Indeed Janet Taplow had ironically already served her sentence and won her release by the time Kathy contrived to clear her own name. But Kathy had not been bothered by that reality. It was enough for her that the truth be known. When she received compensation for her imprisonment she planned to donate it to a charity that helped former offenders to settle back into the community and find work.
No longer haunted by painful bitter memories, she was at last managing to leave the past behind her. Little by little, she was regaining the easy confidence and friendliness that had once been so much a part of her personality. Her happiness had contributed most to that process.
Bridget and Renzo had recently celebrated their second wedding anniversary. Bridget was now the mother of a little boy of six months, a development that had surprised and delighted the older woman, who had assumed she was at an age when a pregnancy was an unlikely event. Abramo had recovered from his illness and started dating again. Sergio was slowly forging stronger bonds with his half-brother and had put him in charge of one of his smaller companies. Grazia had collected a small fortune off Sergio and had gone on to become the fourth wife of a fabulously wealthy Egyptian. Like Cleopatra, she was said to bathe in milk and honey.
Kathy had spent most of the first two years of her marriage based in London so that she could take classes and complete the business degree she had been working on when she had first met Sergio. Maribel Pallis had become one of her closest friends. Sergio and Kathy also regularly visited Bakhar to enjoy Rashad and Tilda’s lavish hospitality with Maribel and Leonidas. Their children all knew each other very well.
Kathy put on her jewellery, a recent birthday present from Sergio. The contemporary diamond pendant glittered with white-fire brilliance at her throat and the earrings caught the light with every movement. She went to say goodnight to Ella, with her pet Siamese cat, Horace, padding fluidly in her wake. Already Horace was like her shadow and he had almost—but not quite—filled the space left by his much-missed predecessor, Tigger.
Ella was still awake and complaining about Elias Pallis, who was almost three years older. In truth, Elias and Ella frequently fought like cat and dog. Elias liked to lay down the law and Ella couldn’t stand being told what to do. Tilda’s son, Sharaf, was always the peacemaker, very much a future diplomatist and ruler in the making while Bethany, his little sister, was as feisty as Ella. Soon, Kathy reflected dreamily, resting her hand against the very slight curve of her tummy, there would be another child in the group. Boy or girl, she didn’t mind. She was looking forward to telling Sergio her good news.
Lethally tall, dark and handsome in a dinner jacket, Sergio joined Kathy on the gallery at the top of the stairs. ‘I love the dress. Gold is your colour. Is Ella asleep?’
‘Yes, don’t disturb her,’ Kathy advised. ‘She’ll only start muttering about Elias again. They’re a double act from hell. Ella’s cheeky to him, he winds her up, she loses the plot and he laughs.’
Sergio tugged her into the shadows. ‘Isn’t that the way you are with me, delizia mia?’
Assailed by teasing dark golden eyes, Kathy laughed. ‘Only when I first knew you. I’ve grown up quite a bit since then—’
‘So you’re not the woman who slammed down the phone on me last week when I couldn’t get home in time for dinner?’
Kathy went pink with embarrassment and squirmed. ‘Well, obviously that was an exception and I was in the wrong—’
‘Oh, you can slam the phone down on me any time you like. I’m tough as granite,’ Sergio husked, one hand splaying to her hip to curve her into connection with his long powerful thighs. ‘And you said sorry very nicely in bed that night.’
Her guilty blush hit her hairline.
Sergio stared down at her with appreciative eyes. ‘I love you, Kathy Torrente. You and Ella are the sunshine in my life—’
‘And you’re going to have to share that sunshine in the near future,’ Kathy told him playfully, wanting to make her announcement before they joined their guests for the evening.
‘You mean Horace, the most spoilt cat in Italy, is finally getting a mate?’
Kathy giggled like a drain. ‘No, I’m pregnant!’
Warm satisfaction burnished his brilliant smile. ‘You are an amazing woman.’
‘I’m glad you think so.’ Kathy locked her arms round his neck. Eventually they emerged from the shadows and she was lamenting that she would have to renew her lipstick. But she was laughing and he was watching her every lively change of expression with the intensity of a man very much in love. It was a while before they joined their guests…