“Yes, yes, we do,” Sophie nodded. “But know what?”
Elizabeth laughed again. “I’m almost there.” She sipped her tea and then placed it onto the coffee table. “My mother-in-law told me that, of his long string of affairs, only one ever proved serious.” She leaned closer, her expression loaded with compassion. “A young American woman named Meredith Henderson.”
Ava felt as though the world had stopped spinning. She clasped her hands together in her knees and stared at Elizabeth. There was an odd humming sound between the sisters; anticipation and disbelief.
“Go on,” Olivia urged finally, her voice croaky.
“She fell pregnant. With triplets, as it turned out,” she said, her blue eyes encompassing the three blondes across from her.
“You’re saying …” Sophie cleared her voice. “Do you mean to tell me that your husband’s father – no, wait – the man your husband believed to be his father, is our father?”
She nodded.
“You can’t be serious …”
“I’m serious, and I’m certain.” She reached into her pocket, careful not to shift the baby who was looking deliciously sleepy. She pulled a small envelope out and handed it to Ava.
Ava’s fingers shook as she opened it, then pulled out a small photograph. It was Meredith with a handsome, clearly older, man. “This is our father?”
“Yes. That’s Umberto.”
“My God.” Olivia and Sophie craned in closer to see the picture. Ava flicked it over and saw on the back, “All my love, always, Meredith.”
“She sent it to his office. Umberto’s secretary, who had been his most recent lover, discovered it and sent it on to Nicoletta.”
“Poor Nicoletta,” Ava murmured.
“Yes. She was furious. It was the last straw. Your mother is very young, and very beautiful in this picture. Nicoletta tracked her down and discovered the pregnancy. She paid your mother an enormous sum of money to disappear.”
“She paid mum? Not Umberto?”
“No. Umberto was furious when he discovered the truth! He loved your mother, I believe, a great deal, and would have left Nicoletta for her before giving her up.”
“Why didn’t he then?” Ava pushed, her heart turning over for the grief and sense of rejection Meredith had carried with her for so long.
Elizabeth sighed. “Umberto loved three people more than your mother. His sons. They were old enough by then to understand. Marcos would have been ten or eleven, I suppose. Nicoletta assured Umberto that she would tell not only the press, but all of the papers in Italy, and that no one would ever forget his infidelity. He couldn’t do it to his sons.”
“So he did it to our mother,” Sophie was affronted.
“Yes, I know. In such situations, someone always suffers, do they not?”
“I can’t believe it,” Ava dipped her head forward. She felt dizzy, giddy and a little nauseous.
“It’s a lot to take in.” Elizabeth breathed in deeply. “I had to tell you. Didn’t I?”
“Of course,” Olivia nodded. “We’re so very grateful that you did. We have often wondered about him. My only regret is that mum died before she could learn the truth. Even now it would have comforted her to know that Umberto truly did love her.”
“Not enough,” Ava said with a shake of her head. “Not enough.”
“No,” Elizabeth narrowed her gaze, for she secretly agreed with this woman’s assessment. No matter how Umberto had felt about his sons, he had cast aside his young, pregnant lover and never once enquired of their offspring or Meredith’s well-being. There was no excuse for that; no threat that made it acceptable.
“How did you find us?” Sophie wondered aloud, reached down and tussling Milly’s crop of curls.
“Ah! Now in that, destino played a fascinating part.” Her smile was wistful. “My husband and I often think destiny brought us together,” she explained. “Though sometimes I wonder if my late husband isn’t pulling the strings from up above,” she said with a shake of her head. She waved a hand through the air. “Too much to explain,” she assured them. “And it’s not relevant now.” Her smile was dazzling. “We honeymooned here. Well, off the coast of Broome, actually. I had always wanted to swim with the dolphins, and we spent a delightful few days touring around. Antonio was invited to attend a Ferrari event in Melbourne – again, to discuss later,” she staved off any interruptions. “And I didn’t particularly want to go,” she smiled. “I hate racing. I hate it. And Antonio knows that. I thought he might not be able to enjoy himself with me glowering over his shoulder.”
“And so you came to stay here!” Ava nodded. “But I still don’t understand? How in the world did you connect us to this whole story?”
“I chose this vineyard, and your accommodations, because of their name.”