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His Final Bargain(14)

By:Melanie Milburne


Eliza swallowed a walnut-sized knot of emotion. 'You … you had a right to  be upset … ' She couldn't look at him. She lowered her gaze again and  stared at her engagement ring instead.

There was the sound of Alessandra waking in the nursery-the rustle of bedclothes and a plaintive wail.

'I'll go to her.' Leo moved past and Eliza listened as he greeted his  little daughter. He spoke in Italian but she could hear the love in his  voice that was as clear as any translation. 'Buongiorno, tesorina, come  ti senti?'

Was it wrong to wish he could look upon her as his treasure too?                       
       
           



       





CHAPTER SIX


WHEN ELIZA CAME into the nursery Leo had Alessandra in his arms. 'I'll  carry her downstairs for you but I won't be able to join you for  breakfast,' he said. 'I have an online meeting in a few minutes.'

'Good morning, Alessandra,' Eliza said, reaching out to touch the  child's hand that was gripping her father's shirt. 'It looks like we've  got a date for breakfast.'

The little girl huddled closer to her father's chest. 'I want to have breakfast with Papà.'

Eliza exchanged a brief glance with Leo before addressing the child  again. 'I'm afraid that's not possible today. But I'm sure Papà will  make a special effort to have breakfast with you when he can.'

Alessandra's thin shoulders slumped as she let out a sigh. 'All wight.'

Once Leo had placed his daughter in her high chair in the breakfast room  he kissed her on the top of the head and, with a brief unreadable  glance at Eliza, he left.

Marella, the housekeeper, came bustling in, cooing to the child in  Italian. 'Buongiorno, angioletta mia, tutto bene?' She turned to Eliza.  'You have to feed her.' She nodded at the food in front of the child.  'She can't do it herself.'

'But surely she's old enough to do some of it on her own?'

'You'll have to discuss that with Signor Valente,' Marella said.  'Kathleen always feeds her. Tatiana, the O and M teacher, is trying to  get Alessandra to do more for herself but it's a slow process.'

Eliza settled for a compromise by guiding Alessandra's hands to reach  for things on her plate such as pieces of fruit or toast. The little  girl was reluctant to drink from anything but her sippy cup so Eliza  decided to leave that battle for another day. She knew how important it  was to encourage Alessandra to live as normal a life as possible, but  pushing her too fast, too soon could be detrimental to her confidence.

Tatiana, the orientation and mobility teacher arrived just as Marella  was clearing away the breakfast things. After introducing herself,  Tatiana filled Eliza in on the sorts of things she was doing with  Alessandra while Marella momentarily distracted Alessandra.

'We're working on her coordination and spatial awareness. A sighted  child learns by watching others and trying things for themselves, but a  vision-impaired or blind child has no reference point. We have to help  them explore the world around them in other ways, by touching and  feeling, and by listening and using their sense of smell. We also have  to teach what is appropriate behaviour in public, as they don't have the  concept of being seen by others.'

'It all sounds rather painstaking,' Eliza said.

'It is,' Tatiana said. 'Alessandra is a bright child but don't let that  strong will fool you. When it comes to her exercises she's not well  motivated. That is rather typical of a vision-impaired child. They can  become rather passive. Our job is to increase her independence little by  little.'

'She seems small for her age.'

'Yes, she's on the lower percentile in terms of height and weight, but with more structured exercise she should catch up.'

'Is there anything I can do to help while I have her on my own?'

'Yes, of course,' Tatiana said. 'I'll write out a list of games and  activities. You might even think of some of your own. Signor Valente  told me you are a teacher, yes?'

'Yes. I teach a primary school class in a community school in London.'

'Then you're perfect for the job,' Tatiana said. 'What a shame you can't  be here permanently. Kathleen is a sweetheart but she gives in to  Alessandra too easily.'

'The post is only for a month,' Eliza said, automatically fingering the  diamond on her left hand. 'I have to get back, in any case.'

'Don't get me wrong,' Tatiana said. 'Leo Valente is a loving father, but  like a lot of parents of children with special needs, he is very  protective-almost too protective at times. I guess it's hard for him,  being a single parent.'

'Did you meet Alessandra's mother before she died?' Eliza asked.

Tatiana's expression said far more than her words. 'Yes and I still  can't work out how those two ended up married to each other. I got the  impression from Giulia it was a rebound relationship on his part.' She  blew out a breath as her gaze went to where Alessandra was sitting in  her high chair. 'I bet that's a one-night stand he's regretted ever  since.'                       
       
           



       

Eliza could feel a wave of heat move through her cheeks. I'm sure it's  not the only one, she thought with a searing pain near her heart. 'Leo  loves his daughter. There can be no doubt of that.'

'Yes, of course he does,' Tatiana said. 'But it's probably not the life  he envisaged for himself, is it? But then, lots of parents feel the same  when they have a child with a disability. It's hard to get specialised  nannies. Children with special needs can be very demanding. But to see  them reach their potential is very rewarding.'

'Yes, I can imagine it is.'

'At least Signor Valente has the money to get the best help available,'  Tatiana said. 'But it's true what people say, isn't it? You can't buy  happiness.'

Eliza thought of Leo's brooding personality and the flashes of pain she had glimpsed in his eyes. 'No … you certainly can't … '

The morning passed swiftly as Tatiana worked with Alessandra in  structured play with Eliza as active observer. There were shape puzzles  for Alessandra to do as well as walking exercises to strengthen her  muscles and improve her coordination. The little toddler wasn't good at  walking on her own, even while holding someone's hand. Her coordination  and muscle strength was significantly poorer compared to children her  age. And, of course, what was difficult to the little tot was then  wilfully avoided.

Eliza could see how a tired and overburdened parent would give in and do  things for their child that they should really be encouraging them to  do for themselves. It was draining and exhausting just watching the  little girl work through her exercises and, even though Tatiana tried to  make the session as playful as possible, Alessandra became very tired  towards the end. There was barely time for a few mouthfuls of lunch  before she was ready for her nap.

Eliza sat in the anteroom and read a book she had brought with her,  keeping an ear out for any sign of the little girl becoming restless. An  hour passed and then half of another but the child slept on. She could  feel her own eyelids drooping when Marella came to the door with a  steaming cup of tea and a freshly baked cup cake on a pretty flowered  plate.

'You don't have to stay here like a prison guard.' Marella placed the  tea and cake on the little table by Eliza's chair. 'There's a portable  monitor. Its range is wide enough to reach the gardens and the pool.  Didn't Signor Valente show you?'

'No … I expect he had too many other things on his mind.'

Marella shook her head sadly. 'Poor man. He has too much work to do and  too little time to do it. He is always torn. He wants to be a good  father but he has a big company to run. He'll drive himself to an early  grave just like his father did if he's not careful.'

Eliza lowered her gaze to the cup of tea she was cradling in her hands.  She thought of Leo getting through each day, feeling overly burdened and  guilty about the competing demands of his life. Who did he turn to when  things got a little overwhelming? One of his mistresses? How could  someone he was just having sex with help him deal with his  responsibilities? Did he turn to anyone or did he shoulder it all alone?  No wonder he seemed angry and bitter a lot of the time. Maybe it wasn't  just her that brought out that in him. Maybe he was just trying to cope  with what life had thrown at him-just like she was trying to do, with  limited success.

'I can imagine it must be very difficult for him, juggling it all.'

'After you've had your tea, why don't you take a stroll out in the  garden?' Marella said. 'I'll listen out for the little one. I'll take  the monitor with me. I'll be on this floor in any case. I have to remake  the bed the agency girl was using.'

Eliza could think of nothing better than a bit of sunshine. It seemed a  long time since she had been in the fresh air. The villa was becoming  oppressive, with its forbiddingly long corridors and large gloomy rooms.  She put her cup down on the table. 'Are you sure?'