interest his mother to know Cesare’s relief was just as great. The more he thought about Tuccia’s detestable royal engagement, the happier he was that he’d played a part in her escape. As for the rest... “I take it Ciro is still in the ICU.”
“Oh, yes. The nurse told me she would call me when they moved him to a private room so I could visit.”
“That’s good.”
“Tell me how you are. How’s Tuccia?”
“We’re both fine.” He’d told Takis the same thing. Fine covered a lot of territory, good and bad. “Don’t worry about anything. Get some sleep, Mamma. That’s what I’m going to do.”
Not wanting to answer any more questions, he hung up wondering if he’d be able to get any while he was torn apart by thoughts of Tuccia and what would be the best thing for her. Now that he’d agreed to help her, he had to see this through one way or the other. But he couldn’t seem to stop from touching her. Earlier tonight he’d kissed her.
Cesare was about to turn out the overhead light when there was a knock on the door. Instinct told him it was Takis. He crossed the room and opened it to discover both him and Vincenzo standing at the threshold.
“Shouldn’t you two be with your wives?”
Vincenzo’s silvery stare had a way of pinning you in place. “We think you need us more.”
“I’d hoped to have this conversation in the morning.”
Takis shook his head. “Let’s talk now or none of us will get any sleep.”
How true. But the fear that his partners might not be on board with his plan to train Tuccia had been bothering him. Deep inside lurked another fear that if she left Milan to do something else, she wouldn’t tell him where she’d gone and he might never see her again.
“Come in.” They walked in his sitting room and sat down. He paced for a minute before coming to a stop. “I don’t want to keep you up all night, so here’s the bottom line. The person I’d hired for our ristorante is in the hospital in Palermo as we speak.”
In the next breath Cesare explained everything that had happened from the moment he’d arrived at his mother’s villa until now. He told them about Ciro’s sudden illness and Tuccia’s plight.
“I took her to the pensione where Gemma stayed. She’s safe there for the time being. During the flight I came up with a solution to both problems.”
In the next breath he told them of his idea to turn her into the temporary new pastry cook for the castello until Ciro was well. He only left two things out; the fact that she’d been the one who’d begged him for the job, and his intense attraction to the principessa. Cesare had never burned for a woman like this in his life.
“Hearing about her disappearance is like a dose of déjà vu for me,” Vincenzo commented.
Cesare nodded. “When Mamma admitted why she was hiding Tuccia, I could understand. It took me back to that morning in New York when you told me and Takis about your escape from your father at eighteen years of age. She’s twenty-five, but still in much the same situation as you were back then.”
“That was a horrific time. I can well imagine what Princess Tuccianna is going through right now.”
“But she’s my responsibility, not yours. Tonight on the way up here I decided I had to be out of my mind to think up such a ridiculous plan.” She’d been so desperate, he hadn’t been able to find the strength to turn her down. “On the jet she talked about another plan she had in mind to stay in hiding. I don’t doubt it would work for a while.
“Once she’s gone I’ll be acting pastry chef while I search for the right person to replace Gemma. I can only hope Ciro might recover much sooner than the doctor estimated.”
Without commenting, Takis eyed the covered pan on the coffee table. “Are you going to let us taste her first endeavor?”
“I was just going to ask the same thing,” Vincenzo commented.
“There’s no point. I’m not willing to drag you two into this mess.”
“Why don’t you let us decide.”
“No, Takis.” He shook his head. “All we would need is for the press to find out she’s working within the walls of the castello. We’d be charged for obstructing a police investigation. I’d face an additional charge for flying her here. It would cause an international scandal that could ruin our business.”
At this point Vincenzo had gotten to his feet. “Not showing up for her wedding would be a disappointment to her fiancé and parents, but it isn’t a crime. As far as I can see, no crime has been committed by anyone. She turned to her aunt for assistance. That woman called on your mother who enlisted your help. The police don’t know that.”
“Vincenzo’s right,” Takis chimed in. “Besides, Tuccia is over twenty-one and is welcome here as a staff worker. If she wore a disguise and used a fake name, it’s not our fault we didn’t recognize her.”
“Thanks, guys, but the police wouldn’t see any of it that way.”
“How are they going to find out?”
Cesare rubbed the back of his neck in frustration. “I don’t know, but you can be sure there’ll be a leak somewhere.”
Takis looked up at Cesare. “Mind if we find out what a good teacher you are?”
“Go ahead. She’s never cooked anything in her life, but she followed Mamma’s sacred recipe for Sicilian nun buns to the letter.” He uncovered the pan so they could take one.
Both men started eating and didn’t stop until half of the decorated mounds were gone. Tuccia could have received no greater compliment.
Vincenzo lifted his head. “You swear you didn’t cook these yourself?”
“I stood over her shoulder. That’s all.”
“She really made these on her own?” Takis looked astounded.
Cesare nodded. “It took her three tries. She even cleaned up the mess in the kitchen afterwards.”
“Do you think this was a one-time accident, or is the princess the proverbial diamond in the rough?”
“I’d like to see her make half a dozen Sicilian desserts at the pensione before I could answer that question, Takis. Today it was fear that drove her. She’d do anything to stay hidden. But to master the art of fine pastry making and love to do it is a gift only a few people possess. Within a few days she could hate it.
“As for her working here as the pastry chef, it would mean dealing with the kitchen assistants. I have no idea how she would handle them under pressure. For all of those reasons I’m going to tell her this won’t work.”
“Not so fast,” Vincenzo interjected. “Before you say or do anything, why don’t I ask Gemma to visit her tomorrow? Let her lay out what a day in the kitchen would be like for Tuccia. She’d be able to ask my wife questions about the routine and the personalities she would have to deal with.”
