His eyes narrowed. ‘I’m not a patient man, signorina.’

‘I’ll have to take the risk of losing your offer, won’t I?’ she said lightly. ‘Now, if you’ll excuse me.’

As she rose Montelli’s hand came out and grasped her wrist.

‘We haven’t finished talking.’

‘Yes, we have,’ she snapped, ‘and if you don’t release me right now I shall slap your face so hard that your ears will be ringing for a week.’

‘Better do as she says,’ Gino advised. ‘Otherwise I’ll get to work on you myself.’

Neither of them had seen him come into the coffee shop. Montelli scowled and withdrew his hand.

‘Shall I thump him for you anyway?’ Gino asked her pleasantly.

‘Don’t you dare!’ she said firmly. ‘If there’s any thumping to be done I want the pleasure of doing it personally.’

Gino grinned. Then, glancing at Montelli, he said curtly, ‘Take yourself off.’

The transformation in him was astonishing. Instead of the smiling boy there was a hard, steely man. Then it was over, and the pleasant young man was there again. But for a moment Alex could see that this was Rinaldo’s brother.

Montelli saw it too, for he scuttled away.

‘My chance to rescue a damsel in distress,’ Gino said, laughing. ‘And you had to spoil it. Couldn’t you have pretended to be just a little bit scared for the sake of my male ego?’

‘Oh, I should think your male ego is in fine healthy shape, without me buttering it up,’ Alex observed, laughing with him.

‘Signorina, you understand me perfectly,’ he said.

He said ‘signorina’ differently to his brother, she thought, softer, almost with a caress, not grim and accusing. A natural flirt. A merry, uncomplicated lad. He would be excellent company.

‘Are you going out?’ he asked.

‘Yes, I thought I’d do some sightseeing. I’ve never been to Florence before.’

‘May I show you around? I’m at your service.’