But before she had the chance to order her thoughts Vieri was striding into her bedroom, full of his usual command.
‘You need to get up.’
Harper pushed herself up against the pillows, brushing the hair out of her eyes with a shaky hand. By the look on Vieri’s face, something was wrong.
‘What’s the matter? What’s happened?’
‘I have received a message from Alfonso’s nurse.’ Vieri’s voice was tight. ‘We need to get over there right away.’
‘Oh, no!’ Harper felt her heart lurch. ‘Alfonso...he hasn’t...? She pulled back the covers, scrambling to get out of bed.
‘No, no. It’s Maria. Some sort of family emergency, apparently. She has had to leave.’
‘Oh, thank goodness.’ Harper gave a huge sigh of relief. ‘Not that I don’t feel sorry for Maria, of course.’ She stopped, suddenly aware of Vieri’s cool blue eyes raking over her. She was wearing a pair of old fleecy tartan pyjamas, perfect for keeping out the winter chill back home, but, judging by Vieri’s expression, not the sort of female night attire he was familiar with.
She gazed at him, desperately trying to ignore the stutter of her heart. Wearing faded, low-slung jeans and a grey sweatshirt, he was more casually dressed than usual, but no less devastatingly attractive. The dark shadow that shaded his jawline gave him a feral, untamed look, and his ruffled hair, that didn’t appear to have been brushed any time recently, only made him seem all the more dangerously tempting. Harper bit down on her lip. Maybe this unkempt look meant he had had a bad night too. After the way he had treated her, she couldn’t help but hope so.
‘So, what’s the plan?’ She tried to sound normal, running a hand over her own sleep-tangled hair and tucking it behind her ears. But all the time she was acutely conscious of Vieri’s unwavering stare. ‘Can you hire a temporary nurse?’
‘Already done. But Alfonso is being difficult. It seems that he wants you there.’
‘Oh.’ Harper nodded. ‘Well, I’ll get dressed and we can head straight over there.’
‘I mean he wants you to move in with him.’ Vieri hesitated. ‘Until Maria gets back.’
‘I see.’ Harper bit back her surprise. ‘Well, that’s okay. I can do that.’ Already her affection for Alfonso was such that she would do anything for him.
‘Obviously I will accompany you.’
Obviously. Harper felt her stomach twist with nervous apprehension. All brisk businesslike command, there was no trace of the Vieri of last night. Of the seductive lover who had so easily smashed through her fragile defences, or the angry stranger that had followed. It occurred to her that she had no idea at all what went on in this man’s head.
‘Maria doesn’t know how long she will have to be away,’ Vieri continued. ‘Do you have any commitments, at home, I mean?’
This took Harper aback. It was the first time Vieri had even mentioned the life she had had to put on hold for him.
‘Actually I spoke to Leah this morning.’ She fiddled with the hem of her pyjama top. ‘She’s safely back in Glenruie and she has agreed to do my shifts at Craigmore Lodge for me. And look after Dad.’
Vieri gave a brief nod.
‘She explained to me what had happened, about the money, Vieri. How that man gambled it all away and then disappeared.’ Harper took a tentative step towards him. ‘Leah didn’t deliberately set out to steal from you, you know. She intended to pay you back.’ For some reason she felt she had to try and clear her sister’s name.
‘It makes no difference to me either way.’ Vieri looked profoundly unconvinced, his profile set hard in silhouette against the window. ‘As far as I am concerned the matter is closed. Once our arrangement has been concluded, of course.’
‘Of course.’ Harper chewed the inside of her lip. What was the point of even trying to get through to this man? She sighed heavily.
‘We will leave in twenty minutes.’
‘Fine.’
She watched as his broad-shouldered frame turned and left the room. Heading for the bathroom, she stripped off her pyjamas and stepped under the shower, hoping that the thundering water would drown out her sense of foreboding.
It seemed that no matter how hard she tried to protect herself, the web she was caught in was tightening all the time. Somehow, Vieri’s control over her life was becoming more and more inescapable.
* * *
‘Benvenuto, welcome.’ Alfonso stretched out a skinny arm towards Harper, taking her hand and patting it with his own. ‘Thank you so much for coming to save me in my hour of need.’
‘It’s nothing, Alfonso.’ Harper leant in to kiss his papery cheek. ‘It will be a pleasure to stay here and look after you until Maria returns.’
‘You are very kind but I know what an imposition it must be for you. And for Vieri.’ He shot Vieri a look. ‘But I hope you will forgive the selfishness of a very old man.’
‘There is nothing to forgive, Alfonso.’ Vieri gave his godfather a hug, the reality of how frail Alfonso had become gripping his heart.
‘Harper, my dear.’ Alfonso turned to where Harper still stood beside his chair. ‘Perhaps you would like to go and check your room? My housekeeper has made it ready for you but I want to make sure everything is just as you want it before she leaves for the day.’
‘I’m sure it will be perfect.’
‘Even so.’ He touched her hand again. ‘It would put my mind at rest.’
‘Very well, I’ll go and unpack.’
Both men watched as she left the room.
‘Come and sit down, my son.’ Alfonso patted the chair beside him, speaking in his native Sicilian. ‘You are making me anxious, standing there with that forbidding look on your face. I hope this situation...’ he waved his hand around expressively ‘...isn’t inconveniencing you too much.’
‘Not at all, padrino.’ Vieri seated himself in a high-backed chair.
‘Then what? You look troubled.’
Vieri took in a breath. ‘Did you know that Donatella is back in Palermo?’ He could feel a vein pulsing in his neck at the very mention of her name.
‘Ah, yes, I did hear as much.’
‘And that doesn’t worry you?’
‘Not in the least. She knows better than to show her face here.’
‘But she will still try and make trouble,’ Vieri replied. ‘You can bet on that.’
‘Donatella Sorrentino will only make trouble if we let her, Vieri. And I have no intention of doing any such thing.’
Vieri bit down
