The Italian's Wife

done so well for yourself-'

'What are you doing here?' Holly pressed unevenly, for every time she

looked at him she remembered the shock of

138

that fist coming into her face, the speed with which he had lost his

head and attacked her.

'Obviously, I want to see my son,' Jeff informed her.

What colour remained in Holly's face drained away. 'Why would you

suddenly want to do that?'

'A boy ought to know his father.' Jeff gave her a smug and pious smile,

relishing her bewilderment and dismay.

Nausea stirred inside Holly. 'You said you'd make me sorry I was ever

born if I told anyone that Timothy was your child. And when we needed

you, where were you? You didn't want to know-'

'Things were awkward that day-'

'Awkward? Timothy and I ended up on the streets with nowhere to go! You

didn't give two hoots about either of us. If you want to see the child

you have the nerve to call your son, when are you planning to start

paying towards his keep?' Holly demanded, her strained voice rising in

volume. 'Do you think that you can just walk in here and-?'

An arm curved round her taut spine from behind, startling her, for she

had not heard the door open, and then Rio murmured, 'It's OK, cara. I'll

deal with this.'

'I'm afraid Holly and I didn't part best friends.' Jeff grimaced, moving

forward with an insincere smile and extending his hand to Rio. 'I'm

Jeff, Timothy's father.'

'Saverio Lombardi...'

Holly was appalled when Rio shook hands with her ex-boyfriend. It felt

like a betrayal. She was equally appalled at the threat of being forced

to trust a man with Jeff's temper around Timothy. She could not even

bear to have Jeff inside their home. He brought back nothing but bad

memories and regrets.

'I've seen a solicitor. Just so that I could check out my

position,' Jeff hastened to explain. 'I'm going to ask for access visits

and apply for joint custody of my son.'

Holly's heart sank right down to her toes.

'Of course. That's your right,' Rio responded equably.

'But Rio-' Holly began, not comprehending his failure even to proffer an

argument or indeed understanding why Jeff, given that easy agreement,

should look more startled

than pleased.

'At the same time, however, any access visits would have to be

supervised,' Rio continued.

Jeff frowned at Rio. 'Supervised? Why?'

'You assaulted Holly.'

'That was an accident!' Jeff protested vehemently, but even Holly could

see that that reminder coming from Rio had severely disconcerted the

younger man.

'My lawyers already have a statement from the woman whom you were living

with at the time,' Rio told him with complete cool. 'She's quite

prepared to testify that she saw you not only attack but also threaten

Holly with further violence should she ever name you as her child's father.'

It was now Holly's turn to stare at her husband with shaken eyes, for

only then did she recall the seemingly idle questions he had asked her

in the Maldives about where she had found Jeff living when she had

finally traced him to his girlfriend's apartment.

'You've got a statement from Liza?' Jeff was flushed with incredulous rage.

'Naturally you can still apply for access to Timothy and whatever else

you like,' Rio pointed out. 'But it is only fair to tell you that I hope

to adopt Timothy and that I will fight to do so, whether you have access

or not.'

Jeff gave him a furious look of frustration. 'But I'm quite happy for

you to adopt the kid! I'm here ready to discuss a friendly arrangement

with you-'

140

'Any arrangements or agreements required will be reached through the

usual legal channels,' Rio asserted levelly.

I've had enough of this!' Jeff stormed off to the door.

'You're still Timothy's father,' Rio said quietly. 'If you want to get

to know your son I won't stand in your way.'

'Forget it!' Jeff yanked open the door, his eagerness to leave

unconcealed. 'You're welcome to the yappy little brat!'

As her ex-boyfriend departed Holly was so ashamed of the way he had

exposed his true nature that she could not meet Rio's gaze. 'Why did you

keep on telling him he could see Timothy?'

'I won't let Danby use your son to threaten you or as a bargaining chip

in some sleazy attempt to profit from the connection. But I needed to be

sure that Jeff genuinely doesn't have any interest in Timothy.'

'What you said about Jeff's girlfriend, Liza... was that a bluff?' Holly

mumbled.

'No. My lawyers do hold her statement. I felt that it was necessary to

have proof of Jeff's violence to protect you and Timothy.'

'Has Liza broken up with Jeff?' Holly was still in shock at what she had

learnt.

'Yes. I gather she caught him fooling around with one of her friends and

she was more than willing to speak up on your behalf.'

Hell hath no fury, Holly reflected in a daze.

Level dark golden eyes scanned her pale, strained face and he caught her

hands in his. 'I have to leave...I'm already running late. You look

exhausted. You should lie down for a while, cara.'

'Thanks...for sorting out Jeff,' Holly said jerkily.

'I'd have liked to do it with my fists,' Rio confided with

ashamed male regret. 'But that could have put paid to any hope of

adopting Timothy, and at the end of day Danby's not worth that risk.'

For a long time after Rio had gone Holly just sat beside Timothy's cot,

watching over her son while he slept, Rio had spiked Jeff's guns with

ease and she was very grateful, but she could not help thinking that he

had not been half so_ successful at quieting her fears about the future.

She was married to a bloke who truly believed that a rousing bout of sex

answered all ills. And why did Rio imagine that? She had let him make

love to her. And a sufficiently angry and alienated woman would have

said no.

So why hadn't she said no? What she had learnt about Rio and Christabel

had filled her with sheer panic. She loved him. She loved him so much.

Wanting to kill him only went so far when she had felt that her whole

world was under imminent danger of collapsing round her. She had started

out all right when she first confronted him but then she had got too

emotional and lost the plot.

When Rio came home she would make a more tactful and calm approach, and,

one way or another, he was going to talk about Christabel whether he

liked it or not, she swore to herself.

143

Two days later, the limousine in which Holly was travelling drew up

outside Marchmont Priory. The picturesque house was bathed in afternoon

sunshine. Climbing out of the car, Holly breathed in deep and

straightened her shoulders.

Holly had thought about calling Mrs Lombardi in advance but she had been

afraid that her offer to visit would somehow be put off. Although Rio

seemed determined to cheerfully ignore all the signs that his parent was

anything but happy at

his sudden marriage to a stranger, Holly was not

that insensitive. Naturally, Alice Lombardi would be concerned, but she

was hoping that once Rio's mother actually met her she would realise

that her new daughter-in-law was not as bad as she had feared.

She was ushered into the sunlit panelled sitting room, where a slim,

still attractive blonde in her early sixties awaited her in an upright

armchair. A closer and lengthier appraisal revealed the fine lines on