Seduced by Innocence by Lucy Gordon Page B

then,” Terri said. She kept her voice casual as she repeated her prepared story. “He always liked not knowing what was going to happen tomorrow, so he’d jaunt off without telling anyone where he was going. But I know he loved Italy, so I thought I’d come out to see if I liked it, too.”
    “Yes, Leo was very happy-go-lucky,” Elena agreed with a touch of relief. “He’d forget appointments—but it didn’t mean anything. Did it?”
    “Not a thing,” Terri agreed cheerfully. She didn’t want to frighten Elena. Nothing would be achieved by that.
    The latter part of the afternoon was taken up by a visit to Vilani, Elena’s dressmaker, because the contessa had discovered that her winter wardrobe was too small. She was an exacting customer and Terri spent two hours taking notes of her detailed requirements so that these could later be compared with what Vilani produced. This was accomplished with shrewd efficiency concealed behind a seemingly vague charm. There was a lot more to Elena than met the eye.
    They returned to the palazzo to have cake and a glass of sparkling white wine. Then Elena went off to take a nap, in preparation for an evening of gaiety, and Terri bid her goodbye. As she was crossing the hall Francisco appeared and hailed her. “Before you leave, signorina, perhaps you will do me a small favor.”
    “Of course, if I can.”
    “My mother would like to meet you. She’s bedridden and never leaves her own apartments. It’s easy for her to feel left out of things. She would greatly appreciate your going to visit her.”
    “Of course. I should be delighted.”
    He led her up two floors, knocked and stood waiting until a cool voice said, “Enter.”
    Terri’s first impression of the old contessa was that she was enthroned. She lay in the center of a huge bed, propped up by satin pillows. Above her head was a canopy, gathered up into a coronet. The occupant of the bed was tiny and birdlike, yet she easily dominated everything in the room. Terri had to resist the desire to curtsy.
    “Signorina Wainright has come to pay her respects to you, Mama,” Francisco declared.
    The little hand that clasped Terri’s was strong despite its delicacy, and the contessa pulled her down until she was sitting on the bed. “How kind,” she said. “I see so few people. Let me take a better look at you.” She raised a lorgnette and studied her visitor as if Terri were a creature under a microscope. Terri was a bit put out, but clearly this old woman felt free from the code of manners that governed lesser mortals. “Very nice,” she said at last. “Tell me about yourself, young woman. My son says you are English.”
    Terri gave her a few carefully chosen and unrevealing details. It sounded bland and dull to her own ears but the old woman nodded as if satisfied. “How long do you plan to stay in Italy?” she asked at last.
    “I don’t know. It might be some time.”
    “And your family? Don’t they mind?”
    “I have no family except my brother, and he, too, is traveling in Italy.”
    A cynical smile flickered across the contessa ‘s face. “But surely you have a lover somewhere at home? You modern young women all have lovers.”
    Trying not to be embarrassed, Terri said, “I have no lover.”
    “I don’t believe you,” the contessa said bluntly. “You’re so pretty, you must have a lover.”
    “But I don’t,” Terri said, definitely disliking her now. “I guess I’m just not very modern.”
    “So it would seem. Well, I don’t like you the worse for it.”
    “Thank you,” Terri said, trying to keep the irony out of her voice.
    Suddenly, the old contessa cackled. “You don’t care whether I like you or not. No, don’t deny it. Good for you. But don’t be too independent, will you? I can be a good friend. I could even show you how to achieve great things.”
    “You’re very kind,” Terri said, wondering what on earth the old woman was talking about.
    The contessa lay back wearily