Phantom Marriage

‘No,’ he denied with amazing calm. ‘Not really. I can see that you’re not lying. But you did lie to me about being on the pill, didn’t you?’

‘Not at first,’ she said with a frustrated sigh. ‘You asked me if there was any danger of a pregnancy and I told you there wasn’t. That was because I’m always very regular and I honestly thought there was no risk of conceiving that weekend. You just assumed I was on the pill and it seemed easier to let you think that.’

‘So what went wrong?’

‘I don’t know!’ she wailed, stuffing a fist against her trembling mouth and shaking her head. ‘I guess finding out about my real father upset my cycle somehow. I could hardly believe it when I was late.’

‘I see,’ he said slowly. ‘Don’t you want my baby, Veronica?’

She opened her mouth to snap that of course she didn’t. But then she shut it again. She could not keep lying to him. She just couldn’t. So she didn’t say anything.

‘I want it,’ he said softly into the silence. ‘And I want you. I love you, Veronica.’

Her eyes grew wide with shock, and the most awful hope.

Oh, Veronica, don’t fall for the ‘I love you’ ploy, she told herself sternly.

‘You’re just saying that because you want your child.’

‘I am not in the habit of lying,’ he returned. ‘Which reminds me,’ he continued before she could laugh in his face. ‘Elena told me about the photos she showed you. Of me and Lila at the ball. I didn’t lie to you, Veronica. I went to that ball alone. Lila threw herself at me as soon as I got there and it was impossible to extricate myself from her cling-on tactics without making a scene. I wouldn’t have been so tolerant if she hadn’t been hopelessly drunk and very upset over a fight with her boyfriend. She wasn’t making a serious play for me, Veronica. We’ve known each other for years and there’s nothing between us. She was just trying to make her boyfriend jealous. And it worked too. They’re back together again. I was going to tell you all about it when I rang last Sunday night but you didn’t give me the chance. If you don’t believe me, I’ll have her come down here personally so that she can explain her behaviour.’

Veronica stared at him for a long time without blinking. Could he be telling the truth? Maybe he did care for her. Maybe he even loved her. Just the hope of it sent her head into a whirlwind.

Leonardo leant over and took both her hands in his. ‘I care deeply for you, Veronica. It took me a while to accept my feelings but they are real, I assure you. When I rang you last Sunday and you said what you said, in such a cold voice, I was devastated. Because I’d arrogantly thought you cared for me back.’

‘I… I do care for you,’ she said hesitantly. ‘But…’

‘But you think I’m a playboy who is incapable of commitment and true caring.’

‘Yes…’

‘I have been a bit of a bad boy in the past, I admit. But I haven’t been all that bad for some years now. Yes, my girlfriends don’t last long. Perhaps because I didn’t fall in love with any of them. But I never cheated or treated them shoddily. If nothing else, I’ve always been a gentleman.’ And, lifting her hands to his lips, he kissed every finger gently. Reverently. Lovingly.

Veronica’s heart turned over.

His head lifted at last and he looked deep into her eyes. ‘I love you, Veronica. More than I ever thought possible. Dare I hope you love me back?’

She could not speak, her heart too full. Tears flooded her eyes. It was all too good to be true. She found it almost impossible to believe.

His sigh was heavy. ‘I see you still don’t trust me. Understandable, considering what you went through with that other unconscionable bastard. But, if you just tell me that you love me, I will move heaven and earth to prove to you that I am a man of my word.’

‘I… I do love you. But how…how do you propose to prove yourself?’ she asked, moved by his passionate declaration.

‘By not proposing marriage, for starters, even though that is my dearest wish—to have you as my wife. I have a lovely home in Milan where I think we could be very happy together. But I can see you are not ready to take that step yet. So this is what I propose instead. Your mother said I was welcome to stay at her home whenever I liked, so I will take her up on her offer. I can run my business over the Internet. I have excellent staff who are very capable. So I will come to Sydney and live there with you—without sex—until you can see first-hand and up close what kind of man I am. An honourable man who will make you a good husband and a very good father.’

‘You would do that for me?’ she choked out, overcome with emotion.

‘I would do anything for you.’

‘Oh!’ she exclaimed, sitting up and throwing her arms around his neck.

He held her close, kissing her hair and tellin

g her over and over how much he loved her.

Veronica could scarcely believe the wave of happiness that claimed her. She’d been so unhappy for so long. So cynical as well. But Leonardo had blasted that cynicism to pieces just now with his incredible offer. She wasn’t too sure about the ‘no sex’ part, but if he could do it then so could she.

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