A Wedding in Italy: A feel good summer holiday romance (From Italy with Love Book 2)

by Tilly Tennant

  ‘Neither can you,’ Kate said, finding her voice for the first time, hope blossoming in her heart that they might just have found themselves a bargaining chip. ‘And don’t think we believe that crap for one moment. I think you have more to lose here than we do – your standing in the community, the goodwill between your families, not to mention a nice starring role in divorce proceedings. I imagine Maria will be able to get quite a lot more money from the settlement now that she can name a party to claim infidelity as the reason for the split.’

  ‘You would not tell her – it would kill her and it would be your fault!’ Orazia cried.

  ‘No,’ Kate said. ‘It would be your fault! You are the betrayer and you are the sicko who seems to get off on destroying other people’s relationships. When everything else comes out – all the other things you’ve done – it will look very bad and nobody will trust a word you say, even if it’s true.’

  ‘But we can make a deal,’ Alessandro said, giving Kate a tiny but unmistakeably victorious smile. ‘We will not talk about the things you have done to Kate, if you stop them and leave us in peace. We are in love, and you cannot kill that love. I do not think you know what being in love means, but understand that you will never have me, even if you make Kate leave. Why would I want you? You have destroyed my sister’s marriage and insulted our families’ friendship. God could command it and I would still refuse to touch you.’

  ‘But you will tell Maria?’ Orazia said, for the first time showing just a hint of fear.

  ‘Yes,’ he said. ‘I do not keep secrets from my sisters.’

  ‘She will be crazy.’

  ‘She will hit much harder than Kate did,’ Alessandro agreed. ‘But it will be over quickly and we will keep our word that nothing else will be made public. Perhaps you can even marry Donato one day.’

  ‘Although I wouldn’t trust him to keep his trousers done up for you any more than he did for Maria,’ Kate added, almost enjoying herself now. ‘A leopard never changes his spots.’

  Orazia stared at Kate, an expression somewhere between confusion and absolute loathing. There were no guarantees that this was over – not by a long way – but at least they had a weapon of their own now, something to fight back with. Orazia wouldn’t want her affair with Donato to get out, no matter whether it had been instrumental in the break-up of his marriage to Maria or whether it had begun since then, and she certainly wouldn’t want everything else she’d done to come out at the same time, because that would ruin her reputation in the minds of a community that had a collective memory longer than any elephant’s and a strict moral code that made it very difficult to forgive that sort of behaviour.

  The door to the bedroom opened and a sheepish-looking Donato peered out. Alessandro glared at him, and he quickly returned to the room and slammed the door behind him, clearly deciding that any attempt at a chivalric defence of Orazia was a bad idea. Then Alessandro turned back to Orazia.

  ‘Va bene,’ he said shortly. ‘We understand each other at last. Stay away from Kate and from me, and perhaps we will spare your reputation.’

  ‘She hit me,’ Orazia said, now sounding like a sulky teen who knew she was beaten but refused to give up the last word.

  ‘Yes,’ Alessandro said. ‘She did.’

  ‘She will do it to others. She is dangerous.’

  ‘No, she will not. You are the dangerous one, but perhaps not for much longer.’

  He turned to Kate and offered his hand. Silently, she took it, and together they left Orazia staring after them as they walked away.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Unashamedly, the dress owed more than a nod to the wedding dress Jackie Kennedy had worn for her marriage to JFK. Kate had endeavoured to lose a few pounds, if only to make the most of the fabulous cinched waistline that was a trademark of the style, but with so many of Signora Conti’s good dinners on offer, and her pathetic willpower, it had been a lost cause before she’d begun. Right now, as Lucetta practically fought with Anna over which sister/almost sister could make the biggest fuss over arranging her veil, all that was forgotten.

  Kate ran her gaze over the bridesmaids with a nervous smile. Lucetta, Anna and Abelie all wore soft lilac gowns that fell gracefully to their feet. They had all jumped at the offer to be bridesmaids, while Maria, Isabella and Jolanda had been happier taking a less active role as spectators in the congregation, all expressing the hope that it wouldn’t offend Kate. She had reassured them that it wasn’t going to offend her in the slightest. Lily, of course, now heavily pregnant and eventually allowed by the doctors to make the short flight to Rome, was the size of a semi-detached in Stockport, or so she said, and she’d been adamant she was sitting out bridesmaid duties too. Besides, there had been plenty of children to make up the numbers, and really, Kate had quite enough bridesmaid dresses to make in the end, particularly as her sewing business was now busy enough without making extra work for herself. But Nunzia had said what a great advert for her wares her own wedding would be, and Kate had to agree. It had taken her months, but she was proud of what she’d achieved.

  When the truth had emerged about Kate’s innocence, Kate had even received a phone call from Shauna at Piccolo Castelli (Maria had visited Orazia first to give her a good talking to, and then apparently went to see Shauna to put the record straight) offering to take her back. But Kate had realised during the time away from the estate agent’s office that her heart had never really been in selling houses at all. She’d thanked her but politely declined. Like everything else, perhaps the only thing Kate had really needed to do was stand her ground and believe in herself, and it would all come right. And it did, as Kate now had a jazzy website displaying her handiwork, a rented studio space to work in and more orders than she could cope with. Alessandro complained that he never got to see her and when he did, her head was bent over a sewing machine, but it was only ever half-hearted. During their quieter, more intimate moments, he told her how proud he was of her strength and determination, though secretly she often thought that those qualities were ones she wouldn’t have possessed without him. He had once told her that he was only half a man when she wasn’t with him, and though she understood the sentiment, she often thought it wasn’t that simple. They were whole people when they were apart, but so much more than the sum of their parts when they were together.

  It was almost a year to the day since she’d first met Alessandro on the Spanish Steps, and some might have said far too soon to be married. But they’d been through so much together, had fought so hard for their love, that heartbeat of time was like an eternity. They knew each other, inside and out, and they belonged together, and nobody who knew them could deny it.

  The early summer sun agreed, bestowing its reward on them today, wrapping them in gentle buttercup warmth as she stood on the steps of the Santa Maria church, her arm draped over that of her stepdad, Hamish, who looked resplendent in his kilt, and waited for her cue to go in. Her mother watched from the side lines, pride in her smile, Christian at one elbow and Joel at her other.

  The whole of Alessandro’s family was there, as was the remainder of Kate’s rather smaller clan. Salvatore and Nunzia were in the crowd too. Kate was set to give up the apartment she was renting from them to join Alessandro in the new one they’d be sharing as a couple, but with Nunzia being Kate’s best customer, and her efforts to help expand Kate’s business so that it could finally support her financially, they had become firm friends.

  And beside Nunzia, Jamie and Brad stood together looking impossibly handsome, the former fighting back tears that Kate couldn’t help but smile at. Giving him a tiny encouraging wave, she made a note to grab him for a huge hug as soon as she could. After all, if not for him, none of them would have been standing there today.

  Signora Conti was crying too. She’d had her role to play, showing more understanding than they could have hoped for when they’d finally come clean about Kate’s divorce. She’d taken it upon herself to make the necessary arrangements with
the local priest so that, with Matt’s surprisingly cooperative help to gain the annulment she needed, Kate could be free to marry again. And despite all Kate’s fears, she’d been as happy as anyone when Alessandro announced his intention to do just that. Alessandro’s Uncle Marco stood at her side, and he gave Kate a brief nod of acknowledgement for the special bond he recognised existed between them. He also looked melancholy behind the faint smile. Perhaps he was thinking of his own English bride and how that had ended. But not once had he ever interfered in Alessandro’s plans, despite that – he had only ever supported and encouraged the couple.

  The guest list had grown exponentially. Alessandro’s family was big enough by itself, and so any chance of a small, quiet affair had always been a slim one. But as more and more people had been added, and the preparations under Signora Conti’s guidance had taken on titanic proportions, Kate had quite given up trying to control the beast and had, instead, let it rampage. Her mother had done what she could to help with costs, as had Anna and Lily, and Alessandro had found the rest. Kate didn’t know where from, and as he was so insistent that it was necessary, and just how they were expected to do things, she’d decided she didn’t want to know. She simply wanted to be married, to be tied to him by the most solemn bond, to know that she was his and he was hers, forever.

  As the faint strains of wedding music floated out on the summer breeze, the gathered party began to cheer and clap. Kate took a deep breath. Inside, amongst the sumptuous marble and intricate gold idols of the famous church, Alessandro waited. The most unexpected, exceptional man, and he was about to promise himself to her. At times their relationship had felt like a dream, and sometimes the circumstances trying to tear them apart had been a nightmare she desperately wanted to wake up from. But from this moment, it was her future, one that she couldn’t wait to begin.

  ‘Are you ready, lass?’ Hamish asked in his thick Highland accent and gravelled tones, his eyes creasing into a broad smile beneath unruly grey brows. Kate smiled and nodded. Not her father, the man she still missed so much it hurt to think of him, but as close as she was going to get, and a better substitute she couldn’t think of. ‘Good. You’ll knock his socks off looking as beautiful as you do.’

  Kate’s eyes filled with tears and she fought to hold them back. Not now.

  ‘Don’t be nervous,’ Hamish said. ‘I’ll be right here beside you.’

  ‘I’m not nervous,’ she whispered back, though in truth, her legs were shaking.

  ‘Go on,’ Lily said from over her shoulder, her favourite perfume – comforting scents of vanilla and honeysuckle – drifting into Kate’s awareness. ‘Your future is waiting in there for you, and I think you’ve both waited long enough. Go and get him.’

  Kate turned to kiss her briefly, and then back again to face the entrance. ‘OK,’ she said, drawing a long breath. ‘Let’s go.’

  They walked slowly, Kate trying to remember the pace she’d been advised to take during the rehearsal, but nothing would stay in her head and she was woefully out of step with Hamish. But he did his best, and nobody tripped, and that was the best Kate could hope for.

  The sun was left behind, and the air was cool and perfumed as the ornate pillars of the church stretched before her, leading her down to the altar where Alessandro turned to watch her approach, a huge smile stretching his face and looking more handsome than Kate could ever recall. She had never loved him as completely as she did now, and the intensity of the emotion threatened to overwhelm her. Deep breaths, she kept telling herself. Calm down. But how could she be calm?

  But as she reached him and they turned to face the priest, she felt his fingers brush against hers, as if to offer comfort and strength. The doubts and fears left her. Kate didn’t believe in fate or destiny, but she believed in this, in him. Apart, they were ordinary, but together they were unbreakable. And as long as they were together, anything was possible.

  A Letter From Tilly

  I hope you’ve enjoyed reading A Wedding in Italy as much as I enjoyed writing it. I usually write stories firmly set in England, so working on the ‘From Rome with Love’ series has been an adventure, an excuse to lose myself in another culture. I hope that you’ll enjoy getting lost there too with Kate and her new friends. If you liked A Wedding in Italy, the best and most amazing thing you can do to show your appreciation is to tell your friends. Or tell the world with a few words on a social media site or a review on Amazon. That would make me smile for at least a week. In fact, hearing that someone loved my story is the main reason I write at all.

  If you ever want to catch up with me on social media, you can find me on Twitter @TillyTenWriter or Facebook, but if you don’t fancy that, you can sign up to my mailing list and get all the latest news that way. I promise never to hassle you about anything but my books. The link is below:

  Tilly Tennant’s Email Sign Up

  So, thank you for reading my little story, and I hope we bump into each other again soon!

  Love Tilly x

  @TillyTenWriter

  TillyTennant

  Also By Tilly Tennant

  From Italy with Love

  Rome is Where the Heart is

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  Christmas at the Little Village Bakery

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  Once Upon a Winter series:

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  One Starry Night

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  'I'm fully in love with this story and Alessandro is my new book boyfriend!' Darcy's Book Blog

  Available Now!

  Can a holiday romance ever have a happy ending? Escape with Kate to the sun-drenched city of Rome where a love affair is just about to begin …

  When Kate’s husband Matt dumps her on Friday 13th she decides enough is enough – it’s time for her to have some fun and so she hops on a plane to Rome. A week of grappa and gelato in pavement cafes under azure blue skies will be just what the doctor ordered.

  What she doesn’t count on is meeting and falling for sexy policeman Alessandro. But the course of true love doesn’t run smoothly – Alessandro has five meddling sisters, a fearsome mama and a beautiful ex Orazia. They’re all certain that Kate is not the girl for him.

  Can Kate and Alessandro’s love last the distance? Or will she return home with the one souvenir she doesn’t want – a broken heart …

  Fall in love with the colourful cafes and the cobbled piazzas of Rome and follow Kate’s dreams and her heart in this enchanting escapist read. Perfect for fans of Debbie Johnson and Carol Matthews.

  Get it here!

  What everyone's saying about Rome is Where the Heart Is:

  'What an absolute gem of a book. A lovely feel-good story.' Stef Loz Book Blog

  'Every page of this novel was a delight to read...I loved this book, it picked me out of my wintertime blues!' The Anxious Canadian

  'Superb! The perfect romance for everyone ... I highly recommend it!' Urban Book Reviews

  'I’ve been a fan of this writer for some time now and she never fails to delight. Tilly really does have a way of captivating her readers and taking them to the settings of her stories. I have really enjoyed myself in Rome this time round, drinking coffee along the pavement cafés.Five stars! The Reading Shed

  'Wow! Such a wonderful feel good story effortlessly transporting me to Rome.Loved every word! Renita D'Silva

  'An interesting, fun, easy read, I thoroughly enjoyed it.' Any Excuse to Read

  The Little Village Bakery

  A feel good romantic comedy with plenty of cake

  Help yourself to a generous slice o
f Victoria sponge, a perfect cup of tea and a big dollop of romance. Welcome to The Little Village Bakery.

  Meet Millie. Heartbreak has forced her to make a new start and when she arrives at the old bakery in the little village of Honeybourne she is determined that this will be her home sweet home. Her imagination has been captured by the tumbledown bakery but with no running water and dust everywhere, her cosy idea of making cakes in a rural idyll quickly crumbles.

  Luckily the locals are a friendly bunch and step in to help Millie. One in particular, Dylan, a laid-back lothario, soon captures her attention.

  But just as Millie is beginning to settle in, an unexpected visitor from her past suddenly turns up determined to ruin everything for her. It’s time for Millie to face the skeletons in her closest if she’s going to live the dream of running her little village bakery, and her blossoming romance with Dylan.

  A charming heartwarming novel about love, life and new beginnings perfect for fans of Milly Johnson and Debbie Johnson.

  Get your hands on The Little Village Bakery here!

  Christmas at The Little Village Bakery

  A feel good festive romance to curl up by the fire with

  It’s time to get toasty by the fire with a glass of mulled wine and a slice of chocolate yule log sprinkled with a little romance.