be better for her to disappoint Marco now rather than later on. ‘Can I see your folders?’
‘Why?’
‘Indulge me.’
She glanced at Marco as if hoping he’d step in, but to Marco’s credit he remained silent. With obvious reluctance, she handed them over.
He flicked through the contents of the top folder. As she’d said, it held the information about the hotel. The printed sheets were so tidy it was obvious that they had yet to be disturbed by human hands. He shook his head. No wonder she couldn’t recall staffing numbers; she hadn’t read them to begin with.
The second folder held print-outs, clippings and brochures about Newcastle. At least she hadn’t been lying about that.
The last one …
‘That’s personal. I—’
He pulled out a lingerie catalogue. A lingerie catalogue! He smothered an oath. Marco had to see that Bella just wouldn’t make the grade on this one.
She snatched the catalogue from his hand. ‘A friend has a party-plan company. She asked me to take a look. I had nowhere else to put it.’
He didn’t doubt which reading material she preferred. He handed the folders back.
He found himself combatting a sudden weariness; a feeling of lethargy and emptiness. He tried to shake it off. ‘What qualifications do you have, Bella?’
Her eyes flashed fire. ‘If my father has no qualms in that area, then I don’t see what concern it is of yours.’
‘It’s my concern because I’m going to be ultimately responsible for the hotel’s success. Marco?’
Marco raised a hand and then let it drop. From beside him, he felt Bella flinch. It took all his self-control not to turn back to her.
‘For the last eighteen months my daughter has been working in her uncle’s restaurant.’
‘Were you in charge of its day-to-day management?’
‘On occasion.’
He shook his head and turned back to Marco. ‘This is never going to work. Bella simply doesn’t have the experience necessary for such a senior position.’
‘She’ll be able to pull it off with your help.’
He wanted to turn away from the pleading in Marco’s eyes. He owed the older man a lot, but to be party to Bella’s latest whim? A whim that no doubt would end in Marco’s disappointment and regret. He pinched the bridge of his nose between thumb and forefinger.
‘Maybe you’re right,’ Marco said. A sigh heaved out of him. ‘Maybe this is nothing more than an old man’s dream.’
Dominic glanced up. Before his eyes, Marco seemed to age.
‘No!’
Bella leapt to her feet. Dominic couldn’t do this to her. He couldn’t!
Her hands clenched about the folders. She stared at her father. That expression on his face! It reminded her of the time he’d seen her high school graduation results. ‘No Maldini has ever failed high school!’ Oh, that look—it had cut her to the quick. He hadn’t said anything else. He’d turned away. He’d cancelled what was supposed to have been a celebratory dinner. He’d gone out alone.
She couldn’t let him turn away now.
‘Don’t listen to Dominic.’ She slammed her folders down on his desk. ‘On paper I may not have the qualifications, but I have the heart and I have the talent.’ She prayed she had the talent.
She glared at Dominic. ‘How do you rate determination and talent, Dominic?’
He stared up at her. He hadn’t moved. Her heart pounded; she swore both he and her father must hear it.
‘Highly.’
She could tell he didn’t believe it, but …
‘I have both. In quantities that I promise will impress even you.’
He didn’t reply. She glanced at her father and her stomach tightened when she recalled the way his face had frozen when she’d confessed that she’d dropped out of university. He’d barely been able to look at her. It had made something inside her curl up and die.
That wasn’t going to happen now. She wouldn’t let it.
She swung back to Dominic. ‘Before she died, my mother’s dearest wish was that my father would one day create the hotel of his dreams. It was a dream close to both their hearts. It is a dream close to my heart. Papa—’ she swung to him ‘—you know this is true.’
It was the reason she’d badgered him to give her the opportunity to work at the Newcastle Maldini. She’d begged, pleaded and cajoled until he’d agreed. Dominic was not going to take that away from her.
She pulled in a deep breath. Before Italy she’d have agreed with Dominic’s assessment of her. Before Italy she’d never have dared take a risk like this. But her experiences in Italy had changed her. She’d found her passion. She’d found a talent—something she was good at. She’d discovered what she wanted to do with the rest of her life. She believed she had something to offer. Something good and true.
She trembled as she played her trump card. ‘Papa, Mama would want you to give me this chance.’
As she’d known it would, the mention of her mother defeated him. His shoulders sagged, he sighed and stared at Dominic. ‘It was my Francine’s fondest wish …’
It took all her courage to meet Dominic’s gaze. Would he back down? Would he relent and give her a chance to prove herself? His eyes were unreadable. His face could’ve been chiselled from stone, or ice.
‘You think you are up for this?’ he finally said, the soft threat of his voice sending a shiver of apprehension up her spine.
‘Yes.’ Somehow she made her voice strong.
He glanced at her father and just for a moment his expression softened. It hardened again when he glanced back at her. ‘You will work hard?’
That sounded less a question and more of a threat. She swallowed. ‘Yes.’
She refused to let her gaze drop from his, but she still didn’t have a clue what he was thinking. But those eyes, the bluest of blue, brought to mind hot, languid days on the Mediterranean … and hot, languid nights. Heat flowed into her cheeks, her neck, her breasts.
Very slowly, Dominic gave a smile. She didn’t know what that meant either. It wasn’t the kind of smile she’d ever been sent before. Without taking his eyes from her, he addressed her father. ‘Perhaps, Marco, Bella deserves your confidence? The final decision rests with you.’
‘You will work with my Bella?’
Dominic blinked and released her. She found herself breathing hard. For a moment she wasn’t sure where to
