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Marcos mouth compressed As a successful entrepreneur whose vieere respected he wasn't used to having his decisions questioned and counterrandfather really no idea of the potential da on the island by his stubborn refusal to recognise that the world had changed and its people with it, and that it was no longer viable for a king as hugely wealthy as Niroli's to allow some of his subjects to live in conditions of severe poverty? Apart frost the mountain-dwellers, which would be seized upon and further orchestrated by the Vialli gang that lived ast them

His step-grandrirandfather’s second wife, and it was Marcos personal opinion that she was and always had been hostile towards her predecessors side of the family That naturally included Marco and his two sisters Given their step-grandmothers attitude, it was no wonder that Isabella rarely visited the palace, and that Rosa preferred not to live on the island, just as he hadn't, until recently

E, but so her to put down her pen and turn to look towards the entrance to the courtyard Despite the sohts, the s she had proh her Pushing back her chair, she got up and hurried over to him

As he watched her co had caused being eased froo to her and take hold of her He wanted to take her to bed and lose himself and his problems within her His need for her was so intenseHe tensed oncehe didn't want to have

‘What is it? What's wrong?' Emily asked him uncertainly when she saw his sudden tension

‘Nothing for you to worry about An administrative probleone for most of the afternoon'

Emily did her best to hide her disappointment, but she knew she hadn't succeeded when she heard hi irritably

‘Ely

‘It's all right I know You're a king-in-waiting and you have far s to do than be with me' she interrupted him briskly

Marco looked at her downbent head

‘You can co, hot drive along dusty roads, followed by so delays whilst I speak with people And since you haven't been feeling well'

E with hied to stop herself just in ti much better now I've had a look round the villa and I could run some options by you in the car unless’ She paused uncertainly, suddenly realising how very little she knew about as expected of hi yourself or?’

‘We aren't going on soress in a formal cavalcade, if that's what youmyself' Marco answered her 'You'll need a hat to protect your head froet out of the car So to are pretty rele-track h' He didn't want the police chief getting cold feet and instructing the haulier to stop his fleet of lorries, or worse, turn back

Eh he had offered her soift, he reflected He had a sudden impulse to take hold of her and draw her close to him, to kiss her slowly and tenderly He shook the impulse away, not sure where it had coerous

CHAPTER TEN

‘AM I allowed to ask any questions?’ Ehtly It was nearly an hour since they had left the villa Marco had driven theh the main town and then out and up into the hills Or is this trip a state secret?’

‘No secret, but it is certainly a contentious issue so far as randfather is concerned’ Marco told her

‘If its private fa his head

‘No It’s very much a public business, since it involves some of the poorest co their need and doing sonore it which is why I have decided to take matters into my own hands The more remote parts of the island do not have the benefit of electricity1 he explained Because of that, these people are denied modern comforts and coy and education