Italian Marriage: In Name Only (9 page)

‘You mean to your room?’ the housekeeper questioned.

‘No, I mean the adjoining room—the one I asked you to make up when I spoke to you on the phone yesterday.’ Antonio’s voice was rigid now with annoyance. Sarah had worked in this house for nearly twenty years and he was fond of her, but she had no right to question him and to look so damn disapproving! He would do as he pleased…marry who he damn well pleased. ‘And did you arrange for that merchandise I asked for to be delivered—the cot, et cetera?’

‘Yes, it’s all in the room.’

‘Good—well, then, you know where my wife is sleeping, don’t you?’ Antonio threw her a pointed look and then glanced at his watch impatiently. ‘I’ve phone calls to make. I’ll be in my study.’ He had no more time to waste on this.

Antonio was about to turn and just march away when he noticed how apprehensive Victoria looked, how tightly she was holding onto the child in her arms. Anyone would think he had delivered her into the depths of hell!

‘Go and relax. I’ll see you later, Victoria,’ he told her dismissively.

She angled her chin higher as if to say,
Don’t bother,
and he found himself smiling as he turned away.

‘Take good care of her, Sarah.’ He threw the Italian command almost carelessly over his shoulder, but this time his voice was gentle. ‘Make sure she has everything she needs.’

‘Yes…of course.’ The woman watched him walk away, a look of perplexity in her eyes now, and Victoria wondered what Antonio had said to her.

She wished with all her heart that she spoke Italian.

The chauffeur came in with the luggage and Sarah turned towards the stairs. ‘Come this way,’ she told Victoria in stiff English.

The house was spectacular, Victoria thought as she
followed the woman silently up along the grand sweeping staircase and along the wide corridors.

The bedroom she was shown into was the largest and most luxurious room she had ever been in. She gasped in surprise as her eyes moved over the enormous four-poster bed, the sumptuous cream brocade furnishings and the window that led out to a small balcony that overlooked the bright blue sparkle of the lake.

‘Is this room really for me?’ She stood just inside the doorway, looking around her as if it had all been a huge mistake and she should really have been shown to the staff quarters.

‘Yes.’ The housekeeper gave her a grudging smile and opened the door into the en-suite bathroom. ‘You’ll find all the towels you need in the cabinet. There is also a selection of toiletries in there—so help yourself.’

‘Thank you.’ She stood awkwardly as the chauffeur placed her bags down beside the bed. She couldn’t help noticing how shabby her luggage looked amidst such grand surroundings and she was well aware that the housekeeper had observed the same.

‘The child’s nursery is through here.’ Sarah opened up another door to reveal a large airy room that contained a stylish cot with a pretty blue mobile of sailing ships hanging over it.

Victoria walked slowly over to have a closer look. Everything about the room was luxurious. The bedding on the cot was exquisitely embroidered and there was a comfortable armchair that was upholstered in matching fabric placed by the window. A selection of bedtime storybooks sat on a table, and stacked up on a shelf there was everything she would need for Nathan—a baby listening device, even a selection of clothes and various creams and baby lotions. ‘Does someone in Antonio’s family have a child?’ she asked the housekeeper in perplexity. She hadn’t expected anything like this.

‘Sì.’ Sarah frowned. ‘Yes…
you
.’

‘But…’ Victoria had been going to say that she was just a temporary guest but one look at the woman’s face made her shut up.

‘The
signor
told me to get everything a two-year-old little boy would need.’ She swept a hand around the room. ‘I have done my best.’

‘Thank you, it’s wonderful.’ The room overwhelmed her—she’d never had a nursery for Nathan before; he’d always slept in his cot next to her bed. She remembered that when she’d been pregnant she’d occasionally flicked wistfully through the magazines on motherhood to look at the pretty photographs of nurseries like this, remembered wishing…

Aware suddenly that the housekeeper was watching her, she pulled herself together. ‘And…what’s through here?’ She pointed to another door next the one that led through to the nursery.

‘That one,
signora
, leads through to your husband’s quarters.’

Victoria had been about to open the door and she quickly allowed her hand to drop from the handle. ‘Oh, I see…’ She could feel herself starting to heat up with embarrassment as she met the other woman’s eyes. ‘Well…thank you once again for arranging such a lovely room for me.’

‘You’re welcome.’ The woman smiled for a moment. ‘Can I get you anything else, Signora Cavelli?’

The suddenly respectful tone in the other woman’s voice took her by surprise, as did her title, but then she supposed that was her name—for now.

‘No, thank you, I have everything I need.’

The woman nodded and walked briskly away. ‘Dinner will be served at eight in the main dining room,’ she said and closed the door firmly behind her.

Victoria sat down on the bed. She felt exhausted suddenly, which was strange because even though they’d made a long journey she’d slept for quite a while on the plane. Nathan on the other hand seemed filled with energy and wiggled impatiently to get down from her knee. She allowed him to slip to the floor and then watched as he toddled around the room to explore.

‘Don’t touch the mirror, Nat,’ she told him as he put little fingers all over the mirrored wardrobes opposite.

He looked around at her and smiled, then moved on and found her suitcase and tried to unfasten it.

But Victoria’s gaze was locked on her appearance in the mirror.

The suit she was wearing had seen better days, her skin was deathly pale and she looked drawn and anxious. It was no wonder that the housekeeper had looked taken aback when Antonio had introduced her as his wife.

It would only have taken one glance for the woman to know that she clearly didn’t belong here.

Nathan was trying unsuccessfully to unfasten the side pockets of the bag now and she stood from the bed and went across to pick him up.

It didn’t matter what anyone else thought because she didn’t care, she reminded herself again as she gathered up his bag and headed through to the nursery.

Her priority was her child.

But then surprisingly Antonio seemed to have considered him a priority too, she thought as she looked around at the things that had been purchased especially for her child.

The man was full of surprises.

Nathan wanted to get down—he’d seen the box of toys at the far side of the room and he was eager to explore.

Normally at this time he’d have been getting sleepy but clearly his body clock was confused with the travel and time change.

Maybe some fresh air would help, she thought as she glanced out of the window at the spectacular view. In fact, maybe some fresh air would help both of them.

A
NTONIO
stepped out of the shower and dressed in a hurry. He had spent two solid hours on the phone to his office in Verona and he was still going to have to drive over there tonight to sort out some paperwork for the morning.

After such a long flight it was a damn inconvenience, plus he’d been hoping to meet with his father tonight to impart his good news. Antonio’s lips twisted derisively. Ah, well, that particular pleasure would have to be savoured tomorrow evening now. He’d already rung to whet the old man’s curiosity—had told him he wished to discuss the details of his business deal and that he had brought someone home with him.

His father had been absolutely delighted, and had immediately invited him and his guest over for dinner—had been most disappointed when Antonio had told him that it would now have be tomorrow due to pressure of work.

‘So who have you brought home with you, Antonio?’ he had asked gleefully.

‘You’ll have to wait and see, Father,’ he had told him, his voice carefully neutral. ‘But as I am complying with your wishes, I will of course expect you to keep to your side of the agreement.’

‘Of course, next year, once you are married and your son or daughter comes along, I shall be more than happy to retire and hand my shares in the company over to you.’

Antonio smiled to himself now as he fastened his blue silk tie. His father would be retiring next week, not next year, he thought with satisfaction. And it was going to feel very sweet. The man would rue the day he had ever tried to force his will upon him. With impatient fingers he reached for his suit jacket before glancing at his watch. It was almost six in the evening now and once he’d sorted things out in the office it wouldn’t be worth driving back here again tonight. Far more convenient to stay at his apartment in town, he decided as he picked up his overnight bag and some keys before heading out of his room.

Sarah was downstairs in the hallway polishing the brass handles on the front door. ‘I won’t be home for dinner, Sarah, and I shall be staying at my apartment in town overnight,’ he told her briskly.

‘Very well,
signor.
’ She didn’t look around.

‘Tell Signora Cavelli that I will see her tomorrow. We have been invited to my father’s house for dinner so she should make herself and the child ready to leave at seven o’clock.’

‘Very well.’ The woman glanced over at him now. ‘But if you would like to tell her yourself, you will find her out in the garden. She is taking some fresh air with her son.’

‘I have no time,’ he retorted brusquely. ‘So just give her the message, Sarah.’

The woman nodded, a look of stern disapproval in her eyes. ‘She seems a nice girl.’

Antonio shrugged.

The woman arched one eyebrow and he smiled. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow. Just remember…I want to be the first to break the happy news to my father tomorrow evening.’

‘You don’t need to remind me about things like that!’ The woman put one hand on her ample hip and glared at him indignantly. ‘I’ve always been the soul of discretion.’

‘Indeed.’ Antonio nodded. He knew Sarah was trustworthy—however, the reminder didn’t hurt. He stepped past her and went outside.

The sun was starting to go down, leaving a blazing trail of red and gold over the tranquil surface of the lake. The evening was warm and mellow and the beauty of his surroundings enveloped him as his footsteps crunched over the gravel towards his car. Sometimes he forgot how lovely this place was, he thought, pausing briefly to look around him.

At the far end of the lawn he caught sight of Victoria. She was playing ball with her son, throwing it gently for him and then clapping her hands as he caught it and tried to throw it back.

‘Clever boy…’ Her laughter drifted on the warmth of the evening, and despite the fact that he was on limited time, Antonio found himself watching her. She was wearing a faded pair of blue denim jeans with a loose-fitting checked shirt. And although her hair was pulled back from her face it was secured in a silky ponytail that had flicked over one shoulder and fell almost to her waist.

‘Catch, Nathan, catch…’ The child dissolved into giggles as he missed the ball and then he ran after it as fast as his little legs would carry him, his mother pretending to give chase.

Antonio smiled to himself as she caught the little boy easily and swung him off his feet and around and around in the air. There was something about the happy carefree moment that was somehow touching—why that was he didn’t know, he thought with irritation. He was about to turn away when she caught sight of him.

Immediately he saw the tension return to the slender lines of her body.

She looked like a gazelle about to take flight from a hungry predator. What the hell did she think he was going to do to her? he wondered in irritation as he unlocked his car.

‘Are you going out?’ she called rather breathlessly to him. Surprised by the question he glanced around and found she was heading slowly towards him, carrying the child on her hip.

‘Yes. I have things to do.’ He tossed his overnight bag into the boot of the red sports car. Then aware that she was still
standing a few feet away watching him, he turned and looked at her again. ‘Was there something you wanted, Victoria?’

The cool enquiry made her feel awkward. ‘Well…’

He glanced at his watch. ‘Because if not, I’m a very busy man.’

‘I just wanted to say thank-you,’ she cut across him swiftly.

‘For what?’ He frowned.

‘For going to so much trouble to get the room ready for Nathan.’ She was regarding him steadily, as if forcing herself to make eye contact.

‘Oh, that.’ He shrugged. ‘Believe me, it wasn’t any trouble. I just delegated the task to Sarah.’

‘Yes…but it was still good of you. All those toys and that equipment must have cost a fortune and…well, the room is beautiful. I’ve never had a nursery for Nathan.’

For some reason the touching sincerity of her words prickled uncomfortably inside him. ‘I don’t want your thanks, Victoria,’ he told her abruptly. ‘I said I’d look after you and Nathan whilst you are under my roof and I’m a man of my word. All I require from you is that you keep to your side of the deal, that you don’t get in my way and that you make yourself available when I want you.’

‘I’ll…do my best.’ She took a step away from him as if half scared by his words, her cheeks flaring with colour.

‘My father has invited us for dinner tomorrow. Sarah will give you details.’

She watched helplessly as he started to turn away. ‘And is it okay to bring Nathan…? It’s just that I don’t want to leave him…I—’

‘Yes, of course you must bring Nathan.’ He frowned as if the question was completely stupid. ‘I wouldn’t hear of leaving him!’

‘Wouldn’t you?’ She looked at him in bewilderment.

‘No, now if that’s all you wanted I have to go—’

‘OK, oh, just one more thing…What do you want me to
wear?’ She asked the question impulsively before he could climb into the car.

‘To wear?’ He turned slowly and looked at her as if the question amused him.

‘Yes, what form of dress is appropriate?’ She shrugged, feeling horrendously embarrassed now. But she’d rather have asked him than risk asking the disapproving housekeeper who would probably sneer down her nose at her. ‘It’s just…I didn’t bring much with me and—’

‘It doesn’t matter what you wear, Victoria,’ he cut across her dismissively. ‘Wear anything—wear that suit that you wore for our wedding ceremony,’ he suggested offhandedly.

His eyes raked over her, noticing how her blouse was pulled tight across her chest by the way she was holding Nathan. And for a moment he remembered the way her body had felt against his when she had stumbled onto his knee on the plane. The memory made him tense. Why the hell was he thinking about that? he wondered angrily. This was about business! ‘Yes, in fact, that suit will be perfect,’ he said resolutely as he remembered how plain she had looked in it.

‘Really?’ She frowned. The suit was nowhere near perfect and she was well aware of that fact. She’d chosen it for the ceremony more as an act of defiance than anything else.

However, why should she care? she wondered suddenly. It wasn’t as if she needed to make a good impression on his father. It wasn’t as if she was a real daughter-in-law. She wouldn’t be around for long anyway. ‘OK,’ she murmured. ‘If you think it’s suitable.’

‘Most suitable.’ He nodded. ‘And wear your hair the way it was for the ceremony as well…’ His eyes flicked over her. ‘Yes, it’s much better completely back from your face.

The way she was wearing it now over one shoulder made her look young and vulnerable…and almost pretty. ‘I don’t care for it the way it is now…’

She put a self-conscious hand up towards her hair.

‘Ok, I’ll pin it back,’ she whispered huskily.

‘Good.’ He was climbing into the car now. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow,’ he told her curtly.

The powerful engine fired to life and she watched as he put it into gear and sped away from her towards the road.

She wondered where he was going—where he was spending the night.

But then, that was none of her business, she reminded herself crossly.

Victoria stood in front of the mirror and studied her reflection. The suit was boring, the shirt beneath it prim. But maybe Antonio wanted her to look businesslike so that she would be taken seriously as his wife.

Who knew what was going through his mind, or what this was all about.

Anyway, she had complied with his wishes, had even pinned her hair back into the chignon that he had requested. She bit down on the softness of her lower lip as she remembered how he’d told her he disliked her hair when it fell around her shoulders. The remark had hurt, but she couldn’t understand why, because she didn’t care what he thought of her, she reminded herself grimly.

She’d had to remember that fact a few times last night as she’d sat alone in the formal dining room being waited upon by Sarah. Had to remind herself that she’d rather have eaten alone than dine with a man who really didn’t want her company. Yet a stark feeling of isolation had plagued her.

Crazy, given that she didn’t want to be around Antonio anyway—and loneliness was something she was used to.

How was it she felt more lonely here than she did in her apartment when Nathan was in bed and she was eating a solitary supper?

Maybe it was just the fact that she missed her staff and friends in the restaurant. Maybe it was that she wasn’t used
to being waited on by someone and felt uncomfortable with that too. She had offered to eat in the kitchen, had asked if she could help with any chores that needed doing, but Sarah had looked appalled.

‘It’s not your place to work in a kitchen, Signora Cavelli!’ she had said.

‘But I’ve worked in a kitchen nearly all of my life,’ she had told the woman quietly. ‘And besides, I like cooking.’

The woman had pursed her lips and muttered something about it not being quite right or proper.

Whatever that meant. Victoria sighed. She couldn’t pretend to be something she wasn’t.

Today she had gone into the kitchen anyway and had made breakfast for herself and Nathan before the woman had realized she was in there.

‘You really shouldn’t be doing that,’ Sarah had said when she’d walked in and found her. ‘I’m supposed to be looking after you!’

‘Well, I’m just not used to that!’ Victoria had said honestly. ‘And anyway, I was hoping if I spent some time with you in the kitchen I could pick up a few tips on authentic Italian cuisine while I was here.’

There had been a brief moment when she wasn’t sure if the woman would just shoo her out anyway, but then the stern features had relaxed and she had shrugged. ‘Every region of Italy has its own different authentic cuisine—which area were you interested in?’

It was strange but after that they seemed to get along quite well. They’d spent an amicable few hours glancing through recipe books and Victoria had felt more relaxed than she had in a long time. Certainly more relaxed than she felt now as she looked at the clock and saw that it was almost seven.

Antonio wasn’t home yet but she supposed she should go downstairs to wait for him, so that he would know when he stepped into the house that she was ready to go. She glanced
over at Nathan, who was sitting on the floor playing happily with some racing cars that he had found amidst the box of toys in his room. He looked cute in a pair of blue trousers and a white shirt, his dark hair brushed back from his face. Antonio’s father couldn’t help but be impressed with him, Victoria thought with a smile. Although she supposed she was biased.

‘Come on, darling, we should go downstairs now.’ She went over and held out her hand. Dutifully her son stood, although he brought the cars with him, sticking one in the pocket of his trousers and holding the other aloft to show her.

‘Yes, lovely cars,’ Victoria agreed with a smile and allowed him to take them with him. She supposed it wouldn’t do any harm and she didn’t want to risk him starting to cry, which happened sometimes when he was tired.

She’d given Nathan his dinner more than an hour ago. And under normal circumstances he would have been in bed by now, but due to jet lag he had slept for longer this afternoon and still seemed wide awake and in good humour now—but it was best to play things safe.

The clock was striking seven as Victoria walked downstairs and into the front lounge. Sarah appeared a few minutes later.

‘Can I get you anything,
signora
?’ she asked politely, whilst at the same time Victoria was aware that her gaze was moving over her with critical assessment.

‘No, thank you, Sarah.’ Victoria brushed a nervous hand down over her skirt.

‘Very well…’ The woman smiled at Nathan, who went running over to show her his cars.
‘Bellissimo!’
The housekeeper’s eyes warmed as she looked at the child. ‘Adorable…’ she told Victoria.

The approval surprised Victoria—as did the fact that her son didn’t seem to be even slightly daunted by the formidable woman.

There was the sound of a car pulling up along the drive and Victoria’s gaze moved towards the window.