Whatever it was, it felt as though he was losing control. Again.

Sam didn’t like that feeling one little bit.

*

‘They’ve all gone.’ Sandro walked into the kitchen, a look of weariness weighing down his features. ‘I’ve locked everything up. Time for bed, I think.’

Cesca glanced up from the sink, where she was washing the plates that wouldn’t fit into the already-full dishwasher. Gabi was next to her, drying the crockery with a thin towel before gently piling them in the cupboards. ‘We’re almost done. Cesca, why don’t you go to bed now? I can finish here. You and Sandro have an early start in the morning if you want to get to the airport in time for check-in.’

Her stomach dropped at the thought of her flight home, only hours away from now. Upstairs in her bedroom, her case was packed, with only her night and travelling clothes left hanging in the closet. She glanced around the kitchen, trying not to let the tears come to her eyes. Somewhere, somehow, in the past couple of months, this Italian villa had come to feel like home.

And then there was Sam. That was way too messed up to think about.

‘Yes, please go,’ Sandro agreed, when Cesca didn’t reply. ‘We won’t be long here.’

The kitchen door opened, and Lucia Carlton walked in. Though her face was perfectly made up, there was no disguising the red rims around her eyes, or the bereft expression on her face.

‘Gabi, Sandro, I wanted to thank you.’ Her eyes alighted on Cesca. ‘And you, too, Cesca. Thank you for all you did tonight. I don’t just mean the party either. Sandro, thank you for helping Sam with my husband. I know it can’t have been pleasant.’

Cesca had never seen anybody look so awkward. Her heart went out to the beautiful Italian lady, standing in the middle of the kitchen and wringing her hands.

‘It’s always my pleasure to help,’ Sandro murmured.

‘We’d do anything for your family, you know that, Signora Carlton.’

Lucia nodded, her lips thin with worry. ‘And I can count on your discretion?’ she asked. ‘If word got out that Foster was like that. Or if people starting gossiping about the nonsense he’d been saying . . . we’d all be so embarrassed.’

‘We would never talk to anybody about this. What happens here remains here, I promise you that,’ Gabi said, looking downwards. ‘Is there anything we can do to help you with Signor Carlton this evening?’

‘I think we’ll leave in him the downstairs guest room. Thank you for making it up so quickly, Gabi. I don’t want to move him when he’s still so very intoxicated, but I’ll stay with him tonight to make sure he doesn’t get any worse.’ She didn’t look at all happy at that prospect. ‘Cesca, you’re leaving tomorrow, is that right?’

‘I . . . I think so.’

‘That’s for the best. We’ll be leaving ourselves as soon as Foster’s feeling better. And I’m absolutely certain Sam will be on his way to LA as soon as he can get on the next flight.’

Was it possible for Cesca to feel any worse than she already did?

‘Sandro will drive her first thing in the morning.’ Gabi smiled reassuringly. ‘And of course you can count on our complete discretion, can’t she, Cesca?’

‘Of course,’ Cesca agreed, her face red. ‘I wouldn’t talk to anybody about this. I promise.’

Lucia sighed. ‘Thank you all, you don’t know how much of a relief that is to me . . . well, to all of us, really. My husband said some terrible things, and a lot of them weren’t true. I hope he didn’t say too much when you were helping him up from the beach, Sandro?’

‘He said nothing at all,’ Sandro replied. ‘He was pretty much unconscious. Sam and I had to practically carry him all the way to the villa.’

Cesca hadn’t seen that, she’d been too busy with the guests, taking over while Sandro and Gabi were helping the family. They’d all been engaged in damage control by that point. Her heart ached for Sam having to see his stepfather like that. And though she had no idea what Foster had said to him, Sam had told her enough about the man to know it hadn’t been pleasant. What a mess everything had become.

‘I’ll say good night, then,’ Lucia said, filling a glass with ice cold water. ‘Have a safe journey home, Cesca. I’ll see you tomorrow, Gabi and Sandro.’

With that she left the kitchen, pulling the door gently closed behind her.

This time, when Gabi suggested Cesca go to bed, she agreed readily. Even though she knew there was no possible way she could sleep.

She was getting used to that.

29

Adieu! I have too grieved a heart to take a tedious leave

Tags: Carrie Elks The Shakespeare Sisters Romance
Source: readsnovelonline.net