Scandal

by Grace Kagni

  "That's right, you see since you've stepped into my life, you've stolen my heart and I'm afraid I can't live without one so now I need to offer it to you as a sign of my love." Then he got on his knee and pulled out a little box. "Alessia Ferrara, will you marry me? Not because you've stolen my heart, not because I love you more than anything in the world but because I'm hoping you feel the same way about me!"

  She looked at the ring and then his blue eyes, pleading her to say yes. She'd never seen his eyes so vulnerable. They expressed a deepness that she'd seen only once before, when he'd spoken of his late wife and now his eyes were looking at her with the same longing.

  She grabbed his hands and pulled him up to stand. "You don't need to kneel for me. I want to be looking into your eyes when I tell you that I will marry you not only because I feel the same way about you but also because you are the kindest, gentlest and most caring man I've ever met."

  He picked her up in his arms and whirled her around laughing. "This is fantastic! You've made me the happiest man on earth!" he said as he lowered his lips onto hers to softly kiss her.

  "So when do you want to marry?" she asked.

  "As soon as possible. We'll contact a wedding planner to help with all the arrangements. How about in a month?" he asked.

  "Wow! You really meant as soon as possible," she grinned. "Yes that would be fine if the wedding planner can arrange it all in 30 days."

  "We'll have to find the right one then. While we're in Milano, you can meet with my sister Valentina and I'm sure she can help you choose the right wedding planner and design the dress of your dreams," he said.

  "I'd like that! I liked your sister - she's very nice," she said.

  "Wait until she finds out that we'll be married," he said. "Oh, and we'll need to work on a guest list as soon as possible."

  Alessia suddenly went quiet and didn't have the heart to tell him that she didn't really have anyone to invite. Noticing her mood had changed, he lifted her chin so that she looked into his eyes. "What's the matter?" he whispered.

  "I don't have anyone to invite and my father is in no condition to participate," she said as a tear slowly rolled down her cheek.

  "We'll find a way to have your father walk you down the aisle," he said as he kissed her on the nose. "Even if someone has to push him in a wheelchair, we'll find a way."

  She partially smiled at his willingness to find a solution to everything; especially to have her father at their wedding. He knew that her father was the only person she had left in her life and he would move Heaven and Earth to make her happy on their wedding day, and if it meant finding a way to have her father walk her down the aisle, then he'd find a way to make that happen.

  They sat by the fire the rest of the evening talking about possible honeymoon destinations until Alessia started to yawn and Alessandro suggested they go up to bed.

  When they got into bed, he pulled her close, cuddling her warm body against his and took in her fragrance. "I've been waiting a long time to do this!" he said.

  "To do what?" she asked.

  "To hold you in my arms like this," he said.

  "You don't mind that we can't have sex for a while?" she asked.

  "Amore, I don't care about sex; all I want is to have you in my life and by the way we don't have sex, we make love when we're together - don't forget that!" he said, stroking her back as her head rested on his chest.

  "How do you feel - really feel?" she asked as she looked up into his eyes.

  "I feel fine," he said as he saw her raise her eyebrows questioning his remark. "Really, I feel fine so don't worry but I will tell you the next time I'm not well."

  They chatted a little until they both drifted off to sleep feeling contentment being in each other's arms again.

  Chapter Nine

  The weekend passed quickly and it was suddenly Monday morning. They'd packed the night before and were ready bright and early when the guards brought the cars around the front of the house to take them to the train station.

  Alessia thought about the first time she'd left for Milano with Alessandro. It seemed so long ago but it was merely weeks ago and yet they'd been through so much since that time. She thought about how her life had changed and how fortunate she was to have Alessandro in her life at this time.

  They arrived at the train station and the guards escorted them to their first class cabin on the train. Within three hours they were in Milano and just as they pulled into the central station, the guards reappeared to escort them out to their waiting cars.

  They went directly to Alessandro's house where Alessia found more red roses scattered throughout the house. She smiled at him while he grinned back. "I know I don't need to do this but please let me - it's been a long time since I felt alive again and I want you to know that!" he said.

  "I already know that and you don't need to shower me with flowers and gifts," she said.

  "Yes but I like to see you smile - it makes me happy!" he said.

  They had a quiet lunch and then Alessandro had to go to the Conference so he called his sister Valentina to tell her the good news about their wedding plans and then arranged for Valentina to pass by to help Alessia decide on a wedding planner.

  After Alessandro left, Alessia sat in his large study looking around at the antique furniture and books that lined the walls of the study. She was about to become part of this world that was so distant from hers; that she felt overwhelmed for a moment thinking she may have made a mistake accepting Alessandro's proposal. Panic filled her lungs as she suddenly thought about all the functions she would have to attend with him as his wife and also protocol etiquette that she'd have to learn - things that never crossed her mind before. She was deep in doubt when Valentina stepped into the study and found her miles away in thought.

  Valentina walked up to Alessia, taking her away from her daydream and instantly saw the fear in her eyes.

  "It's not as bad as you think!" Valentina said as she put her arms around Alessia to calm her nerves.

  "Is it that obvious?" Alessia asked.

  "Yes, it's written all over your face but trust me, you'll get used to it and Alessandro will make sure that you're not thrown into the public eye. He doesn't like his personal life to be made public - he had great care for his first wife and she dealt with it quite well!" Valentina said assuring her that everything would work out well.

  "Yes but you come from a noble family and Alessandro is in politics - you can't be more public than that! I don't know if I can deal with it - I mean, I said I'd marry him but I didn't think of the consequences when I said yes." She looked at Valentina a moment and then asked, "How do you cope with it? You must have the media on your doorstep everyday!"

  "You learn to deal with it and I go around with guards as Alessandro does. The guards are there to protect us not only from harm but also to keep the media away - or should I say paparazzi who want to get that picture of you when you're not feeling 100 per cent!" Valentina said as they walked to the sofa to sit down.

  "I've only been Alessandro's assistant so nobody has paid any attention to me but when our engagement becomes public, everything will change," Alessia said feeling apprehension growing in her stomach.

  "What needs to change? Alessandro will still love you and you'll still love Alessandro. That's what you need to focus on - not what goes on around you. Sure there will always be the person wanting to take a picture or wanting to get close to say hello but you need to learn not to let it bother you and after a while you get used to it. Besides, the guards will be with you every step you take," Valentina said.

  "No, they follow Alessandro so when I go my own way, I'll have to disguise myself so nobody will recognize me," she said as she looked down at her hands as they sat on her lap.

  "No Alessia! When Alessandro announces your engagement to the public, he will arrange for you to have your own bodyguards who go with you when you are not with him. Don't stress yourself about it because Alessandro will take care of you - you'll
need to trust him," Valentina said.

  Alessia let out a long sigh realizing that Valentina was right. Alessandro wouldn't have proposed to her if he didn't love her and she was sure he'd do what was in his power to protect her. The protocol and etiquette part of his life, she'd just have to learn. She could do that! She suddenly felt better after talking with Valentina.

  Valentina brought her sketchbook and asked Alessia how she would like her wedding dress to be. After giving a brief description of what she'd always dreamed her wedding dress would look like, Valentina started to put the ideas on paper and sketched right off the dress that Alessia had always envisioned herself wearing on her wedding day.

  "How did you know this is what I want? I didn't even know what I wanted but only had ideas of what I'd always dreamed about having," Alessia asked.

  "It's why I'm a dress designer - I have a gift of putting down on paper what the client would like based on what I believe would look good according to size and shape. Now, let's look at some fabrics. I've brought a few samples and we can discuss accents that you may want on the bodice or the skirt later," Valentina said as she pulled out of a bag a book with fabric samples inside.

  Alessia grinned as she saw the beautiful fabrics and then stopped a moment thinking how much it would cost.

  "Valentina, I don't have the money for an expensive dress so I'm going to have to choose a less costly material," Alessia said disappointed that the fabric samples were exactly what she'd always dreamed her flowing wedding gown would look like when she'd marry.

  Valentina squeezed her hand and said, "Choose whatever fabric you like; the gown will be my gift to you - that is, if my brother doesn't fight me over it. You won't need to worry about any costs for the wedding. Alessandro will take care of it so sit back and choose to your heart's content."

  Alessia looked at the fabrics and smiled thinking she would really have a fairytale wedding gown. Valentina pulled out the fabrics and explained how the gown would flow and which would be best. Taking Valentina's advice, Alessia choose a white silk organza with multiple layers that gave the gown a light sway while creating volume on the skirt.

  After spending two hours designing Alessia's dream wedding gown, Valentina gave her the name and telephone number of a wedding planner who she was sure could accomplish a high-profile wedding within 30 days.

  Alessia thanked her for her precious time and after she walked Valentina to the door, she contacted the wedding planner. The office assistant answered the phone telling her that Signora Forlani didn't have an available spot within the next six months but after Alessia mentioned His Excellency Alessandro Medici-Visconti, she was transferred to Signora Forlani, who immediately picked up the call.

  "Signora Ferrara?" she asked.

  "Yes, good afternoon. I was calling to know if you'd be available to help me make the arrangements for my wedding, which will be in 30 days. Valentina Medici-Visconti gave me you name and number assuring me that you'd be the right person for the job but if you are fully booked, I can find someone else to plan our wedding," Alessia said.

  "I apologize for my assistant's oversight. Of course I am available to plan your wedding so if you let me know when you would be free to meet with me, we could start to make the arrangements," Signora Forlani said.

  "I would like to start immediately so would you be free to pass by the Minister's house later this afternoon?" Alessia asked.

  "Yes, of course. Do you have a few ideas to tell me over the phone so I can prepare some possible plans that we can go over when we meet?" she asked.

  "Actually, no I don't. It's all happened very quickly and we haven't really had a chance to talk about what we'd like but I may be able to get some information before you arrive so we could have something to work with," Alessia said.

  "Ok that would be excellent. I'll see you in a little while then," Signora Forlani said.

  Alessia gave her the address and as soon as she hung up, she sent a text message to Alessandro telling him that she was meeting with the wedding planner and needed to know what his expectations were. He wrote back a short message telling her to let the wedding planner guide her and that whatever she desired would be fine for him. Well, that didn't really help much so she called Valentina to know what she should tell the wedding planner and Valentina gave her some ideas but she also told Alessia to let the wedding planner do what she does best - arrange the perfect wedding for the occasion!

  Valentina gave her an idea of the number of guests to expect from Alessandro's side and advised that he'd married his late wife in the Basilica Santa Maria della Passione, suggesting another church for their wedding ceremony.

  Writing this information in a small agenda she kept, she sat in Alessandro's study waiting for the wedding planner to arrive. The room was now familiar to her and as she observed the furnishings, she noticed something she hadn't seen before. On the windowsill overlooking the back garden, there was a small wooden box with the initials I.M.V. on the front side. It had a very plain design with a rose carved on the lid. The box somehow drew her toward it. She felt the smoothness of the wood and the rose carving. There was a latch on the side that was unlocked so Alessia lifted the lid to look inside. There was a mirror attached to the lid with the same initials inscribed on the bottom right corner. She looked inside the box and saw it had bits of folded paper inside so she took one out of the box and unfolded it carefully to see what it was. They were love notes from Alessandro! They were love notes that he'd written to his late wife. She was compelled to put them down but she was drawn to his handwriting on the paper and started to read.

  There were ten love notes in the box and in each he expressed his undying love for her and how their time together made him the happiest man on the face of the earth. He talked of their wedding day, their honeymoon and the first time they met; the letters were beautiful and the more she read, the more she couldn't stop until she read all ten notes and then suddenly realized what the love notes were.

  She felt an ache in her heart as she realized she'd trespassed on the most private part of Alessandro's life with his late wife. They were love notes he'd written to her when she was at the end of her battle with cancer and at the end of their time together.

  Tears started to flow openly as she carefully put them back into the box with as much care as they'd been written. Her heart went out to Alessandro understanding what he'd been through and how much effort it took him to open his heart and let someone in once more.

  She'd just finished rinsing her face in the bathroom when the doorbell rang, announcing the wedding planner had arrived so she quickly adjusted her makeup while the housekeeper let Signora Forlani into the formal sitting room.

  Alessia made her way down the large staircase to the sitting room and found Signora Forlani standing by the window, looking out at the garden.

  "Good afternoon," Alessia said. "Thank you for coming on such sort notice."

  "It's my pleasure. This is such a lovely house with a beautiful garden," she said as she pointed toward the window.

  "Yes it is," Alessia said. "Please sit down," she said as she showed the wedding planner to a round table with chairs. "I have some more information that could be helpful to decide on a location for the ceremony."

  "Oh, great. What do you have in mind?" she asked.

  "No actually it's where we shouldn't have it. The Minister was previously married at the Basilica Santa Maria della Passione and so it would be better to choose another church to hold the ceremony," Alessia said.

  "Yes, I remember the Minister's late wife. She was such a beautiful lady; they had a fairytale life together and it broke everyone's heart when she passed away. I still remember it like it was yesterday - it was such a sad story," she said as she smiled at Alessia when she realized she'd spoken out of haste.

  "It's ok - I don't expect for their life together to be ignored but what I'd like is to have a wedding, different to what theirs had been," Alessia said as she realized that the wedding planner felt
she may have inadvertently offended her.

  "I think that sounds like a great plan so why don't we start with the basics and work from there," she said. So they spent the next three hours talking about everything from what Alessia liked to what she didn't. At the end of the three hours, the wedding planner had enough information to prepare a couple of proposals for Alessia to review the next day; so they agreed to meet the following morning to decide on which proposal and begin the arrangements. The wedding planner told Alessia that she had two Basilicas in mind for the ceremony and two private palaces that hosted wedding receptions that could be the perfect location. She would make some phone calls and get back to Alessia the next day.

  Alessia walked Signora Forlani to the door and suddenly felt the exhaustion of the day when she shut the door. Her cut started to pinch and she decided it was time to go upstairs to lay down before dinner so she went upstairs, hoping to take a short nap but found her mind going back to the love notes Alessandro wrote to his late wife. She felt she'd intruded on a part of his past that he may not be ready to let her know about and she didn't know if she should tell him that she'd come across the love notes while she was sitting in his study.

  After having lain down long enough, she decided to get up and send a text message to Alessandro to know how his day was going. He responded right away saying that there was much opposition and debating on a strategy, which they hadn't agreed upon yet, pushing the meeting later into the evening. He apologized and told her not to wait up for him; that he'd be home as soon as possible so she went downstairs to have dinner on her own and then decided to get a book to read in bed.

  She had a shower and got into Alessandro's bed with a book, hoping to stay awake long enough to wait for Alessandro but after reading the first chapter of the book, she dozed off to sleep still clutching the book.

  * * * * * *

  When Alessandro got home, he was exhausted from the long and difficult discussions of the day. Many things had been said and still they had not come to a conclusion, deciding to meet again the following day to continue their talks.