Taquisara came to her a moment later, and both men turned to Veronica.

Gianluca evidently did not wish to sit down by Veronica, whereas Taquisara, in order to oblige him to do so, took a chair on the other side of Bianca, and spoke to her at once.

Gianluca seated himself upon a chair half-way between Bianca and Veronica.
Possibly Bianca resented the Sicilian's cool way of forcing her to talk with him, as though he knew that she should prefer to do so.

For many reasons she was unduly sensitive to the slightest appearance of anything even faintly resembling a liberty.

She answered what he said, and made a remark in her turn; but, without waiting for his reply, she looked round at Gianluca and spoke to him, interrupting something which he was trying to say to Veronica.