‘No, Nonno. That’s not how it happened…’ Vito looked at his grandfather’s face and suddenly ran out of words.
This wasn’t how it had been supposed to go. The wily old man had completely wrong-footed him—and if he didn’t pull himself together quickly it would all be for nothing. If he couldn’t convince his grandfather that his relationship with Lily was genuine, he might not accept her child as his heir. It wouldn’t make him content.
And that was what this was all about—fulfilling Giovanni’s dying wish to see his name continued. What kind of grandson was he if he couldn’t do the one thing that would make his beloved grandfather happy in his dying days? After everything his grandfather had done for him, this was the one thing that any man ought to be able to do in return.
His shame at his failure bore into him, burning a hole in his chest, making it hard to think, impossible to speak.
‘It’s true we arrived from London the day before you got sick,’ Lily suddenly spoke up, her voice quiet but clear in the high-ceilinged chamber. ‘But we didn’t just meet.’
‘Tell me more.’ Giovanni leant forward, as if it would help him catch everything she said.
‘We first met nearly a year ago,’ Lily said, stepping closer to the bed. ‘After several months of travelling between London and Venice for weekends and holidays, Vito asked me to move in with him here. I’ve been living in Venice with him since Novem…’
Vito looked at her sharply as her words petered out. He’d been amazed, and very relieved, that she’d spoken up. But now she was blushing and looking down at the floor, letting her blonde hair swing forward to conceal her face.
‘What is it?’ Giovanni barked. ‘Why did you stop talking?’
‘I…it just occurred to me that you might be Catholic.’ Lily looked up and continued hesitantly. ‘That you might not approve of us living together. I’m sorry—that’s probably why Vito never brought me here before.’
Giovanni’s bark of laughter broke the sudden tension in the room.
‘Now I see.’ The old man spoke between chuckles. ‘You were taking your time, making sure it was right. After Capricia, I can understand your caution.’
‘It seemed wise to be sure,’ Vito said, turning to look at Lily. He didn’t know why she had said what she’d said—whether she was defending him, or simply acting out the role she had agreed to. Or maybe she was just naively speaking her mind.
Whatever the explanation, relief flooded through him, and he hugged her to him in an embrace that was entirely natural. Her guileless chatter had utterly won over his grandfather, and for that he was thankful.
Suddenly he found himself thinking how different Lily was from his ex-wife Capricia. In fact, she was different from all the other women he had ever been involved with.
Capricia’s heart was as hard and impenetrable as a diamond. Her scornful face flashed unpleasantly through his mind, and he knew he could never have employed the same tactics of persuasion on her that he had used on Lily.
For some reason the thought made him uncomfortable, but he pushed it ruthlessly to the back of his mind. Just because Lily had her weaknesses did not mean she didn’t deserve everything she got. He couldn’t forget she had betrayed him by sleeping with another man.
‘But now something has changed.’ Vito turned back to his grandfather and continued speaking. ‘Something that has made us look to the future.’
‘What’s that?’ Giovanni sat up straighter, and from the sharp expression on his face Vito thought he had guessed what was coming next.
‘Lily is pregnant,’ he said. ‘You are the first one to share our wonderful news.’
For a moment Giovanni looked stunned. It was as if the news, which he’d waited so many years to hear, was suddenly too much to take in. Then a massive smile spread across his old face.
Lily watched as his eyes started to sparkle with unshed tears and, even though she had only just met Vito’s grandfather, she understood how important this was to him. Impulsively, she leant over the bed and kissed his cheek.
‘You’ve made me very happy,’ he said. ‘My name will continue. There will be Salvatores living at Ca’Salvatore.’
Lily smiled at him, thinking how different life was for Vito’s family. After her upbringing, it was hard to imagine living in a palace that had been in the family for hundreds of years.
‘What do you think of Venice?’ Giovanni suddenly asked. ‘People say it’s old and crumbling—like me.’ There was a merry twinkle in his eyes that made him look years younger, but Lily knew that the question was important to him. ‘But I say there’s life in the old dog yet. What do you think, Lily?’
‘Oh, definitely.’ Lily smiled warmly and leant forward to take his hand. She could feel a slight tremor, and despite the fact she had only just met him she knew that he was tiring. ‘It couldn’t be more different from the green and open countryside where I grew up—but I absolutely love it. It’s beautiful, fascinating, and there is always more to see.’
‘Not too crowded for you?’ he pressed. ‘After the quiet of the countryside?’
‘I love the hustle and bustle,’ Lily said truthfully. ‘And if I want some space around me I can walk beside the water, or take a boat out onto the lagoon.’
Giovanni leant back against his pillows. His body looked frail, but there was a light in his faded blue eyes.
‘You’re tired, Nonno,’ Vito said. ‘We should leave you to rest.’