AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Thank you.”
She sipped it and let out a small sound of gratitude. One of the case-workers assigned to her over her foster-home years had always believed that a cup of tea could solve the world’s problems. As Jane sipped hers, she rather thought the woman had a point.
“I owe you an apology,” Carlo surprised her by saying. He took the seat next to her, but was careful not to touch her.
Jane sipped her tea, and was equally at pains to avoid making eye contact.
“You had every right to live your life, when we divorced. Whether you slept with Roger, or ten Rogers, is your prerogative. I cannot help being jealous as all hell, but I cannot blame you.”
“I don’t want to talk about ‘us’ anymore.” She bit down on her lip and wished it were true. “That man… that man in the square… he said…”
Carlo nodded. “I’m getting to that. I need to go in order, okay?”
Jane frowned, curiosity making her silent. Finally she nodded.
“You make me feel things I never knew possible. The jealousy I experienced, at the thought of you with another man, was… crippling.”
Jane stared at her tea, but an angry button in her was being pressed. “You want to talk about jealousy? Our marriage gave me a crash course in it. I now consider myself a world expert.”
He grimaced. “I have already told you that I ignored you. I am aware that I handled our… situation badly.”
She rolled her eyes, in a childish gesture of annoyance. “Our situation? Don’t you mean our marriage? You were my husband and I loved you with all my stupid, inexperienced heart.”
Carlo’s own heart turned over. “I know.”
She took another sip of her tea, and continued to stare at the floor.
“Until I met you, Jane, I didn’t know such goodness existed in the world.”
Jane bit down on her lower lip, refusing to be swayed by his lavish compliments. She knew that he had found her virtuous and unsullied in an increasingly cynical world. That did nothing to justify his behaviour towards her.
“I needed to marry you. To capture your beautiful sweetness; and to protect it.” He reached into the pocket of his shirt and pulled out some folded paper. “It never occurred to me that in marrying you, I was exposing you to the greatest risk of all.”
She placed her teacup carefully down on the table before them.
“You told me you were an orphan.”
He nodded gravely. “I lied.”
“Why?”
Carlo wanted to touch her hand. In fact, he needed her to reassure him, but he didn’t know how to ask for it. So he sat back on the sofa, and eyed her watchfully. “I ran away from home when I was twelve years old. The day after I discovered my father’s place in the world of criminal enterprise. The extent of his involvement is gruesome and shameful.” He hesitated for a minute, then continued. “I didn’t want to risk you knowing the truth about him.”
“Why? Did you think it would have changed how I felt about you?”
Carlo’s laugh was uncomfortable. She had perfectly intuited his greatest fear. “I am the son of a murderer. My father runs a profitable organised crime network. That blood runs through my veins. Those impulses are here, in me.”
“What?” Now, Jane couldn’t help but turn in her seat and stare at him. “That’s ridiculous.”
“All our traits come from somewhere. I am very like him, Jane.”
She dipped her head forward. “You are as black and white as they come. Your moralism is perfection. You are nothing like your father.”
“You don’t know…”
“I know you.” She interrupted with an angry hiss. “I know you would never hurt someone. Certainly not for profit. You ran away as a twelve year old because the idea of what he did for a living was so repulsive to you that you couldn’t live with him anymore. Life is not about who you are, it’s about the choices you make.”
He was only half-listening. “I couldn’t escape it, in the end. I changed my name, and never attempted to return to that life. But it wasn’t enough. My father is a very powerful man, and there are many people prepared to go to great lengths to get at him.”
