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‘Told you what?’

Rafaello’s voice was sharper than he e with Lucia made it sound harsher

‘Told htly ‘Everyone is furious that you married me Your father, that woman—whoever she is—even the housekeeper and your butler I didn’t know everyone here would be angry with me’ There was a tremor in her voice she tried desperately to conceal

‘They are not angry with you,’ Rafaello answered flatly ‘They are angry with ry with,’ he continued, even ht as well know…’ He took a heavy breath ‘He wanted nora di Viscenti and have my money to spend She worked on him to persuade him she would be the ideal wife for randchildren he is obsessed with having He sought to forceshare of the family company That I will not permit—I have worked too hard for the last ten years to throay all e with a woman I do not wish to marry So I outmanoeuvred him I arrived the day before my thirtieth birthday already—already married’

‘To a putana’ Her voice was even flatter than his

Rafaello stiffened Could she possibly knohat that word hts, she said thinly, ‘A whore—isn’t that the right translation, Mr di Viscenti?’

She started to walk past hiliness around her was choking her

He caught her arry She lashed out at you That is all’

‘Thank you—but I prefer not to be lashed out at in the first place You and your cousin know nothing of me or my circumstances—or my son’s’

His face darkened at her retort ‘I know that a young girl with a baby and no man to support it means that you were, at the very least, careless about who you chose to sleep with’

Her expression stiffened ‘I think I was more careless, Mr di Viscenti, about who I definitely should have checked out your char relations’