He was right about that too. In fact, he was so right in every cynical suggestion that she dived hastily back into the pool.

It was a good day and everyone felt better when they were making their way back to the house in the late afternoon, ready to dress up for a good dinner.

Joanna was down first, finding Crystal in the library.

‘Are you cross with me?’ Crystal asked. ‘You’ve been giving me glowering looks all day. I hate it when people are cross with me.’

‘If I’m cross it’s because of the way you hurt Renata.’

‘Me? I’ve been delightful to her.’

‘How about flaunting those pictures of Toni, when you don’t keep any of her?’

‘Did she look in my bag? She shouldn’t have done.’

‘She was looking for reassurance that you carry her pictures too. And you don’t. That hurt her, Crystal.’

‘Oh, hell!’ Crystal gave a despairing sigh and ran her hands through her hair. ‘Look, I- You think I’m a monster, don’t you?’

‘Well-I can’t imagine taking as little interest in Billy as you seem to take in Renata.’

‘I know, I know, but I can’t help it. It’s not my fault. Something happened when she was born-or rather, something didn’t happen. The first time I held her I waited for that rush of love you’re supposed to get, and there was absolutely nothing. I tried and tried, but I couldn’t feel anything.’

Joanna remembered her first sight of Billy, and the love that had swept through her like a hurricane. She felt a moment’s sympathy for Crystal, who hadn’t known that incredible joy. Perhaps she shouldn’t be blamed too much for being unable to bond.

But the next moment some of her sympathy evaporated, when Crystal said, ‘If only she’d been a boy! I wanted a boy so much. All those months of getting thicker and uglier, and feeling awful. Of course Gustavo wanted an heir, and I wanted to give him one and get it out of the way.

‘I had a bad birth. It just went on for ages and ages, and all the time I was thinking, Please let it be a boy, so I need never do this again. And then she turned out to be a girl and I was so angry.’

‘Angry?’

‘I was tired,’ Crystal said defensively. ‘I ached all over, and Gustavo was saying things like, “Never mind, darling. Next time.” Like that was supposed to make me feel better. And I knew every last person on the estate was going to be disappointed in me, and I just felt fed up.’

‘Fed up,’ Joanna echoed. Crystal’s petulant self-centredness was so overwhelming that it was almost impressive.

‘Of course the estate people were interested,’ she pointed out. ‘If the prince doesn’t have an heir it affects them all.’

‘Yes, well, it was no fun being a princess,’ Crystal said sulkily. ‘I thought it would be, but it wasn’t.’

‘Is that why you married him? For the title? You didn’t love him at all?’

‘I don’t really know,’ Crystal said, considering this. ‘Yes, I suppose I was in love with him, in a sort of way. He seemed glamorous and exciting then. I thought that was how we’d live, going to all the thrilling places in the world, meeting everyone who mattered. But all Gustavo wanted was to bury himself in this place and spend every penny on it.

‘Oh, we went travelling sometimes. He took me to New York every year. But even then he spent half his time on the phone to Renata’s nurse, wanting to know if everything was all right. And he couldn’t wait to get home. Lord, but he’s dull to live with!’

‘Dull? Gustavo?’

‘He doesn’t know how to have fun.’

‘I suppose he has his own idea of fun.’

‘Yes, old bones and bricks. History. Estate accounts. No, thank you!’

Suddenly she burst out, ‘I can’t help the way I’m made. It’s not my fault. I can’t make myself feel what I don’t feel.’

‘No, I suppose not,’ Joanna sighed.

‘I tried for years, but I couldn’t manage it. I should never have married him. He should have married you. You’re as dull as him.’

‘Yes, I suppose I am,’ Joanna said, without resentment.

You couldn’t be angry with Crystal, she reflected. Part of her was still a child, and knew no better.

‘I expect supper will be ready,’ she said. ‘Shall we go in?’

‘Just give me a moment. I haven’t called Elena yet.’

Crystal called Toni’s nanny several times a day to ask about him. In a moment she was on the phone to her, and Joanna could see at once that something was wrong.

‘I can hear him screaming,’ she said into the phone. ‘What’s wrong with him? Is he ill? What do you mean, hungry? He’s ill. I know he’s ill.’

Gustavo came into the room, with Renata. ‘What’s the matter?’

‘Toni’s ill,’ Crystal wailed. ‘I must go to him at once. He might be dying.’

Gustavo took the phone from her. ‘Elena? What’s happened? I see. Just his feed being a few minutes late?’

‘I’ve got to go to him,’ Crystal wept.

Out of the corner of her eye Joanna saw Renata leave the room. Quietly she followed her out into the hall, up the stairs and as far as her room.

‘What are you doing?’ she asked as Renata began taking clothes out of drawers, hampered by only having one good arm.

‘I’m going with Mamma. She wants me.’

‘But-’

‘She wants me,’ Renata said, too decidedly to be convincing. ‘If Toni’s ill she won’t come back, so I have to go with her.’

Gustavo appeared in the doorway and she could see from his face that he had heard. He looked quickly at Joanna, and she saw a plea for help in his eyes.

‘Carissima,’ he said.

The child turned on him. ‘You can’t stop me.’

‘Gustavo!’ That was Crystal’s voice calling from the corridor. ‘I’m ready to go. I have to get to Toni quickly.’

‘I’m coming, Mamma,’ Renata called.

‘What?’ Crystal came into the room, frowning. ‘What did you say?’

‘I’m ready to go.’

‘But, darling, what are you talking about? I can’t take you with me.’

‘But you said-’

‘I said one day-maybe-but now Toni’s ill-’

‘But that means you’ll need me.’ Renata’s voice had risen to a wail.

‘But-but-I’m sorry, but you’ve got to understand-I simply can’t-’

‘Renata-’ Gustavo began.

‘No,’ Joanna said swiftly, putting her hand on his arm. ‘Don’t say it. This isn’t a time for authority. It’s a time for pleading.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Don’t order her,’ she said softly. ‘But tell her how much you need her. Plead, beg if you have to.’

‘But you can see how she is-’

‘Don’t give Crystal the chance to reject her again. She couldn’t bear it. It’s your best chance. Do it!’

Renata was regarding her mother with eyes that held a terrible look. Gustavo got between them, dropping down to one knee and putting his hands on her shoulders.

‘Carissima,’ he said, ‘if you want to go, I won’t stop you, but please don’t. Think of me if you went away. What would I do without you?’

She stood silent, uncertainty written all over her face.

‘I know you’d rather go with Mamma,’ Gustavo said, ‘but I love you too, more than you know. Won’t you stay with me? Please.’

Renata took a long breath and suddenly it was as though a great burden had fallen from her. She straightened herself, looking suddenly taller.

‘I can’t go with you after all, Mamma,’ she said with childish dignity. ‘Papa needs me to stay and look after him.’

‘Thank you, my darling,’ he said.

Crystal’s gift for playing a part came to her rescue.

‘I’m sure you’re right,’ she said. ‘You should stay and be kind to Papa. Yes, that’s what you should do.’

She repeated this, evidently feeling that it was a mantra that she should cling to.

‘Now I need someone to drive me into Rome,’ she said.

‘The chauffeur will take you,’ Gustavo said. ‘I prefer to stay with my daughter.’

‘If you think a chauffeur’s good enough for me when I’m in such a state about my baby,’ Crystal sniffed.

‘Of course a chauffeur isn’t good enough,’ said Freddy from behind her. He’d slid into the room, unnoticed. ‘I’d be glad to drive you.’

‘Oh, Freddy, you’re so kind and understanding,’ Crystal said.

‘It’s my pleasure,’ he said, meaning it.

Joanna followed them out and downstairs to where the car had been brought around to the front. Before getting in Freddy gave her a wink. She shook her head in disapproval, which just made him wink again.

Before returning upstairs Joanna called Crystal’s Rome apartment. She knew the number after seeing Crystal dial it so often.

‘Elena? She’s on her way.’

The nanny gave an exasperated sigh. ‘There’s no need. I’ve fed him and he’s fast asleep. There’s nothing wrong with him.’

‘Well, she’s still on her way,’ Joanna said wryly.

She joined the others for supper and didn’t see Gustavo again until the end of the evening. Then he came seeking her, seizing her hands in his and holding them tight.

‘Thank you with all my heart,’ he said. ‘I would never have thought of that. However did I manage before you came along? You’ve transformed everything. If only I…’

For some reason he seemed unable to go on.

‘If only what?’

‘If only I’d listened to your advice before,’ he said, in an awkward way that told her it wasn’t what he’d been going to say.

‘It saved Renata’s face, poor little soul,’ she said sympathetically. ‘This way, she’s the one who made the decision.’

‘And that matters?’

‘Oh, yes,’ she said, her mind going back twelve years. ‘You’ve no idea how much it matters.’

He released her hands. ‘I’ll be grateful to you all my life,’ he said. ‘I only wish I knew the way to tell you what you’ve done for me-how much it means.’

She waited, hoping for something more, but it didn’t come. He’d retreated into himself again, and whatever he might have said would remain unspoken.

CHAPTER TWELVE