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‘I was only twelve, I didn’t ask And I haven’t asked since then because, to be honest, it just gets her going She’s always been bitter about it All I know is s so ere left with nothing’

Rafael supposed he shouldn’t be shocked; he kne heartless Mancini had been But he was surprised, on Allegra’s behalf Why did she still care about him when he’d treated her so badly? ‘So how did you survive?’

‘My mother sold some jewellery to start, and she also had various boyfriends who helped’ Allegra made a face ‘That sounds awful, doesn’t it? Butin a certain style, and it still makes her furious that she can’t’

‘And what about you? Does it make you furious?’

Allegra shrugged, her gaze sliding away as her fingers touched the sapphire nestled at her throat as if it was a taliss And I’ve supported hteen’

‘Eighteen’ Another surprise ‘Did you go to university?’ He realised that, despite having spent the last week and a half in her company, he didn’t know that much about her or her life Not that he’d actually spent much ti to coet close Noever, he realised he wanted to know more about her even if it unwise

‘No, I didn’t’ Allegra pursed her lips, her gaze shadowed ‘I decided it wasn’t for me’

Rafael felt sure there was so, but he had no idea what it was ‘What about you?’ she asked ‘Did you go to university?’

‘No, I went to hen I was sixteen’ He felt his chest go tight, his jaw hard, just because of the h and he forced himself to relax ‘We needed the money’

‘Then we have soazed at hi herself fro about their fathers on purpose Neither of theht now

‘Yes, I suppose we do,’ he said, and smiled She smiled back and he felt the tension in him ease

Then the lights dimmed, and they both settled back in their seats as the an Rafael wasn’t thatthe look of rapt attention on Allegra’s face She was utterly arrested, a pearly sheen in her eyes, her hands clasped to her chest He’d never seen sohly enthralled, and it touched a place deep inside hi time It made him yearn and mourn, just as he had when they’d listened to Shostakovich Watching Allegra, he wanted to feel as much as she did He wanted to let himself