Phantom Marriage

Veronica tried not to blush. But, really, the whole family had been gushing and fussing over her all evening. She loved the attention but it was a bit overwhelming. She hoped and prayed that both Elena and Carmelina would get up and go soon. Unfortunately, the children didn’t seem at all tired, and tomorrow was Saturday, after all. Not a school day. She couldn’t claim she was wilting, either, having had a long nap this afternoon.

The beginning of a yawn took her by surprise.

‘Tired?’ Leonardo murmured in her ear.

‘No,’ she confessed with a soft sigh. ‘Not really.’

‘Good,’ he said quietly so that only she could hear. ‘I will tell everyone you have jet lag and need to go home to bed.’

Veronica was tempted, but when she turned her head and saw the devilish glint in his eye she found herself not wanting to do as he obviously wanted her to do. Not yet. As madly attractive as she found him, as fast as her heart was beating, her days of being a pushover with the opposite sex were well and truly over.

‘No,’ she said with a coolness which surprised even her. ‘No, I don’t want to do that. I’m not fond of lying.’

‘A little white lie won’t hurt anyone,’ he grumbled. Clearly, he wasn’t used to being thwarted.

‘That’s a matter of opinion,’ Veronica retorted. ‘Your mother would be offended. She’s gone to a lot of trouble with this meal.’

‘Very well, but be warned—I can’t protect you from Mamma’s never-ending questions if you stay.’

‘What was that?’ Sophia immediately jumped in. ‘Are you talking about me, Leonardo?’

‘Veronica was just complimenting you on the food, Mamma,’ he said, showing Veronica how smoothly he could lie. ‘She said you have gone to a lot of trouble.’

Sophia looked very pleased. ‘She is welcome.’

Veronica smiled at her, glad now that she had stayed. But she almost wished she’d said yes to Leonardo’s suggestion when Sophia went on to ask her a multitude of questions about her life back in Sydney, finally asking if there was a boyfriend waiting for her at home. It was a reasonable question, she supposed, but she was always reluctant to discuss her personal life. Or lack of one. It was a relief when Leonardo answered for her.

‘Not at the moment, Mamma,’ he said. ‘I asked Veronica just that earlier today and she claimed not to be lucky when it came to men. Perhaps she will be luckier now that she is an heiress,’ he added with a slight edge in his voice.

Sophia rattled off something exasperated in Italian before apologising, then returning to English. ‘I said you would not need the money to be attractive to men,’ she told Veronica.

Veronica had a feeling she’d just been lied to, as everyone else at the table exchanged knowing looks. She’d heard Leonardo’s name in there somewhere, not her own name.

‘She might be divorced,’ the precocious Bruno suddenly piped up.

An embarrassed silence settled on the table for a long moment.

‘There’s a thought,’ Leonardo muttered. ‘Are you divorced, Veronica?’

CHAPTER TWELVE

SHE BLINKED UP at him, startled, he thought, by his question.

‘Absolutely not,’ came her firm reply. ‘I’ve never been married.’

Leonardo wasn’t sure why he was relieved at this news.

Why was he so pleased to hear Veronica wasn’t in that category?

He had no idea. Neither did he wish to worry about it.

‘But you do wish to get married?’ Elena asked her.

Leonardo noticed Veronica’s hesitation to answer. But then she smiled and said, ‘Yes, of course. If I ever meet a man I can both love and trust.’

Ah, Leonardo thought. She had been burnt in the past. And burnt quite badly, by the sound of things.

‘You should marry an Italian,’ Elena continued. ‘They make very good husbands.’ And she gave Franco a loving glance.