a little less alone.
‘Now is not the time for a tour,’ Rafael said. ‘Since you are tired. I’ll show you your room and then summon the doctor.’
‘I’m fine...’ Allegra protested, because now that she was here she wanted to explore. From the soaring foyer she could see a comfortable-looking lounge with huge sofas in cream linen and French doors overlooking a terrace. On the other side she saw the cheerful yellow walls of a large kitchen, and another set of French doors leading to what looked like a large vegetable garden. All of it made her want to see and know more. She felt the stirrings of excitement, which was a welcome change from all the apprehension.
‘You need to rest,’ Rafael said, clearly brooking no argument, and with his hand on her elbow he guided her up the curving stairs to a large bedroom. While he went to fetch the doctor, Allegra explored the room—it was every bit as luxurious as the one she’d enjoyed in the hotel back in New York.
There was a huge king-sized bed on its own dais, a massive fireplace that would make the room cosy in winter, and wide windows whose shutters were open to the tumbling gardens below. She rested her elbows on the stone sill as she took in the infinity pool sparkling under the sunlight, and the tangle of bougainvillea and hibiscus that covered the steep hillsides. The air was warm and dusty, scented with rosemary and pine. She felt as if she’d stumbled into paradise.
‘The doctor will examine you now.’
Allegra turned to see a stern-looking, white-haired man with an old-fashioned black bag standing in the doorway, and her heart sank. Determined to be as accommodating as possible, she submitted to a battery of routine checks while Rafael watched.
‘I really am fine,’ she said as the doctor tucked his stethoscope away. ‘Everything’s fine.’
‘Well?’ Rafael turned to the doctor for his verdict, and Allegra gritted her teeth. Since when had she become incapable of speaking for herself?
‘She’s a little dehydrated,’ the man said. ‘And she needs some rest.’
Rafael nodded. ‘Thank you.’ He turned to Allegra once the man had thankfully left. ‘I’ll have Maria bring up some water. You should drink at least two glasses.’
Allegra folded her arms. ‘I’m capable of making my own decisions, Rafael.’
His mouth thinned as he arched one dark eyebrow. ‘You are fighting me on this small matter?’
‘Yes, because you’re treating me like an idiot. I don’t need to be fussed over by a doctor every moment.’
‘I simply wanted you to be checked out after our travel. What is the problem?’
She stared at him, frustrated, because he made it sound so reasonable. It was his attitude she didn’t like, the high-handed way he dealt with everything. With her.
‘The problem is you’re being aggravatingly bossy.’
‘I am caring for our child.’
‘Which is very important to you, I know. I get that, trust me. But you can’t...you can’t be in control of everything.’
Rafael bit back a response and then looked away. ‘This is important to me, Allegra,’ he said after a moment. ‘I don’t want to fail in my duty as a father. Please...indulge me.’
A bleak look had come into his eyes, and it made her wonder what hidden hurts Rafael was keeping from her. Or was she just being fanciful, and he was simply an arrogant, autocratic, domineering man? From the obdurate look on his face Allegra knew she’d get nowhere pressing the point now.
‘Fine, I’ll indulge you,’ she said wearily. ‘At least in this.’
* * *
Several hours later she woke from a deep sleep and stretched languorously. Long, golden rays of late afternoon sunshine slid across the floor. She’d been asleep for hours, so clearly she’d needed the rest.
Allegra got out of bed and went to explore the huge en suite bathroom, enjoying the enormous marble walk-in shower. Dressed in a strappy sundress, her hair damp and curling about her shoulders, she headed downstairs in search of Rafael.
She didn’t find him, but she did see Maria in the kitchen, and the housekeeper bustled around to have Allegra sit at the round kitchen table and then plied her with iced tea and fig cookies.
‘Something smells delicious,’ Allegra said.
‘Ah, it is a welcome feast for Signor Vitali and his lovely lady,’ Maria said with a smile. ‘It has been a long time since I have been able to cook so much!’
‘Is it?’ Allegra nibbled a cookie, wondering how much she could press the housekeeper for information. ‘Has Rafael not had...guests here before?’
Maria gave her a shrewdly knowing look. ‘Signor Vitali has never had anyone here before. He has always been a very solitary man. Salvatore and I have served him for more than ten years.’ She smiled fondly. ‘He worked so hard, he had little time for anything else.’ She nodded meaningfully towards Allegra’s bump. ‘Perhaps now that will change.’
‘Perhaps.’ Although Rafael had certainly immersed himself in work since he’d come back into her life. Despite his insistence that he wanted to be an involved father, Allegra wondered if he simply wanted to be in control.
Replete with cookies and tea, she wandered out of the kitchen to explore the villa—and find Rafael. She discovered the lounge she’d seen earlier and a media room with a huge flat-screen TV and a state-of-the-art sound system. A dining room with a table that easily seated twelve was empty, as was a smaller room with a cosy table for four. She slipped through the French windows onto the terrace that overlooked the infinity pool, breathing in the scents of bougainvillea and rosemary. The sun was setting, painting the sky with livid violet streaks, and she heard birds chirping in the tall, stately firs that surrounded the villa on most sides, the mountains towering above them.
But where was Rafael—and why did she want to find him so badly? Perhaps he intended for them to live separate lives here in Sicily, a prospect that filled her with a treacherous disappointment. She wanted to know what their future was going to look like...and, she realised, she wanted to know Rafael. It had been all right to maintain a holding pattern while they’d waited for the amnio results, but now they were meant to have some kind of life together. Rafael was insisting they marry, and while that prospect still filled her with fear, it also made her want to get to know the man she might be spending the rest of her life with, at least a little. So where was he?
Maria had started to serve dinner in the smaller dining room, several fragrant dishes that made Allegra’s mouth water. Then she noticed the place setting for one.
‘Is Rafael not eating?’ she asked, hating how small her voice sounded.
Maria made a face. ‘Signor Vitali said he needed to work tonight.’
So the feast was for her alone. Allegra sat at the table and nibbled course after delicious course, feeling sorry both for herself and for Maria, who had gone to so much effort for her employer. Why had Rafael refused to come down for dinner? Surely his work couldn’t be that important. Was he avoiding her on purpose, setting the pattern for their married lives?
Loneliness
