Remy put his arm around her shoulders and hugged her close. ‘Best news I’ve had all day.’
* * *
Angelique didn’t have time to do anything about the pregnancy test because Remy had organised a flight straight to Rome. She tried to put her worries to the back of her mind. She was probably imagining her symptoms anyway. Stress always made her stomach churn. And being late with a period was certainly not unusual; it came with the territory of dieting and travelling across time zones.
And, to be fair, Remy had been keeping her up late at night, not that she was complaining. The nights in his arms were the highlight of her day. Not that he had restricted their passionate interludes to the evenings: mornings, mid-morning, lunchtimes, afternoons and evenings had been spent in a variety of activities that had made every cell in her body shudder with delight.
It worried her that it might soon be over. His deal was done and dusted. The only thing keeping them together was her modelling contract—a contract she didn’t even want.
Rafe and Poppy arrived just as they were getting out of the car at Vittorio’s villa, so there was no chance of slipping away and finding out one way or the other about the result.
Rafe was distinctly cool with Angelique but Poppy was anything but. She wrapped her arms around Angelique and gave her a warm hug. ‘It’s so lovely to meet you.’ She pulled back to look at her. ‘Oh. My. God. You’re so beautiful! I’m having such a fan moment. I feel I should be asking for your autograph or something.’
Angelique loved her already. ‘Congratulations on your marriage.’ It was the first thing she thought of to say.
Poppy’s toffee-brown eyes twinkled. ‘Congratulations on yours.’ She leaned in close so the boys couldn’t hear. ‘And all that rubbish about it being a sham just to save your necks doesn’t fool me for a second.’
Angelique quickly schooled her features. She wasn’t ready to play confidante just yet, even if Poppy was the sort of girl she longed to have as a best friend. ‘Sorry to burst your bubble, but I’m not in love with him. We’re just making the most of being stuck together. I’ve always fancied him, but then what girl with a pulse wouldn’t?’
‘Oh, well...sorry. I just thought... Never mind.’ Poppy’s flustered look was replaced with a smile. ‘Just wait until you meet Lily, Raoul’s fiancée. She’s a darling. She’s quite shy but once you get to know her I’m sure you’ll adore her.’
‘I’m not worried about Lily or Raoul,’ Angelique said. ‘It’s Vittorio I’m concerned with. I’ve always been a little terrified of him.’
Poppy rolled her eyes. ‘Tell me about it. I avoid him as much as possible. So do Rafe and Raoul. I think Remy is the only one who can crack a smile out of him. But you know him, don’t you? Rafe told me you used to come here a lot when your father and Vittorio were business partners.’
‘Yes, but it was a long time ago, and there’s been a lot of dirty water under the bridge since then.’
Poppy gave her a friendly smile. ‘Maybe, but you weren’t the one to put it there. Now, let’s go and meet Lily and Raoul. That’s their car arriving. See?’
Angelique watched as a slim ash-brown-haired young woman stepped out of the car to go around to the driver’s side with a pair of crutches. ‘I thought Raoul couldn’t walk any more?’
‘He can take a few steps now,’ Poppy said. ‘Lily’s been amazing for him. They’re just the most adorable couple. Check out the way he looks at her. It just makes me melt.’
Angelique felt an ache around her heart when she saw Raoul take the crutches from Lily. He smiled a smile that was so much more than a smile. It was the smile of a man hopelessly in love. But when she looked at Lily she saw the same thing: Lily was besotted with Raoul and was not one bit ashamed about showing it.
They came over to where the rest of them were standing. Raoul leaned heavily on his crutches to offer a hand to Angelique. ‘Welcome to the family, Angelique. It’s good to have you here again. It’s been a long time. Too long.’
Angelique felt a sudden rush of emotion. Raoul had always been the nicest to her. ‘Merci. I’m sorry about your accident. I sent a card. Did you get it?’
He gave her a warm smile. ‘It meant a lot to me. It made me smile, which I wasn’t doing a lot of back then.’ He rebalanced on his crutches so he could get Lily to step forward. ‘Ma chérie, this is Angelique, an old family friend and now Remy’s wife. Angelique, this is my fiancée, Lily Archer.’
Angelique took Lily’s hand. ‘I’m very pleased to meet you.’
‘And you,’ Lily said with a shy smile. ‘Wow, you really are as stunning as you are on those billboards and in those magazines.’
‘You should see me before breakfast,’ Angelique said. ‘I spend a fortune on cover-up and I’m on a constant diet. How I look is totally fake.’ I’m a fake.
Lily’s smile said she didn’t believe it for a second. ‘Maybe you could give me some make-up tips for my wedding. I’m not very good at that stuff.’
‘I would be happy to. You have amazing blue eyes. They’re so incredibly dark. Has anyone ever told you that?’
Lily smiled and glanced at Raoul who was looking at her with such a tender look it made Angelique’s heart suddenly contract. ‘Yes; yes, they have. Many times.’
There was a rumble from inside the villa like a dragon emerging from his cave. Vittorio suddenly appeared at the front door with a savage frown between his brows as his gaze fell on Angelique. ‘I always knew you’d be trouble. You’re just like your two-faced father.’
Angelique stepped forward with her shoulders back and her chin at a combative height. ‘I don’t think it’s fair that I should be judged for the wrongs my father did to you and your family. I had nothing to do with it. I’m an innocent party.’
Vittorio glared at her. ‘There’s not too much about you that’s innocent.’