When Claudia and Marco were children, they had often pretended that the table was a ship and they were rival pirates. In fact, all these years later not much had changed. The dining table was still the stage for fierce battles. Signora D’Este picked up her glass of wine, glaring over the rim of it at Claudia. ‘How many opportunities have I provided for you to win Bastian’s interest? And still he has not once called upon you? What did I do to deserve such an ungrateful daughter?’ Claudia drew in a deep breath and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she spoke calmly. ‘Have you ever considered that the reason Bastian hasn’t called upon me is that he is calling upon someone else?’ ‘Bastian pursues every woman, which is the same as pursuing no woman.’ ‘He has been seen with the same woman on at least three occasions,’ said Claudia. ‘That is not normal behaviour for Bastian. He must be serious about this one.’ ‘Who is she?’ demanded her mother.
