Sicily, leaving Vieri, had all but torn her apart. But she had done it, somehow made the arrangements, taking the first flight she could from Palermo, and spending half the night at Amsterdam airport waiting for a connection rather than spending another moment on Sicilian soil.
And despite the fact that she felt as if she had been passed through a grater, mercilessly shredded, a quick glance down revealed that she was still in one piece. Still breathing. Nobody died of a broken heart. She would get over this, be strong, carry on. Because that was who she was, what she did.
The first test of her strength had been telling Leah, who had been sleeping soundly through the drama going on around her at Castello di Trevente. Harper had already woken her to tell her the news of Alfonso’s death and the fact that Vieri wanted her to leave. But Leah was still in bed when Harper returned with the knowledge that she too would be going.
‘Hurry up, Leah.’ She pulled impatiently at the bedclothes. ‘I’ve already told you, we have to leave.’
‘We?’ Pushing herself up onto one arm, Leah had stared incredulously at her sister. ‘Surely you’re not leaving too?’
‘Yes. I told you, Vieri wants everyone to go.’
‘But not you, surely?’ She frowned deeply. ‘I mean, you and Vieri, yesterday, you seemed so close.’
‘It was an act, Leah. You of all people should know that.’ In the effort to cover up her pain and hurt she knew she sounded harsh, cold. But it was either that or break down and burst into tears and she would fight against that with all her will. Because if Leah knew that Vieri had broken her heart she wouldn’t put it past her to insist on confronting him, to rush to take a chunk out of him there and then.
‘Well, if it was an act, it was a very good one.’ Leah gave her sister a narrow-eyed look. ‘It certainly had me fooled.’
‘But that’s not exactly difficult, is it, Leah?’ Harper snapped back. ‘I seem to remember you getting fooled by a certain Max Rodriguez and losing all that money being the reason we are in this mess right now. Or should I say I am in this mess.’
‘And you know how sorry I am about that, sis.’ Leah reached for Harper’s hand, her eyes imploring.
‘I know. I’m sorry, Lea, I don’t mean to keep punishing you.’ Harper dragged in a breath, fighting to keep the emotion at bay, acutely aware that Leah was watching her intently. ‘It’s just...it’s all been a bit much. What with the wedding and everything and now Alfonso dying.’
‘Of course.’ Leah pulled an apologetic face. ‘I’m sorry about Alfonso, really I am. He seemed like a lovely man and I know how fond you were of him. But...’ her face brightened ‘...it does mean that your ordeal is over now.’ She paused, searching Harper’s face. ‘Doesn’t it?’
If only. If pretending to be Vieri’s fiancée, and then his wife, had been the ordeal, then what she felt now, the thought of being separated from him for ever, was more akin to torture. She swallowed down her misery and focussed on the practicalities.
‘It would be if we didn’t happen to be legally married.’
‘Well, presumably that can be annulled or something, can’t it?’ Leah persisted, her eyes not leaving her sister’s face. But when Harper didn’t immediately reply she leaned in closer. ‘Harper?’
‘I don’t know...yes... I suppose so.’ Even amongst all the trauma of the day that particular worm of worry had managed to niggle at the back of her brain. She and Vieri had consummated the marriage, more than once. Did that mean it could no longer be annulled? But right now that problem would have to wait. Right now, all she could think about was getting away.
She had assumed that she and Leah would travel back to Glenruie together, but Leah, being Leah, had had other ideas.
‘So are you planning on staying at Glenruie, when we get back?’ She asked the question casually as she moved around the room collecting her belongings.
‘Yes, of course. What else would I do?’
‘Only I was just wondering, if you are there to keep an eye on Dad, could I maybe be excused, just for a week or so? It’s not like he needs both of us on his case.’
‘And what would you be doing for this week or so?’ Harper helped her close her suitcase.
‘Well, the thing is—’ Leah affected a nonchalant air ‘—Jaco, he’s invited me to go to Licata to see his vineyard.’
‘Has he now?’
‘And obviously I said no, because I thought I had to get back to Glenruie.’
‘Obviously.’
‘But now...’
Harper shook her head, even managing a small smile. She had never been able to deny her sister anything. And there was no reason why one of them shouldn’t be happy. Jaco had seemed like a nice guy, and as Vieri’s oldest friend he had to be trustworthy, didn’t he?
‘I mean, I will come back with you now if you want me to, that goes without saying.’
‘No, it’s fine!’ She took Leah’s hand. She had to admit that a part of her was glad that Leah wouldn’t be accompanying her back home. She wasn’t sure her fragile armour would be able to withstand several hours of Leah’s questioning. At least this way she would be able to nurse her misery in peace. ‘But promise me you won’t do anything stupid.’
‘Who, me?’ Leah had feigned an innocent look, before pulling her sister into a hug.
So Harper had travelled alone. Now, as she paid the taxi, picked up her bag and trudged across the crunchy grass to let herself into Gamekeeper’s Cottage, wondering what havoc would greet her inside, she felt more desperately miserable than at any time in her life.
* * *
Vieri hastily gathered together his belongings, the urge to get away from the castello, from Sicily, suddenly overwhelming. He would fly back to New York right away, concentrate on getting his life back on track. A life that had recently become dangerously derailed.
Today he had buried his godfather. In the same chapel that he had married Harper only forty-eight hours before, he had had to endure the ceremony, then watch as Alfonso’s body was lowered into the ground. And as the priest had given his final blessing and Vieri had scattered a handful of soil against the polished wood, he had never felt more alone.
But he only had himself to blame. Because there was only one person who could have made this day more bearable. Harper. And he had driven her away, banished her. Today he had missed her presence like a physical pain but the suffering was no more than he deserved. Much as he had longed for the feel of her hand in his, for the comfort and support she could have given him, he had had no right to it. Far from it.
And the brutal fact was, even with the funeral over, he still missed her. With Harper gone it felt as if a huge void had opened up. As if a part of him had died.
And this was he, Vieri Romano, a man who prided himself on needing no one. Who had learned from a very young age to stand on his own two feet, to fight his own battles. To look to no one for emotional support, or any other support come to that. Even his beloved padrino had
