‘I’m trying to confront this the best way I can,’ he said, his voice rising again in its turn, ‘and you needn’t tell me I’m making a mess of it, because I know that. What is the right way? Shall I go down on one knee?’

‘Don’t you dare!’ she cried in horror. ‘I’d never forgive you.’

‘Then tell me how to persuade you.’

‘You can’t!’

‘I must. You’re the one person in the world that I can turn to, the only one I can rely on. You’re stronger than anyone I know. In some ways you’re stronger than me.’

‘But to suggest that we…Why me?’

‘Because there’s nobody else I can trust to protect Liza.’

‘Your mother-’

‘She’s an old lady, with a sick husband to care for. Apart from her my only family is a cousin that I can’t stand. She’s grim and hard, and hell will freeze over before I let Liza fall into her hands. Once you’re my wife I can make sure you’re her legal guardian if I’m killed.

‘Do this for me, Holly, I beg you. It doesn’t have to be a real marriage, just the legal formality, and I won’t ask more than that.’

‘Are you saying-?’

‘I’ll keep my distance, I swear it.’

Holly stood still, feeling herself trapped in the circle of his arms that had wound fiercely around her, almost like a steel cage. There was no escape, yet something perverse inside her persisted in fighting until the end.

‘I can’t-I can’t-’

‘You must, you must. I won’t let you go until you say yes. Holly, you have got to do this.’

She stared fixedly into his eyes, trying to read there something that would help her. But all she could see was a terrified determination to have his own way, and she was sure of it when he played his last and most unarguable card.

‘If it weren’t for Liza, think where you could be now. It wasn’t me who saved you. It was her, in those first few minutes on the train, telling them your name was Holly, screaming at them to go. You owe her.’

‘That’s a cheap shot,’ she flashed.

He shrugged, half releasing her. ‘Sure it is. I’ll be as cheap as I have to if it makes you say yes. I warned you I’m not a nice man when I want something. Cross me and I’ll fight until you give in. No holds barred.’

It was true. All his least likeable characteristics were on display because he reckoned they were his best weapons. At this moment, when he was asking her to be his wife, tossing his wealth and status into her lap, part of her disliked him as never before. The other part pitied him so that her heart ached.

And it was true. She owed the little girl everything.

‘All right,’ she murmured. ‘For Liza.’

As soon as the words were out she was filled with misgiving. But she was committed now.

He dropped his hands, but still looked at her intently. ‘You mean it? You won’t go back on that?’

‘I’ve given my word.’

Suddenly neither of them could think of anything more to say. They could only look at each other helplessly for a long moment, before opening the door, to find Galina, who’d been shamelessly listening. She was weeping with relief.

The whole household, down to the last gardener, entered into a conspiracy to prevent Liza learning about the situation. Radio and television sets were kept switched off and no newspapers entered the house.

‘All fear must be kept from her,’ Galina said heavily. ‘She must never know that her father’s life is in danger.’

Like Matteo, Galina had accepted without question that it was her duty to carry on as normal. Holly marvelled at her courage. She wasn’t so sure of her own. Already she was a part of what was happening here, caught up in a fearful dream, with no end that she could see.

‘With all my heart I thank you for agreeing to become my son’s wife,’ Galina said to her. ‘Soon I must go home to my husband. I shall feel easier in my mind, knowing that you are here to take care of Matteo.’

‘I’m chiefly here to take care of Liza,’ Holly said quickly.

‘Yes, of course. He has explained that to me.’

‘I only hope that I can do all that Matteo expects of me.’

‘That depends whether you ever come to love him. You once implied that it was impossible.’

Galina’s tone contained a question, but Holly had no answer to give her.

‘I don’t know any more now than I did then,’ she sighed.

‘But you said you’d marry him.’

‘I had to. He wasn’t going to take no for an answer.’

‘That’s his way,’ Galina agreed. ‘You will have to be strong to stand up to him.’

‘He says that I am. He says in some ways I’m stronger than he is.’

‘I agree. I’m glad he understands himself, and you, so well. But strength isn’t enough, Holly. He will need your love. Please try to give it to him.’

She didn’t wait for a reply, but plunged deep into arrangements for the wedding. One of them was overseeing the preparation of the room that had once belonged to Carol, and which had been locked ever since. In no time Galina had an army of servants cleaning it out.

Holly felt slightly uncomfortable about this, but Galina said firmly, ‘You are the mistress now. You. Nobody else.’

‘But Galina-’

‘No ghosts,’ said her future mother-in-law. ‘Not in this house.’

Which left Holly wondering just how much Galina had guessed.

Matteo showed no emotion when he walked into the room and heard his mother’s plans. He merely nodded, thanked her and departed.

She had feared Liza’s reaction to the wedding. While part of her loved Holly, part of her still grieved for her mother, and Holly half expected her to be upset at seeing that mother supplanted. But Liza had smiled and hugged her, and Holly understood that the child had explained it all to herself in a way that satisfied her.

She was even content to see Holly move out of her room and into the one Galina prepared for her as the new mistress of the house. It satisfied her sense of what was right and proper, and strangely made her feel even safer.

‘And I’m not far away,’ Holly pointed out. ‘Just across the corridor.’

Liza smiled, content.

A special licence was obtained for a hurried wedding, to take place in two days’ time, in the private chapel at the back of the house. A few close friends were invited and everything was to be kept as secret as possible. Only Liza had any fault to find with this. She wanted to celebrate properly, and it was impossible to tell her the truth-that if the news leaked out that Judge Fallucci had married so quickly after Fortese’s escape, it would be practically an announcement that he was expecting the worst.

That this was no ordinary wedding was brought home to Holly in a dozen little ways, starting with Matteo saying, ‘Order your clothes online and have them delivered. On no account go into Rome.’

She didn’t have to ask why. She had said she was plunging into the unknown. Now she discovered how true that was.

Another time Matteo returned her passport to her. She studied it, her familiar name, and the face that now seemed to belong to someone else.

‘So now I’m me again,’ she murmured. ‘Whoever that is.’

The man who was to be her husband was a mystery to her. She knew that the tragedy of his marriage and his ruined fatherhood had caused him to shut down his heart. She knew him to be suspicious, harsh, exacting and alarmingly vulnerable. Beyond that she knew nothing.

Matteo spent the day before the wedding locked in his study with a civil lawyer who had brought papers for him to examine. The actual signing would take place tomorrow, immediately after the ceremony. He showed them to Holly, who saw that her legal position had been safeguarded. She was Liza’s guardian and the trustee for the child’s inheritance, which was two-thirds of Matteo’s fortune. The other third came to herself, plus a lump sum that became hers as soon as she was his wife.

When she saw the size of that sum she stared in astonishment.

‘It’s only fair,’ Matteo said before she could speak. ‘Let’s say no more about it.’

Her dress was a modest design of ivory lace, worn with a small, flowered hat. By good luck, the online store also had one small dress that exactly matched it, and Holly bought this for Liza, her bridesmaid.

The night before the wedding they were joined by his only other family members, the cousin who antagonised him and her husband. Holly disliked her on sight, and knew that it was mutual. Now she understood why Matteo was determined to keep Liza away from her, and that was a help. It enabled her to focus her whirling thoughts.

When the family was saying goodnight and mounting the stairs Matteo said quietly, ‘Will you give me a few moments?’ and showed her into his study.

So many times they had talked in the severe room, starting with the first night, when they had faced each other as adversaries whose mutual dependence drove them mad. Now they met for a reason that was almost as difficult.

‘These are for you,’ Matteo said, indicating something on his desk.

She was stunned at the sight of the three-stranded pearl necklace and matching earrings. Ignorant as she was about jewels, even she could see that these were real, and fabulously expensive.

‘My wedding gift,’ Matteo said.

She fingered them lovingly, awed by their beauty. But then a horrid thought struck her.

‘They’re not-you didn’t-?’

‘No, I didn’t give them to Carol. I wouldn’t insult you like that. Carol’s jewels are locked away until I can give them to Liza. My mother chose these to go with your dress.’

If this had been a real wedding he would have chosen her gift himself. If he had loved her he would have draped the pearls around her neck and fastened them. If she had loved him she would have given him something in return. As it was-

‘I haven’t got anything for you,’ she said. ‘I’d forgotten about presents.’