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EPILOGUE
‘ABBY!’ MATTEO WAS very firm. ‘You don’t have to give the necklace to him. It was your mother’s.’
‘I want your grandfather to have it though.’
They were in his car, outside the Di Sione mansion, and Abby took the necklace out of its box and held it in her hands. She looked at the stunning emeralds, the colours that she had based her racing team on, only the necklace wasn’t her mother. She didn’t need jewels to remember Anette.
‘I can remember the arguments,’ Abby said with a wry smile. ‘Not the one where he gave her this, but that was what my father did time and again. As beautiful as this necklace is, there weren’t many happy memories attached for my mother. I know she’d be thrilled to make your grandfather happy. Clearly it means an awful lot to him.’
‘It does,’ Matteo said. ‘I don’t really know why.’
‘Why don’t you ask him?’
‘One day,’ Matteo said.
Except those days were running out, Matteo thought as Abby carefully placed the necklace back into its box.
‘Come on,’ Abby said.
‘You’re sure you want to do this?’ Matteo asked.
Only he wasn’t asking about the necklace this time.
‘I’m certain.’
It had been two weeks since that terrible row when they’d both thought they had lost everything.
These were different times now.
Matteo knocked and then he let them into the house he had grown up in and smiled to Alma, who was walking towards them and beaming.
‘You look beautiful,’ she said to Abby and then she looked at Matteo. ‘You’ve shaved!’
‘I have.’
‘Signor Giovanni’s all ready for you,’ Alma said. ‘He’s in the main lounge. Shall I let him know that you’re here?’
‘No.’ Matteo shook his head. ‘We’ll go straight through.’
Matteo was nervous, wondering how his grandfather would react, not just to the necklace—Abby was the first woman he had brought to his grandfather’s home.
‘Matteo...’ Giovanni went to stand but Matteo told him to save his energy and went over and kissed him on both cheeks.
‘Nonno, this is Abby...’
‘Abby Ellison,’ Giovanni said. ‘Owner of the Henley Cup. Congratulations! That was an amazing win.’
‘Thank you.’ Abby smiled and decided that she liked him.
When she had heard that Giovanni had compared Matteo to his reckless father and had caused Matteo so much pain and to doubt himself, she had been cross with the old man. Now though, she had come to understand that Giovanni had done his best with all that had been thrust upon him in what should have been his declining years.
Seven children.
Eight, if you included Nate, his son’s illegitimate child.
‘I’ve had many visitors this past couple of weeks,’ Giovanni said.
‘That’s good.’ Matteo sat down and Abby took a seat to his right and Matteo held her hand.
