by Rachel Lyndhurst; Carmen Falcone; Ros Clarke; Annie Seaton; Christine Bell
“I am very happy to meet you, Aunt Carmen. May I call you that?” She rushed on, not sure what she was trying to prove, but it was a way to get Tom’s intentions out in the open.
“Are you able to delay your trip? I would love you to stay for our wedding.”
…
Tom sat in the work yard of the marina looking out across the small harbor, watching Matteo, the young laborer, sand down the hull of a hire boat. Apart from the recently departed secretary, there were no other employees.
“Shit,” he muttered. “Double shit.”
Aunt Carmen had spent the better part of the afternoon showing him through the office and the overflowing boxes that comprised her financial records. When he asked if she had a computer, she had simply shaken her head and pointed to the boxes and handwritten ledgers on the table. The record-keeping of the business was in such a mess that it would take him weeks to sort it out. If he’d known how bad it was, he would never have bought the business. In fact, he probably would never have come to Italy. For a moment he wished he was back in his organized office at the university with his own apartment to go home to.
He’d had no idea that the business records were in such an archaic state. The information her accountant had sent over to him had seemed to indicate there was some sort of computer system in place. But no, it was all handwritten. He would buy a computer and hire a new secretary who would enter data until at least this year’s records were in some sort of system.
“Shit,” he said again.
That was, if there were any records. There didn’t appear to be any activity. It seemed the hire boat business had died along with Uncle Renzo last year. All he had was a couple of old boats and one workman. No tourist trade, no hire boats, no day trips.
His aunt had been delighted to meet Brianna and had agreed to delay her departure until after the wedding. He certainly didn’t want to upset her with questions about the marina; he’d just have to get on with it the best he could.
God, he had so much on his mind.
The look on Brianna’s face when Helena had been so rude to her was something he couldn’t shake from his mind. He’d have to explain to her later he didn’t even know the woman. She’d made it sound as though they’d practically been engaged.
How did every part of his life get so complicated in a few short days?
He looked down at the cell phone in his hand. There were a couple of calls he had to make. Or maybe he’d just call Nick? He stared at his phone, wondering what the hell he was going to tell his family. They’d think he’d gone mad.
“Okay…deep breath. Which one?”
He shook his head. He was going bonkers sitting here talking to himself. Choosing the easy option, he punched in the speed dial for Nick.
After a long silence, the international connection clicked through and he waited for Nick to pick up, hoping at the same time he wouldn’t. He thought he was crazy, and he knew his brother would give it to him. Perspiration trickled into his eyes, and he used the back of his hand to wipe his brow. He remembered how Brianna had soaked his shirt with her tears when she’d seen her mother’s villa.
I’m doing the right thing.
“Tomas.” Nick’s voice replaced the buzzing ringtone. “You there, bro?”
“Hello, Nick.”
“How’s la dolce vita? With all those gorgeous Italian girls Aunt Carmen has surely introduced you to already.”
Tom looked out over the marina at the colored sails fluttering in the breeze and the two small skiffs racing each other across the harbor. The hulls of the small craft slapped on top of the waves, and the call of the spectators on the shore encouraged them to go faster.
“Great, all good. I got here in one piece and Aunt Carmen is as delightful as ever, although I have my work cut out with the business. Her accountant was less than honest in his outline of the financial system.”
“It’ll do you good to get some Italian sun and relax away from your computer for a change.”
“Ah, Nick…”
“What’s up?”
“Ah…”
“What’s the matter? Is everything okay?”
Tom paused and a frisson of excitement tingled down his spine and he cleared his throat. “I rang to see if you and Lissy were settled in to your new jobs in Auckland…er…and to tell you I’m getting married tomorrow.”
For a full minute, there was silence, and Tom looked at the screen thinking the connection had dropped and was about to press end and redial when Nick’s voice roared through the phone.
“Are you taking the piss out of me? What do you mean you’re getting married? And I thought I heard you say tomorrow!” Tom could hear Lissy in the background.
“Long story, Nick. It’s all good. I’ll send you an e-mail when I get my Internet connection all sorted. The service is unreliable over here. Do me a favor, tell Mama I have some news, and tell everyone I’ll call in a couple of days. I’ll try and get Aunt Carmen to hold off ringing Mama, but I know what they’re like. I didn’t want her ringing before I got a chance to call. I’ll talk to you in a few days. Okay?”
He spoke over Nick as his brother continued to protest. “Ciao. Give my love to Lissy.”
His phone rang almost as soon as he disconnected the call.
“What the f—. All right, Lis… Okay, I’ll calm down.” Nick’s voice roared through the phone. “Tom, I swear if you don’t tell me what’s going on, I’ll jump a plane and come there. What do you mean you’re getting married? Are you kidding me?”
“Calm down. It’s all aboveboard. I’m helping out a friend out with a legal issue. She has to be married for an inheritance and I’m helping out, but keep that quiet. That’s between you and me. According to the lawyer, there’s already a bit of bad blood between the families and I don’t want it to get around.”
Nick’s curse came down the phone, and Tom held it away, but the deep tones of his brother’s voice came through even with the phone held away from his ear.
“What friend? You don’t have any friends.”
“Thanks, mate. I’ll remember that one.”
“Oh, Christ, Tom, you know what I mean. You don’t have any friends in Italy.”
“It’s all right. We sealed an agreement this morning and it’s only for a few months.”
He closed his eyes as Nick continued questioning him and remembered the feel of Brianna’s open lips beneath his as they had sealed the agreement. Her lips had been soft against his and had clung for a few seconds longer than he’d intended.
“Five minutes you’ve been away from home. Tom…you are such a soft touch…haven’t you learned anything yet? You think you are going to get bloody married just to help out some stranger on the make? Mate, she saw you coming.”
Hot anger burned up from his stomach. He was sick of being the responsible brother.
“Don’t treat me like a fool.” His voice was cold and it seemed to get through to his brother straightaway.
“Oh for God’s sake. Be careful. Don’t go getting yourself into anything messy.”
Tom smiled to himself. “Don’t worry, mate. It’s not messy,” he said as his temper cooled. “I’ll call you in a couple of days, but first can you please tell Mama what’s happening in case Aunt Carmen decides to ring her. She’s going to witness the ceremony.”
He ended the call and leaned back against the wall before glancing at the time on his phone. It was almost time to meet Brianna at the small café. He grinned to himself and shook his head. She was hopeless. Her cell phone charger had disappeared and she couldn’t charge her phone, so she was going to e-mail the news of her inheritance to her family in Scotland from the public computer in the small café in the square. Only about the inheritance—she’d decided not to tell them about the marriage until it was all over. “The less family involved the better,” she’d said.
It was shame he’d had to tell his family, but he knew Aunt Carmen wouldn’t be able to keep a secret, and he couldn’t tell he
r the truth in case it got back to the lawyer or Brianna’s grandfather.
…
Brianna stood outside the café and watched Tom walk across the cobblestoned square toward her. Much to her surprise, he was late. She’d finished e-mailing the family and knew there would be a flurry of e-mails in return when they found out she was in Italy, but she’d told them no details. It was now late in the afternoon and the village center was deserted, the only sound the gushing of the water directed by Neptune in the fountain. She’d been waiting for Tom for over half an hour and was starting to wonder if he’d changed his mind. Ever since she’d met Aunt Carmen and the woman who was upset that she was marrying Tom, her mind had been in turmoil. And now she had to meet with her grandfather.
She squared her shoulders and bit down on her lip. This was going to be difficult.
Her grandfather. A flesh-and-blood relative.
It was so hard to believe. The strange old man in the lawyer’s office had unnerved her, and her stomach churned. Thank goodness Tom was coming also, so there could be no misunderstanding if her grandfather couldn’t understand her English.
Tom stood beside one of the outside tables and waited for her to join him. She smiled at him when he pulled the chair out for her. He’d had his wee sulk on the plane when he’d thought she was psychoanalyzing him, but the moodiness had left him since they’d arrived on the island.
The light breeze from the harbor blew his damp hair into disarray and she smiled. He was looking more relaxed every day. The formal suit he had worn to the lawyer’s office this morning had been replaced by snug-fitting jeans and a tight black T-shirt, and he looked like an Italian local with his dark hair and olive skin.
“You’re looking very casual.” She tipped her head to the side.
“I’ve been out on the water on the Jet Ski. I’ve started on the list. One down, ten to go. Sorry I’m a bit late, but after I came back in, Matteo wanted to show me the hire boats that need repairing. He wants to teach me how to do it and then we’ll be able to hire them out again.”
She shook her head, unable to picture it.
“Don’t look so skeptical. I’m not totally a businessman. I can sand and fix a few little boats. And I can’t face that office yet. And you know what? I’ve crossed two things off the list.”
She smothered a laugh. Most of the boats in the harbor and dotted around the shoreline were not so little. “What’s the second thing you’ve crossed off?”
“I haven’t made a list since I got here.”
Brianna sat back and looked at Tom, and a funny feeling filled her chest. He was so damned attractive. If they didn’t have all this hassle hanging over them, she would be tempted. But no, it would complicate matters too much. Which reminded her, they still had to come up with an agreement. She stifled a giggle—maybe they could put a sex clause in it.
They ordered their drinks and sat silent while the tourists disembarking from the afternoon ferry filled up the square.
“It is a beautiful place. And off the beaten tourist track. I’d never heard of Lipari until I received the letter from Mr.…I mean Signore Antoniolli.” Tom sipped his coffee and looked at her intently. “I have to get my head around this language if I’m going to stay here for a while.”
“Do you think you’ll stay for long?”
She shrugged. “Depends how it all pans out, I suppose. I know I’ve got the house, but it all rests on what happens with my…grandfather. I would really love to settle here for a while.”
“Are you ready to meet him?”
“As much as I’ll ever be, I suppose. I’m still trying to get used to having a real grandfather, like a blood relative.” She sighed. “Just tell me a wee bit more about what the lawyer said.”
“He said your grandfather was only happy for you to have the house once he assured him we were getting married on the island…and soon. I think he may be doubtful about whether we are genuine or if we are just getting married for you to get your inheritance.”
His face was serious and the doubt settled in Brianna’s stomach.
“He seems to be an astute old thing. That’s why I said we were getting married soon. It came out of nowhere.”
“As long as you are sure you want to go through with this. What about your girlfriend?” She looked away from him and picked up the small teapot. Her hand shook as she poured her tea and waited for his answer. She’d waited for him to explain what that was all about, but he obviously wasn’t going to mention it.
“Are you having second thoughts?” Tom asked.
She looked up and was surprised by the frown crinkling his forehead as though he would be disappointed if she changed her mind.
He was probably hoping she would.
“No. I’m worried about the huge favor you are doing for me. I can’t understand why, especially when it’s upset your girlfriend. Did you meet her in Australia?”
Tom looked at her and shook his head as he ran his hand though his hair in a frustrated gesture that was becoming quite familiar to her
“I don’t have a girlfriend. She’s Aunt Carmen’s friend’s daughter, and for some reason she was expecting to get a job and a husband out of my visit. My aunt and her mother had obviously given her some expectations.”
Tom reached over and took her hand, and the usual heat rushed in.
“Honestly, I met her for the first time when I arrived at Aunt Carmen’s after I dropped you at the hotel the other night.” He pulled out his phone and checked the time. “It’s almost time to meet him. Are you ready?”
Brianna jumped up and walked around the table. She stood behind Tom and draped her arms around his neck before bending down and kissing his cheek, letting her lips linger on his freshly shaved skin.
“Okay, even if I can’t understand why, I guess we need to make this look genuine if we’re going to go through with it.” With a deep breath she inhaled the citrus tang of his aftershave and a spark of desire ran down her spine as he looked back at her. This tug of attraction hit her at the strangest times, and she decided to put it down to her overcharged emotions. That’s what it was. It was plain relief, not attraction. And he was a good-looking guy, so that was a bonus. She pulled back from him and tugged at his hand. “Come on then, we’d better get going.”
“There’s one more thing you need to know before we go,” he said slowly as he stood.
She looked up at him, the tone of his voice worrying her.
“Oh God, what now?” She pulled her braid over her shoulder and twirled the loose hair at the end through her fingers.
“Apparently, there is some bad blood between our families. When I told my aunt you were related to the Caranto family, she was a bit upset, but she wouldn’t tell me why. I’m sure your grandfather doesn’t know I’m related to her, so we might just keep that quiet.”
“Well, that’s nothing we can’t sort out,” she said. “Family feuds have nothing to do with us. It’s just as well you’re here to translate for me. If he doesn’t speak English, I’ll keep looking at you lovingly while you speak for me.” She smiled and was pleased when he continued to hold her hand firmly in his as they made their way across the square back to the office of Antoniolli and Bruni.
Tom pushed open the door to the lawyer’s office, and the secretary gestured for them to take a seat. It was a short time before they were ushered into Signore Antoniolli’s office. Her grandfather was standing straight and tall next to the lawyer.
Brianna looked up into his unsmiling face. His demeanor had changed since this morning’s meeting when he had rushed out of the office, and her heart rate picked up. She forced a pleasant smile onto her face, determined not to let her nervousness show.
“Buon giorno,” said Tom, holding out his hand. Her grandfather nodded and ignored Tom’s proffered handshake.
Mr. Antoniolli directed them all to a seat before leaving the three of them alone in his office. They sat together in the small office until the silence became uncomfortable. Brianna
gripped Tom’s hand as her grandfather looked from one to the other. Eventually, he locked a wary gaze on Tom’s face and spoke for a few moments.
Tom leaned over to Brianna after he replied to the old man. “He said he is happy to meet with us. He has heard the wedding is to be tomorrow and asks if he may come.”
“Well, I suppose that will be okay.” Brianna’s voice shook and Tom looked at her with concern on his face.
“You’re sure you’re okay with that?”
“Yes, as long as he doesn’t look like he’s at a funeral rather than a wedding.”
Tom turned to her grandfather and spoke briefly. The old man nodded and ran a shaking hand over his face. Tom translated for Brianna.
“I told him we’d let him know as soon as we have the documents sorted and book the ceremony.”
“Tom…” Brianna tugged at his sleeve. “Ask him what I should call him?”
The old man turned to her after Tom asked him and nodded. “Nonno.” His voice was stern and his face was expressionless.
“Please ask him what his problem is.” She didn’t care what the answer was. She wanted everything out in the open, except the bit about the wedding being a sham, she thought.
A lengthy conversation ensued, and she watched the expressions play across Tom’s face. She leaned into him when he placed his arm affectionately around her shoulders.
The old man stood and looked across at Brianna, blinking his faded eyes. Tears pricked at her eyes as she held his gaze, and she didn’t brush them away. She moved away from Tom’s embrace, walked over to the old man, and took his hand. Reaching up, she brushed a soft kiss across the papery skin of his cheek.
“Nonno,” she said. He gripped her hand firmly, before he turned away and opened the door.
“Well?” She turned back to Tom as her grandfather left the room. He held his arms out to her and she leaned into him, appreciating his understanding of the emotion coursing through her.
“Your mother left the island suddenly and didn’t come back for a long time. Apparently, she left with no explanation and they never knew she’d had a baby. He is still unsure if you are really his granddaughter, but he’ll accept what the lawyers say while he makes more inquiries. He’s also a bit suspicious about the wedding, and he wants to make sure we really go through with it. He wants to know why we waited until we came to Lipari to get married, and I had to do a bit of quick thinking. He’s suspicious the whole thing is a scam.”
