The Scorsolini Marriage Bargain

“That is a lovely thing to say and quite true besides.” Flavia smiled her approval on Tomasso and then turned to adjust the blanket covering King Vincente’s legs.

“Stop fussing, amore. I am fine.” The king reached out and brushed a finger down Flavia’s cheek. “So long as you stay with me, I am fine.”

Flavia smiled, her eyes filled with obvious love, but said nothing.

“Is this where you two announce you are getting married again?” Danette asked, her hazel eyes alight with pleased speculation.

Incredibly, Flavia blushed and sent an uncertain look at each of her sons. The king just grinned. “Yes, my children that is exactly what happens next.”

“That is wonderful! When is the wedding?” Marcello asked.

“In three month’s time…when it is safe to have a wedding night,” King Vincente replied with a roguish look at Flavia. “Though I tried to convince your mother six weeks was sufficient, she was adamant.”

A real blush now staining her cheeks, she slapped his arm gently. “We have waited more than two decades to be together that way again, we can wait a few additional weeks so my worries are set at rest.”

After that, hugs and kisses of congratulations ensued. The attention was firmly removed from Therese and Claudio, for which she was eternally grateful.

Later, she was lying awake in the dark, her mind spinning with what Flavia had implied and the strange way Claudio had been behaving. Even now, he slept facing her, his head above hers on the pillow, one hand on her shoulder, the other resting lightly on her hip and his calf slung over hers. She was wrapped up as if he was afraid she would get away.

“Explain to me how you believe a Scorsolini man in love behaves.” His deep voice coming out of the dark startled her.

“I thought you were asleep.”

“I am not.”

“Apparently.”

“So, tell me.”

“Why?”

“Please, tesoro mio, do not play games with me.”

“I’m not trying to, but I don’t understand where this is coming from.”

“You told me you were sure I did not love you because I am not the husband to you that my brothers are to the women they love. I want to know how in specific terms I have failed.”

She felt like she couldn’t breathe. “Why?”

“So I can fix it.”

“You want me to believe you love me?” she asked softly.

“Is that not obvious?”

“Maybe it should be, but no…it’s not really.”

“It is as Flavia said…you are so unused to receiving love, you do not recognize it when it is around you.”

“I want to be loved,” she admitted with a vulnerability she would never have shown him before the watershed of events in the past two weeks.

“I do love you, Therese, and one day you will know it.”

No, it wasn’t possible, but why was he saying it? Guilt could prompt a lot of things, but not a false confession of love from him. She didn’t think. “Are you saying you love me because you think you have to…are you trying to make up for something?”

“No.” That was all. A simple no. He didn’t get all offended, or cranky, or try to convince her with more words.

And there was something incredibly convincing about that simplicity.

“I…”

“You are unsure. I understand this. I did not realize I loved you when I married you. You can be forgiven for not being aware of it as well. Flavia noticed, but she also saw that I was fighting it. Porca miseria…I was so foolish, I did not even see your love for me, but I noticed when it was gone.”

“Gone?” she asked faintly, tipping her head back so she could see his face.

Or at least the shadow of it in the darkness of the room.

She could feel his gaze burning into her even though he could not see her any better in the dark than she could see him. “Yes, gone. Did you think I would not notice? I assure you, I am not quite that unobservant. The way you used to look at me as if I was all you could ever want…the way you lit up when I came into a room. It is gone.” His voice was laced with a pain she understood only too well. “I only pray that with God’s help and the advice of my family, I will be able to earn it back again.”

“You’ve asked your family…your brothers for advice…on winning my love?” she asked in total shock.

“Yes, though neither seems particularly smart on the subject.” Claudio sounded very disgruntled by that truth.

“What did they say?”

“Tomasso suggested I woo you in bed, but that is not an option and I do not want to wait until it is to convince you.”