‘But you withheld the truth from me.’
More than he knew. And as silence echoed all around them Kate accepted that she couldn’t deny Santino’s assertion. She could only raise her head and look into his eyes as she remembered that one night of passion, one misplaced teenage dream had given her one of life’s greatest gifts with one hand and taken away most cruelly with the other. But out of that traumatic event had come Kate’s beautiful daughter Francesca, and even if that earned her Santino’s everlasting scorn, she wouldn’t change a thing.
It was Francesca’s laughter that distracted them, and in spite of all the anger in the room Kate found herself smiling as she looked out of the window. Francesca was skipping across the lawn with the puppies in hot pursuit with Meredith hurrying after her predictably carrying the runt of the litter in her arms …
‘She’s a good woman …’
Santino’s voice startled Kate out of her contemplation. Once again he had read her like a book. But what point was there in that now? It was a gift that was wasted on both of them.
‘You’re lucky—’
She turned to stare at Santino in surprise. ‘Lucky?’
‘To have an aunt like Meredith … To have a family.’
‘You have a family now,’ she reminded him.
‘And to ensure that I keep one I’ve asked my lawyer to come over.’ In the space of a heartbeat Santino’s manner had changed towards her. It was as if he couldn’t wait to stamp out the split second of harmony between them.
‘I’m going to speak to him while you’re having lunch with Meredith and Francesca. And then it will be your turn, Kate.’
Kate’s pulse began to race … from fear of what lay ahead and from the look in Santino’s eyes. ‘My turn?’
‘He should speak to you and tell you what to expect. I’ll take Francesca out on the lake while you have your meeting.’
Santino was speaking to her as if it were all cut and dried, Kate realised, clutching her throat. ‘But nothing’s decided yet?’ She couldn’t prevent her voice rising in a question.
‘This is just a preliminary talk.’
But somehow Kate wasn’t reassured and when Santino turned his back on her she realised that what he was really saying was that this was the end of direct communication between them. This was the end, or the beginning of the end, at least. In spite of everything grief rose inside her. She couldn’t bear it. She couldn’t bear the pain. For a moment as she held herself in check Kate wondered if it would ever be possible to lose the love she had for Santino.
‘When you return to England,’ he continued without turning to look at her, ‘I want you to have the best legal advice there is. And of course I’ll pay all your expenses.’
‘That’s a very generous offer Santino …’ Kate’s throat felt dry ‘… but I don’t need your money.’
‘Pride, Kate?’ He turned to face her. ‘I thought Francesca was the only thing that mattered to you. I thought she meant everything to you.’
‘She does, but I pay my own way. Francesca wants for nothing, and I have never been indebted to anyone in my life.’
‘Take my advice and don’t allow pride to come before your best interests.’
‘And are you to decide what my best interests are?’
‘I’m trying to help you.’ He shrugged and there was no warmth in his expression. ‘But if you can’t see it …’
‘Well, thank you, Santino, but I have a perfectly good solicitor in England.’
‘And I’m advising you to get the best. I have no intention of being labelled a bully.’
‘So this is all about your pride?’
‘Not at all. For Francesca’s sake there can’t be any loopholes in the agreement between us. We must both know where we stand.’
‘I think I know where I stand.’ And she would not allow Santino to direct her life or Francesca’s life, simply because he wielded so much power.
‘You’re overreacting,’ he observed in a chilly tone. ‘You should learn to keep your emotions in check,’
Was that a threat? Even if it was she couldn’t stand by and say nothing. ‘Maybe you can do that.’ Kate stared into Santino’s eyes. ‘And maybe that’s the difference between us, because when it comes to Francesca I can’t remain unfeeling. You frighten me when you make comments like that, Santino. I don’t want Francesca growing up to be a cold, unfeeling woman with too much money in the bank and less than nothing in her heart.’
As Kate stood facing him with her jaw rigid with determination it was a cruel reminder of how alike they were. But things had gone too far for reconciliation, and he wouldn’t risk losing Francesca a second time even if that meant destroying Kate.
‘And as for my speaking with your lawyer after lunch,’ she went on, ‘well, it’s unusual, to say the least, and I thank you for the opportunity. I would like to hear what he has to say so that I can be properly prepared. To that end I would like a full set of papers to take back with me to England.’
‘I’ll make sure it happens.’ He turned to go.
The distance that had developed between them frightened Kate more than all the legal firepower Santino could bring into play. She had to draw him back somehow, but she wouldn’t stoop to lay bare her darkest secrets and her deepest grief to win him over. There was one more thing she could try.
He stopped at the door realising she was speaking to him, but in so low a voice he wondered for a moment if she was talking to herself. ‘I beg your pardon?’ He spoke sharply as he turned to face her again.
‘Francesca always knew she had a father, Santino. I never lied to her.’
She had him. He had to stay and hear her out. The smallest detail of Francesca’s life was precious to him.
‘I never told Francesca you were dead, though it would have been a convenient lie.’
‘So what did you tell her?’ he pressed without sympathy.
‘That I lost touch with her father, but that he loved her very much, and that one day he would come back to her.’
‘The fairy tale on top of your version of the truth?’ His voice rose in indignation, but the honesty blazing from Kate’s face threw him back a little.
‘I told Francesca a truth she could understand, a truth that made her feel good about herself. It was a version of the truth that didn’t make her feel as if you’d left us or turned your back on us as my parents had done to me.’
‘Should I thank you?’ he said coldly. ‘You’re damned by your own actions, Kate. You made no attempt to find me when Francesca was born.’
‘All I knew about you was what I read about in the press. I work in the film industry too. I know what goes on. I couldn’t take the chance—’
‘That I’d be some debauched billionaire?’ Santino’s gaze hardened.
‘I made a decision to protect Francesca from the day I discovered I was pregnant. And that’s a commitment for life, Santino, something you would know nothing about.’
‘You didn’t give me the opportunity to make that choice.’
‘A mother has no choice.’
‘And what about honesty and trust? Do neither of those play a part in a mother’s thinking?’ He already knew the answer to that.
So I’m to bear all the consequences?’