Boss Meets Baby(93)

‘What do you mean?’ Despite her better judgement telling her to keep off the subject of Vito’s first wife, Lily wanted to know more.

‘She was far too busy living it up—enjoying her selfish existence, spending his money on frivolous things,’ Giovanni said. ‘She’s still the same, except now she’s in Rio de Janeiro spending her Brazilian lover’s money—if what my contacts tell me is true.’

‘Contacts?’ Lily smiled, trying to appear lighthearted even though her heart felt anything but light.

‘What do you think?’ Giovanni sounded affronted. ‘Just because I’m old and in bed I know nothing?’

‘Of course not,’ Lily laughed, but she couldn’t help wondering what he knew about her and Vito.

‘But don’t think about Capricia,’ Giovanni added. ‘Vito never loved her the way he loves you. Anyone can see you two are soulmates—like me and my dear Anna Maria.’

Lily forced a smile and looked down at her hands clasped in her lap, feeling heartsick. She knew now that Vito had never loved her at all.

‘I nearly forgot—I have a surprise for you,’ Giovanni said.

‘A surprise?’ Lily repeated, pleased at the distraction. She didn’t want to bring Giovanni down by looking dejected. But she hoped he wasn’t going to make things awkward for her with Vito by giving her any more family heirlooms. She loved the antique necklace he’d given her the first day, but she hadn’t seen it since Vito had taken it away from her.

‘Yes. Talking of my Anna Maria reminded me…’ He smiled, and Lily knew from his dreamy expression he was still thinking of his wife. ‘I remembered her favourite— thing when she was pregnant, and I thought you might like it too.’

Lily smiled expectantly, intrigued to get another glimpse of the woman who had so clearly captured Giovanni’s heart.

‘I can’t come with you to see how you like it,’ he said, pressing a button to call a member of his staff. ‘But you must tell me when you visit tomorrow.’

At that moment his housekeeper came into the room and he told her to show Lily to her surprise. From the way she responded to the instruction, she had obviously been involved in the arrangements, and as Giovanni settled down for a nap she led Lily away to a part of the palazzo she had never seen before.

Down two flights of stairs, across an absolutely delightful— courtyard complete with citrus trees in giant terracotta— pots, and in through another double door, Lily found herself gazing at the most inviting thing she had seen for days.

A cool, blue swimming-pool.

‘Oh my!’ she sighed, suddenly aching to ease her tired body into the water.

The housekeeper explained how Giovanni had had the pool repaired and refilled, showed her where the changing and showering facilities were, and finally presented— her with a collection of maternity swimwear.

Just minutes later Lily was floating on her back in the blissfully cool and supportive water. She rolled over and slowly swam a length of the pool, admiring the detailed mosaics beneath the rippling water.

She loved Giovanni for this gift to her. It was absolutely— perfect in every way.

Suddenly tears sprung unchecked to her eyes.

Vito’s grandfather had shown her unstinting kindness like no one in her life ever had before. He treated her with respect and as an individual he genuinely wanted to get to know. Her own father had never done that. He didn’t even want to know her at all.

And now Vito, her husband, didn’t seem to want to know her either.

Vito strode through the narrow Venetian streets impatiently. It was late afternoon, and he’d come home from the office early for the third day in a row only to find Lily was not at the palazzo. Since they’d returned from the mountains, she’d started spending more and more time at Ca’ Salvatore. In fact she was rarely at home these days, and it was beginning to bother him.

He knew that his grandfather had refilled his swimming— pool for her, which he acknowledged was a very thoughtful gesture. And apparently Lily loved swimming—which— was something he hadn’t known about her. But surely she couldn’t be spending all day in the pool?

Suddenly the memory of their conversation in the meadow loomed large and uncomfortable in his mind. He swore under his breath, cursing himself for telling her about his infertility. Things had been progressing smoothly between them up until that point, and he wished he hadn’t chosen that moment to upset the balance of their relationship.

He didn’t understand what had driven him to come clean, but blamed it on Lily. He’d spent so much time alone with her that she had whittled her way through his defences. He had quite simply let his guard down. He wouldn’t make that mistake again. He shouldn’t have made it this time.

He remembered all too well the scornful look on Capricia’s face when she’d waved the doctor’s report stating his infertility under his nose. It was unbelievable that he’d been foolish enough to put himself through the same humiliation twice.

He’d been young and naive when he’d married Capricia, hoping that she would be the perfect Venetian wife to bring up the next generation of Salvatores. It hadn’t worked out that way. But he’d thought he had learnt something from the experience—to protect his pride if nothing else.

His infertility had driven a wedge into his first marriage. To alleviate her disappointment in his failure, Capricia had thrown herself into a wild life of socialising— and travel. They’d grown apart, but he hadn’t made any effort to hold onto their marriage. When Capricia had finally left, he’d been pleased. With her gone there should have been no reminder of his shame.