The Innocent's Secret Baby(22)

Bastiano didn't say anything, but Raul saw the smile of triumph that he  attempted to contain. Of course he would not take Raul's calls-he would  far prefer to witness him beg.

'I didn't return your calls because I don't think I can help you, Raul,'  Bastiano answered, and his manicured hand gestured to some papers on  the desk before him. 'Alim said you have been trying to reach him. I  know how badly you wanted the hotel, but a deal has been reached-the  contracts are awaiting my signature.'

Bastiano thought he was here about the Grande Lucia, Raul realised.

But then why wouldn't he think that?

A few weeks ago that had been all that had mattered to  Raul-acquisitions, pipping Bastiano to the post and amassing the biggest  fortune.

'I'm not here about the hotel,' Raul said, and he watched as Bastiano's contained features briefly showed his confusion.

But he righted himself quickly.

'So what is it that you want?'

'You were considering investing in a property in the UK.' Raul attempted to be vague, but it did not work.

'I have many investments there.'

'It was a castle.'

Raul knew the exact second that Bastiano understood the reason for his  visit, for now he made no effort to contain his black smile as he spoke.  'I don't recall.'

'Of course you do.' Raul refused to play games. 'If you could give me the details I would be grateful.'

'I don't require your gratitude, though.'

He had been mad to come, Raul realised.

But then mad was how he had been of late.

And now he sat in front of his nemesis, asking him for help.

Worse, though, there were other questions he wanted to ask him. Bastiano held some of the keys to his past.

A past Raul did not want to examine.

Yes, this was madness, Raul decided.

No more.

He stood to leave and did not even bother making the right noises, for there was nothing even to pretend to thank Bastiano for.

But as he reached the door Bastiano's voice halted him.

'There is something I want.'

Raul did not turn around and Bastiano continued.

'If you return the ring I'll give you the information.'

Still Raul did not turn around, though he halted. He actually fought not  to lean on the door, for he felt as if the air had been sucked out of  the room. He was back in the courtroom, staring at that emerald and seed  pearl ring and wondering from where it had come.

Gino had given his mother nothing other than a thin gold band that might  just as well have been a ball and chain, for in Maria's eyes it had  held her to him for life...

Not quite.

She had been unfaithful, after all.

Then Bastiano spoke. 'I gave it to your mother the week before she died. It belongs in my family...'

'Why did you give her the ring?' Raul turned.

'She said that she wanted to leave Casta and be with me. The ring secured our plans.'

'You expect me to believe that you two were in love?' Raul sneered.

'I thought so for a while.' Bastiano shrugged. 'It was really just sex.'

Raul was across the room in an instant, and he reached out to upend the  table just to get to Bastiano, but somehow the bastard had him halting,  for he held out a pen as if it were a knife.

'I want my ring,' Bastiano said.

And the pen in his hand was the only thing preventing Raul from slamming  him against the stone wall and exacting his final revenge.

'You'll get it.'

Bastiano wrote down the details, but, as he did, he said something that a  few years ago would have had Raul reaching again for his throat.

Now it made Raul feel sick.

'Don't make her a saint, Raul,' Bastiano said. 'She was far from that.'         

     



 

Raul felt as if his head was exploding as he walked out.

The helicopter's rotors started at the pilot's sight of him and Raul ran across the ground.

It took minutes.

Barely minutes,

And he was standing at his mother's grave.

It should feel peaceful-there was just the sound of birds and the buzzing of his phone-but the roar in his ears remained.

It had never left.

Or rather it had dimmed in the brief time he and Lydia had shared.

Now he turned off his phone, and it felt as if even the birds were silent as he faced the truth.

Bastiano had not been the first affair.

He had been the last.

And there had been many.

Raul had been taught to lie-not just to save himself but to cover for his mother.

He looked back to the convent and remembered her tears when it had  closed and her misery. Then he recalled her being more cheerful, when  her mood would lift for a while. And while it would make most children  happy to see their mother smile, Raul had known that if he were to keep  her safe, then the lies had to start again.

Maria Di Savo.

Unhinged, some had called her.

'Fragile' was perhaps a more appropriate word.

At least it was the one Raul chose.

But with more open eyes than the last time he had stood here.

'Rest now,' he said to the stone, and he went to lay the lilies.

But then he divided them into two.

And he turned to the grave of Gino Di Savo.

There was someone he had never considered forgiving-it had been so far from his mind as to be deemed irrelevant.

It was more than relevant now.

Was Gino even his father?

Sixteen and pregnant in the valley would have been a shameful place to be.

Had the younger Gino been kinder?

Had he lived with the knowledge of constant infidelity?

Perhaps Raul would never know.

He understood the beatings more, though.

And maybe there were some respects to be paid.

'Rest now,' Raul said again, and he put the remaining lilies on Gino Di Savo's grave.





CHAPTER THIRTEEN

'IT'S A VERY recent piece.'

The valuation manager had called in the director. And Lydia was starting to get a glimpse of just how valuable the statue was.

'Three months,' Lydia said, but they didn't look over at her.

For the first morning in a very long time Lydia had held down some toast  and decided it was time to be practical and deal with things.

Lydia had returned to the castle expecting anger and recrimination, and had been ready to get the hell out.

Instead she'd returned to her mother's devastation.

It wasn't only Lydia who hadn't cried on her father's death.

Valerie too had held it in, and finally the dam had broken.

'I'm sorry!' She had just slumped in a chair and cried. 'I've told him he's never to come back.'

Of all the hurts in Lydia's heart, Maurice didn't rank, and so instead  of fighting back or getting out Lydia had done what Raul had done. She'd  poured her mother a drink and stayed calm.

She'd been her practical self, in fact, and had put her own hurts aside.

Lydia pulled the castle as a wedding venue and then dealt as best as she could with what was.

There was no money and very little left to sell.

Last week she had suggested that Valerie go and spend some time with her sister.

Lydia needed to be alone.

She was pregnant.

But she did have her mother's practical nature and had decided to find out what the statue was worth.

Not to save the castle.

Raul was right-it would require a constant infusion.

The proceeds of the sale of the statue might at least go towards a deposit on a house.

But then the valuation manager had called for the director and numbers had started to be discussed between the men.

Lydia realised she had far more than a deposit.

In fact she could buy a home.

It was worth that much and very possibly more.

She could provide for her baby and Raul didn't even need to know.

'Are you thinking of the New York auction?' the manager was asking his senior.

'That's a few months off.'

He glanced over to Lydia and offered her an option.

'I have several collectors who would be extremely interested-we could run a private auction. This piece is exquisite.'

And she loved it so.

It was just a piece of glass, Lydia told herself.

There was a reason she didn't take photos-going over old memories hurt too much.

She would be better rid of it, Lydia knew, and yet it was the only thing she had ever loved.

Apart from Raul.

He wasn't a thing-he was a person.

An utter bastard, in fact.

But the statue spoke of a different time, before it had all fallen  apart, and Lydia could not stand the thought of letting it go.         

     



 

Over and over she dissected each moment with him.

At every minute her mind was back there, peeping through the keyhole he had once shown her and seeing them.

Every moment was captured, and yet she had no photos, bar the one of them holding hands that was smeared all over the internet.

Apparently the great Raul did not usually stoop to holding hands, so the press had been interested.

She'd been telling him about her father then.

Confiding in him.

And he had been playing her all along.

All she had of him was this statue.

No, Lydia corrected, in six months' time she would have his baby.

And Raul needed to know.

The director finally addressed her. 'With your permission I'm going to  make a few phone calls, and then perhaps we'll be able to see more where  we're at.'

'Of course,' Lydia agreed.

And so must she make some calls.

Lydia was shown to a comfortable waiting room that was more like a lounge and offered tea.

'No, thank you,' Lydia said as she took a seat. 'Could you please close the door?'

The door was closed and from her purse Lydia took out the business card he had given her.

It had been three months since Lydia had heard his voice.

The business card had had many outings, but always she'd bailed before completing his number.

Today Lydia held her breath as she was finally put through.