Love Play by Rosemary Rogers Read Free

him
anything but Carlo, and it suits him. It's a beautiful name and he's a
beautiful person, unlike his brother who lords it over everyone just because he
happened to be the firstborn and a conte or a duke or something equally silly —
I mean who gives a damn about titles any more? And everyone knows that Italian
titles are a dime a dozen, some stupid society woman is always marrying one and
I mean . . . what was I saying?'
    'You were saying that this ... big bad Marco or whoeverhad to approve of
you before he gives Carlo permission to..." Sara sat up straight, brushing
her hair away from her eyes, which had begun to flash angrily. 'Why does Carlo
have to have his brother's permission for anything? How old is he anyway? Isn't
he man enough to stand up for what he wants?'
    'I was just telling you, they're Italian, and Giovanni Marco - they call
him Marco within the family, how'd you guess? - as the head of the family runs
the whole show. He's the one who made most of the money, you see, and he
controls everything. He's into automobiles and shipping and... you name a pie
and he has a finger in it! He's rich, and Carlo works for him. He's also quite
ruthless . . .' Delight gave an exaggerated shiver as she lowered her voice
dramatically. 'In fact, I wouldn't be at all surprised if he's even mixed up
with the . . . you-know-who. The mob.'
    'You mean the Mafia? Oh, no, Delight, surely not!'
    'I'm not sure at all... and of course Carlo would never say anything,
and it's the one thing I'd never dare ask him about. But I have my suspicions
... and he did tell me once that his brother would stop at nothing to gain his
ends. So you see what we're up against, and why you've just got to help? Sara,
I'm afraid he's going to try and break us up, and I'd just kill myself if that
happened, and so would Carlo!' Delight's huge emerald eyes that were so like
Mona's filled with tears.
    'But why would he want to break you up, even if he could?'
    'Because . . . because he's a straitlaced prigl' Delight wailed.
'They're strict Catholics, of course, the whole family, and Marco's the type
who believes in work, work, work and no play, and when the time comes around -
and that'll be when he says so, of course - then Carlo will be expected to
marry some stupid cow of a girl his brother will choose for him from one of the
right families, with money, of course, and without - ' her voice quivered over
an incipient sob - 'without my lurid past! Everything I've done - all that
stuff in those nasty rags and the gossip columns She coughed after the first
drag and managed to hold the next one quite creditably. Nothing happened.
Delight had refilled their wineglasses and Sara sipped the chilled Chablis,
wondering if she was disappointed or relieved.
    Braver now, she took another drag before Delight, producing a silver
roach clip shaped like a crocodile, finished it off.
    'Feel a buzz yet? Oh, well, you will real soon. Let me turn the music up
a little, it always sounds better after you've done grass.'
    There was a whole new vocabulary she'd have to learn, Sara thought,
settling back more comfortably on the big cushion as Delight began, at last, to
tell her all about Carlo, how they'd met, and how impossible his older brother
was. The wine sparkled enchantingly in her crystal glass, and the music was
wonderful — soothing, with an undertone of-fierceness at the same time - a
swelling and a diminishing of sound. Wagner had never sounded so beautiful
before, nor had she, Sara, ever felt so relaxed.
    'What's his name?' she demanded suddenly, wanting Delight to know she
was really paying attention.
    'Whose?'
    'Big brother's . . . what did you say his name was?'
    'Oh, him! The overbearing, arrogant - Giovanni. Big bad John!' Delight
giggled. 'Only don't ever let Carlo know I called him that. Carlo really looks
up to him, I think he's even a little bit scared of him. It's Giovanni Marco
Riccardo Marcantoni - can you imagine a name like that? Carlo has two other
names