could she possibly say after an admission like that?
    She couldn't help wondering what this man did for a living, that he had the money, and time, to simply go where the whim took him. The Danieli was an expensive hotel, Marcus's clothes, even the casual ones he wore during the day, were obviously of good quality. She had earlier dismissed the idea of him being a gigolo, but now she began to wonder just what it was he did do for a living.
    If he was a businessman he might even know her father!
    Not that she thought for one moment that her father would have had anything to do with these meetings; he had made it perfectly obvious during the last year that she didn't even exist for him any more.
    'Do you live in London?' she casually asked Marcus.
    'No.'
    Very helpful!
    He was being deliberately obstructive now. But she couldn't exactly blame him—he was merely giving her what she had given him when they first met: absolutely nothing!
    'Are you in business here?' she tried again.
    'In Venice? No,' he replied with a shake of his head.
    Now she knew how frustrated he must have felt for the last three days; it was very irritating, to say the least.
    'Are you in business in England?' she persevered.
    'Are we playing twenty questions?' he returned tauntingly, although there was a hardness in his, eyes that hadn't been there seconds ago. 'If so, perhaps you wouldn't mind telling me a few things about yourself.'
    'I was merely making conversation,' she dismissed irritably because she knew she was getting absolutely nowhere fast with this man. He obviously didn't intend telling her anything about
    -himself until she became more forthcoming about herself!
    ' He shrugged. 'I'm just as comfortable with the silence.'
    So was she, normally; he had just roused her curiosity to the point where she felt desperate to know about him. How had he made his money? Had he inherited it along with his Italian grandmother, or had he worked and earned it for himself?
    Now she had to become curious about him!
    When she was told there was another telephone message for her Beth knew it had to be from her mother. It was going to take her mother some time to get used to the idea of Charles leaving his money elsewhere, and until she did accept it she was going to run around in a complete fury confusing everyone. In some ways Beth was now glad of this holiday, would have hated to be in London with her mother right now. Hopefully the worst of her mother's anger would have faded by the time she got back to London.
    ' Aren't you going to read your message?' Marcus prompted at her side.
    Beth had momentarily forgotten he was there, blinking up at him unseeingly for several seconds.