if Pedro’s happy, we’re all happy.’
‘Thank you,’ Abby said. ‘Whether or not it makes a difference...’
‘Oh, it will make a difference,’ Matteo interrupted but then he saw the anxious dart of her eyes and guessed she was worrying what would happen if they didn’t place fifth. ‘Just enjoy the buildup to the race,’ Matteo said. ‘We’ll see what happens on race day and then we’ll speak after.’
The charity gala that his sister had organised was a huge event and must have taken a lot of work to plan.
There were beautiful people everywhere and no, Abby didn’t feel overdressed now; in fact, she was very relieved that she hadn’t gone for grey.
It was just such a beautiful summery day and they headed off to find his sister.
‘What’s she like?’ Abby asked.
‘Who, Allegra?’ Matteo checked and rolled his eyes. ‘She’s a goody-two-shoes. Don’t mention to her that I’ve hurt my shoulder.’
‘Why not?’
‘She’ll worry,’ Matteo said. ‘There she is.’
He called out and waved with his good arm, and an attractive woman came over and they greeted each other with a kiss on the cheek. ‘This is Abby,’ Matteo said. ‘My latest venture.’
‘Matteo,’ Allegra scolded.
‘Business venture.’ Matteo grinned. ‘How are you?’
‘Busy,’ Allegra admitted. ‘What have you done to your eye?’
‘I just knocked into a door.’
‘I don’t believe you for a moment,’ Allegra said. ‘And I can’t believe you’ve been here for more than a week and I haven’t seen you.’
‘Well, you had this to arrange.’
‘It’s been crazy...’ Allegra admitted but didn’t finish her sentence—someone was calling out to her and she gave Matteo and Abby an apologetic smile. ‘I really would love to stop and speak but I think it’s going to have to be later.’
‘Allegra,’ Matteo said. ‘I need to speak to you about Grandfather.’
‘Now?’
He nodded and Abby saw that his expression was completely serious. ‘He’s not doing too well.’
‘I know that,’ Allegra said. ‘Bianca and I have already spoken to him.’
‘I think you need to take some time and go and see him,’ Matteo said. Allegra closed her eyes and it was clear that she was upset.
‘I know he’s not well but...’
‘Come on,’ Matteo said to his sister and he took her by the elbow. ‘I won’t be a moment,’ he said to Abby as he led Allegra somewhere a little more private. Abby tried not to watch but she glanced over once and saw Allegra put her hand on Matteo’s shoulder and give it a squeeze.
His sore shoulder.
Oh, poor Matteo!
He didn’t wince; Matteo just took Allegra’s hand from his shoulder and gently let it go.
They were far from gushing with each other but Abby could tell, even from this distance, that they cared about what was being discussed.
It was so different from her family.
Annabel and Abby could go months without so much as a brief catch-up, and as for Abby and her father...
Maybe she should make the effort, Abby thought.
Yes, he had hurt her a lot when she had told him about Hunter’s attack but, trying to be fair to her father, though he hadn’t handled it well, maybe he had been grieving.
Never more than at that time had Abby wanted her mother, but she had been dead for three years by then.
Perhaps it was time to try and be family again?
She jumped a little as Matteo came back to her side.
‘Sorry about that,’ Matteo said. ‘Allegra already knows that my grandfather is ill but I don’t think she knew just how bad things have got.’
‘Is he very sick?’
Matteo nodded and for a moment, just a brief moment, he looked at Abby and wondered if he could tell her about the necklace and the real reason that he had made contact.
It almost felt as if he could.
But then he remembered the brittle woman he had met yesterday and decided that no, it was far too risky to chance it.
He was here for the team; he really was. There was no need to confuse things by bringing up the necklace just yet.
All that could wait.
‘Come on...’ Matteo said.
‘Where?’
‘To the sky.’
There were helicopter rides and he took her on one, and Abby, who apart from the racetrack had only seen one restaurant and one boutique during her time in Dubai, was treated to a bird’s-eye view.
Over the artificial Palm Islands they flew and Abby had never seen anything more stunning. And she also saw where Matteo had suggested they go to dinner. The city seemed to glitter gold and silver and they flew, too, over the racetrack where the first leg of the Henley Cup would be held.
This time next week, she’d be down there, Abby thought with a flurry of both nerves and excitement.
They stepped off the helicopter and Abby took a moment more than Matteo did to find her land legs.
‘It makes you dizzy, doesn’t it,’ Matteo said. ‘Let’s go and find something to eat.’
They didn’t have to look very far; there was plenty to choose from, and though they had lunch it was a quick one because, as Matteo leafed through a glossy program, he decided that he wanted to look at the racehorses that were being paraded.
‘Oh, look at that one...’ Abby said. It was a stunning, white, purebred Arabian stallion, so highly strung that he looked as if at any moment he might take off.
‘Bastard!’ Matteo said but didn’t get a chance to explain as someone tapped him on his shoulder.
The sore one.
‘Kedah!’ Matteo grinned as he turned around and saw who it was and he introduced them both. ‘Abby, this is Kedah. We studied briefly together in New York.’
‘Until you dropped out.’
‘I’m still standing,’ Matteo said. ‘And this is Abby, owner
