Bianca informed her Anna’s father had come to get his daughter. For the time being Sofia was on a walk with her father and Roberto.
It gave Ally time to help Bianca make phone calls explaining that the wedding ceremony had to be postponed until Gino could get back from an important business trip.
With that done, Ally swallowed a late lunch. Before long Sofia returned with her father.
When the girl saw Ally, she put the cat down and ran over to hug her. “I’m glad you and Uncle Gino are back, Anna, and I can’t wait until tomorrow.”
“I know exactly how you feel.” She took a fortifying breath. “Would you believe some important business of your father’s came up? Gino has to deal with it, so we’re going to be married in a couple of days when he gets back.”
Sofia’s eyes filled on cue. “But everyone is planning on it tomorrow!”
“Your uncle called Anna’s parents, and the Rossinis. It’s all set for a few days from now. Father Angelini is standing by.”
Sofia was doing her best not to break down. “When, exactly?”
“Maybe three days at the most. In the meantime, I thought you and I would get busy on several projects I have in mind to surprise Gino.”
She wiped her eyes. Partially mollified, she asked, “What projects?”
“Well for one, I need you to teach me Italian. I want to be able to say some things to Gino in his language on our wedding day. I would like to speak with such an authentic accent, he’ll be shocked. It’ll be our secret of course.”
The girl’s brown eyes suddenly sparkled. “You mean like ‘I love you’?”
“Exactly. Like, ‘I can’t live without you.’ Like, ‘you’re the most wonderful man I’ve ever known. Like, ‘you’re my heart and soul. Like ‘I love your niece like my own daughter.’”
Sofia went perfectly quiet. “I love you, too, Ally. More than anything!”
“Then we’re the luckiest people in the world.”
“Gino?”
The second Gino heard Alberto’s voice, he sprang from the hotel room bed where he’d spent the night going mad without a phone. His family’s power may not have prevented him being investigated but did give him certain privileges.
Two security guards took turns bringing him meals, but there was no communication.
Today would be his second day before the chief judge while he made statements and listened to the prosecutor’s charges against him.
The judge would decide if there was enough evidence to call for a trial.
So far it sounded even worse than Gino had first supposed.
Mercifully Alberto had come. He was the only person allowed in to talk to Gino.
Speaking in hushed tones his attorney said, “I’ve talked to your wife. All is well with her and Sofia for the moment.”
Gino swallowed hard. “That’s the kind of news I needed to hear.”
“I only have a few minutes. Thanks to the e-mails that placed Donata and her lover in the one location no one thought to look, those P.I.’s you hired to nose around Palermo, Sicily, have unearthed interesting news. It seems Donata had a great-aunt on the Castiglione side who’s still alive and holds the purse strings to their family fortune.”
Gino shot to his feet. “I don’t think even Marcello knew about that, otherwise he would have told me.”
Alberto eyed him shrewdly. “She probably kept that a secret from him like she did a lot of things. This aunt was the one who let Donata stay with her, and allowed her to use the family yacht.
“Apparently James Parker was a guest there and on the yacht several times. One of the crew let it out that the yacht picked them up in Portofino, Italy, but some members of the family weren’t happy about it, particularly the great-aunt’s oldest son named Vassily.
“He’s next in line to inherit the money, and wouldn’t stand for sharing it with a long lost family member from Rome like Donata who suddenly decided to ingratiate herself and her lover.”
Gino’s heart pounded like a jackhammer. His thoughts leaped ahead.
“This Vassily could have pretended to be Donata’s friend by helping her procure that getaway car. All he had to do was pay off a couple of thugs to fix the brakes.”
Alberto nodded. “Give the P.I.’s a little more time to investigate Vassily’s activities, Gino. If everything adds up, we might well have our culprit.”
Gino clapped his attorney on the shoulder. “Get all the extra help you need. I don’t care how much it costs.”
The other man nodded. “I’ll tell your wife you’re doing fine and should be home in another day or two.”
“Grazie, Alberto.”
“See you in chambers in a little while.”
Ally stood in the alcove to Gino’s bedroom with her hands on her hips. After dinner she and Sofia had come back with vases of fresh flowers to provide the finishing touch.
She and Sofia had spent most of yesterday painting the walls in both rooms a tan color with white trim. It covered the off-white paint which had probably been on the aged walls since the farmhouse was built.
“What do you think, Sofia?
“Uncle Gino’s going to love it!”
“I hope so. That daybed and table from the storage room are a good fit.”
Sofia nodded. “It looks a lot better than an empty nook. I guess Uncle Gino didn’t know what to do with it.”
“If he gave up his old room for you and your father, then it makes sense he hasn’t had time to worry about this suite of rooms. That’s what wives are for,” Ally quipped.
Sofia flashed her a mysterious smile.
“What’s that look all about?”
“If you and Uncle Gino have a baby, this would make a sweet nursery.”
“You’re right,” Ally said, trying to sound matter-of-fact.
“There’s room for a crib,” Sofia observed. “Signora Rossini has a new baby. Leonora tends it all the time. She says it’s so much fun.”
“What’s so much fun?”
They both turned at the same time.
“Uncle Gino!” Sofia flew into his arms.
Ally’s urge to do the same thing was so intense, she was in pain holding herself back.
He’d been gone three endless days. She’d given up hope he’d be home tonight.
He was still wearing the pale blue suit he’d been arraigned in, which meant he’d just been released and needed his suite to shower and change.
Ally thought he looked tired and leaner, yet all the more attractive for it.
“I was just telling Ally I hope you have a baby soon.”
“What kind would you like? I’ll see what I can do,” he teased.
Heat swamped Ally’s face.
“I don’t care if it’s a boy or a girl. Do you?”
“As long as the baby’s healthy, I’ll take whatever comes and be grateful.”
“Me, too.” She hugged Gino again.
“Do you like your surprise? Ally and I did all the painting ourselves. It’s your welcome home present.”
Ally saw his gaze take in the alcove’s furnishings, but his eyes were hooded making it impossible to read their expression.
“I feel like I’ve just wandered into one of Rome’s most fashionable furniture galleries.”
Sofia laughed. “It was Ally’s idea. Do you like the new matching bedspreads?”
They were a café-au-lait with white swirls.
He tousled his niece’s hair. “I love them. They’re classically modern. Did you pick them out?”
“We both thought this was the prettiest pattern. Ally said the daybed was perfect if you ever want Papa to be close to you during the night.”
Gino’s eyes swerved to Ally’s. She noticed a strange flickering in their black depths. New sensations fired her blood.
“Ally is always concerned with everyone else’s needs. That’s why I’m marrying her first thing in the morning.”
Sofia did a close approximation of squealing in delight.
> “I made all the arrangements on the drive home from Rome. The ceremony will be at ten o’clock.”
Ally rubbed her hands against her jean-clad hips, all the time aware of Gino’s scrutiny.
“In that case I’ll say good night to the two of you, Gino. It’s already late, and I need my sleep for the big day ahead.”
She sensed Gino had a lot to tell her, but now wasn’t the time. She didn’t want anything to alarm Sofia this close to the wedding.
Sofia ran over to her and gave her a big hug. “Good night, Ally. I can’t wait for morning to come.”
Neither could Ally.
“I feel the same way.” She kissed the girl’s cheek, then hurried out of the bedroom.
His suite was located at one end of the third floor.
She went down the stairs to her room on the second. Sofia’s and her father’s suite lay at the other end of the hall.
Before Gino had been forced to move his family here, he’d had the farmhouse for himself. By virtue of taking on a wife, he’d now been invaded.
She hoped he didn’t mind what she’d done upstairs. They already had an understanding that they’d be sleeping apart. She just didn’t want him to think she planned to turn his whole household upside down.
When she could talk to him alone, she would explain that she felt this had been a good way to keep Sofia’s spirits up, and accomplish what needed to be done without anyone questioning her real motives.
But once under the covers of her own bed, her mind wouldn’t shut off.
What a difference it made knowing Gino was home. His mere presence gave her an overwhelming feeling of contentment.
Growing up in an all woman household, Ally had never known such luxury.
Something about Gino engendered this marvelous feeling of well-being and security. She knew he would slay dragons for them.
How odd that Jim hadn’t had this same effect on her. Physically he’d been a strong, capable man. But she must have recognized instinctively he would always put himself first. In the end, he did it to his own demise.
Gino was a different breed of man altogether. No one else measured up.
She couldn’t believe she was his wife. Even if it was in name only, she vowed to be his equal in all the ways that counted.
After the ceremony tomorrow, she would call her mother on Gino’s cell phone and tell her she was married.
Much as she would have liked her mother’s blessing, she hadn’t needed it to function.
It was all because of Gino.
As for Jim’s parents, depending on many factors, she would phone to inform them she had remarried. But for the time being it would be bett—
“Ally?” Gino whispered in the darkness, jarring her out of her thoughts.
Surprised to hear his voice, she raised up on one elbow. “I didn’t hear you knock.”
In the next breath she felt her side of the mattress dip to take his weight.
“I hope you don’t mind.”
Her heart was pounding in her ears. “No. Of course not.”
He was sitting so close, she could smell the soap he’d used in the shower. She started to move to give him room, but he stopped her by placing both hands on either side of her pillow, forcing her to lie back.
He was wearing a robe, and as far as she could tell, little else.
“You ran from my bedroom so fast, we didn’t have a chance to talk.”
Her breathing had grown shallow. “Sofia needed you.”
He traced the curve of her jaw with his finger. “But my wife didn’t?”
“That isn’t what I meant,” she whispered.
“Then what did you mean?” His fingers had trailed to her earlobe, turning her bones to liquid.
“I—I’ve been sick with worry waiting for you to come home and tell me everything. But I didn’t want to let on in front of Sofia.”
“You’ve done a magnificent job of keeping her occupied. I’ve never seen her this happy before. Now it’s my turn.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I’ve spent two hellish nights away from my wife. I’m not prepared to be alone tonight.
“Let me lie here. It’s all I ask. I need my best friend.”
She heard a strange nuance in his voice. An impending sense of dread took over.
“Something’s wrong—” she cried in alarm. “What is it? Don’t tell me it’s nothing because I wouldn’t believe you. Hasn’t the investigation uncovered anything that will help our side?”
“They have several promising leads.”
“But?”
His fingers tugged on one of her curls. “There’s been a new twist in the case.”
Moving with the stealth of a panther, he reached the end of the bed. Before she knew it, he’d come to lie on top of the comforter next to her. She felt him cover his forehead with his arm.
Making love to her had to be the furthest thing from his mind. She felt so stupid for even imagining that’s what he’d had on his mind when he’d first come into her room unannounced.
They were two people intrinsically linked to a murder, fighting for survival. Gino had no one but her to turn to for the kind of mental comfort he craved. She was the only person who understood what he was going through.
Three days ago she’d vowed to comfort him for better or worse. This was definitely the worst time of their lives.
She turned so she was facing him. “Tell me what’s happened,” she urged softly.
In the intimacy of the darkness he began talking.
“There’s going to be a trial. It has been set for a month from now.”
Even though Ally knew it might come to this, the news was shattering.
“I just found out Merlina of all people is a witness for the prosecution.”
Ally quivered inwardly, but she was determined to stay on an even keel for him.
“Did you meet her through Donata?”
“No. Merlina’s father is a wholesale florist from Gubbio. I met her almost a year ago while she was helping her father.
“We went out several times, but I lost interest and told her it was over, By that time Donata’s long vacations were starting to take their toll on Sofia. Comforting her was all I had on my mind.”
“But Merlina didn’t want to stop seeing you,” Ally said out loud.
“No. She started coming to Remo once a month. She would show up at the flower stand waiting for me. I told her my life was complicated, and we could only be friends. I hoped she would give up without my having to spell it out to her.”
Listen to what he’s saying, Ally. Just listen, and learn.
“Without my knowledge, it seems she got in contact with Donata.”
“Sofia told me she came to see her mother.”
Gino groaned. “During those conversations Donata told lies about me. She made me out to be a dangerous man capable of committing bodily harm.”
Ally was horrified. “Like what specifically?”
“According to the prosecutor, she told Merlina I used to come to her room at the palazzo and force myself on her because Marcello could no longer protect her.”
“That’s sick,” Ally cried.
His breathing had become labored. “Donata showed Merlina the bruises to prove it.”
Ally sat straight up in the bed. “Gino—if Merlina had believed Donata’s lies, she would never have shown up here in the last few days. What reason did she use for coming to the farmhouse after all this time?”
“She wanted to know why I’d really stopped seeing her. I told her what I’d said before. That it was over, and it wouldn’t be fair to go on seeing her.
“But she refused to accept it. And then of course she saw you, Ally. She knew you were a guest in the house.”
Ally moaned in disgust. “So she put two and two together, and in her jealous rage she decided to pay you back by running to the prosecutor with more lies.”
“As Alberto keeps reminding me, her story won’t be believed.
Her credibility will be ruined when he gets her on the witness stand and it’s learned she came to see me after Donata had warned her off. Nevertheless I have to admit I didn’t see that one coming.”
“Of course not. It’s awful. I’d say it’s a miracle you trust anyone.” Her voice shook.
“You’re it, Ally.”
Her heart went out to him.
“You sound exhausted. Go to sleep.”
After a few minutes she could tell he’d passed out from fatigue.
For the rest of the night she guarded him. When it grew cooler in the room, she stole out of bed to get an extra blanket from the cupboard. She put it over him.
Without conscious thought she smoothed the hair from his brow where his forearm had disheveled it.
Even the man she’d likened to Apollo needed respite from his burdens.
Toward morning she fell asleep and knew nothing until Sofia knocked on her door.
Ally’s first thought was Gino. She opened her eyes to discover he’d left her bed already. She hadn’t even noticed. Some guard she’d make.
“Come in, Sofia.”
Her brunette head peeked around the door. “Uncle Gino says to hurry and get up. It’s eight-thirty. Almost time to leave for the church.”
“I slept that late?”
“After all the work you’ve been doing, he said you deserved to sleep in. He says he’s so excited to get married, he can’t eat.”
After what he’d revealed to Ally in the darkness of the night, she wasn’t surprised he’d lost his appetite.
“Have you eaten already?”
“Yes. With Papa. Now I’m going to get dressed.”
“Okay. I’ll hurry. Meet you downstairs in twenty minutes.”
She threw off the covers and padded into the bathroom for a quick shower and shampoo.
After putting on new underwear, she went over to the closet.
For the wedding she’d picked out a two-piece suit in pale pink with a lace overlay on the short sleeved jacket.
The knee length chiffon skirt floated around her legs.
She fastened the tiny pearl buttons, before slipping into matching pale pink high heels. A pink frost on her lips, plus a poof of floral spray, and she was ready.
Gino stood waiting at the bottom of the stairs in a black tuxedo.
The Princess Bride Page 13
