Romance of a Lifetime Read Free Page B

casual-looking items of clothing had designer labels, just as she was sure the pale grey shoes he wore were handmade.
    In the broad daylight, away from the other opulent patrons of the opera, this man was still stamped with undoubted wealth of style. Her own clothing, a peach-coloured cotton skirt and white vest-top, and sandals, was much less distinctive.
    'Palmer,' she supplied abruptly, making no «ffort to give her first name; this man was far too familiar already! 'Excuse me…'
    She made a move to brush past him, very much aware that they were still completely alone in their quiet tension.
    'Why do you keep doing that?' he enquired softly. 'Walking away,' he explained at her puzzled look, utterly relaxed himself, one hand thrust casually into his trouser pocket.
    Her hand snapped back. 'Why do you persist in approaching me in this way when it must be perfectly obvious I would rather you didn't?' she challenged coldly.
    'Probably because it is so obvious you would rather I didn't,' he answered calmly.
    Surprise at his honesty instantly widened her eyes, although she was man-wary enough to know it was probably just another approach, one this man had tried and tested in the past and knew to be successful.
    'In that case, Mr Craven,' she told him icily, 'why don't you take heed of what has, so far, been a relatively polite brush-off?'
    Although she had a feeling she already partially knew the answer to that, she had no doubt that part of the reason he couldn't accept her unin-terest for what it was was because he probably didn't believe, in his own conceit, that could possibly be what it was!
    She was sure Marcus Craven believed she was just playing hard to get. Very hard to get! But then, he probably thrived on such challenges. She just ran away from them…
    He shrugged lightly. 'I don't believe friendly civility costs anything.'
    He was wrong. Such innocent acceptance of a proffered friendship had cost her dearly in the past, was still costing her dearly emotionally. And it would probably continue to do so. But she had no intention of confiding that to this man.
    'I'm on holiday, Mr Craven,' she said dismissively. 'I have a lot to see and do, and too little tune to do it all in——'
    'I'd enjoy being your guide,' he cut in smoothly. 'I know Verona very well.'
    Beth didn't care if it was his second home, sighing her impatience. 'I don't wish for a guide. Thank you,' she added as a very late afterthought, instantly regretting having said it at all; she certainly had no reason to feel grateful to this man for anything.
    She was further annoyed by the slight hint of triumph that had now appeared in his eyes, and she bristled angrily.
    'Did you enjoy the opera last night?'
    Beth wasn't fooled for a moment by this sudden change of subject. 'Mr Craven——'
    'How could you not have enjoyed the opera?' he answered his own question. 'It was too visibly spectacular to have elicited any other response! Will you be attending La Gioconda tonight?'
    The booking her mother had made for her had included La Gioconda, but after the experience of Aida the evening before she really didn't feel she could attend another opera quite so soon. Her mother had been right; it had been the experience of a lifetime, and it was not to be repeated so soon.
    'I have no plans to do so.' Her voice was still stilted with resentment.
    He nodded knowingly. 'It's too much, isn't it? Too intense a battering to the senses.'
    It described how she felt exactly.
    It was a pity, but she had a feeling that at any other time in her life she would have found Marcus Craven interesting company. If not exactly likeable, he was a man to talk to, and she knew instinctively that he was a learned man as well as an intelligent one.
    The only problem was that at this moment in time she didn't feel like talking to any man on a more than cursory basis.

    'It was enjoyable,' she conceded offhandedly.
    'Why don't we discuss it further over a leisurely lunch?'
    Beth gave an