The American Contessa by Noni Calbane Read Free Book Online

probably not
for a couple of weeks yet.”   Gaby thought
of her quickly depleting bank account and her just as rapidly escalating credit
card bills.   She would have to find
alternate accommodation soon if she planned to stay longer than a fortnight.
    “Your
family is all there, in America?”
    “Yes.   I have my sisters, my grandfather and lots of
other relatives.   We’re kind of spread
out all over the country though, so we don’t see each other as often as we’d
like.”
    “Your
parents?”
    “My
parents died in a car accident when I was a teenager.”   Gaby frowned.   “Sometimes …, I can’t believe it was ten years ago.   Seems like only yesterday …” Her voice
trailed off.
    Luca
turned away and gazed out the car window, unable to meet her eyes.   He was no good when talk turned all
touchy-feely.    So what if she’d also
experienced tragedy in her life.   He
didn’t want to hear it.   That had nothing
to do with the mutual pleasure they could garner from each other.
    It
was no wonder that she and Carmina were behaving like Siamese twins.   His sister loved to talk about her feelings
and was relentless in trying to make him talk about his.   She had even tried to get him to go to a therapist
at one point to help deal with his anger.   His anger.   He held onto his anger
like a sword against the world.   Whenever
someone would get too close, he’d wield it without mercy.   And that’s just the way he liked it.  
    But
Carmina was a totally different story.   When she loved, it was with her whole heart.   He only hoped she wasn’t putting too much
faith in this intriguing American woman.   Carmina trusted way too easily.   And yet, he envied her immensely.
    He
envied her congenial nature; her ability to be truthful when dishonesty ran
rampant all around her.   He envied her
easy laugh and self-deprecating sense of humour.   And now …, well now, he envied her closeness
to Gaby.
    When
Gaby had smiled at Carmina it had made him incredibly and unspeakably
jealous.    Much to Anna Maria’s
consternation, he’d watched Gaby’s every move at lunch today.   Every touch on Carmina’s arm, every private
joke they’d shared, felt like a knife twisting in his gut. After hearing they’d
gone shopping together after lunch, he had listened for Carmina’s return to the
Villa, to pump her for every last detail.   He resented the time they had spent together.       
    Gaby
touched his arm gingerly. “What about your family?   Your mother sounds like a wonderful person.”
    Luca
visibly tensed.   “Carmina’s mother died
fifteen years ago, shortly after my father succumbed to cancer.”
      “I’m so sorry.   Carmina’s mother?   So she wasn’t
…?”
    He
spoke through clenched teeth, “No, she wasn’t my mother.   Carmina’s mother was my father’s second
wife.   My mother died when I was four.”
    “Oh.”   Gaby could tell that it bothered him to talk
about it.    She smiled sadly at him.   “It’s horrible to lose your parents so young.    I cherish the time my sisters and I had with
them now.   I just wish they’d had more
time with us . ”   She spoke sincerely, squeezing his arm in
sympathy.   “But I like to think that
“only the good die young.”   It makes me
feel better for some inexplicable reason.”
    She
felt him stiffen under her fingers. What had she said?   His face had turned to a mask of stone.   Something was very, very wrong!   The light turned green and Luca revved the
engine.
    He
looked at her coldly. “Yes, my mother died young,” he sneered, pushing her hand
away.   “But she was anything but good.”
    The
car engine roared and Luca took off at break-neck speed through the streets of
Florence.   Gaby clutched the sides of her
seat in terror.   “Please Luca, slow
down!” she begged.   But her plea fell on
deaf ears.
    “ Si. My mother was always up for a good
time,” he spat, his temper erupting and