"Piacere, Miss Dysart." he said, bowing over her hand. "Bruno Tosti. Anna has reported to me that your friend is improving, but Lorenzo wishes me to confirm this."

Lorenzo came hurrying from the house, his smile wide as he wrung his friend's hand. "Come sta, Bruno? But we are obliged to converse in English. Jessamy has very little Italian yet."

Bruno Tosti was a very pleasant man, and obviously much attached to Lorenzo. He admitted that it had been no hardship to leave the city to come to Villa Fortuna, and since he was not on duty that evening he would be very glad to accept Lorenzo's invitation to dinner.

"I'll go and call Anna," volunteered Jess. "Emily is reading on her bed, but I expect you'd like to talk to the nurse first."

"Thank you, Jessamy," said Lorenzo. ''Will you ask Caria to bring coffee?"

Jess hurried off to embark on a funny little exchange with Caria, half-mime, have words, and a great deal of hand-waving. Afterwards she ran up the smooth stone stairs to Emily's room, and found Anna changing the sheets while her patient sat curled up in a chair with her book.

"Anna, Dottore Tosti's here," said Jess breathlessly. "He'd like to see you before he examines the patient"

The nurse hurried off at once, and Emily sprang rashly to her feet

"At least I'm clean," she said, equally breathless as she brushed her hair.' 'Last time the doctor saw me I was covered in sweat and thoroughly unappetising. And he's rather nice in a quiet sort of way, isn't he?"

"Just as well you approve," said Jess, grinning. "He's staying to dinner."

This information threw the patient into some confusion. "Not that it matters what I wear," she groaned. "I'm not exactly at my best at the moment"

"Maybe the doctor won't let you stay up for dinner," teased Jess.

However, after a thorough examination of the patient, during which both the nurse and Jess were present, the doctor pronounced himself pleased with Emily's progress, but ordered a great deal of rest, and approved her decision to stay on at the villa for an extra week.

"This is good," he informed her. "It would be most unwise to fly home on Saturday, as Lorenzo told me you intended, signorina. But with your mother to look after you once Anna has gone, after another week of rest you should be fully recovered."

It was a quietly festive little party which gathered in the courtyard before dinner. Emily and the rather serious young doctor got on very well, and Jess was left free to enjoy her proximity to Lorenzo, and contribute to the conversation now and then, but was mostly content just to sit near him, sipping her glass of wine sparingly, and savouring this new-found bliss she could hardly believe was hers.

When another car was heard approaching up the steep, winding bends to the villa, Lorenzo smiled with sudden pleasure as an Alfa Romeo Spider materialised through the cypresses, and came to a dramatic halt. A familiar figure jumped out and came striding towards them, a broad grin on his handsome face.

"Buona sera! I am in time for dinner?"

Chapter Ten.

Roberto Forli kissed Jess on both cheeks, hugged his brother, shook hands with the doctor, then turned the full wattage of his smile on Emily and demanded an introduction.

Jess felt sudden sympathy for the sober doctor. His animation diminished visibly as he witnessed his patient's reaction to the confident charm of Roberto Forli. Caria came bustling out of the house, stopped short dramatically, hand on heart, as she laid eyes on Roberto, and let forth a stream of scolding he responded to by taking her in his arms and hugging her until she relented at last and smiled lovingly on him.

Roberto excused himself to tidy up and went off with Caria, an arm slung round her shoulders as he offered extravagant apologies she responded to by patting his cheek as they went into the house.

"Did you know Roberto was back?" asked Jess.

"No." Lorenzo shrugged negligently. "But it is always so. He arrives unannounced. Caria gives him a furious lecture. Then she serves him food fit for a king."

"Does she ever scold you, Lorenzo?" asked Emily mischievously.

"Never," he said piously, eyes dancing. "I am much too virtuous!"

"Modest, too," said Jess, laughing, then turned to Bruno Tosti and drew him into the conversation.

When Roberto returned he helped Emily to her feet and escorted her into dinner, leaving the doctor to follow behind with Jess and Lorenzo. Roberto, thought Jess, amused, had obviously recovered his spirits since last seen leaving her sister's wedding in deep dejection.

While they enjoyed Carla's wild mushroom risotto Roberto Forii informed them he had just arrived from London that day.

"To find a message waiting for me from Isabella," he went on, with a significant look at his brother. "She arrived home today from her little holiday with her friend in Positano in much excitement, Lorenzo, because you told Andrea that Jess and her friend stay at the villa. So I decided to join you for dinner."

"Isabella did not insist on coming with you?" said Lorenzo dryly, pouring wine.

Roberto laughed. "After living without her for a week Andrea desires his wife's presence tonight. But tomorrow she will no doubt arrive before breakfast!" He explained to Emily that Isabella took a very keen interest in the lives of her brothers, her greatest ambition in life to see them both happily married.

"My sister's just the same with me," she said, smiling. "You have no wish for this, Emily?" asked Bruno. "Oh, yes," she said airily. "One day. But not yet" He eyed the portion of risotto left on her plate. "You must eat, or you will not get well."

"If I eat any more I won't manage the next course," said Emily apologetically, and asked Lorenzo to explain to Carla. "She's so kind. I wouldn't hurt her for the world."

"You may eat as much, or as little, as you like," he assured her.

"Drink some wine instead," urged Roberto. "No, she must not," said Bruno quickly. "Mineral water only, Roberto, because of her medication."

The evening had been convivial before Roberto's arrival, but his presence was a catalyst which changed the occasion into a party. He kept them entertained with tales of his stay in London while they ate thin slivers of pork grilled with lemon, rosemary and garlic, followed by a confection of chestnut puree and whipped cream. But at last Emily, though very obviously enjoying herself enormously, began to look tired. At which point Bruno Tosti took unconcealed satisfaction in scoring points off Roberto, even if it meant depriving himself of his patient's company.

"And now. Miss Emily," he said formally, once coffee had been served, "it is time you retired to your bed."

"At this hour?" protested Roberto, then caught the look Lorenzo gave him, and threw up his hands in surrender. "Emily is your patient, of course, Bruno."

"Esattamente," agreed the doctor stiffly. "And to recover sufficiently to fly home next week it is essential she takes much rest."

Emily got up at once. "You're right, doctor," she said, smiling as she held out her hand to him. "Thank you so much for coming to see me." She turned to Roberto. "It was very nice to meet you, too."

"Prego!" He kissed her hand, then straightened, smiling. "But you will do so again in the morning, Emily. I am staying the night."

After Emily's round of goodnights the two women went out together, leaving, Jess suspected, rather an awkward silence behind them.

"How are you feeling, really?" she asked, as she took Emily's arm to mount the stairs. "Are you up for this, or shall I call for some muscles from your rivals down there? "Which do you fancy? Roberto's the hunkier of the two."

Emily laughed breathlessly, then regretted it as the familiar pain caught her. "I can make my own way tonight, thanks," she gasped at last. "If we-keep-to a crawl!"

Before they'd negotiated more than a couple of steps Anna came hurrying down towards them to take Emily's other arm.

"It is late," she scolded, "and you should be in bed, cara. I could not interrupt when Dottore Tosti was there, but I was most worried."

"Sorry, Anna." Emily smiled at the nurse apologetically. "I should have come earlier, but I was having such a good time." She turned to Jess. "Off you go, back to the fray."

Jess gave her a hug and a kiss, wished her a restful night, then went back downstairs to find Lorenzo and Roberta alone in the courtyard. They both got to their feet as she joined them, and Lorenzo informed her that Bruno sent his apologies, but had been obliged to leave.

"I think I spoil the evening for Bruno," said Roberto, without any noticeable penitence. "Let us be comfortable in the salotto. Will you have some grappa, Jess?"

"No, thanks." Jess sat down on a small sofa beside Lorenzo, who took her hand in his and held it there.