The Scorsolini Marriage Bargain

Therese let her sister-in-law hold her, pathetically grateful for the human contact that was not motivated by a need to put on a facade for the press. “I don’t know what I’ll do if he dies,” she whispered.

She hadn’t meant to say the words and shocked herself silly doing so. She was so used to protecting her feelings, it was second nature, but her emotions were too close to the surface to be completely hidden.

“He won’t die, sweetie. Don’t talk that way.” Maggie patted Therese’s back like she was comforting a child and she felt tears slide into her eyes.

She could not remember the last time someone had acknowledged she had feelings. Had touched her to comfort her. Certainly not Claudio. He acted as if her heart was made of iron ore and twice as hard as it should be.

Her parents had never even comforted her as a child. She was supposed to hide her every fear and never admit to pain. Hence the basketball game that had led to a week in traction as payment for the folly of not expressing her pain in any way.

She pulled away from Maggie, knowing that if she didn’t, the other woman’s compassion would be her undoing. “Can we see him?”

“Tomasso is with him now. He’s sleeping, but you can look in on him.” She bit her lip. “He looks pale, but he’s doing fine. Really.”

Therese nodded and then turned to go to King Vincente’s room, not waiting to see if Claudio followed. He did, the presence of his tall frame beside her obvious to her senses even though he was not in her line of sight and was walking as silently as a Black Ops agent. There was a connection between them that she doubted divorce and the separation of an ocean and a continent could even sever…on her side anyway.

She pushed the door open to the room, quietly stepping inside.

A dim light was on behind the bed and the king lay, unmoving, his normally bronzed features the color of flour paste except for the dark, bruising circles under his eyes.

“He looks so weak.” Claudio’s voice from right beside her was hoarse with emotion.

“Yes, but he will be fine,” Tomasso said from nearby.

And Therese found herself praying, Please, Lord, let him be fine.

Tomasso moved to stand beside his brother and whisper, “You must have gotten an immediate takeoff slot at the airport to get here so quickly.”

Claudio shrugged. “It was necessary.”

“They have scheduled the surgery for tomorrow morning.”

“Marcello and Danette should be here by then.”

“Yes. Flavia as well.”

“She is coming?”

“Danette called her with the news as soon as she heard and Flavia wanted to fly out with them.”

“Will Danette be all right on the long flight?” Claudio asked with genuine concern.

Envy that made Therese feel small and mean twinged through her.

Tomasso smiled, though it wasn’t up to his usual wattage. “According to Marcello, she insists that she is pregnant, not ill. Maggie says the same.”

“Maggie is certainly ill with her pregnancy. I am surprised you let her fly over.”

Tomasso sighed, his expression a mix of emotions that hurt Therese to see because it was so obvious his wife’s distress truly mattered to him. “There was no stopping her, but I wish to take her back to the palace for some rest soon.”

“Yes.” Claudio moved a step closer to his father’s bed and reached out to touch the older man’s arm. “It is a good thing Danette’s morning sickness is not so acute.”

They were so patently not the words he was thinking that Therese felt a sudden constriction in her throat.

“He is going to be fine. Believe it, Claudio,” Tomasso said, showing he was not fooled by his brother’s comment, either.

Claudio said nothing, his attention focused entirely on his father’s still form in the bed.

Tomasso patted his brother on the shoulder and left the room.

Therese moved to stand beside Claudio and laid her hand against King Vincente’s cheek. It was warm to the touch and that gave her comfort. No matter how pale he looked, his heart was pumping life’s blood through his body. They stood that way for few minutes, both of them touching the man in the bed, but not touching each other.

Then Therese dropped her hand from King Vincente’s face and moved to the other side of the room to pray, her pleas that went Heavenward filled with an uncertain faith. Tomasso returned and whispered something to Claudio. Claudio nodded and said something back and the other man left again.

He caught her gaze. “Tomasso and Maggie are going back to the palace. He wants her to rest and she will not go without him.”

“I’m glad he’s willing to go then.”