Italian Tycoon, Secret Son

CHAPTER TWELVE

‘WHY now?’ Renzo asked desperately.

They were at home. He’d told the sad news of Bruno’s death to the household, then retreated to be alone with Mandy.

‘He’d lived this long,’ Renzo mourned. ‘Why did he have to die when the future was looking so happy?’

‘I think that may have been why,’ Mandy said with a sigh. ‘He was worried about you. Then he found that you had something to look forward to. That gave him peace, and he didn’t have to worry any more.’

Renzo sighed. ‘I know you’re right. He as good as told me that when you were out of the room. I just wish we could have gone back and told him that our marriage was settled.’

‘So do I, but we didn’t really need to.’

‘Let’s make it soon,’ he said suddenly. ‘We’ve been engaged for two years, and that’s more than enough.’

‘Engaged for two years,’ she said, smiling.

‘We’ve belonged to each other since those first two nights. Haven’t we?’

‘Yes, we have,’ she said, reaching for him.

Sue, coming into the room five minutes later, backed hurriedly out without being seen.

She was staying for the wedding, helping the bridal preparations and taking care of Danny while Mandy put in some work for Ferrini. Her new employer had shown a large-minded willingness to take a back seat, and Mandy rewarded him by discovering a new line of enquiry that sent his spirits soaring.

To help her research, Renzo had provided her with a desk in his office, complete with high-powered computer and top-speed broadband. This led to Danny’s first visit to the office, where he was welcomed by Lucia and her assistant.

Mandy relinquished him to their care with an easy mind, and Danny had no objection to being treated as a celebrity.

‘What are they doing now?’ Renzo murmured.

‘Lucia is explaining about the Internet,’ Mandy replied. ‘It’s all new to him. I hadn’t got around to that yet.’

‘But he’s only fifteen months old. At that age all I cared about was eating.’

‘They didn’t have the Internet in those days. It’s a new dawn, Renzo, but don’t worry. Danny will explain it to you.’

He grinned. ‘Kind of him.’

‘Lucia,’ Mandy said suddenly, ‘don’t let him climb on the desk.’

But Danny had wriggled out of Lucia’s arms and mounted the desk with a little crow of triumph, flailing his arms madly at the machines. Lucia reached for him but she was too late by a split second. The next moment there was a noise that shook the building as the state-of-the-art computer crashed to the floor.

For a moment everyone froze, picturing the mayhem that must have occurred within the shell. Then Danny let out a wail and tried to struggle free of Lucia’s protective arms. Mandy hastened towards him, but Renzo forestalled her.

‘Give him to me,’ he said, lifting Danny clear. ‘He’s just alarmed by the noise. He’ll be all right when he’s away from it.’

He walked out into the courtyard and settled on a bench in the sun. Mandy, following quickly, heard him talking earnestly in Italian.

‘It’s nothing to fear-I’m holding you.’

‘He’s nervous of loud noises,’ Mandy told him. ‘Ever since a boiler exploded in our building.’

‘I don’t care for explosions myself,’ Renzo observed. To Danny he said, ‘But noise is just noise. It can’t hurt you. Here-’

He offered his hand and Danny grasped it. His eyes were fixed on his father’s face and he was growing calmer.

‘You see?’ Renzo said. ‘We just hold on to each other.’

‘Pesce,’ Danny replied.

‘Sí. Signor Pesce is here.’

Danny grunted.

Mandy backed away, knowing that she wasn’t needed here. Returning to the office, she found Lucia frantic.

‘It was a new machine,’ she wailed. ‘It’s smashed inside. Is he very angry?’

‘He’s not angry at all,’ Mandy said.

‘He must be,’ Lucia protested. ‘He gets so upset if anything goes wrong. You don’t know what he’s like.’

‘Oh, yes, I do,’ Mandy said softly.

‘Heavens, he’s coming.’ Lucia was scrabbling around on the floor.

‘Leave it,’ Renzo said from the window. ‘I doubt it can be repaired. I’m sure you’ve backed everything up. If not, we’ll just have to do it again.’

‘But it’s brand-new,’ Lucia said in a cautious voice, as though suspecting that this was an impostor with Renzo’s face. ‘Everything up to date-it cost a fortune.’

Renzo shrugged. ‘Get onto the insurance.’ He gave a wry grimace at his son. ‘I’m going to seem like a fool when I tell them who did it, aren’t I?’

Danny looked up at him, and suddenly Mandy gave a choke of laughter.

‘I could swear he nodded,’ she said.

‘Of course he did,’ Renzo said proudly. ‘My son’s going to have bella figura. You can always tell. Now, let’s get him out of here before he puts me out of business.’

Mandy followed him out, just glancing back for a moment to relish the astonished look on Lucia’s face.

In the hall courtyard they found Sue, dressed to go out on a joint shopping expedition.

‘Are we taking Danny with us?’ she asked.

‘What do you want to do?’ Renzo asked Danny. ‘Go trailing round shops or stay here with me?’

‘Pesce,’ Danny declared.

‘You’ve had your answer, ladies. Have fun.’

They did have fun, so much so that they stayed out longer than they meant to and got caught in a traffic jam on the way home, arriving late. Renzo greeted them cordially but there was a edginess in his manner that puzzled Mandy. It was a fleeting reminder of the tense, uneasy man he’d been when she’d first arrived.

When Sue had gone upstairs she asked, ‘Is something wrong?’

‘No,’ he said in a slightly forced way.

‘Tell me.’

He gave an unconvincing shrug, and tried to speak lightly. ‘I thought you’d be here hours ago. I looked for you-’

Going through room after room, finding them all empty.

Mandy groaned silently as she understood how she’d accidentally roused his demons.

‘I’m sorry, I should have called. Why didn’t you call me? I had my phone.’

‘I didn’t want you to feel that I was tracking your every movement, being suffocatingly possessive.’ He gave a slightly strained laugh. ‘Not until I’ve got you safely married. Then you might get a shock at how possessive I am.’

‘But, since I belong to you completely, what is there to be possessive about?’ she asked tenderly. ‘Oh, you dear fool.’

‘Yes, I’m a fool. I knew you were coming home; it’s just that-’ he gave a self-mocking shrug ‘-I don’t like it when you’re not there. Neither does Danny.’

‘I knew he’d be all right with you.’

‘But you’re the one he wants, and the one I want. He and I are agreed on that.’

She kissed him. ‘I’m going to have to be careful if my menfolk are in such perfect accord. In no time at all you’ll be ganging up on me.’

Renzo nodded. ‘You’d better believe it.’

He led her into the living room and closed the door.

‘I need to tell you something,’ he said. ‘I’ve read Nonno’s will and it came as a shock. He’s left every penny to me, not to my mother.’

‘Teresa told me he was angry with her for leaving you.’

‘Even so, she has three other children who should be considered. I don’t think I can accept all of it. I thought I’d take his share of the business, and some of the money for Danny. Nonno would have wanted that. The rest can be divided between her and her children.’

‘That sounds like a good idea.’

‘You agree?’

‘But it has nothing to do with me.’

‘If you’re going to be my wife, it has everything to do with you. I’m giving away money that I could have spent on you, decking you with diamonds.’

‘I don’t like diamonds. Too cold. Let them have it.’

‘Wait till you hear how much it is before you give it away.’

He told her the figure.

‘How much?’

‘I knew he was rich, but not that rich,’ Renzo said. ‘Do you want to change your mind?’

‘No, I still think your idea is best.’

‘So I have your permission?’ he asked with an air of submissiveness that made her lips twitch.

‘I’ll thump you one in a minute,’ she threatened.

‘Nothing changes. Those were almost the first words you spoke to me.’

‘And they’ll probably be the last,’ she predicted. ‘Fifty years on, I’ll still be trying to keep you in line, still with no success.’

‘I don’t like the idea of fifty years,’ he said.

‘Too much?’

‘Too little. I want at least seventy.’

‘And you’ll probably get your way, then as always.’

After a moment she asked cautiously, ‘What about your mother? Will she come over for her father’s funeral, or our wedding?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘Have you spoken to her?’

‘I called her in Australia to tell her of his death, and then again yesterday to give her the date of the funeral. Both times I found myself talking to her husband. He promised to pass the messages on, but I’ve heard nothing. Now I’ve agreed matters with you I’ll call the lawyer and tell him what we’ve decided. Then he can let her know.’

The lawyer arrived without warning the next day.

‘I’ve had your mother on the phone, demanding to know how much she’d inherited,’ he said distractedly.

‘How did she react when you told her?’ Renzo asked wryly.

‘Blasted my ear off.’ He rubbed his ear as though he could still hear the shrill rant. ‘I told her how you were going to share out the money and she just screamed louder. She says it’s hers by right and she wants it all.

‘I explained that if she challenged the will it would cause delays. She called you a few choice names, then slammed the phone down. I don’t think she’ll give any more trouble.’

‘Fine, I’ll leave it all to you,’ Renzo said. ‘Then please draw up the paperwork putting Danny’s share in trust until he’s older.’

‘With yourself as the trustee, presumably?’

‘Jointly with his mother,’ Renzo said.

When they were alone he glanced up at Mandy.

‘All I feel is pity for her,’ he said. ‘She could have met Danny, her first grandchild. If she’d loved Nonno, she’d have been happy to see that Danny is so much like him.

‘As it is, she’s missing so much happiness and she’ll never know. Let her go. And don’t worry about me. She has no power over me of any kind.’ He dropped his voice to add quietly, ‘Only one person has that power, and she may use it as she likes.’

Bruno’s funeral took place three days later in a church packed with everyone who had known him and loved him in earlier days. The only notable exception was his daughter, who neither came nor sent a message.

The wedding was scheduled for two days later. Ferrini, who had friends in high places, pulled strings to get it scheduled so fast. Teresa had hysterics at the thought of devising a wedding feast so soon after cooking the funeral meats, but was clearly enjoying the challenge.

‘She’s very superstitious about us seeing each other before the wedding tomorrow,’ Renzo told Mandy that night as they stood at the window, looking at the moon.

‘She’d be even more superstitious if she could see you here in my room,’ she said.

‘Shall I go? I only want to do what’s right.’

‘You don’t mean a word of that,’ she said indignantly. ‘You’re just trying to wind me up.’

‘I can’t fool you, can I?’

‘You’d better believe it. Are you sure you aren’t having second thoughts? Does any man really want a wife who knows him that well?’

Renzo’s fingertips briefly lingered on her face. ‘He does if he has any sense.’

‘Be warned. I’m a lioness with sharp claws.’

‘Not a lioness,’ he said softly. ‘A little cat.’

There was a joyful contentment in his voice, and her heart lifted.

‘Beware,’ she teased. ‘I’ll lead you a merry dance.’

‘I’m sure of it. I might lead you one.’

‘That’s something that’s not going to change. You always were the most infuriating man I’d ever met, and you always will be.’ She brightened. ‘But at least you’ll never be boring.’

‘We’ll fight,’ he agreed with satisfaction. ‘And I’ll let you win, like I always did.’

‘Let me-You cheeky-’

‘Why don’t we stop wasting time?’ he said, taking her into his arms.

It was going to be a simple wedding. The bride, wearing a dress of ivory satin, would travel to the church accompanied by her bridesmaid, Sue, and Danny. An old friend of Renzo’s was to give the bride away, and Ferrini would be the best man.

Teresa was still worrying because the bride and groom were together before the wedding. ‘It’s bad luck,’ she protested.

But Renzo resisted her attempts to make him hide in another room.

‘We’ve already had all our bad luck,’ he said. ‘No misfortune can befall us now.’

As he said it he gave Mandy a smile that reached across great distances of space and time to a world where only they existed. Teresa saw it and was silenced.

‘It’s time for the groom and me to depart,’ Ferrini said, winking at Mandy, who winked back.

‘What’s going on?’ Renzo asked, looking from one to the other.

‘He’s reassuring me that our little plan is going to work out all right,’ Mandy told him.

‘What little plan?’

‘Wait and see.’

‘Do you know about this plan?’ Renzo asked Sue, receiving a nod in return. ‘But you’re not going to tell me, are you?’

‘She threatened me with dire retribution if I did,’ Sue said mischievously.

With that he had to be content.

As he left for the church Mandy watched him until the last minute. Then it was time for the next car, with all the staff. Finally the best man handed her and Sue into the car, and they made the journey to the church with Danny sitting on Sue’s lap.

As she headed down the aisle she saw Renzo standing before the altar. He was looking back in her direction, relaxing when he could see her.

As she came close, he reached out to her, taking her hand in his own, smiling into her eyes. The priest appeared and the wedding began.

Everything proceeded without a hitch until they came to the exchange of rings.

This was the moment when the plan that she, Sue and Ferrini had hatched together should be put into effect. Ferrini should have handed the rings to Renzo. Instead, he put them into Danny’s plump little hand and stood back to let Sue, holding Danny, move closer to Renzo.

He smiled, understanding, and reached to take the rings from his son. But Danny had his own ideas and refused to let them go. When Renzo tried to ease them away, he found a finger poked into his eye.

‘Ow,’ he said softly, rubbing the affected part.

‘He didn’t mean it,’ Mandy said quickly.

‘Leave it to us,’ Renzo told her. ‘This is between men.’

He confronted his son, who confronted him back.

‘So it’s going to be like that, is it?’ he asked and, to Mandy’s delight, a broad smile spread across his face. ‘You’re going to be trouble, aren’t you?’

Danny nodded.

‘Good for you,’ Renzo said. ‘Now, can I have them, please?’

Danny considered, then handed them over, at the same time sticking out his tongue defiantly. Renzo promptly returned the compliment.

The priest coughed.

‘Sorry, Father,’ Renzo said self-consciously.

Mandy smiled with relief that the little plan had worked better than she’d dared to hope. But now she found that Renzo, in his turn, had a surprise for her. As he slid the ring onto her finger he spoke words that had never been said in any marriage service before.

‘Take this ring, whose circle is a symbol of never ending love. Our love began with the approach of death, but it lived, as it will always live, and will last for ever. I belonged to you then, I belong to you now. I will always belong to you.’

She had to pause for a moment to choke back her tears, before managing to say, ‘I have belonged to you from the first moment, though it took me a little time to understand it. But, when I did understand, I knew that there was no going back.’ She paused for a moment before repeating to him the words he’d spoken to her in what might have been their last hours. ‘You are everything to me, and you will be everything, for however long we have-and afterwards.’

He nodded, showing that he remembered. Then he kissed her before the whole congregation.

She recalled little about the rest of the service. She only knew that now she was his wife, a part of him as he was part of her, as fate had always meant her to be.

By the time they left the church the solemn mood had lightened. Looking at the photographs afterwards, she saw Renzo and herself, alight with triumph at having ‘held hands and jumped’ together. His smile was the one she’d seen two years earlier and hadn’t dared hope ever to see again.

The best picture of all showed Renzo with his son in his arms, the two of them exchanging knowing grins.

At the reception everybody toasted everybody, accompanied by witty speeches. Teresa was toasted for producing a splendid meal. Sue was toasted, thanked and wished a pleasant journey for the next day.

But for the most important toast of all there was no speech, when Renzo silently raised his glass to his bride, unnoticed by anyone except themselves.

It seemed an age until they could be alone together, but at last everyone had gone and they lay in each other’s arms.

‘You were wonderful with Danny,’ she said, marvelling. ‘When I think how I used to worry about you two.’

‘No need. I knew we were going to be all right that night when I sat by his cot. And I knew it again today when he put his tongue out. Nonno and I used to play that game when I was a child, and suddenly there I was, playing it again. We just needed time to find each other.’

‘It’s just a pity about your mother.’

‘Forget her. She doesn’t matter any more. Only you and Danny matter. There was a time when even the thought of her was painful, as though a bleak, empty place had opened up inside me.’

His voice was suddenly filled with wonder. ‘But now it’s all gone, the darkness, the emptiness. I look into what used to be a void and I see only you-the one I love, the one I will always love.’

He took her tenderly into his arms.

‘And where you are,’ he whispered, ‘there can never be darkness.’