your seat belt—we’re nearly home.’
The words spoken with the warmth of his Italian accent were disorientating. But this wasn’t home, she reminded herself quickly as she slipped into the seat diagonally opposite him beside the window; this was just another stopgap in her life. She fastened Nathan into the seat beside her and then focused her attention out of the window.
Antonio found himself facing Nathan. And as their eyes met across the table the little boy smiled at him disarmingly. He was really quite a cute little fellow, Antonio thought distractedly. And Victoria seemed to spend more money and time on his appearance than she did with her own. The clothes he wore looked like a latest design and brand new. Not that he knew much about kids or their clothes, he realized. In fact, he’d never had much to do with children at all. He probably just wasn’t the paternal type; some people weren’t. Certainly the thought of getting it wrong and messing some poor child’s life up because he had commitment issues was scary in the extreme.
The pilot spoke over the intercom, telling them they were twenty minutes away from landing. Victoria was waiting for her first glimpse of Italy, excitement swirling inside of her, but for a while she could see nothing but clouds. Then the plane dipped and she had her first clear view of the landscape. The sun was shining and everything looked dazzlingly green and lush. She could see rolling vineyards and mountains, tiny roads weaving between fields of grain.
The engine noises increased and they were coming lower now, and a few minutes later the wheels touched smoothly down on the runway and the engine roared as the speed was pulled back.
Victoria glanced over at Nathan to make sure he wasn’tscared, but he looked delighted and was taking everything in with great interest.
‘I think your son is going to be a pilot when he grows up,’ Antonio told her as he caught her eye. ‘He seems to love flying.’
She laughed. ‘He likes anything that involves speed—he’s absolutely crazy about racing cars too.’
‘Really.’ Antonio smiled at the child, then reached across to ruffle his hair. ‘I can see you are going to fit in very well around here, bambino .’
It was the first time that Antonio had acknowledged Nathan like that, the first time he had looked in any way interested in her child.
And for some reason it smote at Victoria’s heart.
He glanced over and caught her watching him, and quickly she looked away.
What on earth was the matter with her? she wondered angrily. Nathan wasn’t going to fit in around here any more than she was, because they were both outsiders, and in a few weeks would be surplus to requirements. And that was the way she wanted it, because the sooner this ridiculous marriage was over, and the sooner she gained control of her life again, the better.
They’d hardly spoken a word since they’d climbed into the limousine at the airport. Victoria sat on one side of the car, Nathan on her knee, and Antonio sat at the other.
Victoria wondered if it was her imagination or was the tension between them worse now that they were actually here. Maybe Antonio regretted this hasty marriage.
She darted a glance around at him, but his features were stern and determined as he looked ahead. And she almost laughed at herself. Antonio wasn’t the type of man to have regrets. He was too full of arrogant self-confidence.
She looked away again. The narrow road was followingalong beside a lake that was so large Victoria thought it was the sea for a moment. Then they were driving through some spectacular mountainous scenery, the road winding and twisting with steep drops at one side. She had a sudden glimpse of a village perched on the other side of the lake. It looked medieval, like a picture from a Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, the tangled riot of red roofs contrasting starkly with the sheer rocky cliffs that soared behind it.
‘This place is
The words spoken with the warmth of his Italian accent were disorientating. But this wasn’t home, she reminded herself quickly as she slipped into the seat diagonally opposite him beside the window; this was just another stopgap in her life. She fastened Nathan into the seat beside her and then focused her attention out of the window.
Antonio found himself facing Nathan. And as their eyes met across the table the little boy smiled at him disarmingly. He was really quite a cute little fellow, Antonio thought distractedly. And Victoria seemed to spend more money and time on his appearance than she did with her own. The clothes he wore looked like a latest design and brand new. Not that he knew much about kids or their clothes, he realized. In fact, he’d never had much to do with children at all. He probably just wasn’t the paternal type; some people weren’t. Certainly the thought of getting it wrong and messing some poor child’s life up because he had commitment issues was scary in the extreme.
The pilot spoke over the intercom, telling them they were twenty minutes away from landing. Victoria was waiting for her first glimpse of Italy, excitement swirling inside of her, but for a while she could see nothing but clouds. Then the plane dipped and she had her first clear view of the landscape. The sun was shining and everything looked dazzlingly green and lush. She could see rolling vineyards and mountains, tiny roads weaving between fields of grain.
The engine noises increased and they were coming lower now, and a few minutes later the wheels touched smoothly down on the runway and the engine roared as the speed was pulled back.
Victoria glanced over at Nathan to make sure he wasn’tscared, but he looked delighted and was taking everything in with great interest.
‘I think your son is going to be a pilot when he grows up,’ Antonio told her as he caught her eye. ‘He seems to love flying.’
She laughed. ‘He likes anything that involves speed—he’s absolutely crazy about racing cars too.’
‘Really.’ Antonio smiled at the child, then reached across to ruffle his hair. ‘I can see you are going to fit in very well around here, bambino .’
It was the first time that Antonio had acknowledged Nathan like that, the first time he had looked in any way interested in her child.
And for some reason it smote at Victoria’s heart.
He glanced over and caught her watching him, and quickly she looked away.
What on earth was the matter with her? she wondered angrily. Nathan wasn’t going to fit in around here any more than she was, because they were both outsiders, and in a few weeks would be surplus to requirements. And that was the way she wanted it, because the sooner this ridiculous marriage was over, and the sooner she gained control of her life again, the better.
They’d hardly spoken a word since they’d climbed into the limousine at the airport. Victoria sat on one side of the car, Nathan on her knee, and Antonio sat at the other.
Victoria wondered if it was her imagination or was the tension between them worse now that they were actually here. Maybe Antonio regretted this hasty marriage.
She darted a glance around at him, but his features were stern and determined as he looked ahead. And she almost laughed at herself. Antonio wasn’t the type of man to have regrets. He was too full of arrogant self-confidence.
She looked away again. The narrow road was followingalong beside a lake that was so large Victoria thought it was the sea for a moment. Then they were driving through some spectacular mountainous scenery, the road winding and twisting with steep drops at one side. She had a sudden glimpse of a village perched on the other side of the lake. It looked medieval, like a picture from a Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, the tangled riot of red roofs contrasting starkly with the sheer rocky cliffs that soared behind it.
‘This place is
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