"Then Monday."

"Are you staying on that long?"

He bent nearer. "Do you doubt it?" he whispered, and kissed her gently. He raised his head to look into her eyes, muttered something inaudible in his own language and pulled her close, crushing her to him as he kissed her again, no longer gentle, his lips parting hers, his tongue invading, and she responded, shaking, her body curving into his as she answered the demand of the skilful, passionate mouth. For a while Jess was lost to everything other than the engulfing pleasure of Lorenzo Forli's kiss. Then she came back to earth abruptly at the sound of footsteps on the terrace, and pulled away, her face burning.

Breathing a little rapidly Lorenzo looked up to smile in greeting when Leonie came hurrying towards them. "Buona sera, Leonie. Please forgive my intrusion."

"Lorenzo, how nice to see you! I couldn't believe it when Adam said you'd driven Jess home. Roberto didn't tell me you were here in England with him." Leonie held up her face and Lorenzo kissed her on both cheeks, sending shamed little pang of jealousy through Jess.

"I joined him only a short time ago. Roberto is here to visit his friend, but he will return to Florence after your wedding. I shall stay awhile, and explore your beautiful countryside." Lorenzo glanced at Jess, sending the colour rushing to her face again. "I was most fortunate, Leonie, to meet your sister tonight."

"Come and meet the rest of my family as well, Lorenzo," she said promptly, but he shook his head.

"I must not keep the bride from her beauty sleep." He smiled at her. "Not, of course, that you need this, Leonie."

"Thank you, kind sir." She exchanged a look with Jess, then gave him a cajoling smile. "Lorenzo, feel free to say no, of course, but since Roberto and Ravello's are coming to my wedding why don't you come too? It's a very informal affair. Just a garden party after the church ceremony tomorrow afternoon. My family would be delighted to welcome you. Wouldn't they, Jess?"

Jess nodded mutely.

Lorenzo's eyes searched her face for a moment, then, apparently satisfied she approved the idea, he smiled at Leonie. "You are very kind. I am most happy to accept. Until tomorrow. Buona notte!" He gave them both a graceful little bow, got back in the car and strode off down the winding drive. :

Leonie put an arm round her sister's shoulders and drew her slowly along the terrace to the house. "Well, well, what have you been up to, sister dear?" she teased gently. "I was sent out to invite Lorenzo in, but I beat a hasty retreat when I saw him kiss you. I waited for a bit, but then he started kissing you again, and it seemed unlikely that he was about to stop for the foreseeable future, so I decided to interrupt. Sorry!"

"I tripped and fell in the Chesterton car park and hurt my hands, so he volunteered to drive me home." said Jess, flushing.

"With the greatest of pleasure, by the look of it. I don't know Lorenzo as well as Roberto, of course-"

"Obviously," retorted Jess. "You never mentioned him."

"I haven't met him often. He doesn't socialise much. In fact, Roberto told me that Lorenzo's marriage changed his brother into something of a recluse."

Chapter Three.

"He's married?" Jess stopped dead in her tracks, her world disintegrating about her.

"Renata died about three years ago," said Leonie hastily, bringing Jess back to life. "It was a great shock to Lorenzo. He was married very young, I think. I'm not sure of the details. Actually. I think Roberto's a bit in awe of his older brother, though they see a lot more of each other these days." She gave Jess a sparkling look. "Not that Lorenzo looked much like the grieving widower just now."

"He took me by surprise," muttered Jess as they went in.

Leonie chuckled. "I can see that. You're still in shock!"

Jess shivered a little, and Leonie urged her inside the house.

"Come on I'll make you a hot drink while mother inspects those hands. By the way," she added, "in all the excitement I hope you didn't forget the earrings!"

To the disappointment of Tom Dysart, who rather fancied himself in his father's morning coat and top hat, his daughter had insisted on a very informal wedding. Lounge suits would be worn instead of morning dress for the men. The female guests could splash out on hats. But otherwise she wanted very much the same kind of garden party Jonah's parents had put on in their Hampstead house seven years before, to celebrate their first, ill-fated engagement. .

"Only this time," Leonie had declared, "we'll be celebrating a wedding at Friars Wood and nothing will go wrong. The sun will shine, and we'll live happily ever after."

She was right about the weather. The June Sunday was glorious from the start, with just enough breeze to mitigate the heat without endangering the umbrellas shading the tables on the lawn. When the kitchen in the main house was given over to the caterers, quite soon after breakfast, the family moved out into Adam's quarters until it was time to get ready for the main event.

"Rounded up any more guests this morning, Leo?" quizzed Adam, over an early lunch.

"Cheek!" The bride smiled at her mother. "But when I found Lorenzo Forii was here with Roberto it seemed a shame not to ask him. You don't mind, do you, Mother?"

"Not in the least," said Frances placidly. "Numbers don't matter at this kind of thing. And it was very good of him to drive Jess home last night. How on earth did you come to fall like that, darling?"

"Death-defying heels, no doubt," said Tom Dysart. "I hope you're trotting down the aisle in something safer, Jess."

"She has to," said Kate, who measured only an inch or so over five feet "Today I'm in the high heels and Jess is down to something safer, to even us out."

"Just make sure you don't fall over, then, half-pint" advised her brother.

"As if!" she retorted, giving him a push.

"My shoes don't have any heels at all," said Fenny with regret, then brightened. "But they've got little yellow rosebuds on the toes."

"Time enough for high heels where you're concerned," said Tom lovingly, then looked at the bride's plate with disapproval. "For pity's sake eat something else, Leo. I can't have you fainting as we march up the aisle."

"No chance," Leonie assured him. "But my dress fits so perfectly I'm leaving the pigging out bit until the wedding feast."

"You're very quiet, Jess," observed her mother. "Are your hands still hurting?"

"Not so much." Jess yawned a little. "I'm just a bit tired after my jury stint, I suppose. Don't worry," she added, "no one will be looking at me today."

"I wouldn't count on that. How about Lorenzo the Magnificent?" said Adam, carving off a sliver of ham with a deft hand. "The man couldn't take his eyes off you last night"

"Rubbish!" Jess made a face at him. "I'd never even met Lorenzo Porii until-until last night."

"So you hadn't," said Leonie, smiling slyly. "Just think how much better you can get to know him today!"

"Talking of today," said Frances, holding out a hand to Fenny, "we'd better get ready. Mrs Briggs will clear away before she sets off for the church, so get a move on everyone. You don't want to be late, Leo."

"Perish the thought," teased Jess, pulling her sister up. "Jonah admitted to nerves last night, so don't keep the poor man waiting on tenterhooks at the altar."

"Don't worry-I'll be punctual to the second."

Leonie was true to her word. Long before it was time to leave the house she was ready, in a slim, unadorned column of ivory slipper satin. Jess secured the pearl brooch into her sister's gleaming hair, handed over the earrings, then stood back to admire the effect.

"How do I look?" she asked.

"Absolutely beautiful," said her mother fondly. "And your bridesmaids do you proud, darling."

Jess and Kate were in bias-cut chiffon the creamy yellow shade of Penny's layers of organdie, the child in such a state of excitement by this time that Kate had to hold her still for Jess to secure a band of rosebuds on her hair.

The photographer arrived a few minutes later. Prances collected a dramatic straw hat decorated with black ostrich feathers, then herded the entire family off to the drawing room for the indoor pictures. The bride requested the first pose alone with Adam, his lanky frame elegant in a new suit with an Italian label, his mop of black curls severely brushed for once for the photograph, before he rushed off to drive down the lane to me church to do his duty as usher.

Tom Dysart, tall as his son, but with greying hair that had once been flaxen fair as Jess's shining locks, wore a magnificent dark suit with grey brocade waistcoat, and looked as proud as a peacock as he posed, first with the radiant bride, then with his wife, and finally with all his women folk around him.