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‘Then get them done,’ Nico said, even while knowing it wasn’t going to be as easy as that.
‘I have tried, but the staff have issues with the colour.’
‘And the fabric…’ It was the first time Aurora had spoken. ‘The wool is too heavy and the green makes us look like…’ She snapped her fingers. ‘That Englishman’s Merry Men.’
Nico had to think for a moment. But then he always had to think when Aurora was around—she brought him no peace.
He thought of the dark green uniforms that looked so elegant against the old Roman and sophisticated Florentine buildings, and worked well in both England and France, and then he joined the dots she had led him to with her mention of ‘the Englishman’s Merry Men’.
‘You mean Robin Hood?’
‘Who?’ Aurora frowned, and then she gave him a tiny smile to say ofcourseshe knew who he meant and was teasing him.
Their minds jostled, and she could see he was fighting not to return her smile. She was still looking at Nico’s full mouth, with a smile on her own, when Vincenzo cleared his throat and spoke up.
‘We think that Silibri should have a more casual feel.’
‘It’s a five-star hotel.’ Nico gave a shake of his head. ‘I donotwant my staff looking casual.’
‘Of course not,’ Vincenzo agreed. ‘But there is a stunning French navy linen, and teamed with crisp white shirts…’
‘We would look like sailors,’ Aurora sulked.
Nico pressed the bridge of his nose between finger and thumb. What the hell had he been thinking? What had possessed him to venture into Silibri? He should have sold the land there and been done with it…
Yet as he sat there he recalled Aurora’s emphaticnowhen he had suggested that the night after—
Damn, no matter how he tried to avoid it, all roads led to that night.
Nico forced himself back to the moment: What in God’s name was he doing, sitting here discussing fabric? It washishotel and it had been four years in the making.
The trouble with the Silibri venture was that the staff considered it to betheirhotel too. They were allsoinvolved and took it allsopersonally.
‘What about the same green as the other hotels, but in linen?’ Francesca suggested.
Aurora shook her head.
‘That just takes us back to the Merry Men,’
‘So what doyousuggest, Aurora?’ Nico threw down his pen in exasperation.
Of course she had an immediate answer. ‘Persian Orange.’
From her seemingly bottomless bag she produced several swatches of fabric and proceeded to pass them around. It was a linen blend that wouldn’t crease, she assured them, and with one look Nico knew she was right.
‘It is the colour of the temple ruins and the monastery just before sunset,’ Aurora said. ‘And you know how beautiful Silibri looks at that time of night. Mother Nature chose her colours wisely.’
‘It is a bold colour,’ Vincenzo objected. ‘A touch too bold, perhaps?’
‘I don’t agree that it is too bold; it is, in fact, quite plain,’ Aurora refuted, then cocked her head to the side.
Nico watched as her knowing eyes weighed up Vincenzo.
‘Are you worried that it might clash with your red hair?’
‘Of course not…’ Vincenzo was flustered and smoothed said red hair down.
‘Because,’ Aurora continued, ‘we could have bespoke shades on the same theme, with Persian Orange being the main one.’
