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Emilia sucks in a deep breath and stands up, smiling. “No. Just the baby kicking. It hurt more than usual. I’m all right, Fran.”
“Good. Good. I wouldn’t even know how to help if you went into labor.”
“You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for. But here, feel the baby kicking.” She grabs my hand and places it on her belly. After a moment, I feel a little kick against my hand.
“That’s amazing.”
Emilia gives me a knowing look. “It really is.”
* * *
Henry arrives rightat seven for dinner. Emilia makes a big show of welcoming him inside. It’s so different from her reaction to Leo.
“I brought you these,” he says, handing me a bouquet of lilies.
“Thank you. How did you know?”
“You told me.” I remember asking him what his favorite flower was, but I never told him mine were lilies.
I frown but don’t say anything.
Emilia, with Marco at her side, usher Henry into the dining room, where a feast has been laid out. “I hope you enjoy,” she says to him.
“I’m not a picky eater.” Henry sits beside me and starts digging into the food. Compared to Leo, I’m not as aware of Henry’s presence beside me. With Leo, it’s electric. With Henry, it feels more subdued. But he’s sweet enough, so I’ll give him a chance.
“Emilia tells me,” Marco says, cutting into his steak, “that you and Francesca met at a museum the other day.”
Henry flashes me his mega-watt smile. “We did. She was admiring a painting, and I was admiring her.” I flush and duck my head.
Emilia smiles warmly at him, compared to her usual glare for Leo. “So, Henry, you know Francesca is open and ready to make a good marriage match. Why do you think you’ll be a good fit for our family?”
I almost choke on my food while Marco gives Emilia a confused look. “Moving fast there, honey,” he tells her.
“Never too fast,” she responds.
“No, it’s ok,” Henry says before taking a sip of wine. “I understand that’s how this works for you. You need someone appropriate for your sister, someone who can bolster your family’s influence.” He turns to me and takes my hand. I don’t pull away, but I don’t feel that spark I felt when Leo grabbed my hand last night. “Well, you can trust me when I say I only have the utmost respect for women, including Francesca. And you know I’m in good standing with Marco. I’d make a good addition to your family. I believe that.”
When Henry doesn’t let go of my hand, I gently pull it away. Emilia is beaming at Henry. “That’s good to hear. Marco speaks highly of you.”
Henry nods at Marco who nods back. “I appreciate that.”
“I want someone who wants to get to know me,” I blurt out before I can stop myself. Everyone at the table looks at me with surprise. With a deep breath, I continue. “I understand I have to get married someday. But I want to marry someone who likes me for me and not just what my family has to offer.”
“As you should,” Emilia says when Henry doesn’t respond.
“I like you for you,” he finally says.
“How? You don’t even know me yet.”
That draws him up short. The rest of the dinner passes by in an awkward, tense state. Once it’s done, I’m relieved. These types of things exhaust me.
But the night isn’t over yet.
Because as we’re all standing up, Leo shows up. He freezes when he spots Henry, and his gaze narrows. “What’s going on here?” he asks.
Marco walks over to him. “What are you doing here, Leo?”
“I had some news. Jerry might have spotted someone you should take a look at it.” His words are meaningless to me.
