A Night In The Palace. Carole Mortimer

and Felix were already married, it would be disastrous!

      ‘And he will likely become disenchanted with her once he realises that she is no longer an heiress,’ Dmitiri continued softly.

      ‘I believe I’ve listened to your insults for long enough.’ Lily picked up her shoulder bag from where she had dropped it earlier. ‘If you will excuse me, I believe it’s time I got in a taxi and found myself a hotel for the night.’

      ‘No.’

      She stilled and once again eyed him warily, not in the least reassured by the expression of implacability on his face. She moistened suddenly dry lips. ‘What do you mean, no?’

      He shrugged broad shoulders. ‘You are a young lady, alone in Italy for the first time, and in the absence of your brother I feel, as Felix’s employer, that it is my duty to offer you both my protection and the hospitality of the Palazzo Scarletti.’

      Lily felt a nervous fluttering of butterfly wings in the pit of her stomach. ‘And I assure you that at twenty-six years of age I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.’

      Dmitri gave a scornful laugh. ‘I did not see any evidence of that earlier at the airport, when you allowed yourself to be put in the back of a car by a complete stranger without even knowing where he was taking you.’

      Considering Lily had realised exactly the same thing on her arrival here, she had to agree with that assessment. Inwardly. Outwardly it was a different matter entirely. ‘Marco behaved like a perfect gentleman on the drive here. In fact, since my arrival in Italy, the only person from whom I seem to need protection is you!’

      Dmitri frowned. ‘You are insulting.’

      ‘I haven’t even started!’ she snapped back. ‘You had me brought here under false pretences, then proceeded to hurl accusations about my brother—and insulted me in the process. And now you expect me to be grateful for your offer of protection and hospitality?’ She gave a disbelieving shake of her head. ‘I may have been a little naïve earlier, but don’t ever think that I’m stupid!’