Page 34 of A Baby Scandal in Italy

At least he would have one parent in Rafa. Her heart cracked. If she had to have chemo and lost her hair again, would Rafa find her unattractive, as her first boyfriend had done? She could no longer deny to herself that her teenage feelings for Luke had been nothing compared to the overwhelming love she felt for Rafa.

‘Nausea and tiredness can be symptoms of early pregnancy,’ Anna remarked when Ivy returned to the nursery.

‘I’m definitely not pregnant. It’s impossible.’

‘Babies come when they come. I understand that Bertie was a surprise pregnancy,’ Anna said tactfully.

Of course the nanny, like everyone else, believed that Bertie was Rafa’s and her child. Ivy hated lying and wished she could confide in Anna, who had become a good friend. But she had given her word that she would not tell a soul the identity of Bertie’s father while Rafa’s mother could be devastated by the truth.

‘You can discuss your symptoms with the doctor,’ Anna said. ‘Your husband has been concerned about you and he arranged for the doctor to visit the castle.

Doctor Coretti duly arrived for a consultation with Ivy. She had to rely on his discretion when she explained that Bertie had been adopted, that she was infertile and could not be pregnant.

‘It is best to rule out the possibility of pregnancy,’ he murmured, handing her a test.

With a shrug, Ivy went into the bathroom, knowing that doing the test was a pointless exercise. A few minutes later she stared at the two blue lines in the test window and frantically re-read the instructions.

Two blue lines meant positive. Her heart stopped beating. She had been told that it would be virtually impossible for her to conceive naturally. She couldn’t be pregnant.

The doctor spoke to cancer specialists in Italy and the hospital in Southampton, where Ivy had received some of her treatment. Apparently it was rare for fertility to return after the high doses of chemotherapy she’d received as a teenager. But sometimes miracles happened, Doctor Coretti said cheerfully.

Ivy could not absorb the mind-blowing news that she was expecting a baby. She had been so grateful to be alive after she’d recovered from cancer that she had accepted that being infertile from the chemotherapy was a small price to pay.

Her miracle baby. She placed her hand on her flat stomach and wondered if she dared believe there was a new life developing inside her. Rafa’s baby. She dared not imagine what his reaction would be when she told him. He was bound to be as shocked as she was. She remembered how adamant he had been that he did not want a child of his own—it was why he had made Bertie his heir. But surely, once he got over his surprise, he would realise that their baby was a million-to-one miracle.

One thing was certain. She could not wait until the evening, when he was due to return to the castle, to tell him about the baby, nor would it be fair to break the news to him in a phone call. Rafa had driven himself to Rome in his new sports car, which meant that the helicopter was available.

Ivy usually enjoyed travelling in the helicopter, but she felt horribly sick for the entire flight, and was glad to climb out of the cabin after the pilot landed on the heli-pad on the top of the Vieri Azioni office building. The views across Rome from the roof were incredible, but Ivy did not linger. Her nerves were jangling at the prospect of breaking her shocking news to Rafa.

A flight of stairs took her down to the floor where his office and the boardroom were, and she was met by his PA, who explained that Rafa’s meeting had finished but he was still in the boardroom. ‘I’ll tell him you are here,’ Giulia offered.

‘No, I’ll surprise him.’ It would not be the first time, Ivy thought ruefully, remembering how she had slipped past Rafa’s personal assistant and burst into the boardroom to confront him with Bertie. This time she knocked and took a deep breath to steady her nerves before she walked in.

‘Ivy.’ Rafa broke off his conversation with another man when he saw her. ‘This is a delightful surprise,cara.’ He must have noticed her tension and his smile faded. ‘Did you meet the doctor?’ The concern in his voice warmed Ivy’s heart.

‘That’s why I’m here...’ She broke off, puzzled when she recognised the man standing beside Rafa.

‘Sandro, I’d like to speak to my wife in private,’ Rafa murmured.

‘Itisyou.’ Ivy could not hide her shock as she stared at the older man. ‘You’re Gelato Man. Don’t you remember me? We met outside the office building and you took me to a café and bought me an ice-cream.’

‘I’m afraid I don’t...’ the man murmured.

‘It was definitely you.’ Her heart was racing. ‘I remember you said that you had heard me accuse Rafa of being Bertie’s father and suggested I could sell the story to the press. You even gave me a reporter’s business card and contact details.’

The man called Sandro looked at Rafa. ‘I think your wife must be confusing me with someone else. I’m sure there is a simple explanation.’ He gave Ivy a patronising smile. ‘Memory can play tricks on us,’ he said before he walked out of the boardroom.

‘I know he was the man I met,’ Ivy insisted to Rafa.

‘Cara, Sandro Florenzi has worked for the company for forty years. Isn’t it possible that you are mistaken?’ Rafa said quietly.

‘You don’t believe me?’

‘I have known Sandro all my life. He was a good friend of my father’s.’ Rafa frowned. ‘I admit that Sandro had hoped to become chairman and CEO and he was disappointed when I succeeded my father. But I am sure he would not do anything to harm Vieri Azioni. I trust him.’

‘But you don’t trust me, even though I am your wife.’

Rafa did not reply, and his silence felt like a knife in Ivy’s heart. He raked a hand through his hair. ‘I will talk to Sandro and try to get to the bottom of the mystery. Why don’t I take you to lunch, hmm?’ He ran his finger lightly down her cheek. ‘And this afternoon we’ll go shopping.’

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