‘The boys were so young when the responsibility of the business fell on their shoulders, and then when Roman walked away and left it all for Rio to manage, it must have been very hard. But he has never complained, you know, and he never did. He was such alovinglittle boy.’
Rio a little boy...alovinglittle boy! The images planted in her head by the poignant words made Gwen’s chest tighten.
‘And so spontaneous, before he sadly became so closed off... Their father used to pump them about me for information. What I was doing, who I was doing it with, if you get my drift?’
Gwen, who did and was horrified, nodded. The story explained a lot of things about Rio and her tender heart ached for him.
‘There was one occasion when Rio blurted something out the way boys do in excitement and his father used the information to...’ She shook her head sadly, not completing the sentence. ‘From being spontaneous Rio became very self-contained—they both did, which was all right while they had each other. So, you see, that is why I am so glad Rio has his own family now.’
Gwen felt a wave of helplessness. She simply didn’t have it in her to wipe the glow of happiness from this lovely woman’s beautiful face by telling her the truth about her relationship with Rio.
An image of Rio watching Ellie sleep flashed into her head. ‘I think he’ll be a good father,’ she said, and found herself meaning it.
‘Your glass of water, Mother?’
Gwen jumped guiltily and turned to see Rio standing there. How much had he heard, if anything? His expression told her nothing. It seemed that the lessons he’d learnt as a child had been perfected during the intervening years. There was very little in his face of the young boy who’d blurted out the wrong thing to his father about his mother and then blamed himself for it. This was the man who, it seemed, shouldered his brother’s burdens along with his own with no complaints and, as far as she could see, with no expectation of thanks.
‘Oh, I managed to swallow the pills without water,’ she said airily. ‘It has been so nice to meet you, Gwen.’ She raised a cheek, a gesture that Gwen correctly interpreted, bending to awkwardly kiss her.
‘And you, Lady Caven—’
‘Call me Jo—everyone does—and I hope to see you all very soon.’
Gwen followed mother and son outside and sat down on a bench on the terrace. She was still sitting there in the warm darkness when she heard the crunch of gravel heralding Rio’s return.
‘Is your brother missing?’ she asked as Rio came within her line of sight. ‘Is that why your mother was looking for him?’
Rio dug his hands into the pockets of the well-cut trousers that were moulded to his powerful thighs. ‘Not missing, just off the grid for a while like me.’
‘Your mother seems worried about you both.’
‘It goes with the job of being a mother, you should know that. But Roman is a grown man, and is well able to take care of himself.’
‘So you’re not concerned about him at all?’
‘I am not.’
It wasn’t concern she could read in his expression, but there was definitely something—something to do with a falling-out between the brothers his mother had alluded to...
‘What did you tell your mother about Ellie and me? She seems to think we’re a family now.’
‘I told her the truth, or a partial version of it, and it really doesn’t matter what she thinks, does it? It doesn’t matter what anyone thinks. This is about us and whatwethink.’
The reference tousgave her a little warm glow. It answered an unacknowledged need in her to belong, something she’d never really had before.
‘Earlier...’ she began awkwardly.
He took a step towards her and she got to her feet swiftly, her hand raised in silent protest. ‘It’s all too much, too soon, Rio. I need to think.’
A muscle in Rio’s jaw clenched and he let out a slow breath.
‘Thinking can be overrated, but fine.’ His eyes moved across her face, the hunger in them morphing into something gentler as he noted the dark shadows under her eyes. ‘You must be tired.’
‘It has been a long day. I haven’t even the faintest idea what the time is.’
‘Ten-thirty.’ He hesitated. ‘Would you like some supper?’
‘No, I had some sandwiches on the plane. I’m not hungry and, to be honest, I wouldn’t mind turning in.’