Page 27 of The Sicilian's Defiant Maid

‘What does your star sign have to do with anything?’ He stopped typing into his phone, clearly irritated at the scant details. ‘What else?’

‘Beatrice always thought she had been left after the festival. She used to have the most terrible dreams...’

‘I mean practical stuff.’

‘She was good at languages.’

‘Did she ever find out about her family?’

‘Dante.’ She was reproachful now. ‘I had to wait till I was eighteen to be told anything. You know that.’

He did...

But they were heading back to that afternoon again, and neither was willing to go there.

‘It’s not a lot to go on, but I’ll get someone on it.’

‘Thank you.’

‘I have to go now. A happy hour meeting.’ He pulled a face. ‘I hate cocktails.’

‘I’ve always wanted to try one.’ She shook her head. ‘I’m not angling to come along.’

‘Believe me, you’d hate tonight.’

He stood, and they walked out of the restaurant and onto the busy street. It was bizarre to Alicia that it was still light.

That she’d seen him and he was going to help her.

It felt both safe and unsafe to be back in contact with Dante...to know there would be time for her to more sensibly ponder if she should tell him about Roberto...

‘You’ll need my number,’ she said.

‘No, no.’

‘In case you find out anything.’

‘Gino, my head of legal, will contact you and keep you informed.’

‘Well,he’llneed my number.’

‘I don’t want your number, Alicia,’ he said bluntly. ‘I will help you because we were once friends.’

He’d slotted her right back into the past.

‘I hope you gave your family more chances than you give old friends.’

But he was not up to taking advice. ‘Gino will be in touch,’ Dante said, and it was clear he was about to go.

Given who she was dealing with, Alicia knew it was the end of them—that she would probably never see him again.

‘Dante?’ She called after him. ‘Before you go, can I ask you something?’

He considered it for a moment, and then nodded.

There were so many things vying for the top spot on Alicia’s list of things she would like to ask. All the questions she had suppressed over the years seemed to have been unleashed by this morning’s events. But there was one that was essential.

‘If you had a child,’ she ventured tentatively, ‘would you want to know?’

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