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.Martin hadn't come near her either, and she could well imagine the anger he had felt at having his plans thwarted in this way.But somehow Beth hadn't cared about their absence, hadn't cared about anything any more, the love she had had for both Martin and her father as dead as the baby she had carried and lost.Her mother had been the one to take care of her, taking her home from the hospital when it came time to leave, installing her in her own apartment, the only sign of emotion Beth had shown being when her mother had asked if she wanted to see Martin.She never wanted to see him again!Physically she had healed quickly.And much as she might have wanted to die, to know complete oblivion, to stop the emotional pain, her body had had other ideas on the subject.Yes, physically she had recovered.Emotionally she was scarred beyond healing.When the divorce papers came she had been shocked out of her lethargy, incensed that Martin was daring to accuse her of adultery.And with a man she didn't even know.It had to be one of Martin's friends, she had decided, a man with as few scruples as he had proved to have.She had fought the petition, denied the adultery, but finally her weakened state, and the law, had defeated her, and Martin had been granted his divorce on the grounds of her adultery with a man she didn't even know!Chloe must have been becoming impatient at being kept waiting, Beth had decided; she could see little other reason for the lying and subterfuge that had gained Martin his divorce.And so it was finished.Over with.The divorce final several weeks ago.But Beth would never forget what had been done to her, how she had been used, and then callously discarded when she proved no further use to the two men.She doubted she would ever trust another man again.And now there was Marcus Craven trying to push his way into her life, a man with as much arrogance as her father and Martin.She gave a nervous start as a knock sounded on the door, frowning as she went to answer it; surely Marcus didn't have this much arrogance?The waiter who had served them at dinner stood outside the door, a red rose held in his hand, a rose very similar to if not actually the same one which had graced their table during the meal.Beth's frown deepened.'Yes?''From Mr Craven.' He presented the rose to her.'To thank you for a wonderful evening.' He spoke carefully, obviously wanting to repeat the message precisely.Beth slowly took the rose, staring at its perfection, the waiter having silently left when she at last looked up.Yes, now there was Marcus Craven.And she had no idea what she was going to do about him.CHAPTER FIVE'I'm Glad you decided to join me,' Marcus greeted Beth downstairs the next morning.She hadn't meant to, had breakfasted on the balcony of her room, lingering over her coffee, hoping ten o'clock would pass and she could forget Marcus Craven had wanted her to meet him then.But as ten o'clock approached she had become restless, moving about on the balcony, entering her room only to go back outside again.And at two minutes to ten she had finally admitted to herself that she wanted to join him, grabbing up her bag from the bed before rushing from the room, arriving downstairs breathless and bright-eyed.She had never looked lovelier, her cheeks slightly flushed, her hair lightly mussed by the slight breeze out on her balcony, the green dress with its small white spots looking cool and elegant.She felt as if she was walking into danger for the second time in her life, but at least this time she knew that was what she was doing!'You promised to show me Venice,' she reminded him, steadily meeting his gaze, willing her pulse to stop racing at how handsome he looked in the pale blue shirt and grey trousers, the shirt partly unbuttoned to reveal the dark hair on his chest.Unfortunately, her pulse wasn't taking the slightest bit of notice of her!'And I will,' he assured her decisively, taking a firm hold of her arm to guide her out into the sunlight.Now that she was refreshed from sleep Venice looked different again to Beth this morning, the street-vendors out, most of them selling souvenirs, although there was the odd artist trying to capture the beauty around them.A few of them had almost succeeded, and Beth lingered over studying their work.'We can see them again when we come back,' Marcus teased softly.'You won't get to see Venice this way.''But it's all Venice,' Beth reasoned.'I'm in no hurry; I have all week.'Marcus gave an enigmatic smile, and, while they boarded the river bus that would take them around the canal to the Rialto Bridge, Beth wondered how long he intended staying here.He seemed to do what he pleased, go where he pleased, and she felt sure that if he decided to stay the week then he would do so.She couldn't even begin to think how she felt about that.They got off the river bus at the Rialto Bridge, going up its steps to stand on its middle, small watercraft of every description beneath them as their passengers viewed the bridge from a different angle.Over the top of the bridge and behind it were small shops and market stalls, and the two of them lingered at one of these to buy pieces of moist coconut, munching on them as they continued to stroll through the crowd gathered there.As well as its numerous waterways, Venice was a labyrinth of tiny canals and side-streets, little shops tucked away in unusual places, cafes too, the check-cloth-covered tables outside beckoning temptingly as the day began to grow warmer.'Shall we find somewhere to eat?' Marcus offered as he saw her linger at one of these places longer than before.She nodded.'Just a salad for me—and I mean it this time,' she warned.'Somewhere cool, if possible,' she added ruefully, starting to feel the heat quite strongly after their walk.Marcus smiled knowingly.'Trust me,' he nodded, striding forwards with a purpose now.Trust him? She wasn't sure any woman would be wise to do that, but as companions went he was knowledgeable and patient.Even when he took her into the slightly untidy restaurant, that was obviously frequented by the local people rather than- tourists, Beth had confidence in his choice.And she was right to do so, once again her request for a salad was ignored, and the pasta meal that was quickly placed in front of them was mouth-wateringly enjoyable
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