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One afternoon when Allegra’s ankle was feeling better they walked into the nearby hill town to shop at the market. Allegra enjoyed the simple pleasure of inspecting fat, red tomatoes and juicy melons while Rafael followed behind her, a wicker basket looped over one arm.
The ancient, cobbled streets were charming, and the view of the twisted olive trees and dusty valleys below truly magnificent.
Rafael suggested they have a picnic, and so they bought salami and bread, cheese and olives and grapes, and took it all to a stretch of grass overlooking the valley.
‘This is wonderful,’ Allegra said as she stretched out on the grass and Rafael fed her bread and cheese.
‘As long as you don’t get sunburned.’
‘Don’t fuss,’ she chided gently, because she knew Rafael was trying, and it tugged at his heart. At moments like this, with everything relaxed between them and the sun shining benevolently above, she felt a marriage between them could work. Maybe it could even be wonderful.
Was she falling in love with him?
The question reverberated through her. When Rafael was kind and gentle and tender, she felt it would be easy to fall in love with him. Easy and amazing. But what if he changed? He had before, and she didn’t know whether she could trust him yet. More and more she realised there were reasons Rafael acted the way he did—reasons he hadn’t shared with her yet. Although they’d talked about many innocuous things, he hadn’t spoken again of his family, and she hadn’t asked.
Now, lying on the grass, feeling sleepy and secure, she decided to broach the topic. ‘Rafael...what happened between your father and mine?’
Rafael tensed, his gaze turning guarded. ‘Why are you asking that now?’
‘Because it seems important. And because the more time we spend with each other, the more I want to have no secrets, no hidden things.’
Rafael was silent for a long moment. ‘And if you don’t like the answer?’ he finally said, his voice toneless, his gaze shuttered.
Allegra felt the first stirrings of unease. ‘Why wouldn’t I?’
‘Because your father treated mine unfairly. Very unfairly.’
Already she was prickling. ‘How do you know—?’
‘I know.’ His gaze was opaque as he turned to look at her. ‘But even that much is hard for you to hear.’
‘Yes...but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to hear it.’ Allegra took a deep breath. ‘I know he wasn’t perfect. Of course I know that. Look how he treated me.’
‘Yet you’re still protective of him.’
‘I never wanted to hate him.’ She looked away. ‘Maybe because I always hoped he’d come back. But he won’t now, and I want you to tell me. Please, Rafael.’ She held her breath, waiting, and finally Rafael spoke.
‘Twenty years ago our fathers were in business together.’
‘The mobile technology you mentioned.’
‘Yes. Your father provided the science, my father provided the parts. They were partners, friends.’ He paused, his expression still shuttered, although Allegra heard the emotion in his voice. Felt the tension in his body next to hers.
‘And what happened?’
‘Someone embezzled a great deal of money from the company account. Your father blamed mine.’
She searched his face, looking for clues. ‘But you don’t think it was him?’
‘I know it wasn’t,’ Rafael returned swiftly. ‘I know. But your father insisted he had it on good authority, and he let it be known my father was a cheat, even though he couldn’t prove it. No one would do business with him any longer. Within months he was ruined, and we were destitute.’
Shock sliced through her, and for a moment she struggled with what to say. How to respond. ‘That’s why you bought out the company.’
Rafael’s mouth firmed. ‘Justice was served.’
She sat up, hugging her knees, her mind still spinning. ‘Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?’
‘I didn’t know if you would believe me. And,’ Rafael admitted, ‘I didn’t want to hurt you. I knew you loved your father, even if that love was misplaced. Things didn’t feel strong enough between us...’ He paused, searching her face. ‘Do you believe me?’
