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It had been the single most distressing event of his life.
To choose a profession where you were surrounded by illness and death... He could hardly begin to comprehend the dedication and selflessness needed to do such a job.
She shrugged, but her grip on his arms tightened. ‘We send hundreds more children home healed than we lose. That more than makes up for it.’
He found himself at a loss for what to say.
Hannah had suffered the loss of the most precious person in her life—her twin—and she’d turned her grief into a force for good.
Hadn’t he known from the start that she was too good for him? He still knew it, more than ever.
‘Beth’s death broke something inside me,’ she said quietly. ‘My parents tried very hard to comfort me, but they were grieving, too, and in any case I pushed them away. Melanie was desperate to comfort me, but I pushed her away, too. Since my accident I can see how badly I’ve treated my family. I’ve kept myself apart from them. I’ve kept myself apart from everyone...until you.’
His chest tightened. ‘Your family was happy for you to isolate yourself?’
‘No.’ Her damp hair tickled his nose. ‘They weren’t happy. But what could they do about it? They couldn’t make me.’ Her voice became wistful. ‘I think I wanted them to force the issue. I was so lost but I couldn’t find the way out....’
There was so much Francesco wanted to say as her words trailed away. None of it would help.
‘You’re probably right about my phone,’ she muttered. ‘I guess I have been using it as a crutch. It’s easier for me to interact with an object than a human. At least that was the case until I met you.’
She turned her head, resting her cheek on his shoulder as she stared at him. ‘I’m so glad you’re coming to the wedding with me.’
The very mention of the W word was enough to make his stomach roil.
‘I’ve been dreading it for so long now,’ she confessed.
‘Is Beth the reason you’re so anxious about it?’ He dragged his question out. ‘Because she can’t be there?’
Her nails dug into his arms. ‘This is the first real family event we’ve had since she died.’ She placed a kiss to his neck and inhaled. ‘With you by my side, I think I can endure it without ruining Melanie’s day. The last thing I want is to spoil things for her, but I don’t think even my poker face will be able to hide my feelings.’ She swallowed. ‘It’s all feeling so raw again.’
Francesco cleared the sourness forming in his throat.
He hadn’t bargained on this. None of it was part of his plan, whereby he would see her whilst spending lots of time in London finalising the Mayfair deal, after which they would head their separate ways.
None of this was in the script.
He hadn’t for a minute imagined she would start needing him, not his self-sufficient doctor who didn’t rely on anyone but herself.
Something gripped at his chest, a kind of panic.
If it wasn’t for the tears spilling down her cheeks and the confidences she’d just entrusted him with, he would have dreamed up a good excuse not to go there and then.
But Hannah crying? In his mind there was no worse sight or sound. He would promise her anything to stop it.
* * *
Francesco slammed his phone down in fury.
The purchase agreement he’d spent months working on had been blown out of the water, with Godfrey Renfrew admitting he wanted time to ‘consider an alternative offer’.
The Mastrangelos were standing in his way.
He picked the receiver up and dialled his lawyer’s number. ‘I want you to arrange a meeting between me and Luca Mastrangelo,’ he said, his words delivered like ice picks. ‘Tell him that unless he agrees to meet tomorrow, he will only have himself to blame for the consequences.’
The second he put the phone down, his mobile rang. It was Hannah. ‘Ciao,’ he said, breathing heavily through his teeth.
‘What’s the matter?’ she asked, picking up on his tone even though she was in London and he in Palermo.
‘Nothing. I’m just busy. What can I do for you?’ Looking at the clock on his wall, he could see it was lunchtime. She must be calling him on her break.
‘I haven’t heard from you in a couple of days. I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.’ There wasn’t any accusation in her voice. All he heard was concern.
‘I’m busy, that’s all.’
