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conversation. I thought the Conte was your friend?' he said to Celeste.
'I thought so too. But it seems Cesare had other ideas. Once he'd set
eyes on our little Suzanne I couldn't get a look in. So I've decided to
forgo the title and simply settle for money. I don't have the time or
money enough of my own to do any other,' she shrugged.
'Would someone please explain what's going on?' Robert cried. 'Are
you trying to tell me the Conte wants to marry Suzanne?'
Celeste laughed softly. 'I'm not trying to tell you any such thing.
Marriage was never mentioned.'
'Well, he's not having her any other way!' Robert said indignantly. 'If
he's dared to suggest anything less than honourable to her I'll flatten
him!'
This caused Celeste even more humour. 'Oh, he's dared all right. And
I hardly think your threat would exactly frighten him.'
'Please!' Suzanne put up a hand to her aching temple. 'Whether or not
the Conte would be frightened isn't important, because Robert isn't
going to threaten him. The Conte has made his feelings concerning
myself very clear they're non-existent.'
'That isn't true, Suzanne. I saw the two' of you together that day, and
I-'
'Celeste, please! I don't want to talk about it any more.'
'All right,' Celeste sighed. 'Actually I was looking for you to invite
you out to dinner with Vidal and myself this evening. I suppose you
may as well come too now that you're here, Robert.'
'Thanks again!' he said dryly.
'It's in the nature of a celebration,' Celeste said almost shyly.
'Oh, yes?'
'Celeste?' Suzanne looked at her excitedly. 'You don't mean-You
aren't-'
'I am I mean we are,' her blue eyes shone. 'I'm so excited I can
hardly think straight. Vidal asked me to marry him last night. Oh, I
know we haven't known each other very long, that he preferred you
first, that it's too soon to know if we really love each other. But I don't
care! I've always scoffed at this shattering thing called falling in love,
you know that, Suzanne. But with Vidal ... Oh, I just want to be with
him. And he feels the same way.'
'I'm so pleased for you,' Suzanne said sincerely.
'You've lost me again,' Robert said dazedly. 'Who is Vidal besides
being your future husband?'
Celeste looked at him scathingly. 'He's Vidal Martino.'
'Any relation to the Conte?'
'His brother,' she answered shortly.
'What is he, Italian or something like that?'
'Something like that,' she said dryly. 'Venetian, actually. And they are
so romantic, aren't they, Suzanne?'
Suzanne frowned, shrugging. 'How would I know?'
'You should do, you've kissed both of them.'
'B-both of them?'
'Mm,' Celeste smiled. 'I'm not jealous of your evening in the garden
with Vidal. If it happens again I might be, but not at the moment.'
'I was hoping you'd forgotten it,' Suzanne smiled ruefully. 'I should
have known better.'
Celeste pouted. 'Now you aren't going to argue with me today of all
days?'
'No, of course not,' she laughed. 'How does the Conte feel about your
marriage? I suppose you've told him?'
'Vidal was going to call him today, but now it isn't necessary. Vidal
has invited him out to dinner with us this evening in the hope of
getting him used to the idea of seeing us together.' She became
thoughtful. 'I suppose he'll be all right about it. He was quite pleasant
to me earlier. Not quite so polite just now, but that was your fault,' she
looked pointedly at Robert.
'My fault? What did I do? I've only just arrived.'
'Exactly. When I spoke to Cesare earlier I don't think a boy-friend
entered into his immediate plans for Suzanne.'
Suzanne remembered the seductive look in his eyes as he had put the.
key to her room on the table, and found herself agreeing with Celeste.
But he didn't feel that way now! Why had he changed so suddenly? It
had to have something to do with Robert. She tried to remember her
earlier conversation with him, but could find nothing in it to make
Cesare so angry. And there could be no doubt in her mind that he had
been angry.
'Then I'm glad I turned up.' Robert put a protective arm about her
shoulders. 'Suzanne doesn't get into relationships like that, do you,
love? Not even with Venetian counts.'
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