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‘Here, let me.’

‘You’re not supposed to see me the night before the wedding.’

‘I did see you the night before the wedding. I saw a great deal of you, querida, and this is the morning of the wedding.’

She dismissed the semantics with a disdainful sniff. ‘Well, now you are here you might as well make yourself useful. I can’t fasten this.’

The brush of his fingers on her neck sent thrills of sensation through her body.

‘Stay still…done.’ He caught her and spun her around, pushing her back to inspect the dress, which had a bodice of lace with a square neck. The skirt was heavy silk and cut on the bias with a small train.

‘So, what do you think?’ she asked, swishing the skirt and waiting.

‘I think perfect—you are totally perfect.’

‘You look pretty good yourself,’ she said, suddenly feeling quite crazily shy as she admired her husband-to-be, who looked impossibly handsome in a dress suit.

‘So, how is it going out there?’

‘It’s not raining, but the buckets are in place should the heavens decide to open,’ he joked

‘Do you mind? This is my home heritage you are making fun of! And thanks to this mysterious traditional bride price, we now have a brand-new roof.’

‘I’m starting a new tradition and I’m not making fun—I love your home, it is enchanting, just like you. And according to my grandmother, who has been talking with some great-great twice-removed cousin of yours who is almost as deaf as she is, we are related about three centuries back.’

Elsie laughed. ‘Why are you here?’

‘I had to see you,’ he said simply.

‘I want to hear you say that when I am old and grey and we have been married for forty years.’

‘I will be old and grey too. Look, I have to get back. Franco will be panicking and think I have bolted.’

She nodded, her hand lingering on his arm.

He arched a brow. ‘Is something wrong?’ he asked, searching her face.

‘Well, not wrong, in fact, not wrong at all… I was going to tell you tonight, but as you’re here…’

‘Elsie,’ he said warningly, then, as his gaze dropped to her hands, protectively pressed to her flat stomach, he paused before his eyes flew back to her face.

‘Yes,’ she said in answer to the unposed question in his eyes.

He swallowed. ‘How is that possible?’ he asked hoarsely.

‘Well, they never said it was impossible, just not likely—the odds I was given were pretty remote.’

‘We beat the odds. You are sure?’

She nodded. ‘I did four tests, so pretty sure. Are you happy?’

‘Happy? I am over the bloody moon. Should you be standing, doing…?’

‘Calm down, I am fine, and if you act like this everyone will guess and I’d like this to be our secret for a little while.’

He nodded.

‘The adoption…’ They had already done all their research. ‘We still could, couldn’t we? I mean, I always wanted a big family.’

‘I have no problem with big families.’

She smiled. ‘I keep pinching myself to prove this is real.’

‘I can think of less painful and more pleasant reality checks,’ he purred.

‘Leandro…people will be waiting.’

‘Let them wait. They can’t start without us, can they?’

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