Italian Doctor, Dream Proposal / Wanted: A Father for her Twins

by Margaret McDonagh / Emily Forbes

  Holly’s smile was kind and gentle. ‘But you’re worried about seeing him,’ she stated with customary understanding.

  ‘How could I work with him every day and be close to him, knowing I can’t be with him? And can I trust my feelings? It’s so sudden and I’ve had no experience. Is it really love? Or am I naively reacting to the first man who has made me feel wanted and who isn’t intimidated by my brains?’ she finished, expressing her worries aloud.

  Gina’s sigh was heartfelt. ‘I want you to be happy, Ruth. And if this job calls to you, you should take it. Just as you should fight for this man if he is what you want. Not that I want you living in the United States,’ she admitted with a watery smile.

  ‘I wouldn’t be,’ Ruth corrected.

  Holly voiced her surprise. ‘I thought your mysterious doctor was American.’

  ‘I did, too, but I was wrong,’ Ruth explained. ‘He was over there for consultations, lectures and so on, and he attended the conference on his way home.’

  ‘So where is the job?’ Gina asked, dark eyes showing a mix of relief and worry.

  ‘Eventually, in the UK.’ Ruth’s enthusiasm and eager excitement bubbled through. ‘But first I’ll have to retrain and get some experience. He plans to open a new clinic in partnership with the NHS, and he suggested I could be part of that.’

  ‘Where would you be living until then?’ Holly asked.

  ‘In Italy. His clinic is in Florence.’

  Gina drew back with a startled ‘Oh!’ and a frown knotted her brow.

  ‘What’s wrong?’ Puzzled, Ruth wondered why her friend sounded so odd.

  ‘It’s nothing,’ Gina murmured, but she was pale, her gaze darting from Holly to Ruth and back again. ‘You didn’t tell us the name of this wonderful man.’

  ‘Rico…Dr Riccardo Linardi,’ she confided, surprised when Gina’s cheeks flushed pink and she looked away.

  ‘What does he look like?’ Holly asked, diverting Ruth’s attention. ‘He’s obviously a lot younger than we all thought.’

  ‘He’s thirty-four, and he’s gorgeous. Seriously, heart-stoppingly beautiful, with a sexy bad-boy appeal. Not the kind of man you expect to meet in real life. When I first saw him, I thought he looked like a pirate!’ Ruth felt warmth infuse her cheeks as she confided her uncharacteristically whimsical notions.

  Both her friends laughed, but Gina’s sounded more shrill than usual, and she was certainly no longer relaxed. Before Ruth could comment on Gina’s odd behaviour and sudden restlessness, Holly was begging her to continue with her description of Rico. Whilst thinking about him was painful, Ruth found that sharing her feelings with her friends made the whole dream-like experience more real.

  ‘He has dark hair, and it’s longish—down to here.’ Ruth used her hand to show where Rico’s hair brushed over his collar to his shoulders. ‘Several days’ stubble add to the whole rakish rogue effect.’ She closed her eyes for a moment, reliving the erotic and arousing sensation of his unshaven jaw caressing her sensitive skin. Oh, my! She cleared her throat and pulled herself together. ‘His eyes are unusual…a dark hazel but with lots of gold flecks in them.’

  ‘Wow! He sounds amazing,’ Holly breathed.

  Ruth crashed back to earth with a bump. ‘He is. And I don’t know what to do.’

  ‘I think you should take the job.’

  Gina’s advice took Ruth by surprise. ‘But you didn’t want me to leave!’

  ‘I don’t.’ Again her friend’s smile seemed over-bright, and she fidgeted with her hands. ‘I’ll miss you like hell. But I know how things happened for me, and if you feel for Rico as I do for Seb, then you shouldn’t throw away the chance for happiness.’

  ‘Offering me the job doesn’t mean Rico’s interested in me personally. There’s no guarantee he’ll contact me again,’ Ruth pointed out, fresh pain lancing through her.

  ‘He will.’

  Gina’s about face and bold prediction took Ruth by surprise. She wished she had a fraction of her friend’s confidence but even if Rico still wanted her to work for him, he had been clear enough about their one night together.

  ‘I promised Seb I’d text him before I went to bed.’ A furtive look in her eyes, Gina rose to her feet and fumbled on the table for her mobile phone. ‘Damn! I’d forgotten I turned it off earlier.’

  As Gina pressed the power button, they all heard the rapid series of bleeps that notified she had numerous missed calls and text messages awaiting her.

  ‘Last-minute wedding arrangements,’ Holly guessed.

  Gina shook her head, and Ruth saw her send Holly a speaking look, one Ruth couldn’t decipher. ‘I’ll do this upstairs,’ Gina announced, clutching the phone tightly.

  ‘Are you OK?’ Ruth asked, worried at the change in her friend’s attitude.

  ‘I’m all twitchy and excited. Don’t mind me! Thank you for confiding in us, Ruth, it means a lot.’ She paused, biting her lip. ‘Your friendship means the world to me. More than anything I want you to be happy.’

  Ruth’s throat tightened with emotion. ‘Thanks, Gina. I’m sorry to lay this on you the night before your wedding.’

  ‘Don’t apologise, please. I’m so glad and honoured you trusted us.’ Gina hugged her again, then Holly. ‘You’re both brilliant. The best friends ever.’

  ‘I think we should all get some sleep,’ Holly suggested, rising to her feet and gathering up the empty mugs. ‘I’ll wash these up.’

  Gina called Monty. The dog stretched his lanky limbs and got to his feet, his tail wagging enthusiastically as he trotted to her side. Ruth helped Gina make the fire safe, then doublechecked that the doors were locked, by which time Holly had caught up with them. They went upstairs together. After another round of goodnights, Ruth found herself alone in one of the welcoming guest bedrooms.

  As she snuggled under the duvet, her mind refused to switch off. Something had happened to change Gina’s mood, but Ruth couldn’t put her finger on what it was. She hoped there had been no upsetting news amongst the unusually large number of messages waiting on Gina’s phone. Nothing could happen to spoil the wedding day.

  Being able to share her emotions and worries with her friends was a new experience, and she did feel better for it—even if she remained at a loss to know what to do about Rico. A nagging voice insisted that the magic couldn’t be real and nothing more was going to come of it. But her time with Rico had been so intense, so incredible. She wanted everything they had been together to mean something more to him than a one-night stand. And she wanted more of Rico…something he was unable to give.

  There was nothing else she could do tonight, Ruth reasoned, turning out the light. Tomorrow she would try to hide her own worries and make sure that Gina’s special day was perfect as she married the man she loved—a man who, with every look and word and gesture, demonstrated that he so clearly loved Gina in return. A fresh pang of envy pierced Ruth’s heart. If only Rico felt that way about her.

  She would get through tomorrow. She would. And afterwards there would be time to make decisions about her career and the rest of her life. If Rico did contact her again, she knew she couldn’t lose the greatest job opportunity she would ever have because she had a crush on him. More than a crush. But she was an adult. A professional. She would deal with it and take whatever chances came her way.

  And, somehow, some day, the hurt would begin to ease and she would get over Rico…wouldn’t she?

  ‘Are you ready to go, cugino?’

  Rico drained the last of his coffee, rinsed the mug and set it on the drainer in Nic and Hannah’s kitchen. ‘I am ready.’

  ‘To look at you, all anxious and shaky, anyone would think you were the one getting married,’ Seb teased as he led the way outside to the car.

  ‘I wish I was.’

  Seb draped an arm around his shoulders. ‘All being well, it soon will be. You are really so worried?’

  ‘I have no idea how Ruth will react,’ Rico admitted, slipping into the passenger seat
and fastening the seat belt as Seb took his place behind the wheel. Nic and Hannah—who had been briefed about Ruth and sworn to secrecy—had gone on ahead. ‘Any confidence I had about her feelings for me disappeared when she sneaked away on Wednesday morning.’

  With a sigh, Rico turned his head and looked out of the window at the passing scenery as Seb took the rural roads from Lochanrig to the county town of Strathlochan. He was more than nervous. After the lengthy discussions late last night when Gina had finally turned on her phone and responded to Seb’s pleas to call him, Rico was even more uncertain and anxious. It seemed Ruth had confided in Gina at about the same time that he had confessed his feelings to Seb.

  Having made up his mind that he did not want Ruth to feel as if she had been tricked or deceived and that she should be told, Gina had decreed otherwise, anxious lest Ruth stayed away from the wedding. With Seb understanding his plight but supporting Gina’s wishes, Rico had had little option but to go along with them, but he remained uneasy at the decision. It also bothered him that Gina believed Ruth would try to avoid him. What had Ruth said to her friends? He thought back to what Gina had said on the phone last night.

  ‘Thank you for all you have done for Ruth.’

  ‘How do you mean?’ he had asked, puzzled by Gina’s words.

  ‘Even in a week she has changed. Holly and I knew very little about her background or her past, and we never liked to push because she was so reserved about it. Tonight, for the first time ever, Ruth confided in us and told us the real story of her parents, her upbringing, her bastard of a boyfriend,’ Gina had explained, her voice thick with unshed tears. ‘You’ve clearly touched something in her, changed her, but she’s on new ground, Rico, and she’s confused and scared.’

  He had dragged his fingers through his hair in agitation. ‘I know, Gina. I misjudged things and rushed Ruth. I don’t plan to make that mistake again,’ he had reassured her, explaining his fledgling plan to persuade Ruth to visit Florence, to keep things focused on work and then to slowly rebuild their relationship.

  ‘I think that’s a good idea. I hate the thought of Ruth going away, but I want her to be happy. I know she wants the job…and I think you will be good together. I’ll do what I can to help.’

  Ruth wanted the job—but did she want him? The question occupied his mind for the duration of the journey, until Seb turned the car in at the gateway of Strathlochan Castle—manned for the day by a security team to keep out the uninvited—and drove round the impressive building to park near the small chapel where the ceremony was to take place. Rico climbed out of the car and took a deep breath of clear Scottish air. He allowed his gaze to sweep over the granite edifice of the castle buildings, set in gardens ablaze with the vibrant blooms of rhododendrons and azaleas, then across the shimmering blue waters of the loch to the woods and hills beyond.

  It made an impressive setting for what Seb and Gina had chosen to be a small and discreet occasion. Or as discreet as an Adriani/Linardi occasion ever could be, Rico amended, noting the presence of the invited media with distaste. Seb, wanting everything perfect for his lovely bride, had done a deal with a local newspaper and a respected Italian magazine, offering exclusive pictures on the understanding that no word leaked out to turn the wedding into a circus.

  With his own parents attending—his father, Robert, a wealthy corporate attorney and his mother, Sofia, widely recognised for her tireless charity campaigns and work with UNICEF—there was bound to be interest from the press. And, despite the change in his circumstances following injuries sustained last summer which prevented his return to the operating room, Seb’s former status as a famous reconstructive plastic surgeon to the stars meant interest in him had not yet faded.

  ‘I hope your agreement has been honoured,’ Rico murmured as they walked towards the entrance to the private chapel.

  Seb nodded, a guarded expression on his face as the two photographers recorded his arrival. ‘I had forgotten how tedious the whole paparazzi thing was. It’s one of the many advantages of living here. I think they know it is more than their lives are worth to break the contract. Not only would they lose the kudos of their story, but Zio Roberto would come down on them for all he was worth.’

  ‘That is true.’

  Smiling, he followed Seb into the church, delighted to find his parents waiting to greet them. He had not seen them since he had left for the United States and he embraced them both warmly. Unfortunately, there was no time to brief them about Ruth, but he looked forward to introducing them at the reception. For now he had his duty to do. In front of the altar, he checked his pocket for the umpteenth time to confirm the rings were safe, then surreptitiously glanced at his watch, hoping that Gina was not going to keep them waiting too long.

  Rico looked up, frowning when he discovered Seb, Nic and Hannah watching him with equal parts of amusement and sympathy. Hell, he thought, shifting from foot to foot in agitation, his cousin was right. He was far more nervous than the groom! If only he could be as certain of Ruth as Seb was of Gina. His gut tightened and his heart started beating in a crazy rhythm when whispers from the entrance of the chapel announced that the bridal car was in sight. After four long days of missing her, he would see his Ruth any moment now. The thought of what might happen then made him sick with nerves…Ruth held his heart, his life, his whole future, in the palms of her hands.

  ‘We’re here!’ Holly announced with excitement as the luxury car paused at the castle gate to clear the security check and then proceeded serenely up the drive.

  ‘As long as Seb is here,’ Gina responded, her smile betraying her nerves.

  Ruth sat forward and looked out of the window, unsurprised but wary when she saw the four members of the press who had been granted conditional access make a move towards the car, ready to snap the first pictures of the bride. She knew Gina had been relieved that Seb had managed to keep things as quiet as possible. Her gaze moved on. Callie and Frazer waited at the door of the chapel—the venue of their own Christmas Eve marriage ceremony five months before and now host to Gina and Seb’s. Callie grinned, giving a thumbs-up signal, and Ruth smiled.

  ‘Seb’s here,’ she reassured her friend. ‘Not that there was any question of it.’ Ruth winked at Maria and Holly. ‘Unless you’re having doubts, Gina. You don’t have to go through with it if you don’t want to.’

  ‘Not go through with it? Are you crazy? I can’t wait to marry Seb!’

  Ruth joined in with the collective laughter as Gina rose indignantly to the bait, but she could not brush off the unease she had been feeling all morning. They had made an early start, but she had been the last one down for breakfast, and when she had pushed open the kitchen door, a hush had fallen in the room. Gina, Holly and Maria had worn identical expressions of guilt and uncertainty.

  In the hectic few hours that had followed, several strange things had happened, but Ruth had been too busy to assess them or to ask questions of the three women who kept darting looks at her. The hairdresser had been to style their hair, and excitement had built until the time had come for them all to get dressed. Holly, who had happily assigned herself the task of watching over Maria for the day, had gone to help the elderly lady with her outfit, while Ruth had remained to help Gina.

  In a departure from tradition, Gina had chosen a unique design for her wedding dress, declaring herself unsuited to trains, frills, lace and acres of petticoats and veils. The apparently simple style of the halter-neck dress was deceptive. The ivory colour accentuated the warm tones of Gina’s skin, while the silken fabric had been designed to show off her womanly curves to perfection.

  The front was ruched from breast to thigh and had a river of glittering silvery beads flowing down in a narrow, wavy line to one hip. At the back, there was a V-shaped panel with eyes through which ran the satin ribbon that acted like the stays on an antique bodice and laced the dress together. Careful not to draw it in too tight, Ruth had fastened the ribbon in a bow at the small of Gina’s back. The same s
tyle of beadwork used on the front decorated either side of the panel on the back. The skirt was cut at an angle, finishing mid-thigh on one side and just below the knee on the other.

  As the car came to a halt, Ruth climbed out one side and Holly the other, and they waited to help their charges. As Holly aided Maria, Ruth held Gina’s bouquet of cream and pink sweet peas, the same flowers that had been woven into Gina’s long ebony hair.

  ‘You look absolutely stunning,’ Ruth told her friend as they walked towards the ornately carved wooden doors that stood open to welcome them. ‘Seb is going to take one look and want to eat you alive!’

  Radiant with happiness and eager anticipation, Gina grinned. ‘I do hope so!’

  They reluctantly posed for a few photographs, then stepped inside the cool and atmospheric old chapel. For a moment they paused to make a few last-minute adjustments to their clothing, and again Ruth noticed the anxious look that passed between Gina, Holly and Maria.

  ‘You are ready, ragazza mia?’ Maria asked, tears shimmering in her eyes.

  Gina nodded, giving Holly a hug. Ruth thought she heard Gina whisper ‘Look out for her’, but she couldn’t be sure, although she imagined the instruction concerned Maria. Then Gina turned and Ruth found herself enveloped in a hug, too.

  ‘Forgive me. I love you and want you to be happy,’ her friend murmured in her ear. ‘I’m ready, Nonna.’

  Frowning as Gina pulled away, Ruth opened her mouth to ask what she meant, but her words were drowned as the organist struck the opening bar of the music chosen for the bride’s entrance. Maria patted her arm, then, side by side, and as Gina’s only living relative, grandmother and granddaughter began their journey towards the altar.

  A shiver of disquiet rippled down Ruth’s spine as she fell into step with Holly. What was she missing? The question nagged at her as she followed Gina and Maria. For a moment Ruth’s stride faltered as she experienced again that inexplicable feeling of being watched. She glanced around the small chapel that was full of invited friends, almost all from Strathlochan’s various medical services, but no one seemed to be paying her undue attention, all of them focused on the beautiful bride.