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‘You see,’ Aurora ventured, ‘I think he might regret that day.’
‘Well, I don’t think he does.’
‘I mean, he never wanted to marry…’
Silence from Nico.
‘But now he will try to do the right thing by me. I would hate that. I think our marriage would be a terrible mistake.’ She struggled to voice the picture that danced in her mind. ‘He would come to Silibri and see us now and then…perhaps at weekends…and then return to his life. I would have a husband and Gabe a father and we would have respect in the village, and he would have his life in Roma. His stunning apartment and…’ She did not finish.
‘And?’ Nico pushed.
‘Other women.’
Her breath was held tight in her lungs as he seemed to consider it.
‘You’d be okay with that?’ Nico checked.
And because it was dark she could not see his smile. And because she was so focussed on the awful scenario that danced in her mind she did not hear the tiny tease in his words.
She missed, completely, the fact that Nico had made a joke.
‘Of course not,’ she snapped.
‘Do you love him, Aurora?’
‘Too much.’
‘Do you believe he loves you?’
‘If he does it is a very occasional love—not enough to endure a lifetime. Which is why I prefer option one.’
‘You willalwayshave option one, where he supports both you and the baby, but what of option two?’ Nico persisted. ‘What if he wants marriage and a family now? What if he has changed his mind?’
‘Perhaps he is just saying that to humour me. You see, I know for a fact he would prefer a quiet wife who would stay in the background…’
‘You know that for afact?’
‘Yes!’ Aurora said. ‘Because he told me so himself. And I’m not so good at being the type of wife he prefers. I could try to be her, though…’
‘Why would you try to be someone you’re not?’
‘Because if he makes the effort for me, then I should do the same for him.’
‘Would he want you to change?’
‘He wants serene, he wants elegant, and he wants calm and peace.’ She turned and looked at him in the darkness. ‘I could try to be all of that.’
‘You won’t last five minutes, Aurora.’
‘Watch me, Nico.’
He did.
Nico watched her sleep.
