over before it even got started.’
‘Crocodile tears, my dear?’ Luc didn’t buy them. He wouldn’t buy them. He knew better than that now. Maybe Arabella hadn’t confirmed Maria’s financial status. That wasn’t his problem, and it didn’t exonerate her from pushing for the highly unreasonable deal in the first place.
‘I can’t buy the gowns back.’ Bella’s gaze dropped to her hands. She hardly seemed aware of him. ‘I’m—I’m in too deep already.’
‘Yet you were quite happy for Maria to be in that deep.’
‘I knew it would work over time.’ Unease pooled in the depths of her eyes. ‘Perhaps I should have built in an escape clause for Maria.’ She hesitated. ‘I didn’t think of her side of it.’
‘You thought only to use Maria, and walk away without any responsibility if things didn’t work out. Do you really believe I’ll stand back and leave the future of my aunt’s business in your hands now I know what you’ve done, Arabella?’ He had bought up Maria’s debts as a secret backer in order to protect her while he sorted this out with Bella. That was his business, but Bella would not be allowed to shrug off her responsibility.
‘If Maria had been wealthy as I imagined…’ Bella rose, stepped away from her chair and gathered her bag to her. Her movements were mechanical, but she couldn’t seem to smooth them out.
Luchino believed she only wanted to use Maria. It wasn’t true, but she hadn’t considered Maria in the agreement, only herself. Bella hadn’t wanted to run any risks, but Luchino wouldn’t understand that, especially now!
‘You will work with me to set things to rights, Arabella.’ Luchino decreed it, like a god speaking from the peak of Mount Olympus. ‘You’ll wear your gowns at Melbourne’s most élite functions, at the theatre and opera, in homes and at gala evenings, to dinners and parties. Anywhere your prospective clientele gather.’
‘It’s one thing to put on a nice dress and go to the theatre with my sisters.’ They had all enjoyed such times, and nowadays the heavily pregnant Chrissy came with husband in tow and Bella liked Chrissy’s husband, mostly, but Luc Montichelli wanted too much. ‘You can’t just decide this and say I have to do it. Why would you want to be with me, anyway?’
‘I can say it. I can make you do it. And I don’t want to be with you. I want to see to it that you comply with my demands. That my aunt doesn’t suffer because of you.’ His arm brushed hers as they moved out of the restaurant and stepped along the pavement. ‘I want your agreement to do everything necessary to make this work, and to do it quietly and discreetly.’
‘Without telling Maria about it.’ Bella believed Luc’s proof of Maria’s financial status. She still wanted to discuss the problem with Maria. Most of all she wanted Luc to forget all this and go away. ‘If I insist on speaking with Maria?’
He simply kept walking, turned that dark, exotic profile until his gaze met hers, and told her. ‘If you fail in any way to comply with what I want, I will retaliate by ruining your reputation as a designer so you’ll never work in that field again.’
‘You would do that?’ One glance into Luchino’s dark, angry eyes told Bella he would. His wealth and status as an international jeweller meant he could.
‘Don’t doubt it, Arabella.’ But instead of more anger at her, Luchino looked up, ahead of them, and his steps slowed.
Such an expression of anguish came over his face then that Bella almost stumbled at his side. ‘Luchino? What…?’
But he didn’t seem to hear her.
She followed his gaze, realised they were near his car again. Saw…a little girl and a middle-aged woman standing beside that car. A girl with curly black hair and olive skin who clung to the woman’s hand while her gaze followed Luc’s every movement.
Luc’s daughter?
But here? With him? How? Why? Bella struggled to comprehend even the possibilities but all she saw was a scared little girl, clinging to the older woman’s skirt, her face pinched and anxious as she watched Luchino’s approach.
Thoughts came. Memories. Her sisters’ faces had borne the same scared, confused expressions this child wore now. Over and over and over for years until Bella finally managed to rebuild enough of a life for them, enough security for them that they began to recuperate from the loss of their parents.
Bella had given her sisters all the love her parents refused to give. Had given and given it. Now her throat tightened and a stifling, smothering feeling suddenly swept over her.
‘Papa?’ The little girl took a few tentative steps towards them. ‘You were gone a long time. Nanny Heather was scared you wouldn’t come back.’
This statement brought raised eyebrows and a solemn look from the woman who stood at the child’s side.
‘Grace.’ Luc murmured the child’s name as though it hurt somehow to say it.
The air hummed with emotion.
‘I accept your terms.’ Bella blurted the words and knew she had no choice. ‘I’ll work to get all my gowns sold as quickly as possible, I’ll attend functions with you until Maria’s finances are in a better state, then I’ll go on without you.’ How long would it take to get to that point?
Luchino inclined his head. ‘A sensible choice.’
When he started to move forward again, Bella remained where she was. ‘I have to go now. I’ll miss my tram. It’s—it’s that way.’ She pointed randomly in a different direction. ‘I’ll be in contact about our…arrangement.’
‘You don’t have my number.’ Luchino drew a business card from his pocket and handed it to her.
‘OK. Now I have it. Goodbye.’ Without waiting for his response, Bella rushed past Luc, blended into the pedestrian traffic and took the fastest possible route away from his daughter and the nanny.
CHAPTER THREE
BELLA made her way to the flat, tried to pull her emotions back under control but too much had happened too fast and she didn’t know where to begin to try to come to terms with it all.
‘I’m home.’ She called the words out, stepped through the door, closed it and leaned on it as Soph came out of the kitchen area to greet her.
‘Hi. How do you like this hair colour? It’s supposed to be a rinse-out but it seems rather…’ Soph stopped. ‘You look like you’ve seen a ghost.’
‘Yes.’ A laugh escaped Bella and she snapped her mouth shut because it held an edge too close to hysteria to be comfortable. ‘I’ve seen a ghost, and if I don’t do what he wants he’s going to take my lifelong dream from me.’
Soph peered at her for all of a second, then grabbed the cordless phone off the coffee-table and punched a speed-dial number. ‘Can you come? I think we need a family council.’
‘I’m fine, Sophia. There’s nothing to worry about.’ Bella stepped away from the door and tried to pull herself together.
But it was too late. Soph had already ended
