Phantom Marriage

‘I need to speak to you after lunch. Alone.’

‘All right.’

About what? Veronica wondered, her stomach rolling over with sudden alarm. Nothing good, that’s for sure.

Finally, after lunch was over and all the thank-yous and goodbye hugs had taken place, Veronica looked at Elena and said, ‘Would you have the time to walk back with me, Elena? I know you must be good with technology since you do all the bookings for the hotel and I need some help with Laurence’s computer.’

Elena smiled at her inventiveness. ‘Yes, of course. Franco, would you look after the children for me?’

‘So what did you want to talk to me about?’ Veronica asked as soon as she had Elena safely alone.

Elena stopped walking. They were halfway up the stone steps.

‘Are you going to see Leonardo again?’

Veronica decided not to lie to Elena. ‘Yes. Next weekend.’

Elena frowned. ‘Here?’

‘No. We’ll meet up somewhere. Rome, possibly. Or Venice.’

‘Are you in contact by phone?’

‘He’s going to ring me tonight.’

Elena frowned. ‘Do you know where he went last night?’

‘Yes. To a charity ball in Milan.’

‘Do you know who he went with?’

Veronica stiffened. ‘No. Who?’

‘Lila Bianchi. She’s an Italian model. Very beautiful. Very sexy.’

‘He…he said he was going alone,’ Veronica choked out.

Elena stared at her, then shook her head. ‘I knew it. You are in love with him.’

‘I…’ Veronica closed her eyes against the dismay which flooded through her. She’d known all along what kind of man Leonardo was. But even she hadn’t thought he would lie to her like that.

‘Come,’ Elena said, and took her arm. ‘I will show you the photos. They are all over social media this morning.’

When they got up to the villa, Elena pulled her phone out of her pocket and brought up the photos of the ball. There were several of Leonardo with this Lila woman draped all over him. In one photo they were dancing cheek to cheek. In another, she was kissing his neck. The final straw, however, was the one of him going arm in arm with that creature into some apartment building.

Nausea swirled in Veronica’s stomach, bile rising into her throat. She swallowed, then looked away. ‘I don’t want to see any more,’ she said. ‘I’ve seen enough.’

‘I am ashamed of my brother,’ Elena said forcefully. ‘He is not worthy of you.’

‘No,’ Veronica agreed. ‘He isn’t.’

‘Are you going to see him again?’

‘No.’

‘Please don’t tell him I showed you the photos. He will be very angry with me.’

‘I won’t even mention that I have seen them. I’ll make up some excuse and tell him that I’m going home ASAP.’