Page 40 of Innocent's Wedding Day with the Italian

When he turned his face back to her, his eyes were flashing dangerously. ‘Can’tis an excuse.Won’tis honest. You have always doubted my feelings for you.’

‘For damn good reason!’

He leaned down so they were eyeball to eyeball. ‘I love you. I have always loved you. I will always love you. I would walk on broken glass if it meant you would give me another chance but you won’t because you’re too damned scared. It is what I tried to talk to you about last night but you shut me down. You never believed in my love, not deep down, because your own insecurities make you doubt yourself too much.’

‘Poppycock.’

‘Is it?’ A pulse throbbed in his temple. ‘You felt like the third wheel in your parents’ marriage.’

‘Not that again. For the last time, I never meant to say that.’

‘I know. But you did and that’s what made sense of everything to me.’ He stared at her for a long, long time before his shoulders dropped and compassion filled his velvet timbre. ‘Your father had a fatal heart attack days after your mother died.’

It felt like she’d been scalded without any warning. ‘What’s that got to do with anything?’

‘Everything. In his grief, he left you behind and left you alone.’

The burn he’d scalded her with drained out of her along with all Rebecca’s blood. ‘And I thought you couldn’t stoop any lower than you already have...’ she whispered hoarsely. ‘My father was overweight. He was in agony over Mum’s death. His heart couldn’t take the strain.’

‘I do not doubt it and I do not doubt that he loved you so do not for a second think I am saying that or implying it. Your father didn’t choose his heart attack any more than my father chose to have an aneurysm but it happened. My father loved me and your parents loved you. It is your perception of your place in your family that I am talking about. You lived under the shadow of your parents’ love for each other—you described it yourself as a fable and I can understand why; they were a modern day Romeo and Juliet but with a happier ending. From everything you have told me, they were as happy and loved each other as much at their deaths as when they first married, but somewhere along the way you came to believe that they loved each other more than they loved you and that it was because of this love that they left you behind.’

She backed away from him on legs that had become like jelly. ‘I’ve thought a lot of not very nice things about you these last twenty-odd hours but I never thought you could be this cruel.’

Turning his back to her, he said, ‘I made a promise never to lie to you again, but you wanted this conversation,cara, not me. I’d already said all I wanted to say. I just wanted to be left alone to drown myself in alcohol because every extra minute you are here cuts the wound deeper.’ To make his point, he poured himself another vodka.

Rebecca took another step away from him. ‘Then I shall go.’

‘Good. Don’t forget the package. My English lawyer’s details are in it. When you decide what you want to do with the shares, contact him about it. He will act as a go-between for us. I would be grateful if you do not contact me. I think it best for both our sakes that we have a clean break.’

‘I think that’s best too.’ How had she thought it would be cleaner this way? What had she been thinking?

After everything they’d been through, leaving like this was hell on earth.

As she picked up the package, she saw him lift his head and knew he’d tipped more vodka into his mouth. Knew, too, that Enzo would make good on his promise of pickling his liver. He’d lost.

But she’d lost too.

Her fingers closed on the door handle she could hardly see for the tears blinding her.

‘Rebecca.’

His back was still turned to her but his face was turned in profile.

She swallowed a sob. ‘Yes?’

His voice was so low she had to concentrate with everything she had to hear him. ‘I cannot tell you if your perceptions about your parents were wrong but I know they loved you, very much. When your grandfather kept tabs on your mother he would have photos taken. I saw some of them once, not long after we went into business together. You must have been twelve or thirteen. You and your parents were on a picnic in some woods. I do not know what the occasion was but I remember feeling envy at the way your mother was captured looking at you. It was an expression my mother has never given me.’

She opened the door.

‘One more thing.’

She stilled to listen to his last ever words to her.

‘Your expectations of marriage were not unrealistic. Married or not, you will always be the most important person in my life.’

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

SOMEHOWREBECCAMADEit to the front door without stumbling. Her legs were still holding her up. All her possessions except for her handbag and sandals had been taken from where she’d left them. She guessed Frank had taken them out to the waiting car.

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