Alessandro hadn’t broken off his engagement to Victoria because of her. He had been on the receiving end of a woman who had fallen in love with another man and had done the decent thing.
No wonder Robbie had not been in touch! She’d kept thinking that she should get in touch with him, but she had been so preoccupied with Alessandro that she had barely given anything else a second’s thought. He had taken over her daily existence, just as he had seven years previously, even though she had given herself lots of stern lectures about maintaining detachment.
She thought back to the way she had nurtured her hope that this time things would be different between them, and was swamped by a feeling of disgust at her gullibility.
She didn’t like to think how long she would have continued seeing him, weaving little dreams in her head about a perfect life with him. Fortunately Victoria had set her straight on that one.
I’m hurting now, Megan thought as she returned to her seat, forcing down the bitter sting of tears at the back of her throat. But it’s all for the best and time is a great healer.
She could feel Alessandro turn to her in the darkness as she slipped back into her seat next to him, but she kept her head averted.
She didn’t know how she managed to sit through the remainder of the play. The dancing which she had thought was so marvellous in the first half barely distracted her from her angry, humiliated, churning thoughts, and she fidgeted, keen to be rid of the intimacy of sitting next to him.
‘What’s the matter with you?’ Alessandro murmured, conclusively sorting out her restless hands by anchoring his fingers around her wrist.
Megan immediately fell still. Only an hour before and she would have leant against him, hotly and wickedly anticipating another night spent in the same bed as him.
‘Well?’
‘Nothing. I’m just enjoying the play,’ she muttered. After a couple of minutes she managed to extract her hand from his and place it on her lap.
There was a standing ovation for the performers, and while she stood up, she made sure to also be gathering her coat and busying herself with her handbag. The clothes which she had enjoyed buying with him now felt tainted on her.
It wouldn’t take him long to figure out that something wasn’t right. Alessandro was nothing if not adept at sensing nuance. But luckily he had no time to question her because he was caught up in the melee of everyone leaving the theatre. A meal out afterwards had been planned. There was no way on earth that Megan was going to go along.
As soon as they exited the theatre she turned to the assembled group and said, with an apologetic smile, ‘I feel awful about doing this, but I’m going to have to cry off tonight’s meal, I’m afraid.’ She was aware of Alessandro, straight ahead of her and sandwiched between two of the men, looking at her sharply through narrowed eyes. ‘Female problems.’ She turned to Melissa who glowed with sympathy.
Female problems encompassed a gamut of irrefutable excuses, not one of which any man would ever question. It was an accepted fact that the mere mention of female problems sent most men diving for cover.
‘Poor thing.’ Alessandro moved forwards and took her arm in what could loosely be called a vice grip. ‘And not a word to me about them. Such a martyr. But, darling, I couldn’t possibly allow you to go back on your own when you’re struggling with female problems.’ He flashed his own apologetic smile all round. ‘If you will excuse me? I must cut short this evening which has been so thoroughly enjoyable.’
‘There’s no need, Alessandro!’ Her voice sounded high-pitched and panicked, and she toned it down with a belated smile. ‘I just need to have an early night.’
‘And I will make sure that you are safely delivered back to your bed.’
‘How gallant,’ one of the women said, before looking at her own portly husband with an indulgent grin. ‘You need to take some lessons from Alessandro, Jamie. Remind me a bit that chivalry isn’t dead.’ She patted Megan kindly on her arm. ‘Such a nuisance for you, my dear, but just so long as you’ve enjoyed the play. Stunning, wasn’t it?’
Alessandro, Megan noticed miserably, kept his hand clamped round her arm as they said their goodbyes. Did he think that she might do a runner if he didn’t?
She found herself in the back seat of a taxi while Alessandro gave orders for them to be taken back to his house.
‘I want to go back to my own place.’ Megan turned to him and edged away ever so slightly.
‘You do realise how rude you’ve been?’ He ignored her request and looked at her grimly.
‘I’m sorry about that.’