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Two hours later, Kathy came downstairs with Maribel after checking on Ella, who was sleeping soundly. Maribel and Tilda had put their children to bed, but not without some protest. Sharaf, Bethany and Elias had made a concerted and comical effort to push bedtime back another few minutes. With her green eyes sparkling and laughter still on her lips, Kathy was in the best of spirits when she returned to the ballroom. That mood took a sharp downturn at the same moment that she spotted the exquisite blonde seated at a table by the edge of the dance floor.
It was Grazia. At first Kathy couldn’t believe the evidence of her own eyes. It didn’t help that a whole host of people were also exhibiting surprise at the appearance of the bridegroom’s one-time fiancée. Indeed, as Kathy watched with growing disbelief, Grazia responded to the attention with little nods and smiles and even lifted a hand in acknowledgement very much like visiting royalty. Evidently she was a late arrival.
‘What’s wrong?’ Maribel Pallis asked, because Kathy had stopped dead and fallen silent.
‘Was Grazia Torrente on Sergio’s guest list?’
‘I’ll check.’ Maribel signalled a staff member. ‘Who is she? A relative?’
‘She’s still married to Sergio’s brother, but Sergio used to be engaged to her,’ Kathy framed shakily, high spots of colour beginning to bloom over her taut cheekbones. ‘I can’t believe she had the cheek to come to our wedding—’
‘Are you sure you’re not mistaking her for someone else?’ Tilda prompted.
‘No chance! Once met, never forgotten.’
Both women follo
wed the path of Kathy’s gaze and Maribel exclaimed, ‘My goodness, isn’t that the same woman who approached you at the club last night?’
Kathy shifted her hands in a hasty dismissive gesture. ‘Don’t worry about it, Maribel. I’m being silly.’
But that was only a polite plea for Maribel’s benefit, because Kathy did not want to make her hostess feel that she was in any way responsible for Grazia’s unwelcome appearance. No, Kathy knew exactly who she should be tackling on that score and she wasted no time in tracking down Sergio. She found him talking business in a secluded corner with Leonidas and Rashad.
Kathy headed for Sergio like a high-velocity bullet aimed at a target. ‘Could we have a word?’
Leonidas Pallis gave her an amused appraisal. ‘That sounds ominous.’
‘I don’t think so,’ Sergio drawled, smooth as glass.
‘Trust me,’ the Greek tycoon urged his friend with lazy mockery. ‘I’ve been married longer.’
‘Leonidas,’ Prince Rashad interposed on a wry note.
Sergio strolled back into the crowded ballroom by Kathy’s side. ‘Is there a problem?’
‘Did you invite your ex-fiancée to our wedding?’ Kathy questioned tautly.
Sergio stilled. ‘Who are you referring to?’
Suspecting that he was deliberately sidestepping a direct answer to her query, Kathy lifted her coppery head high. ‘Grazia! Who else?’
‘I wasn’t aware that you even knew she existed,’ Sergio remarked in the most deflating tone.
Kathy folded her arms in a defensive movement and recalled how keen Grazia had been to ensure that Kathy knew exactly who she was. ‘Oh, yes, I know all right. She’s creating quite a stir.’
His lean, dark, handsome face cool and unrevealing, Sergio looked across the ballroom. Grazia was leaning back against a table flirting like mad with a bunch of young men, her aura of sensual allure a magnetic draw. Even in the middle of a crowd she was a high-profile presence who attracted attention. ‘I’m afraid I don’t know what the problem is.’
Kathy snatched in a deep jerky breath. She was so worked up that it was an effort. At that instant she could not even explain why she was getting so angry so quickly. All she knew was that Grazia’s presence felt like a very public slap in the face. She felt humiliated and insecure and unnerved. She was now thinking that there might be a great deal more to Grazia’s utterances than mere sour grapes. ‘Don’t you? She shouldn’t be here. Why did you invite her?’
‘I didn’t,’ Sergio murmured levelly. ‘But she’s with her cousin, who was. Perhaps he brought her as his guest.’
It was not a good moment for Kathy to be forced to appreciate that Grazia and her relations had an ongoing social entrée to his exclusive world. Inevitably that meant that a network of other connections could still link Sergio back to the beautiful blonde.
‘I want her out of here,’ Kathy confided and her voice shook because it was a struggle to keep her voice low in pitch.
‘You’re a Torrente now. That is not how we treat guests, welcome or otherwise.’ Sardonic dark deep-set eyes held hers.
Her heart-shaped face flushed with embarrassment. ‘I’m not joking, Sergio. Get rid of her. I don’t care how you do it, just do it. ‘
