“To kill my husband,” Lucy said, clenching her hands into fists.
“What?” the girl gasped.
First a sweet old lady, now a grandfather? How many people was Maximo willing to hurt to gain control of Ferrazzi?
Lucy ground her teeth. “I’m going to get my daughter away from that liar.”
The girl’s hand grasped her shoulder. “Did I say something wrong?”
“No.” Lucy’s eyes narrowed as she looked at her husband. “You said exactly the right thing.”
Maximo stood out above the crowd, a handsome, dark giant of a man. Everyone deferred to him. Everyone admired him. He was twice as handsome as blond, slender Alex. And twice the liar.
The more handsome the man, she thought, the more selfish and cold the heart.
She’d wondered why he rescued her from the cold Chicago winter. Now she knew. Due to some chance resemblance, he meant to use her to get control of the Ferrazzi company. He thought he could trick people into believing she was that poor missing baby. People like the gullible, heartbroken old nurse. Like the baby’s grandfather, who must have suffered unimaginable grief. When they discovered the truth, it would be like losing that baby all over again.
But what did her husband care about that, so long as he got what he wanted?
Maximo met her gaze over the crowd and gave her a sensual smile. It made her shiver—and she stiffened her spine. If he thought that he could seduce her into silence with his dangerously sexy charm—if he thought he could buy her integrity with his power and wealth, he was dead wrong…
He was wrong, wasn’t he?
Lucy took a deep breath. Of course he was wrong. She’d consented to sell three months of her time. For her daughter’s sake, she might be willing to do more. She didn’t care about her own life. Just Chloe’s. For her daughter, she would sacrifice anything—even her own life.
But hurting innocent people? To benefit her own child? That was entirely different. That was evil. Lucy wasn’t such a monster.
Some things were more important than financial security. Her own mother had taught her that.
Lucy took a deep breath. “I’m going to go tell everyone that their prince is a big fat liar.”
“No! You can’t!”
Lucy straightened her shoulders. “Look, I’m sure you’re in love with him just like every other woman in the world, but the truth is—”
“I’m not his mistress!” the girl exclaimed, sounding insulted. “I’m Amelia, his cousin. But I do love him. Maximo has always taken care of me and my mother. I don’t know why you’re so angry, but you must at least give him the respect of speaking with him in private! It’s your duty as his wife!”
“My duty as his wife!” Lucy repeated in shock. Had they traveled to Lake Como in a time machine, and gone back to the nineteenth century?
With an expressive sweep of her hand, the Italian girl indicated the party decorations, the cake, the presents, the laughing children. “My cousin must be deeply in love with you. He will therefore forgive you—”
“Forgive me!” Lucy gasped, dumbfounded.
“But he is a proud man, and if you humiliate him in front of the whole village your marriage will never be the same. Don’t destroy your life together before it has even begun!”
Amelia’s blue eyes were pleading. She didn’t know that Lucy’s relationship with Maximo was a marriage of convenience. Sh
e actually thought that Maximo had married her for love.
Exactly what he wanted everyone to think.
Right, Lucy thought, her throat choked with bitterness and hurt. As if he’d ever be vulnerable that way in a million years.
But looking around at all the bright eyes of the villagers, hearing the happy laughter of the children, she took a deep breath. She would restrain herself for their sakes, not his. “Fine,” she ground out. “But you can’t expect me to just stand here while he’s telling these lies—”
“Let me take you on a tour of the villa,” Amelia suggested brightly. “I’ll get your baby.”
But a minute later, when she placed a squirming Chloe in Lucy’s arms, the baby didn’t seem entirely happy about it. She kept peeking over Lucy’s shoulder, reaching her pudgy arms toward Maximo, whimpering and shaking her hippo in his direction.