Page 38 of The Italian's Marriage Bargain

‘But you get on with her,’ Felicity pointed out.

‘Only because I’m out of her precious Luca’s life. She treated me like dirt on a shoe when I was here, but now that I am gone she has exalted me to saint-like status. I don’t blame you for wanting rid of her and to have the house to yourself. I know that when I get Ricardo home I am going to do everything for him. The hospital has organised nurses to come to the house but I don’t want them. I am going to take care of him myself. This has been a big…’

‘Wake-up call?’ Felicity’s voice was barely a croak as she finished Anna’s sentence.

‘That’s what I am trying to say.’ Anna smiled gratefully. ‘Seeing him so ill, so frail and being able to do nothing.’ She closed her eyes and a tear slid down her cheek. ‘That night when I called, I am sorry I disturbed you, but the nurse was saying I had to go home, to find his medication and bring it back, to get some rest. My tears were upsetting Ricardo. I shouldn’t have disturbed you…’

‘Nonsense.’ Sitting beside Anna on the couch, Felicity took the other woman’s cold hand and gave it a small squeeze, offering her first genuine response to Anna. ‘Of course you should have rung; we’re friends.’

Looking up, she saw the start in Luca’s expression, registered the tiny grateful smile he gave her, and the guilt that had been niggling at her for the past week suddenly multiplied.

Anna wasn’t just upset; she was genuinely distraught. The brash, man-eating vixen Felicity had imagined seemed far removed from the pale, wan woman sitting trembling on the sofa.

‘I’d better go.’ Standing, she buttoned her coat, gesturing for Luca to sit down as he rummaged for his car keys. ‘I can walk. It is only a few minutes, and the fresh air will do me good.’

‘You mustn’t walk.’ It was Felicity who was insisting now, Felicity, handing Luca his keys. ‘It’s been snowing again; Luca will drive you.’

Standing in the lounge, she wiped the fog from the steamed-up window, watching as Luca opened the passenger door, gently guiding Anna into the seat. His hand on the small of her back was a simple action that only a few moments ago would have spun her into a frenzy of jealousy, but Anna’s grief had touched her.

When Luca returned he was tired, pale and tense.

‘Was I too long for you?’ he snapped as he walked in, tossing his coat over the pale sofa and kicking off his shoes. ‘Did you expect me to just drop her off at the gates?’

‘Of course not.’

‘She offered me a coffee,’ Luca volunteered, unmoved by her response. ‘But naturally I declined. I wouldn’t want to give you more ammunition.’

‘Luca, please, I don’t want to fight.’

‘Neither do I.’ Suddenly all the fight seemed to go out of him. Lines she had never seen before were grooved beside his eyes, and Felicity realised there and then how much the last few days had taken their toll. The last few weeks, come to that.

Horrified by what had happened at the golf resort, Luca had been springing surprise visits on every hotel he owned, calling meetings, leaving at the crack of dawn and not returning until late at night in an effort to ensure no one else would suffer the way her family had.

And what had she done in return?

Moaned she was lonely, carried on like a spoilt two-year-old, devoid of attention.

And now his dear friend was sick, and he was stuck with a jealous wife, questioning his every move.

Well, no more.

‘I don’t want to fight either. Luca, I’m sorry for doubting you. Seeing Anna tonight has made me realise how selfish I’ve been—not just to her, but to you as well. It can’t have been easy for you these past few weeks.’ Swallowing hard, she tried to plan her words, but nothing came. What was more disturbing was the noticeable absence of Luca’s response to her attempt at an apology. ‘Luca, what I’m trying to say is—’

‘Save it.’ He didn’t snap, there wasn’t even a trace of malice in his voice, but right now Felicity would have preferred it. Their passionate rows, volatile encounters left her spinning and reeling, but this lethargic response to her heartfelt apology was far more worrying, and her eyes widened with anxiety as Luca shrugged her hand off his arm and headed for the stairs.

‘Luca, please.’

He turned briefly, his face so jaded, so utterly, utterly exhausted it momentarily stopped Felicity in her tracks.

‘I’m tired, Felice. I’ve been getting up at five every morning, not getting home till after midnight. Surely you can understand that even I need to sleep occasionally?’

‘It’s not Anna that I want to speak about, Luca,’ Felicity implored. ‘It’s us.’

A tight smile twitched his grim lips. ‘I’m sure the row will keep till morning.’

The abyss between them as she lay in the massive bed seemed to stretch for ever. She mentally willed Luca to roll over, to reach for her in his sleep as he always had…

Till now.

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