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“Vincenzo?” She caught at his arm. He lifted his dark head.
“Sì, Signora Valsecchi? I don’t know about you, but I like the sound of it. Very much in fact.” The smoldering look he gave her melted her bones.
“That woman just called me Duchess.”
He had to sign another form. “Pay no attention,” he muttered. “It’s a defunct title now and has been for years, but some will still insist on using it to feel important.”
She refused to be put off. “You’re a duke?”
“It’s meaningless, tesora.”
Irena turned to Dino. “Do you know who your father is?”
“Sì. He is Papa!”
“No—I mean—Oh—” she moaned in frustration. Vincenzo’s low chuckle only added to it.
He finally stood up and handed the papers to Dino. “Will you run these inside to Father Rinaldo? We’ll wait for you.”
Dino nodded and dashed off. After he’d disappeared, Vincenzo pulled her into his arms. “All right. I’ll tell you this once, and then we don’t ever have to discuss it again. My father is the most recent Duke of La Spezia.”
She blinked. “So the Valsecchis were once an important family.”
“Once!” he emphasized. “At the time of my marriage to Mila, Papa was going through a cancer scare and had the title transferred to me. I couldn’t have cared less about it. Unfortunately, the news made the papers. But then he recovered. After I divorced Mila he disowned me and the title was rescinded. That’s all there is.”
Irena shook her head. “That couldn’t be all. Who was your mother?”
He studied her for a moment. “The Antonellos were a former royal family from the Ligurian region.”
“And Mila?”
“Her family came from Florence and were of lesser importance. It means absolutely nothing, Irena.”
“Except that in divorcing her, you were royally ostracized.”
He gave an elegant shrug of his shoulders. “That’s one way of putting it I suppose, but it’s history now.”
“Except that I’m a nobody.”
“That’s the beauty of it.” His eyes blazed hotter. “I’ve finally gotten my heart’s desire.”
Before she could ask him what he meant by that comment, Dino came running back. Vincenzo picked him up and gave him a hug. The two of them had a major conversation in Italian. Whatever his father told him, Dino ended up shouting for joy.
As they went out the doors of the church, Vincenzo translated for her. “I asked him if he was ready to go on our honeymoon. He said yes and wanted to know if it was a long, long way. I told him we needed to fly to get there.”
“Has he been on a plane before?”
“No. When I told him we’d be taking the Valsecchi company jet in order to reach Disneyland, you heard his answer.” “Irena? Are you sad we have to go home today?” Dino looked so cute in his Indiana Jones hat. Vincenzo had gone down to the desk to take care of the bill, leaving the two of them alone for a minute.
“Sì, but I know your mama can’t wait to see you. She’ll love the presents you bought her.”
Throughout their trip they’d made arrangements for him to call Mila every late afternoon when she’d be up and available. Their conversations weren’t long, but hearing his mother’s voice every day probably cut down on any homesickness he might be feeling.
Irena couldn’t believe that in the last two weeks she could actually understand some of his Italian and say a few phrases back, with lots of mistakes and plenty of laughs, of course. Still, they’d made a pact to speak it as much as possible and it was working. Vincenzo had told her she would learn Italian faster around his son than anyone else. It was true.
“Look!” she said to him. “We’ve had to buy two suitcases to hold all your new clothes and souvenirs!”
Her comment made him giggle as he ran around in his Indiana Jones costume. They’d bought him Indiana Jones LEGO to take home and build. Adventureland had been the biggest hit for him and they had gone there eight times, but he still couldn’t find the courage to go on the jungle cruise.
Irena let him know she was nervous on boats, too, but would go on it if he would. She thought she was making progress when he got as far as the entrance to it, but then he had backed away.
Vincenzo kissed the side of her neck. “Thanks for trying to help him.”
“Maybe I need to start with something simpler, like helping him get in a swimming pool. What if I took lessons with him? Do you think that would work?”
“Possibly. You have a special way about you.”
“It’s because I love him.”
“He can feel it. That’s why you almost talked him into it.” Almost being the operative word. In the short time they’d been together, she felt like the three of them had become a little family. “Did I tell you you’re going to be the most perfect mother? That little life inside you doesn’t know how lucky he or she is.”
She kissed the back of his hand. “He or she will adore you, too, Vincenzo.”
They’d made the Disneyland Hotel their base. Dino had slept in his father’s room containing two queen beds. Irena stayed in the adjoining room on another queen. Both she and Vincenzo had made that decision on the flight over. After their speedy wedding they felt it was important for Dino that she be eased into his father’s life in increments.
In a few minutes, Vincenzo came back with a luggage cart and they left the hotel for the airport. Later on during the flight back to Italy, Vincenzo insisted she sleep in the bedroom while he and Dino bedded down on the fold-out bed in the club section.
It was Thursday when they landed in Milan. Two weeks had been but a minute. Irena found it difficult to let Dino go. Ahead of time they’d decided she would stay on board the jet. As soon as Vincenzo delivered him to his mother, he’d come back and they’d fly on to Genoa.
Vincenzo stood at the door of the plane. Irena walked Dino toward his father and hunkered down in front of him.
“We’ll see you next Wednesday after school for your overnight with us.” Vincenzo had worked out the new parenting arrangement: every Wednesday night, three weekends a month, eight weeks in summer, every holiday shared and nightly phone calls just before his son’s bedtime.
Dino nodded. Tears filled those brown eyes, but he didn’t let them fall. “I’ll bring my new Indiana Jones game.”
“Good. And this time I’m not going to fall in the snake pit.”
He giggled, causing one tear to dribble down his cheek.
“I’ll miss you, Dino,” Irena said, “While we’re apart I’ll study my Italian and you can test me. Is that a deal?”
Vincenzo helped with that word because he didn’t know it. “We have to go now, son.”
“Ciao, Irena.” He followed his father out the door and down the steps to the tarmac. The steward joined them with all his luggage.
Irena walked back to the club section. Before she could even sit down, she dissolved into tears for Vincenzo and Dino, for Mila, for herself.
Years down the road she might have to face partings like this with her own child. Vincenzo had to do it all the time, already. How would he feel if the baby she carried was Andreas’s? Would he feel the pull as much? Irena didn’t know how he coped so well with the separation. He made a magnificent role model who was a superhero to his son. The baby just had to be Vincenzo’s!
But whilst her heart hoped, another part of her tried to accept the possibility that it was Andreas’s child she carried, because to think otherwise, the joy would be too much!
She wiped her eyes and pulled out her cell phone. It was time to stop dwelling on her own worries and ask Deline how she was doing. With both of them pregnant, they had a lot in common.
“At last!” her friend cried after picking up. “It’s been a week since you called me. Are you still on your honeymoon?”
“We’re at the tail end. I’m waiting in the plane for Vincenzo to take Dino back to his mother’s house before we fly to Genoa.” She could hear a lot of noise in the background. Children’s voices laughing and screaming. “Where are you?”
“On Milos. Leon took the day off and we flew out here until tomorrow. All the families are in or around the pool.”
“Then you can’t really talk.”
“Actually, this is the perfect time. Leon’s causing most of the havoc.”
“You’ve both needed a break. How are things between you?”
“Believe it or not, we’re doing much better. Tell me about you and Vincenzo.”
“We’ve had a wonderful time with Dino.”
“Naturally, but I’m talking about the two of you, if you know what I mean.”
Irena sucked in her breath. “We haven’t had a real wedding night yet. I guess we already had it two months ago, but didn’t realize it. Right now it’s important to make sure Dino’s secure.”
“You’ve taken on a stepson. That’s a huge responsibility.”
“True, but he’s adorable. If I’d given birth to him, I don’t think I could love him any more.”
“I believe it.” There was a silence. “And what about the baby you carry…have you thought any more about that? Andreas isn’t back from his honeymoon. Leon thinks it will be another few days at least.”
She lowered her head. “Tomorrow will be my first appointment with my new OB. She’ll draw blood for some tests. The CVS test I’m having done won’t take place for another two weeks.
“I’ve made up my mind that if it’s Andreas’s baby, I’ll tell him the truth as soon as I have the DNA result in hand. I don’t want to think about that scenario too much, but if it does happen I was hoping I could call on Leon to help. I thought he might know the best way to handle it. He and Andreas have such a bond. However if you think that’s too much pressure…”
“Not at all. He’s been where you are now. If anyone will have insight in how to break the news, it’s my husband.”
Irena almost broke the phone clutching it so tightly. “I’m so worried about Vincenzo, Deline. He doesn’t talk about it a lot, but I have a feeling he is hoping this baby is his. I’ve never wanted anything so much in my life. But I’m trying to face reality now.”
“I admire you for dealing with this situation as honestly and discreetly as you can. Now you’re married to an exciting man who has taken you on, warts and all.” Irena half laughed through the tears. “Is he still exciting?”
“You have no idea.” However, there was so much Irena hadn’t told her yet. Vincenzo had glossed over everything to do with his family background. Until she had a better understanding of why he’d dismissed his illustrious heritage and wouldn’t talk about it, she couldn’t discuss it with anyone, not even her best friend.
“Vincenzo’s so good to me, I can’t begin to tell you, but I’d better get off the phone now. He’ll be back soon. I’ll call you again before I have the test. Thank you for being the best friend on earth.”
“The feeling’s mutual.”
Chapter Six (#ulink_c272392a-b8b0-5981-a90d-55a434b72d3a)
VINCENZO BOARDED THE JET and told the captain they could take off now. He found Irena in the club section, sitting back in one of the seats with her eyes closed. Even after the long flight she still looked fresh in her two-piece yellow linen suit. She had marvelous dress sense and a glow about her from being in the Californian sun, but some of it could be attributed to the fact that she was pregnant.
He’d had two weeks to think about the possibility that the baby wasn’t his. He still found it difficult to accept and knew he would find it hard to let the baby go to its biological parent, especially after Vincenzo had been forced to go through the same experience with Dino all these years. But at this point in time he was much more concerned for Irena’s health and the baby’s.
Sometimes when he allowed himself to believe the baby was his, the joy that filled him was almost too intense. He let out a ragged breath. Two weeks from now they’d know the truth and they would deal with it. Though she’d pretended everything was fine in front of Dino, Vincenzo sensed Irena’s anxiety was growing more acute.
Unable to help himself, he walked over and kissed her exposed throat, one of her many delicious parts.
“Vincenzo—” Her eyes flew open in surprise.
“We’re about to take off. Let me help you.” He fastened the seat belt for her, then took the seat opposite her and strapped himself in.
“How did it go? Was Dino happy to be home?”
“I’m sure he was glad to see his mother, but Leo was there and it made things less natural for him.”
“After these weeks of being together, I know it will be hard on both of you to be apart. Thank goodness you only have to wait until Wednesday.”
He gave her another prolonged kiss, loving Irena for loving his son, for understanding.
They’d already taxied out to the runway and were airborne. He waited until they’d attained cruising speed before undoing his seat belt. “Can I get you anything from the galley?”
“No, thank you. I had a soda while I was waiting for you.”
He went in search of a cup of coffee. When he returned, she looked worried and gave him a searching glance. “How did Mila treat you?”
“Now that the tables have turned, she was unusually quiet.”
Irena shook her head. “Surely she knows I could never replace her in Dino’s eyes. She’s his mother! If I can be his friend, that’s all I’ll ever be.”
“There’s more to it than that, Irena.”
“What do you mean?”
“As long as Dino was our only child, Mila never worried that he wouldn’t inherit the title from my father one day.”
“You said it was defunct,” she reminded him.
“It is, but it’s still of symbolic importance to her and her family. I could see it in her eyes tonight. She’s almost apoplectic that there’s the possibility you and I will have a baby in the future. That will mean Dino won’t be the only one in line for the title and the money.”
Irena left out a hysterical sound between a laugh and cry before eyeing him steadily. “Is it an extensive fortune?”
His lips tightened. “Yes.”
“What does the Valsecchi family do?”
“Many things—investment banking, shipping, exports and manufacturing throughout eastern and western Europe. Now that my grandfather is deceased, my father, Guilio, is the CEO and oldest living member of the family.”
“Is it a big family?”
“Average. The board consists of his two brothers, my uncle Carlo and my uncle Tullio. Reporting to them are their five sons, my ex-wife’s brother and my stepbrother whom you’ve already met. Each one of them holds the position of vice president for the various departments within the business.”
