Boss Meets Baby(78)

She sighed as her mother disappeared into the airport departure-lounge. She couldn’t help being pleased she was gone. Quite honestly, having her mother around had made her feel more alone than ever.

She turned and headed across the concourse to follow the path back down to the water, where Vito’s boat was waiting for her. It was June, and a plane full of Swiss tourists had just arrived at the airport. They were all pulling their cases down the same walkway to get a water bus or taxi, but with no luggage to hold her up Lily weaved her way quickly through them. She wasn’t anxious to be back at the palazzo, but she’d promised she’d visit Giovanni before lunch.

Vito cut the connection to his assistant and slipped his mobile phone back into his pocket.

He was pleased to have confirmation that Ellen had left Venice, but he was bothered by the news that Lily had gone straight from the airport to Ca’ Salvatore.

Before her mother’s visit Lily had started going to see his grandfather every day, and now that her mother was gone it seemed that she was getting straight back into the same pattern. Giovanni enjoyed her visits, so Vito had not put a stop to them. But it concerned him, not knowing what game Lily was playing.

After their argument he had half expected her to try to leave him. But if anything she seemed to settle into her life in Venice with more determination. He didn’t know what she thought she’d gain by making a friend of the old man, but it wouldn’t do her any good. Vito was still calling all the shots.

‘Ah, my beautiful English Lily,’ Giovanni said, pushing himself up against the ornate carved headboard.

‘I hope you haven’t been waiting,’ Lily said, hurrying across the room to help him with his pillows.

‘I always wait for you.’ Giovanni smiled, and Lily knew it wasn’t a reprimand. Over the last few weeks, her visits to Ca’Salvatore had become a daily event that they both enjoyed.

However, during her mother’s stay she’d only popped in once, briefly. It had been clear that the instant rapport she’d shared with Giovanni was not present between her mother and the old gentleman.

‘My mum is flying home today.’ Lily glanced at her watch. ‘In fact, she’s probably on a plane right now.’

‘That’s good,’ Giovanni said. ‘Now you can spend more time with your husband.’

Lily blinked and stared at him, momentarily lost for words.

‘I’m old,’ Giovanni said. ‘I don’t have the time to *foot— around, watching what I say.’

‘Did you ever, even when you were young?’ Lily laughed, despite the fact his instruction to spend more time with Vito had unsettled her. She liked Giovanni, and couldn’t ever imagine being offended by him, no matter how directly he spoke. But of course he didn’t know—he could never know—the truth behind her marriage to Vito.

‘Hmm.’ He pretended to pause and think. ‘Not so much.’ He flashed a winning smile at her, momentarily taking years off his age. ‘But I’m serious.’

‘Vito’s been very busy,’ Lily prevaricated, letting her gaze drift across the fabulous fresco that decorated the wall. ‘Work…’

‘I can see you love him, and that he loves you.’ Giovanni spoke with assurance. ‘But there is tension between you.’

‘Well…’ Lily’s words dried up because she had no idea how to respond. Giovanni had seen love where there simply wasn’t any. Vito’s feelings for her were obviously— the complete opposite of love—he’d made that plain enough. And, although she had once foolishly believed she was falling in love with him, now, after the awful things he’d said and the dreadful way he’d treated her, she’d be crazy to open her heart to him again.

‘You must fix it now,’ Giovanni said. ‘My grandson is a good man. But he is proud. He won’t make the first move.’

‘I’ll talk to him,’ Lily promised, because there was nothing else she could say.

Lily walked through the twisting maze of alleys, past the fabulous jewellery shops and Venetian trinket-stores, deep in thought.

Even her favourite gelateria, which she often stopped at on her way home, did not catch her attention. Even though she was hungry, and ice cream was one of her favourite foods, she didn’t feel like eating. She was thinking about the promise she’d made to Giovanni.

She was also thinking about her mother.

Living her life according to Reggie Morton’s rules had taken a terrible toll on Ellen. She’d lost her confidence— and her independence. Finally she’d become so scared of life that she’d buried herself in project after project, which in turn had left her preoccupied and unable to have a proper relationship with her daughter.

That was what scared Lily the most. She loved her mother, and knew that she was loved in return, but Ellen hadn’t even realised that Lily was facing the biggest crisis of her life. There was no way that she was going to let her child grow up like she had—with no father, and with a mother who’d had her spirit eroded away to the point where she couldn’t communicate meaningfully— with her daughter.

Lily had married Vito for the sake of her baby. Nothing had changed about that. But Vito still refused to acknowledge the baby and, if she didn’t do something— to make him see the truth soon, before she knew it she’d be out on her own again with no further chance to talk to him.