He let her drop and stood back.
‘It’s that easy, isn’t it?’ he said. ‘You’re that easy. If you think for one moment I would allow you to have custody of my daughter, you’re mad. Do you really think that I would allow Francesca’s innocence to be polluted by a mother like you?’
With a sound of disgust he left the room.
Kate remained where she was for quite some time … listening to the clock ticking on the wall, studying the tiny fibres in the carpet beneath her motionless limbs. She couldn’t think; she didn’t dare to. But eventually, like some animal returning from a deep sleep, she uncurled herself and rallied. Because she had to, because she couldn’t give up. However hopeless, however weary, this was one fight she could never turn her back on. She had to seek Santino out now and leave him in no doubt that, whatever had happened between them, she would contest any unreasonable suggestion he might make regarding Francesca’s future. She would not be defeated, not where her child was concerned.
She found him in the sitting room, relaxing, reading the paper as if nothing untoward had happened. His brow creased as she walked into the room and then he studied her face for a moment over the top of the newspaper. Finding her recovered, he continued on with his reading as if she weren’t there. But Kate noticed a tension had crept into his jaw. He had not expected her to recover so quickly, or perhaps at all.
In spite of his rudeness her heart raced as it always did at the sight of him. It was insane, it made no sense, but still she loved him, nothing would ever change where that was concerned. And at least Francesca had the father she had always longed for, Kate reminded herself, standing her ground. ‘I just wanted to confirm that I will be consulting a solicitor as soon as we return to England …’ Her throat felt tight, but somehow she managed to sound businesslike.
Santino took an inordinate amount of time lowering his paper. As he put it to one side Kate felt dread creeping over her. ‘You wouldn’t stop us leaving Rome?’ she said, voicing her deepest fear.
‘You? No.’
‘What do you mean?’ She felt the blood drain from her face.
‘I would have thought that was obvious.’
Santino stood up. All the better to intimidate her, Kate thought as he towered over her.
‘Francesca will be staying here in Rome with me.’
‘No. I won’t leave her.’ Kate found some steel for her voice. Santino was merciless, she couldn’t afford to appear weak.
He made an impatient gesture with his hand. ‘This show of emotion helps no one, least of all Francesca. It’s clear you haven’t read the documents through, or you would know the dates I have proposed for my daughter’s visits to Rome. They are clearly laid out. As Francesca is here in Rome it makes perfect sense for her to remain—’
‘Perfect sense?’ Kate interrupted him. ‘To whom?’
Santino ignored her. ‘For Francesca to remain here and grow accustomed to her new life.’
He said the words clearly and deliberately as if Kate had remained silent the whole time. ‘Francesca already has a life with me.’
‘And now that life will change to accommodate me.’
Swallowing back her fear, Kate struggled to remain calm. ’So you have made all the decisions regarding Francesca’s future without consulting me?’
‘You have just had a meeting with my lawyer. How much more considerate do you expect me to be?’
Yes, she could see that meeting would look good for him in a court of law.
‘You had all the time in the world to ask him questions,’ Santino pointed out.
‘And I did ask him questions, about many things, but I was upset, and confused—’
‘Excuses now?’
Kate shook her head at Santino’s accusation, but it was true she had been distraught and not thinking straight. Kate Mulhoon, the one person everyone else relied on for clear direction, had gone to pieces in the only meeting of her life that really mattered.
‘I’ve no time for this. If you had read the document through you would know the dates—’
‘If I’d read the document?’ Kate exclaimed. ‘We’re talking about our daughter, Santino, not a piece of paper. Do you really think Francesca’s life can be divided into segments like an orange?’
‘A court of law will make the final decision.’
‘And you’re happy to allow a judge who doesn’t know Francesca to rule on what will or will not make her happy?’
‘I’m not happy leaving that decision in the hands of Francesca’s mother.’
‘Then I’ll see you in court, Santino.’ But as Kate turned for the door he stood in her way.
‘If you try to fight me you will regret it; I promise you that.’
‘Are you threatening me?’ Kate stared up into eyes that held no warmth for her and flinched when they sparked with amusement.
‘I suggest you get a grip, Kate, or a court of law might consider you unstable, and judge you to be an unfit mother.’
‘And I suggest you find someone else to bully, Santino, because where Francesca is concerned I will not allow you to intimidate me. Now please move away from the door.’
‘With pleasure,’ he said, opening it wide for her.
Kate stopped on the threshold. ‘I can’t believe I thought I was in love with you. What a lucky escape I’ve had.’
His gaze flickered and then turned cold again. ‘And I thought you might have been different to other women. I even thought we might have had a chance—’
‘You threw it away, Santino, and I only hope you don’t pass on this hard, unyielding side of your nature to our daughter.’
‘Have you finished?’ He stared over her head.
‘No.’ Kate firmed her jaw. ‘You should know that I will abide by any ruling the court makes, but I won’t be ruled by you, Santino, and I won’t allow you to rule Francesca. We’re both leaving Rome this weekend and the only way you can stop me taking her back home is by locking us up.’
‘Don’t be so dramatic.’
‘No, I can see that might look bad for you. I don’t imagine it’s the kind of publicity you would relish.’
‘Are you attempting to blackmail me?’
‘I don’t think you have the slightest idea the lengths a mother will go to in order to protect her child.’
‘Get out! Just get out of my sight!’
Kate shuddered as the door slammed behind her.
The only thing keeping her together was Francesca and Kate rushed to see her now. After the terrible things she and Santino had said to each other she needed reassurance that Francesca was unaware of the enmity between her parents.
Kate found Meredith and Francesca in the garden, and as soon as Francesca spotted her she came running over, eager to show off the puppies to her mother.
It would be hard for Francesca to leave the puppies behind, Kate thought as the tiny animals raced around tumbling over each other in their excitement. But not impossible. She would find a way … perhaps Meredith wouldn’t mind taking in another dog.
Francesca was happy to play on the grass while Kate went to sit on the terrace with Meredith beneath the bleached linen umbrella. Resting her chin on her hand, Kate watched Francesca and tried at the same time to close her mind to Santino.