Patrizio felt a twinge of remorse pull at him deep inside. She was obviously exhausted and trying hard to keep on top of things. She was coming to the end of her academic year, which was stressful enough, and with the boys’ issues things had probably tipped her over. ‘I am sorry, Keira,’ he said. ‘It has been a lot to ask of you at this time but we have to try and maintain appearances for the boys’ sake.’
‘I know…I’m doing my best…’
He put his hands on her shoulders and took some measure of comfort that this time she didn’t flinch away. ‘I know you are, cara,’ he said gently. ‘You are doing a magnificent job of convincing everyone you are still in love with me.’
She slowly turned in his arms, her eyes not reaching the full distance to his. ‘We should go,’ she said in a husky tone. ‘Mum’s gone to a lot of trouble. I don’t want to disappoint her by turning up late.’
They were a little late arriving at her parents’ house but Jamie and Bruno had not long come in with Keira’s father, so they were still in the process of receiving drinks and putting school blazers to one side.
Jamie came over to Keira once everyone was organised and smiled at her warmly. ‘How cool is this? Mum and Dad haven’t had me home for a meal during the week in term time for months.’
‘Is boarding school so very bad?’ she asked with a concerned look.
Her brother shifted his gaze. ‘Not really,’ he said. ‘Things have been a bit rough lately but I think we’re gradually sorting it out.’
Keira’s gaze flicked to where Bruno was being spoken to by a heavily frowning Patrizio. ‘Bruno doesn’t look too happy to be here tonight,’ she observed.
‘Yes, well, he’s in the enemy camp so to speak,’ Jamie said. ‘I’m sorry about the stuff he said about you the other night. I wanted to punch his lights out.’
‘It will hopefully blow over now that Patrizio and I are back together.’
Jamie gave her a probing look. ‘It is for real, isn’t it, Kiki?’ he asked, using his childhood mispronunciation of her name for the first time in years. ‘I mean you’re not just staging this to get us through the exams or something, are you?’
Keira had a lot of trouble holding his intently focused gaze. ‘We’re still feeling our way but it’s very real,’ she said, her mind filling with images of her lovemaking with Patrizio. ‘We belong together, Jamie. It’s what we both want.’
‘I told Bruno it was genuine but he’s not convinced,’ he said.
‘What would convince him?’ she asked.
He shifted his lips back and forth in a musing pose. ‘I’m not sure,’ he said. ‘Have you thought about publicly restating your vows?’
Her eyes flicked back to Patrizio, her stomach tilting when she found he was looking at her. She forced her lips into a strained help-me smile before turning back to her brother. ‘We haven’t discussed it but maybe you should ask Patrizio.’
‘Ask me what?’ Patrizio asked as he slipped an arm around Keira’s waist.
Jamie faced him with an engaging smile. ‘I was wondering if you were going to make a public declaration of your recommitment, you know, like a renewal of wedding vows.’
Patrizio looked down at Keira. ‘What do you think, cara?’ he asked. ‘Do you fancy being my bride for the second time around?’
She moistened her lips. ‘I’m not sure it’s necessary to go to all that fuss for—’
‘I told you it’s not real,’ Bruno said with a sneer as he moved across the room to join them. ‘She won’t do it because as soon as she gets a chance she’s going to be off with her lover.’
‘Bruno, I have already warned you about speaking to your aunt—’
Bruno’s defiant glare cut off his uncle’s reprimand. ‘Why don’t you check her mobile phone?’ he suggested. ‘Scroll through the dialled or received calls and I can almost guarantee you’ll find she’s still in contact with him.’
Keira felt as if every drop of blood was draining out of her limbs to pool in her cheeks. Her tongue stuck like a sweaty sock to the roof of her mouth, and her stomach rolled in panic as her worried gaze went to her purse where her mobile phone lay concealed in silence, with all the evidence to convict her at the touch of a button.
‘You are wrong,’ Patrizio said as he drew Keira even closer. ‘I do not need to go to such devious lengths to check up on her. We have re-established trust and will now move forward, with the past in the past where it belongs.’
‘Once a tart, always a tart,’ Bruno said under his breath but loud enough for them to hear it.
‘Dinner is ready!’ Robyn said with cheery brightness. ‘Come on, boys, sit yourselves down and tuck in.’
Patrizio held Keira back as the boys went to the table. ‘It’s not working,’ he said in a harsh whisper. ‘We are going to have to try harder.’
‘What do you suggest we do?’ she asked, looking up at him worriedly.