Page 33 of Slow Simmer

The only sounds were the rhythmic rush of small waves on the shore and the occasional squawk of a tropical bird in the trees, the breeze brushing the palm fronds against each other making a soft shushing sound.

“Did you ever think about me?” Carlo asked. “Did I ever cross your mind after you boarded that train?”

“Every day for about five years,” she confessed after a long moment. “After that… maybe every other.”

“Why?”

There was so much loaded into the one-word question. He didn’t have to elaborate, didn’t have to specify what exactly he was asking. She knew.

“Because if I didn’t leave then, I’d never have been able to do it, and it was the right thing for me to do at the time.”

“You broke my heart, Suzannah, so I hope you’ll forgive me when I say that’s not enough of a goddamn answer!”

She dared a glance at him. He looked furious, hands white-knuckled as he gripped them together, tanned skin drawn tight across his high cheekbones.

“We were from different worlds,” she said finally. “It was clear to me that I didn’t belong in yours.”

“Is this about that visit from my parents? What did they say to you? And how in hell did you get the impression I was the eldest son and heir?”

“Why didn’t you tell me you weren’t?” she snapped back. “You never even mentioned your family. I assumed you didn’t want me to know about them, and then when your parents turned up I realised why - you never had any intention of inviting me into that world. You were just slumming it with me!”

“Don’t you ever dare say that about yourself again!” He almost shouted it at her, dark eyes flashing with rage. “I never talked about my family because you never talked about yours; you made it clear you had tragedy in your background and I didn’t want to rub your nose in the fact that I had a large, loving family who would do literally anything for me!”

“They disapproved of me,” Suzannah said flatly.

“They thought I was too young to settle down,” Carlo replied. “I told them I wanted to marry you.”

Her jaw dropped, and she tore off her sunglasses to stare at him in utter shock. “Youwhat?”

“All our plans to travel the world together, learn new cuisines and cultures, it would all have been much easier if we came as a husband and wife team,” he pointed out. “My parents tried to convince me to wait, see if we could put up with each other on our travels, but I didn’t want to. I was hopelessly, head over heels in love with you, and I didn’t care who knew.”

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