A Dark Sicilian Secret

“Not my choice of words, but we’re both here, aren’t we?” his mother retorted, one of her elegant winged eyebrows arching higher before turning around and walking away, her thin back ramrod-straight.

Vittorio watched his mother climb the pale stone stairs before turning back to Jill. “Sounds like an interesting trip,” he said drily, eyes glinting again.

Of course he’d find his mother amusing. “It was,” she agreed, taking Joe from Vitt and giving him a kiss.

“Did she ask a lot of questions?”

“Yes.”

“Was she direct?”

“As well as rude.” She took a deep breath, shook her head. “She doesn’t like me at all.”

“She doesn’t know you.”

“Well, she certainly doesn’t think we should be together.”

“You felt the same way yesterday,” he retorted with a smile. “Now enough about my mother. Let me show you and Joseph around your new home.”

From the immense twelfth-century walls, Jillian had imagined the interior would be dark and severe. Instead the castle had the feel of an airy Mediterranean villa. Everything was light and bright, walls and upholstery and floors all finished in cool, calming shades of white, sea-foam green and ethereal blue.

Because Joe was growing tired, Vittorio kept the tour brief, but Jillian didn’t need a lot of description to be dazzled by Vitt’s home. There was a sensual beauty to his castle, a warmth that permeated the old stones, thick walls and high-ceilinged rooms.

As they climbed stairs into towers, crossed terraces to view private gardens, Jillian caught whiffs of the heady perfume from the flowering citrus groves below the castle and felt the warmth of the gentle April sunshine as it cascaded over the weathered rock walls and surfaces.

Returning to the impressive staircase, they arrived on the third floor consisting of Vitt’s suite of rooms and the newly renovated nursery for their son.

Jillian paused inside the nursery door, eyes widening at the charming ocean theme. The airy, spacious nursery had a wall of windows flooding the carpeted floor with sunshine and bright light reflected off the walls painted with fanciful fish. “You did all this for Joe?”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“I mean, it’s just so perfect….”

“Did you think I wouldn’t provide for my son?”

“No! Of course not.” She shifted Joe in her arms. “I’ve never once questioned your desire or ability to provide for Joe. I know you could give him anything.”

“As long as it’s material.”

She fell silent, realizing she’d said the wrong thing.

“Because that’s all I’m good for,” he added in the same velvet soft tone. “Money. Connections. Prestige.”

She blushed. “You’re putting words in my mouth,” she protested huskily, setting a wiggling Joe on his feet. The baby had spotted the sapphire dolphin rocking horse in the corner and was toddling fast toward the dolphin to climb on its back.

“But isn’t the money and prestige part true? You wanted me, enjoyed me, until you discovered I wasn’t your perfect prince and then you ran from me, disappearing without a word.”

“I’m sorry. Forgive me.”

“Apology not accepted.”

“Please, Vitt.”

“Please, what? This nursery has sat here empty for ten months. For ten months I searched for you, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars

hiring investigators and detectives and following up on every lead possible. For ten months I waited to meet my son.” He leaned against one of the bookcases flanking the tall paned glass windows, his strong profile silhouetted by the bright sunlight. “And every day I thought, the only reason my son isn’t here, is because you, Jill Smith, wouldn’t let him.”

She felt her face grow hot. Put like that, she was a horrible person. But he didn’t know the whole story, and as much as she wanted to tell him, she didn’t think she could. At least not yet. At least, not until she knew for a fact that she could trust him. “I am sorry, Vittorio.”