and Luca, though strong, did not often contest the top position. Nic, on the other hand, was too like Giorgio to want to bow down to his command just because he was the younger by four years. They often had power struggles that went on for days, sometimes weeks. Giorgio thought Nic needed to grow up and take more responsibility for his life. Nic thought Giorgio was a control freak who needed to get a life instead of trying to control everyone else's.
'I want champagne,' Salvatore announced. 'Not for you, Maya, mio piccolo, but we must toast this baby. Giorgio, call one of the staff to send some up.'
A few minutes later, with glasses clinking and happy laughter ringing, it didn't seem possible that the family had been gathered together to be told of Salvatore's illness. It was like another party.
Salvatore was in his element, enjoying the moment for what it was: the celebration of the continuation of the Sabbatini dynasty.
But, like all good parties, this one had to come to an end. Salvatore started to look tired and pale and Giorgio immediately swung into action. With the live-in nurse's help, he escorted his grandfather upstairs to his bedroom and made sure he was settled and comfortable before he left.
'Giorgio,' Salvatore said from the bed just as Giorgio was about to leave, 'I want you to do something for me.'
'Anything, Nonno,' Giorgio said.
Salvatore took a breath that rattled inside his damaged lungs. 'I want you to send for Jade Sommerville, my god-daughter in London. I want to say goodbye to her before it's too late.'
Giorgio frowned. The last he had heard, the wild-child daughter of his grandfather's business associate Keith Sommerville had yet again disgraced the family name by having an affair with a married man. But Salvatore had always had a soft spot for the wilful Jade. Over the years he had always made excuses for her appalling behaviour, insisting she was damaged by the desertion of her sluttish mother at a young age. Giorgio was more of the opinion that Jade was exactly like her sleep-around mother and should be left to self-destruct, just as Harriet Sommerville had done some twenty-odd years ago. 'If that is what you wish,' he said. 'I will see if I can get her to agree to fly over for a few days.'
'Thank you…' Salvatore's breathing became even more laboured and the nurse bustled over to place an oxygen mask over his face to assist his breathing.
Giorgio moved forward to help but Salvatore waved him away, mumbling through his mask,
'Leave me now, Giorgio. I will be fine. Just make sure you contact Jade for me.'
'How is he?' Maya asked when Giorgio rejoined her back downstairs in the salone.
'Not good,' he said grimly. 'I don't think he's got as long as the doctors have said. Perhaps they were trying to give him hope, to help him remain positive.'
Maya felt a tight hand curl around her heart. 'If only he doesn't have to suffer…I couldn't bear that…'
He trailed his finger down the under curve of her cheek. 'He has morphine on demand,' he said.
'The nurse is with him twenty-four seven. It's all we can do at this stage.'
Maya didn't move away from Giorgio's closeness. She could feel his body heat and wanted to lean into him as she had done before. How wonderful it had been to feel the warm comfort of his arms around her, to pretend, even for a moment, he cared for her. 'You are a wonderful grandson, Giorgio,' she said. 'In fact you are wonderful to all of your family. I sometimes think they rely on you too much. They expect such a lot from you.' Her gaze dropped as she bit down into her bottom lip and added, 'Maybe I expected too much of you too.'
He lifted her chin with the end of his finger, locking his gaze with hers. 'I should have given you more,' he said. 'But maybe this time it will be different. It feels different, cara. I don't know about you, but it feels completely different this time around.'
Maya searched his expression for a moment. 'You mean about the baby?'
He leaned
'I want champagne,' Salvatore announced. 'Not for you, Maya, mio piccolo, but we must toast this baby. Giorgio, call one of the staff to send some up.'
A few minutes later, with glasses clinking and happy laughter ringing, it didn't seem possible that the family had been gathered together to be told of Salvatore's illness. It was like another party.
Salvatore was in his element, enjoying the moment for what it was: the celebration of the continuation of the Sabbatini dynasty.
But, like all good parties, this one had to come to an end. Salvatore started to look tired and pale and Giorgio immediately swung into action. With the live-in nurse's help, he escorted his grandfather upstairs to his bedroom and made sure he was settled and comfortable before he left.
'Giorgio,' Salvatore said from the bed just as Giorgio was about to leave, 'I want you to do something for me.'
'Anything, Nonno,' Giorgio said.
Salvatore took a breath that rattled inside his damaged lungs. 'I want you to send for Jade Sommerville, my god-daughter in London. I want to say goodbye to her before it's too late.'
Giorgio frowned. The last he had heard, the wild-child daughter of his grandfather's business associate Keith Sommerville had yet again disgraced the family name by having an affair with a married man. But Salvatore had always had a soft spot for the wilful Jade. Over the years he had always made excuses for her appalling behaviour, insisting she was damaged by the desertion of her sluttish mother at a young age. Giorgio was more of the opinion that Jade was exactly like her sleep-around mother and should be left to self-destruct, just as Harriet Sommerville had done some twenty-odd years ago. 'If that is what you wish,' he said. 'I will see if I can get her to agree to fly over for a few days.'
'Thank you…' Salvatore's breathing became even more laboured and the nurse bustled over to place an oxygen mask over his face to assist his breathing.
Giorgio moved forward to help but Salvatore waved him away, mumbling through his mask,
'Leave me now, Giorgio. I will be fine. Just make sure you contact Jade for me.'
'How is he?' Maya asked when Giorgio rejoined her back downstairs in the salone.
'Not good,' he said grimly. 'I don't think he's got as long as the doctors have said. Perhaps they were trying to give him hope, to help him remain positive.'
Maya felt a tight hand curl around her heart. 'If only he doesn't have to suffer…I couldn't bear that…'
He trailed his finger down the under curve of her cheek. 'He has morphine on demand,' he said.
'The nurse is with him twenty-four seven. It's all we can do at this stage.'
Maya didn't move away from Giorgio's closeness. She could feel his body heat and wanted to lean into him as she had done before. How wonderful it had been to feel the warm comfort of his arms around her, to pretend, even for a moment, he cared for her. 'You are a wonderful grandson, Giorgio,' she said. 'In fact you are wonderful to all of your family. I sometimes think they rely on you too much. They expect such a lot from you.' Her gaze dropped as she bit down into her bottom lip and added, 'Maybe I expected too much of you too.'
He lifted her chin with the end of his finger, locking his gaze with hers. 'I should have given you more,' he said. 'But maybe this time it will be different. It feels different, cara. I don't know about you, but it feels completely different this time around.'
Maya searched his expression for a moment. 'You mean about the baby?'
He leaned
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