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CHAPTER ONE

DANTE LEONETTI, INTERNATIONAL BANKER, renowned philanthropist and the Conte di Martino to those whom such archaic titles mattered, frowned at the news that his childhood friend, Marco Savonelli, was outside his office waiting to see hi Marco fro financial centre of Milan

Lean, darkly handsoers through his luxuriant black hair in a gesture of concern rare for a h, self-disciplined temperament Surely Marco’s visit could only be related to the fund? Between thee child stricken with leukaemia From the outset, Dante had offered to cover the entire cost of the venture but Marco had persuaded hie community as a whole to assume responsibility and volunteer their services to raise the thousands of euros required Various public events had accordingly been organised and a fancy-dress ball at Dante’s fa date and indeed the grand finale on the calendar, Dante recalled grie donation rather than be forced to dress up in comical clothes like a child at play He had no patience for such nonsense

His phone pinged and although he sighed he was conditioned by years as a banker to always be on the alert But thehim of some potential crisis It was from his mistress, the beautiful Della, and he frowned down at the picture of her superb breasts, his handso with irritation as he deleted the shot with an impatient stab He didn’t want dirty pictures on his riolden handshake and make a smooth exit Unhappily the prospect of pastures new to explore held no attraction for him yet he kneas bored with Della and even more bored with her colossal vanity and her avarice

Yet, genuine war office to greet Marco Savonelli, a stockily built male in his early thirties, and the exact opposite of Dante in temperament for cheerful Marco was rarely seen without a smile on his face Well, just this once his friend wasn’t s, Dante noted Indeed Marco’s expressive face was unusually tense and troubled

‘I’an aardly, very much a fish out of water as he took in the opulence of his surroundings ‘I didn’t want to bother you—’

‘Relax, Marco Take a seat and we’ll have coffee,’ Dante advised, urging his old friend in the direction of the luxurious seating area

‘I had no idea how fancy your place of ould be,’ the other man confided ruefully ‘To

think that I thought I’d reached the height of sophistication when the practice er installed my computer’

The coffee arrived at lightning speed ‘It’s not like you to take tier for Marco to tell hi ‘Has so of that nature?’

Marco, evidently very much more innocent than Dante had ever been, shot hi to do with the fund anderactually, I was co to Milan anyway to visit ht I would just drop in and see how you hile I was in the neighbourhood’

Dante, sharp as a tack when it ca his way and marvelled that Marco believed that he could fool someone as astute as he was ‘Is that so?’

‘And as I said since I’ speed like a reluctanthe would rather have avoided, ‘I saw no har in for a chat’

Trying not to laugh at his old friend’s transparency, Dante murmured lazily, ‘Why not?’

‘Have you heard much from your mother recently?’

Dante froze, his keen intelligence taking his thoughts in a different direction ‘She phones and chatsblack lashes dropping low in concealaze as, for the first ti, well-built body

‘Oh, is that so? Gooderexcellent’ Marco countered, visibly not having expected to receive so reassuring a reply ‘But when did you last visit?’

Dante stiffened, wondering if that was a hint of censure ‘I assumed the neould prefer to be left in peace’

‘Of courseof course,’ Marco hastened to reassure hie Anderforgiveon the score of your e, it must have come as a surprise to you’

As he recognised that he et to the point in another hour, Dante suppressed his innate desire to keep his every feeling and reaction private and decided to be blunt ‘More than a surprise,’ he admitted flatly ‘I was shocked and worried by it Not only was my mother’s decision to remarry very sudden but I was also dismayed by her choice of husband’

‘Yet you said nothing at the tiroaned ‘If only you could have been more plainspoken with me, Dante’

‘My mother led a wretched life with my late father for more years than I care to recall He was a bastard That is not so that in roo last, find a little happiness’

Sympathy now etched in his kindly brown eyes, Marco visibly relaxed ‘I can understand that’

A brooding expression on his lean features, Dante was recalling his edhad taken place only two months earlier Ravallo was a failed businessman and onetime womaniser, as as poor as Sofia, Contessa di Martino, was rich The e had been i son and he had kept his reservations to himself If need be he would intervene to protect his e prove to be the mistake he assumed it was, but in the short term he would mind his own business Even so, that considerate restraint had proved a challenge, particularly when the happy couple was still occupying Dante’s castle in Tuscany while they waited for renovations to be completed on their new home several miles away For that reason, Dante had not been back to Castello Leonetti for a visit since the s that had sealed his mother’s fate

Marco co ho on’