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His audience were not watching

They were kissing

Heaven Heaven had swept over her again, drowning her As the shell had left his fist Rafaello had reached for her and crushed her to him

‘Then understand this!’ he rasped, and closed his mouth over hers

Magda’s eyes fluttered shut She was not standing on a sodden English beach, lashed with rain She was standing beneath the Tuscan stars, with the scent of flowers all around her, the sweet Italian air in her lungs, the war her

She clung to hi to hiination It must be There was no reason for hiainst his lean, hard body that she felt herself fuse to him No reason for his hands to cup her rain-wet head as if it were precious alabaster No reason for him to speak into her mouth words she could not believe—must not believe

He let her go

‘Now do you understand?’ His eyes blazed down at her

‘No,’ she said faintly

‘Per Dio! Then co to make you understand I love you so much’

She heard, but could not believe He saw it in her face

‘Your doubt shaht I had ether But then…’ His voice dropped even lower and he took her hands in his ‘Even I did not realise what nas for you They were so new to nise therew in rew in me until I saw them for what they were—and realised I must turn a dream into reality That is why I said I wouldn’t want you to pine for me—because there would never be a reason for you to do so I would turn the dream into reality for us both That is why I was so solee a real one and that I would have to tell ain—severed all ties, sold the coer—you would stay my wife for ever—because I had fallen in love with you and could not live another day without you’

She felt faint again, but it was bliss running through her, taking the breath from her body