pressing any food on him, which was also odd. For some reason she always assumed Michelle never fed him properly and she must be thinking he’d just come from his fiancée’s apartment.
“I thought the wedding went off very well last night,” his grandmother commented while they waited for the coffee.
“Yes,” he agreed. To him it seemed like a lifetime ago—a blur he didn’t even want to remember.
“Antonio made a fine speech.”
He nodded, belatedly remarking, “He enjoys entertaining an audience.”
Tony was an extrovert, always fun company. Alex sometimes wished he had his younger brother’s bright joie de vivre, his ability to simply let go and move with the flow. You try to keep control of too much, Alex, Tony often teased him, but control had gone right out the door last night.
“And my new find—Gina Terlizzi—sang beautifully,” his grandmother went on.
“I thought so, too,” he muttered, turning his gaze to the view, not wanting his grandmother to see how deeply her protégée affected him.
Her ensuing silence gave him the strong impression that she knew and was waiting for him to comment further. Of course she had seen him sweep Gina into dancing with him and probably watched their exit from the ballroom. Not exactly the action of a disinterested man. But she couldn’t know what else had transpired between them.
Certainly he had to inform his grandmother that his wedding was now cancelled, releasing the date for a booking by some other couple. There was no possibility of any reconnection with Michelle. Even without the attraction to Gina, no way would he reconsider marriage to a woman who could be so blithely unfaithful.
Which brought him straight back to the impression Gina must have taken away with her—of him having cheated on his fiancée. It was intolerable. Never mind that the desire which had exploded between them last night had been mutual. He’d pushed it and taken what he wanted without clearing the way first.
Rosita returned with freshly percolated coffee and the accompaniments. He turned to smile his thanks but the smile wasn’t returned. She seemed to evade looking at him, busily laying everything out on the table. It was not like the usually voluble Rosita to remain silent, and skipping out of the room the moment she was done.
Something was very wrong here. Rosita had been working at the castle since he was a boy and always had a smile for him. Alex directed a quick searching look at his grandmother. Her eyes were half veiled as she poured out the coffee, her facial expression giving nothing away. It struck Alex she appeared too calm, too composed, which was invariably her manner when faced with trouble.
“What’s the problem, Nonna?”
She finished pouring, set the coffeepot down, then met his probing gaze with a very sharp directness. “You are the problem, Alessandro,” she stated unequivocally.
He realised instantly that they knew—both Rosita and his grandmother knew he’d slept with Gina. Damage control leapt to the fore.
“I’m sorry you are distressed by my actions. I’ll redress any problems I’ve caused very shortly,” he promised.
“And just how do you propose to correct the situation?” came the pointed demand, her eyes biting with reproof. “I might remind you...”
“I broke my engagement to Michelle last night,” he interjected. “As soon as the wedding was over. The parting was decisive before I came home.”
Her eyes flashed some other strong feeling before she sat back with an air of relief. “It is good to know you have not acted entirely dishonourably.”
“Nonna, I assure you...”
“Let me put it quite plainly, Alessandro,” she interrupted, determination blazing at him. “Gina Terlizzi was my guest. She was entitled to the safe privacy of the suite given to her and her son. I do not believe for one moment that she invited you into it. Her hasty departure early this morning speaks volumes to me... if not to you.
“I thought the wedding went off very well last night,” his grandmother commented while they waited for the coffee.
“Yes,” he agreed. To him it seemed like a lifetime ago—a blur he didn’t even want to remember.
“Antonio made a fine speech.”
He nodded, belatedly remarking, “He enjoys entertaining an audience.”
Tony was an extrovert, always fun company. Alex sometimes wished he had his younger brother’s bright joie de vivre, his ability to simply let go and move with the flow. You try to keep control of too much, Alex, Tony often teased him, but control had gone right out the door last night.
“And my new find—Gina Terlizzi—sang beautifully,” his grandmother went on.
“I thought so, too,” he muttered, turning his gaze to the view, not wanting his grandmother to see how deeply her protégée affected him.
Her ensuing silence gave him the strong impression that she knew and was waiting for him to comment further. Of course she had seen him sweep Gina into dancing with him and probably watched their exit from the ballroom. Not exactly the action of a disinterested man. But she couldn’t know what else had transpired between them.
Certainly he had to inform his grandmother that his wedding was now cancelled, releasing the date for a booking by some other couple. There was no possibility of any reconnection with Michelle. Even without the attraction to Gina, no way would he reconsider marriage to a woman who could be so blithely unfaithful.
Which brought him straight back to the impression Gina must have taken away with her—of him having cheated on his fiancée. It was intolerable. Never mind that the desire which had exploded between them last night had been mutual. He’d pushed it and taken what he wanted without clearing the way first.
Rosita returned with freshly percolated coffee and the accompaniments. He turned to smile his thanks but the smile wasn’t returned. She seemed to evade looking at him, busily laying everything out on the table. It was not like the usually voluble Rosita to remain silent, and skipping out of the room the moment she was done.
Something was very wrong here. Rosita had been working at the castle since he was a boy and always had a smile for him. Alex directed a quick searching look at his grandmother. Her eyes were half veiled as she poured out the coffee, her facial expression giving nothing away. It struck Alex she appeared too calm, too composed, which was invariably her manner when faced with trouble.
“What’s the problem, Nonna?”
She finished pouring, set the coffeepot down, then met his probing gaze with a very sharp directness. “You are the problem, Alessandro,” she stated unequivocally.
He realised instantly that they knew—both Rosita and his grandmother knew he’d slept with Gina. Damage control leapt to the fore.
“I’m sorry you are distressed by my actions. I’ll redress any problems I’ve caused very shortly,” he promised.
“And just how do you propose to correct the situation?” came the pointed demand, her eyes biting with reproof. “I might remind you...”
“I broke my engagement to Michelle last night,” he interjected. “As soon as the wedding was over. The parting was decisive before I came home.”
Her eyes flashed some other strong feeling before she sat back with an air of relief. “It is good to know you have not acted entirely dishonourably.”
“Nonna, I assure you...”
“Let me put it quite plainly, Alessandro,” she interrupted, determination blazing at him. “Gina Terlizzi was my guest. She was entitled to the safe privacy of the suite given to her and her son. I do not believe for one moment that she invited you into it. Her hasty departure early this morning speaks volumes to me... if not to you.
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