Boss Meets Baby(106)

‘Not long now, and you’ll get to meet him,’ she said, hoping that it was true. The doctors had been pleased with how stable Giovanni’s health had been lately, but he was still a very frail old man.

‘I won’t watch him grow up,’ he said. ‘But I’m not going anywhere until I’ve seen him with my own eyes.’

Suddenly Lily felt tears welling up. She blinked them away, feeling self-conscious, but Giovanni hadn’t noticed. He was gazing forward with a smile on his face.

‘I promise I’ll teach him everything you told me about your life and Venice,’ she said, keeping her voice steady with a determined effort.

‘You’ve made me a very happy old man,’ Giovanni said, turning to look at her. ‘Only the very lucky can live long enough to see their great-grandchildren. I don’t know if I’ve ever told you how pleased I am that you are to be the mother.’

‘Thank you. You’ve always been so good to me,’ Lily replied, hearing her voice tremble with heartfelt emotion.

‘You were worth the wait,’ he said with a lively smile. ‘You know, after Capricia, I was worried my grandson might not have good taste in women.’

‘Really?’ Lily asked, her curiosity piqued even though she knew it was potentially a controversial subject. ‘But if they’d stayed together, and if they’d started a family, you would have had longer to get to know your grandchildren.’

‘Capricia’s children?’ Giovanni said in disgust. ‘I never understood why he married her. She might have been Venetian, but she was not a good wife for him. And I doubt that she would have agreed to motherhood for a long time.’

‘What do you mean?’ Despite her better judgement telling her to keep off the subject of Vito’s first wife, Lily wanted to know more.

‘She was far too busy living it up—enjoying her selfish existence, spending his money on frivolous things,’ Giovanni said. ‘She’s still the same, except now she’s in Rio de Janeiro spending her Brazilian lover’s money—if what my contacts tell me is true.’

‘Contacts?’ Lily smiled, trying to appear lighthearted even though her heart felt anything but light.

‘What do you think?’ Giovanni sounded affronted. ‘Just because I’m old and in bed I know nothing?’

‘Of course not,’ Lily laughed, but she couldn’t help wondering what he knew about her and Vito.

‘But don’t think about Capricia,’ Giovanni added. ‘Vito never loved her the way he loves you. Anyone can see you two are soulmates—like me and my dear Anna Maria.’

Lily forced a smile and looked down at her hands clasped in her lap, feeling heartsick. She knew now that Vito had never loved her at all.

‘I nearly forgot—I have a surprise for you,’ Giovanni said.

‘A surprise?’ Lily repeated, pleased at the distraction. She didn’t want to bring Giovanni down by looking dejected. But she hoped he wasn’t going to make things awkward for her with Vito by giving her any more family heirlooms. She loved the antique necklace he’d given her the first day, but she hadn’t seen it since Vito had taken it away from her.

‘Yes. Talking of my Anna Maria reminded me…’ He smiled, and Lily knew from his dreamy expression he was still thinking of his wife. ‘I remembered her favourite— thing when she was pregnant, and I thought you might like it too.’

Lily smiled expectantly, intrigued to get another glimpse of the woman who had so clearly captured Giovanni’s heart.

‘I can’t come with you to see how you like it,’ he said, pressing a button to call a member of his staff. ‘But you must tell me when you visit tomorrow.’

At that moment his housekeeper came into the room and he told her to show Lily to her surprise. From the way she responded to the instruction, she had obviously been involved in the arrangements, and as Giovanni settled down for a nap she led Lily away to a part of the palazzo she had never seen before.

Down two flights of stairs, across an absolutely delightful— courtyard complete with citrus trees in giant terracotta— pots, and in through another double door, Lily found herself gazing at the most inviting thing she had seen for days.

A cool, blue swimming-pool.

‘Oh my!’ she sighed, suddenly aching to ease her tired body into the water.

The housekeeper explained how Giovanni had had the pool repaired and refilled, showed her where the changing and showering facilities were, and finally presented— her with a collection of maternity swimwear.

Just minutes later Lily was floating on her back in the blissfully cool and supportive water. She rolled over and slowly swam a length of the pool, admiring the detailed mosaics beneath the rippling water.