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‘Where on earth...?’ The head of housekeeping was waving her hands when she reappeared.
‘A guest asked me—’
‘Fine. The third-floor breakfasts are late.’
That was it.
No one would guess that Alicia, who just did her job, day after day after day, and was too shy with men to get to a second date, had just been almost taken by Signor Schininà.
She felt ill as she worked—too ill to eat. And so when she was given a late lunch she hid in one of the linen cupboards on the sixth floor and sat on a bench there, trying to breathe, her elbows on her knees and her fists clenched at her temples.
For all her planning there were things that she hadn’t considered. That her feelings might remain. That she might jeopardise her job. Might cross the room and move directly into his arms, as easily and as readily as that.
How was it possible that he could lure her so easily? His betrayal had once almost broken her.
She buried her face in a towel and tried to dilute that, to tell herself that it hadn’t been that bad—except it really had been.
Dante had returned to Trebordi for his mother’s funeral. The briefest of visits—one night, maybe two. Conversation, kisses, solace, grief...all building to something precious. Or at least she’d thought it had been precious.
Until nine months later.
Alicia felt as if Sister Angelique was standing over her in the linen cupboard now, as she had in the early hours of that morning. She’d been summoned out of bed and had stood there bemused when accused of using the baby door.
And then she’d been ushered into the nursery, where she sometimes worked when there was a baby left.
It was his baby. Right down to his toes. She’d been able to see that—and so, too, had Sister Angelique.
‘He must have been busy in the short while he was back.’
Alicia’s thoughts had been too jumbled for her to get the implication at first as she’d looked at the babe.
‘It would seem you’re not so special after all.’
Clearly not.
She’d been left holding Dante’s baby.
Just not hers.
For close to two years now she had sought an audience with Dante.
No more.
Whatever game she had started, all Alicia wanted was for it to end, and she was grateful when her long shift finally finished.
Physically weary and emotionally drained, Alicia pulled on her dress and sandals and removed the tie from her thick black hair, but had no energy even to comb it.
Walking out of the staff entrance, she made her way along the road she had come that morning, when there had still been hope, but there were new troubles she was dealing with now.
‘Alicia!’
The low sound of his voice, while not a complete surprise, still made her jump. Alicia briefly closed her eyes and took a breath to gather herself before turning around.
‘Dante.’ She could barely look at him. She couldn’t bear to take in the beauty of him in a suit, for it was a cruel reminder of the day he had taken a whole lot more than her heart.
‘We need to talk,’ he told her.
‘We really don’t.’ She went to walk off, but he reached for her arm and pulled her back, turning her around to face him.
