Seduced by Innocence Read Free Page B

Bruno observed quietly. “He committed suicide.”
    “Yes. His life became unendurable to him because of a heartless woman who played with his feelings and threw him over when she grew bored.”
    “I don’t think Elena Calvani is heartless,” Bruno countered. “Naive and silly, but not heartless.”
    Maurizio’s eyes narrowed. “Then tell me what you call a woman whose lover tells her that he’s going to kill himself, and who does nothing— nothing —to stop him. I call her worse than heartless. I call her evil.”
    “Maurizio, you won’t bring Rufio back by avenging him.”
    Maurizio turned on his uncle. “Don’t speak of what you don’t understand,” he said angrily. “I loved him. He was my brother—more like a son to me. When our parents died, I had to raise him alone. It was two of us against the world. For years he was my only family.”
    “Until your disreputable uncle came wandering back from his travels and threw himself on your charity,” Bruno said with a wry smile.
    Maurizio didn’t return the smile. “I’m not a charitable man,” he said curtly. “You keep the books better than anyone else I’ve tried. That’s why you’re here.”
    “Is that why I also have free board and lodging and the key to the wine cellar?”
    “Of course.”
    “At this point, any other man but you would be boasting of his own generosity and family feeling. But you’d deny having either, wouldn’t you?”
    “I admit to the family feeling,” Maurizio said with a shrug. “It would disgrace me to turn my uncle away from my door—especially when he does his job so well.”
    Bruno sighed. “Was ever a man so blind to himself?”
    “On the contrary. I see myself and my path ahead extremely clearly.”
    “And that path leads to revenge at the expense of an innocent young woman.”
    “Don’t be fooled by appearances, Uncle. Teresa Mantini Wainright is no innocent. Elena Calvani’s daughter cannot be innocent.”
    “Maurizio, I beg you to be careful,” Bruno said earnestly. “Since Rufio died, I’ve seen you retreat into a cold place where there’s no human pity, and all your energy is concentrated on your revenge against Elena. You see people only as an instrument for your purpose and you shut out awareness of them as human beings. You assume the worst of Teresa Wainright solely because of her mother, when actually you know nothing about her.”
    “Nothing about her?” Maurizio echoed incredulously. “I know everything of importance. I used to listen to Leo telling me about her. I always knew she would follow him to Venice. Last night, I didn’t sleep because she was to arrive today. When I checked that her plane had landed, I was riven with nerves. I went down to the landing stage to wait for her boat. I stood and watched as she drew near and I saw the sun gild her hair exactly as I’ve seen it gild the hair of Elena Calvani.
    “She’s the daughter of my enemy, and through her I shall punish my brother’s murderer. And that is all I need to know.”

Chapter Two
    T erri had brought her best clothes with her, dresses and accessories that she’d worn to parties in England, and that she thought of as elegant. But the Midas Hotel made them look dowdy. This was a place of money and glamour and her clothes were all too restrained. There was nothing figure hugging, nothing with an outrageously short skirt, nothing daring at all, and suddenly she felt like a little brown mouse. It briefly flitted across her mind that it was a pity Maurizio should think her dull, but she smothered the thought instantly. The instinct to withdraw from men’s eyes was deeply ingrained in her by now.
    At last she settled on a simple blue dress with a modest neckline that she adorned with a pearl pendant and pearl earrings. They were good pearls and would normally have been out of her price range, but Leo had made the set for her as a birthday gift. Slipping the jewelry on, she felt closer to him now.
    Maurizio had