"You shall explore the rooms later," he said, looking down into Emily's suddenly wan face as she eyed the flight of stone stairs which led to the upper floor. "Permesso," he said again, and picked her up, leaving Jess to follow behind as he carried her friend to a room situated at the back of the house, with a view of me rolling countryside from its windows.

Anna was already there, setting out bottles of water and fruit juice on a table beside the wrought-iron bed, where crisp white covers were turned down in invitation. The nurse clucked in alarm at the sight of Emily's face, scolding gently as Lorenzo lowered the invalid into a wicker chair under me open window.

"Run away and play, children," said Emily, managing a grin. "I'm in good hands."

"Let me help you undress," said Jess, but Anna should her head.

"No, signorina, I shall take care of Emily. She needs to rest, then perhaps she can join you for lunch. We shall see."

On the gallery which ran the length of the upper floor, Lorenzo led Jess to a room at me far end of me house. It was similar in size and furnishing to Emily's, complete with a small bathroom, but with a slightly different view. And, to Jess's dismay, she found that her belongings had been unpacked and neatly put away.

"This is lovely, but Anna shouldn't have bothered with my things as well," said Jess, embarrassed.

"It was Caria who unpacked for you, not Anna," he informed her, and smiled as he took her in his arms. The door of the bedroom was open, so that anyone who passed could see in, and the kiss Lorenzo gave her was fleeting, but so possessive Jess was left in no doubt that their relationship had taken a new turn. "Do you mind that she suspects how things are with us, amore?"

"You told her?"

"Officially, no." He shrugged, smiling. "But I have brought no woman here since my marriage, so she takes my relationship with you for granted. Does this trouble you?"

"Not in the least," Jess assured him. "Soon, when we're more used to the idea ourselves, the whole world can know."

Lorenzo took her on a quick tour of the upper rooms, one of which was Roberto's when he cared to use it instead of his apartment in the city. Downstairs there was a big, formal room Lorenzo called a salone, beyond it a dining room and a salotto, an informal sitting room with comfortable, well-worn furniture. Finally Lorenzo showed Jess a room he used as a study, complete with the latest technology to keep him in touch with the family business when he was at the villa. Caria and Mario, he informed her, lived in the cottage outside at the back of the house, but during the day Caria reigned over their last port of call, the all-important kitchen. It was very large, filled with fragrant smells of the meal Caria was preparing with the help of a young girl Lorenzo introduced as Gina, Caria's niece.

Lorenzo conducted a rapid, teasing conversation with Caria, then Jess said her goodbyes after miming her rapture at the enticing smells in the air.

"She loves you very much, Lorenzo," said Jess as they went outside into the courtyard.

"When I was young she was my nursemaid." he explained, "so for Caria I have always been her special charge."

"Did she go with you to Oltramo when you married Renata?" asked Jess.

Lorenzo shook his head, looking bleak. "She wished to. But by this time Caria had been cook and housekeeper here for years, and my mother could not spare her, thank God. Otherwise I would have been forced to break Carla's heart by refusing to let her work for us. I could not have hidden the misery of my marriage from her."

Jess frowned. "But if she knows you that well she must have seen that your marriage was unhappy, darling."

The endearment won Jess a kiss before Lorenzo drew her down on a wicker sofa beside him.

"You are right, of course. Caria knew very well that my marriage was a failure. But not why. No one knows this, carissima. Only you."

To give Emily time to recover from the journey, lunch was served late in the cool dining room, by which time Jess was as ready as Lorenzo for the plates of steaming pasta put before them, rich with tomato and basil and scattered with pine nuts and crisp-fried morsels of pancetta.

Emily, who looked a lot better for her rest, ate more than Jess had expected, exclaiming over the heavenly flavour.

Lorenzo looked on with indulgent approval as Jess wiped a hunk of crusty bread round her plate to enjoy the last scrap of sauce. "Do you know, Emily, that our dinner last night was the first meal I had seen Jessamy eat?" he remarked.

Emily stared at him in astonishment "Really? But normally she-"

"Eats like a horse," said Jess, resigned, and grinned at Lorenzo. "I told you that, but you didn't believe me. And until last night we hadn't actually shared a proper meal, remember."

"You ate nothing of the meal served to us on the plane," he reminded her.

"She never does. She hates flying," Emily informed him,

Lorenzo eyed Jess in surprise. "You said nothing, carissima. You should have told me."

"I wasn't nervous this time."

"With Lorenzo for company you probably forgot you were even in a plane," said Emily, chuckling.

Jess made a face at her. "Something like that" '

"I am flattered," said Lorenzo, looking unashamedly smug.

When Caria came in with dessert she smiled in satisfaction when Lorenzo translated his guests appreciation.

"She says that's the way to get well, Emily," said Lorenzo, then exchanged a look with Jess when Caria placed a familiar cake in front of her before going back to the kitchen.

"That looks yummy," said Emily, then looked at the other two with narrowed eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing,'' said Jess hastily. "Just a coincidence. We were given this for pudding last night"

"Is it nice?" asked Emily, as Jess served her with a modest slice.

"She did not eat it." said Lorenzo, poker-faced.

To avoid explanations Jess cut a piece for herself, but Lorenzo refused.

"It is not cake that I want," he informed her, smiling into her eyes. "Just a little of this cheese to eat with Carla's bread," he added innocently.

Emily, plainly aware of undercurrents, tactfully ignored her friend's hot cheeks and applied herself to the cake. "It's gorgeous," she pronounced. "What's in it?"

"Almonds, lemon and ricotta," said Jess promptly, tasting her own. "And you're right It's delicious."

After dinner that first evening Emily asked permission to ring her mother. "In case she rings the hotel and finds I've vanished! But I didn't want to ring until I at least sounded better."

"Invite your mother to come and stay here with you until you are well," suggested Lorenzo. "After helping with the little ones she must also be in need of rest"

Emily, though deeply grateful for Lorenzo Forli's kindness, flatly refused to take advantage of it to such an extent "In fact," she added, "I should be fit enough to return with Jess on Saturday."

"Are you sure you're up to that on your own?" said Jess.

"This Saturday?" said Lorenzo swiftly, eyes narrowed. "You did not tell me, Jessamy."

Jess looked at him in distress. "I just have to get back next week because other people at the agency are on holiday. Could you arrange a flight for me?"

After Emily had gone off to ring her mother Lorenzo seized Jess by the shoulders. "Stay with me. Tell this agency of yours that you are not returning."

"I must go back, darling. Please-don't look at me like that; I can't bear it." To her dismay Jess began to sob, and Lorenzo swept her into his arms.