by Andie Brock
‘I intended to explain the situation.’ Vieri stared straight ahead, his proud profile showing nothing in the way of remorse as he moved them along the gravel pathway in the direction of the formal gardens. ‘But Alfonso got in there first.’
Explain the situation! Was that all he thought he had to do? Harper could hardly believe the man’s arrogance. She wanted to scream and shout, to beat her fists against his conceited, iron-hard chest, but she knew she had to concentrate on the practicalities. She fought to hold her voice steady. ‘This is not what I signed up for, Vieri. This is not part of the deal!’
‘I appreciate that.’ He walked them under the archway of the brick wall and into the formal gardens. ‘I realise that the terms of our agreement will need to be renegotiated.’
‘Renegotiated?’ Harper brought them to a sudden stop. ‘Do you really think that’s all there is to it?’ Her eyes flashed with fire. ‘Do you really think I will agree to marry you, just like that, without you even having the courtesy to ask me?’
‘Unless I am mistaken, it would seem you have already agreed.’ Vieri met her blazing temper with cold, calculating eyes.
With the blood boiling in her veins, Harper didn’t trust herself to speak. Because he was right, of course. She had already consented to this wedding. Acknowledging her silence with a single quirk of his dark brow, Vieri pulled her closer to him, tucking her arm against the warmth of his body as he moved them on again, between the towering box topiary. Reaching a stone bench, he released her and waited for her to sit down before seating himself beside her.
‘Look, Harper, this wedding was not my idea but we can make it work.’ His voice was low, confident. ‘I know how fond you are of Alfonso. I know you would do anything to make his final weeks happy.’ She could feel him scanning her grim profile, sense how sure he was of himself. Of her. Because, of course, she would do anything for Alfonso. Including marrying this darkly dangerous man.
‘Financially I will make it worth your while,’ he continued smoothly. ‘You will be fully recompensed for your inconvenience.’
‘I don’t want your money!’ Leaping to her feet, Harper rounded on him. ‘And having to marry you is not an inconvenience. It’s a total nightmare!’
She turned away, biting down on her lip to try and stop it from trembling. That had come out all wrong, had revealed far too much. Somehow her thin veil of protection had slipped, revealing her dangerously turbulent feelings beneath.
‘Not necessarily.’ Behind her she heard Vieri get to his feet, his voice infuriatingly calm.
‘No?’ She spun around. ‘How can you say that? This whole thing has got completely out of hand. Quite apart from the marriage, you do realise that Alfonso expects us to share a bedroom while we are staying at the castello?’
‘I gathered as much.’ Vieri’s intense stare found hers, the memory of last night after the ball, of what had so nearly happened between them, shining in their deep blue depths.
‘So what exactly do you intend to do about that?’ Harper hurriedly tried to suppress the fresh flutter of panic in her chest.
Vieri’s mouth twitched before he finally spoke. ‘I will sort it out. If that’s what you want.’
‘Of course it’s what I want!’
‘Fine.’ He raised his hand dismissively, as if the matter was of no consequence, as if she was somehow being unreasonable. ‘There are more than enough rooms in this castello for us both to have our own personal space. Alfonso need never know about our sleeping arrangements.’
‘Well, see that it happens.’ She threw back her head, then had to steady herself, suddenly feeling dizzy with the madness of it all.
‘Are you okay?’ Vieri immediately noticed the pallor of her face. ‘It’s cold out here. Perhaps we should go back inside.’
‘No.’ She dug in her heels. ‘I’m going nowhere.’
‘Then let me at least warm you up.’ Suddenly he had gathered her in his arms, pulling her against the strong, muscled heat of his body.
For a second Harper let herself be held, her eyes closed in blissful surrender until the yearning for what could never be saw her struggle to release herself.
‘Actually I would like to be left on my own.’ She moved a step away and sat down heavily on the stone bench. ‘I need to think things through.’
‘As you wish.’ But he sat down beside her again. What part of alone did he not understand? Several highly charged seconds of silence rolled by.
‘Harper?’ He rested his hand on her thigh, the heat of his palm branding her skin through the fabric of her dress.
‘What?’ She deliberately moved to dislodge his hand.
‘I do understand that this is a big thing I am asking of you.’ He closed the gap between them until his thigh was pressed against hers. She could feel the warmth radiating off him, see his soft breath in the air. ‘But it doesn’t have to be such an ordeal. Alfonso knows that we are only getting married so quickly for his benefit, so he will understand if it’s a very private affair.’
‘But we will still be married in the eyes of the law.’
‘Yes, this is true. But when Alfonso...when the time comes, the marriage can be annulled.’
He had thought this all through, hadn’t he? And for some reason, that only made his calculated deceit, both to his godfather and to her, seem even worse.
‘However, if you decide that you can’t go through with it, then I will respect that decision. I will go in there and tell Alfonso the truth, this afternoon, as soon as he awakes from his nap. You will be free to go. You need never see him again.’
Harper felt her heart plummet. The thought of not even saying goodbye to Alfonso was unthinkable. But then so was the idea of confessing that they had lied to him, that the whole engagement was a sham. He would be so disappointed. No, more than that, he would be devastated. Harper knew she could never do that to him.
She dragged in a breath of cold air to steady herself.
‘Okay, I will do it.’ She forced herself to meet Vieri’s midnight stare. ‘For Alfonso’s sake, because I can’t bear to think of him upset, I will agree to marry you.’
‘Thank you.’ Taking hold of her hand, Vieri squeezed her cold fingers in his firm, warm grasp. ‘I do appreciate it.’ He rose to his feet, dropping her hand but still holding her eyes. ‘I will see to the arrangements right away.’
He turned, his job obviously done, and began to stride purposefully back towards the castello.
Harper watched his retreating figure, so tall and imposing. So unmistakeably Vieri. This impossible, arrogant, gloriously perfect specimen of manhood who had turned her life upside down. Who drove her completely crazy in every possible way. And from whom, no matter how short their so-called marriage might be, whatever might happen in the future, she feared she would never fully recover.
CHAPTER NINE
THE NEXT TWO weeks passed in a dizzying daze. Preparations for the wedding were rapidly organised, Vieri taking charge, the way he always did. And even though he did consult her, asking her opinion over some of the details, the flowers for the chapel, the food for the wedding breakfast, Harper didn’t have the heart to get involved. So in the end she left it all to him.
A small guest list was drawn up, mostly comprising a few of Alfonso’s trusted colleagues associated with his charities and a handful of old friends. ‘There are so few of us left,’ he had mournfully stated as he had turned the pages of his address book. ‘That’s what comes of being so ancient.’
Vieri had only invited one guest, a Sicilian friend called Jaco Valentino, someone he had known since childhood, apparently. Even that had been Alfonso’s doing, casually mentioning that it would be nice to see Jaco again and why didn’t Vieri see if he was free that day. Vieri had been left with no option but to agree.
Harper, herself, had no intention of inviting anybody, despite Alfonso’s obvious surprise and concern that her father wouldn’t be attending. She had explained, as best she could, that it would be too d
ifficult for Angus to get away at such short notice. This, at least, was partly true. His job as gamekeeper on the Craigmore estate did make it very difficult for him to take any time off. The fact that he had absolutely no idea that his daughter was actually getting married, she kept to herself.
And now the day of their wedding had arrived. Gazing out of the window at the sparkling sunshine, Harper tried to swallow down the nerves inside her. These were not the normal jitters a bride might feel on her big day, those of anticipation and excitement. No, Harper’s nerves were of the more sinister kind, sitting like a leaden weight in her stomach.
Never had she imagined her wedding day would be like this—that she would be facing it so completely alone, without even Leah by her side. Vieri had offered to pay her flight, insisting that her being here wouldn’t be a problem for him, that whatever had gone on between them was all in the past. But Harper had declined. She had no intention of even telling Leah that she was marrying Vieri. What was the point? It wasn’t real. In a few months the marriage would be annulled and it would be as if it had never happened. And besides, if she told Leah it would be all round Glenruie before you could say capercaillie. Leah couldn’t keep a secret to save her life.
Taking her dress from the wardrobe, Harper unzipped it from its garment bag and laid it over her arm. It was made of fine cream silk, with a loose cowl neck and a low back. This was the first time she had actually held it in her hands, and she was taken aback by just how lovely it was.
She had bought it online, having no intention of going to any of the bridal boutiques in Palermo and running into another of Vieri’s admirers. Instead she had chosen it from the vast array of wedding dresses available, rapidly scrolling through them, refusing to spend too much time deliberating over the seductive creations because what did it matter what she looked like anyway? It wasn’t as if she had a lover waiting for her at the altar, desperate to see his beautiful bride. Vieri would probably barely even notice what she was wearing.
Taking off her robe, she slipped the dress over her head. It slithered down over her body, pooling in a perfect circle at her feet. It was almost laughable the way it was such a perfect fit, as if it had been made for her. The slippery silk encased her slender body, showcasing her bare arms, her décolletage, the gentle swell of her hips, her long legs. Allowing herself only the briefest of glances in the mirror, she sat herself down at the dressing table and set about taming her curls into some sort of order, sweeping them up into a loose chignon. She would do this, she would put on some make-up, then she would make her way to the chapel and she would marry Vieri Romano. What she wouldn’t do was think. Because thinking about what she was doing had the capacity to break her heart.
* * *
‘This is all very sudden, mio amico.’
Vieri glanced across at his oldest friend. He and Jaco had been raised together in the children’s home but, unlike him, Jaco had been adopted at the age of eleven and whisked away to a shiny new life. At the time they had pretty much lost touch, but years later, when Jaco was living in New York, they had renewed their acquaintance. By then they were both highly successful businessmen and both enjoying the playboy lifestyle. Standing well over six feet tall but having lost none of his boyish charm, Jaco had rivalled Vieri for the affections of the city’s most beautiful women, or so he liked to keep telling him. But there was no doubting that the two of them had been a formidable force when they had hit the town together.
‘Well, you know how it is, Jac.’ Deliberately vague, Vieri shifted his weight from one leg to the other, checking his watch again.
The two men were standing beside the altar of the chapel, waiting for the bride to appear. The small congregation was chattering amongst themselves, the priest bending down to talk to Alfonso, who had had his wheelchair positioned right at the front so that he would miss nothing.
‘I’m not sure I do.’ Jaco gave his friend a sideways glance. ‘I thought we had both agreed that the whole marriage thing wasn’t for us.’
‘Well, yes.’ Vieri tugged at the sleeve of his shirt. ‘But things change, don’t they?’
‘And would this sudden change be anything to do with your godfather?’ Jaco narrowed his eyes. ‘I understand he doesn’t have a lot longer on this earth.’
‘I want to make him happy, Jac. It’s the least I can do.’
‘Even so, getting married... Isn’t that a bit extreme?’
Vieri shrugged and Jaco followed his gaze in the direction of Alfonso, who looked up and gave them a beaming smile.
‘There’s your answer.’ Vieri returned his eyes to the front. ‘That look has got to be worth a bit of self-sacrifice.’
‘If you say so, old friend.’ Jaco patted Vieri on the shoulder. ‘If you say so.’
With a low rumble and a couple of hollow squeaks, the organ music started up and the congregation fell silent. Moving into position in front of the altar, Vieri stood tall and straight, pushing back his shoulders, gazing up at the arched stained-glass window. As the slightly wheezy strains of Vivaldi’s Primavera filled the intimate but echoing space he found himself saying a silent prayer, asking for guidance, or absolution, or at least some sort of indication that he really was doing the right thing. For suddenly this wedding felt terrifyingly real.
A sharp dig in the ribs from his friend interrupted his thoughts. ‘Self-sacrifice, eh?’ With a low laugh, Jaco, who had been looking over his shoulder, returned to face the front. ‘I’m not sure that’s what I’d call it. She’s a stunner Vieri.’
But Vieri had no time to reply. With a swish of silk Harper had come to stand beside him and finally he turned to look at her, only for the breath to be sucked from his lungs. Because she looked exquisite. The simple dress sheathed her gentle curves and slithered to the floor. She carried a small bouquet of white gardenia, with a single bloom tucked into her hair behind one ear, and as he stared at her a shaft of coloured light flickered over her face and down her body, giving her an ethereal, almost other-worldly appearance.
Vieri forced himself to drag in some air. He had never expected this, to have such a visceral reaction to his bride, so strong that it threatened to undo him completely. He told himself that it had to be guilt, for what he was making her do, what he was putting her through. But the way his mind was already slipping the silky garment down her body, his fingers itching to explore the exposed skin beneath, had nothing to do with guilt. Neither did the inexplicable surge of emotion that had suddenly consumed him, coming out of nowhere, so strong that it burned behind his eyes, held his muscles taut. It was a wave of tenderness, of possessiveness. The feeling, no, the certainty that Harper would be his and his alone. From this day forth.
They held each other’s gaze and for a split second Vieri saw all the torment and confusion he was experiencing reflected in Harper’s remarkable hazel eyes. And the desire. Yes, she felt it too, no matter how much she might try and deny it. That, at least, gave salve to his masculine pride.
The priest gave a small cough, opening the heavy bible in his hands, preparing to start the ceremony. But he had barely uttered more than a few words from the opening address before the door at the rear of the chapel squeaked open, then closed again, followed by footsteps hastening down the aisle that defied all but the most stoic not to turn and see who this latecomer might be.
‘Sorry, sorry.’ There was no mistaking that accent or who it belonged to as the apologies continued and the guests shuffled along to make room for her at the end of a pew.
‘Leah!’ Harper had turned to look at her sister, whispering her name in astonishment before frantically mouthing, What are you doing here?
Seated now, Leah gave her an apologetic grin, followed by a little wave, which turned into a dismissive gesture to get on with it.
Harper turned back to the front. ‘Your doing, I take it?’ she whispered under her breath, her eyes fixed straight ahead, but there was a smile in her voice.
Vieri shrugged in admission. It was true he had ig
nored Harper’s instructions not to invite her sister, going behind her back and sending Leah the money for her flight here. He wasn’t even sure why he’d done it, except that he had strongly felt that it was time Harper’s family supported her, instead of it always being the other way round. It was time they realised just how lucky they were to have her.
When Leah hadn’t shown this morning he had written her off, assumed she had just taken the money, ripped him off again. But it seemed he had been wrong.
‘There are two of them?’ To his right he heard Jaco utter his astonishment but Vieri wasn’t going to start explaining now. He would, however, put his friend right about that young woman the first chance he got. If ever anyone had trouble written through them like a stick of rock, she did.
* * *
As Harper took her seat at the head of the table she hardly recognised the ancient dining room that had been transformed for the wedding breakfast. The draughty, echoing room had had a serious makeover: colourful antique rugs covered the cold flagstone floor, red velvet chairs replaced the uncomfortable carved wooden ones, and the table had been beautifully laid with a white damask tablecloth set with silver gilt cutlery and sparkling crystal. Arrangements of winter flowers, interspersed with cream candles in gilt candlesticks, ran the length of the table. In fact there were candles everywhere, positioned on the polished wood furniture at the sides of the room and in the heavy iron candelabra above their heads. A roaring fire blazed in the enormous grate.
‘The wedding planners have done a good job.’ Vieri eased himself into the seat beside her. ‘I’ll have to remember to use them again.’
‘For your next wedding, do you mean?’ Avoiding his eyes, Harper smiled sweetly at the assembled guests as she shook out her napkin and placed it on her lap.
‘I actually meant commercially—my hotels host a lot of weddings.’ Vieri gave her a dark stare. ‘I have no intention of marrying again.’
‘Oh, my mistake.’ Accepting a glass of wine from the waiter, Harper let her shoulders drop from where they had been hovering up around her ears. They were married now, deed was done, there was no point in being all prickly with Vieri. That would solve nothing. She might just as well relax and enjoy the meal as best she could.
