The Count of Castelfino Read Free Page B

couldn’t be …
    Words hissed through his clenched teeth like a November blast.
    ‘You have the nerve to speak to me of respect? A woman who bursts in on a house in crisis with laughter?’
    Meg was so close she could hear the breath labouring in and out through his parted lips. She was petrified, but desperation kept her standing firm. She had to hope that she could make her new boss see reason and keep her on. It was vital.
    ‘I meant no harm, signor . I would never have made such a fuss if I’d known the circumstances. Can’t we draw a line under all this and start again?’
    Within seconds she realised her mistake. Gianni Bellini had no reverse gear.
    From the moment she’d arrived, she had realised this was going to be difficult. Now it looked close to impossible. She felt weak with terror, but couldn’t let him see that. She needed this job. Too many people were relying on her to simply roll over and accept what this strangely changed Gianni said.
    With nothing to lose but her dignity, Meg pressed on. She lowered her lids. It was a slow, methodical gesture like that of a diver standing on the topmost board. To her surprise, he reacted by giving her time to speak.
    ‘When your father was alive, he specifically wanted me to come and work here,’ she said with measured calm. ‘I was the most highly qualified applicant for the post, and without my skill his plants will soon suffer. He had all sorts of plans in mind for the Castelfino Estate. Now he’s…well, let’s just say he’ll need a fitting memorial. He was always worrying about the future, and a lot of his ideas were practical. He spoke about throwing open his plant collection to the public one day, as a way of encouraging tourism in the area. I’m sure you’ll be carrying on all his other goodworks, signor ,’ she added, and was relieved to see her innocent remark seemed to impress him. ‘Any man would be proud to leave such a legacy. Believe me, I know.’
    His attitude hardened. ‘How do you know? Because you have a fistful of paper qualifications?’ he scoffed, clearly unimpressed.
    ‘No, I can say it because my father was exactly the same,’ she said evenly. ‘When he was taken seriously ill, he spent so much time worrying about what he would leave behind, he couldn’t rest. He was his own worst enemy. Your father was a good, kind man, signor . He deserves a living tribute. I worked with him closely on his new project here. He was so keen for it to go ahead, I really think it would be a mistake for you to cancel it just yet.’
    Gianni stared at her for a long time. Then the corners of his mouth lifted in the slow, devastating smile that had been haunting all her dreams since their first meeting. He took a step forward, and held out his hand. ‘Allow me to congratulate you, Miss—?’
    ‘Imsey. Megan Imsey.’
    His fingers felt deliciously warm as he enfolded her hand. It was a heat reflected in the colour of her cheeks.
    ‘Well done, Miss Imsey. I’m lost for words—something that has never happened to me before!’
    Meg smiled back. She was a fast learner. In the last few minutes Gianni Bellini had morphed from her dream man into a living, breathing human being. Someone she could reach out and touch. To her surprise she realised they had at least two things in common. Work was everything to him—and he was as good at hiding his real feelings as she was. He might have started off as her fantasy lover, but Meg recognised a realist when she met one. Brought up on thebreadline by devoted parents, she had become ultra ambitious to try to cushion them from poverty. She needed this job, for their sake. If that wasn’t reason enough to make a stand, Gianni Bellini was so magnetic. His playboy side had entranced her at Chelsea. He was so much more glamorous than anyone she had met before. Now he had been catapulted into a position of power, she wanted to see what his ambitions would make of her careful plans.
    ‘Surely you don’t need