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Poppy stiffened but fought not to take that coe your outlook if that’s how you feel’

‘I don’t like the unexpected, the spontaneous,’ he adrimly ‘A baby will turn our lives upside down’

‘But there’s a positive side as well as a negative side,’ Poppy murmured

‘Is there?’ Gaetano traded in stark disagreement ‘We had a divorce planned’

Poppy lost colour and screened her eyes A nightmare? That had been a body blow but that his second comment on their situation should refer to their divorce was even tougher But what had she expected frone and whoops of satisfaction? It could have been a lot worse, she told herself urgently Gaetano could have lost his tenancy was somehow more her fault than his But then possibly he hadn’t reached that stage yet After all, he was still prettyher with brilliant dark eyes that had an unusually unfocused quality We had a divorce planned He had gone straight for the jugular

‘But, obviously I couldn’t possibly leave you to raisea beat ‘Looks like we’re staying together, bella mia’

Poppy stiffened at his bleak intonation ‘So, you’re suggesting that we should forget about getting a divorce now?’

‘What else would I suggest?’ Gaetano asked very drily ‘You’re carrying the next generation of the Leonetti dynasty Nobody expects you to do that alone, least of all h I had two parents they did a fairly rubbish job of raising me To thrive, our child will need both of us and a stable horow up in’

‘But it’s not e planned,’ Poppy re on the hob beneath her careful surface show of calm

There was nothing to be gained fro her temper, she told herself fiercely, but his practical approach was downright insulting Yes, she agreed that ideally a child should have both parents and a steady home but at what cost? If the parents themselves made sacrifices that resulted in unhappiness how could that be good for anyone? Poppy did not want an unwilling husband and reluctant father by her side That was not a cross she was prepared to bear for years knowing that it wouldn’t benefit anyone If that was the best Gaetano had to offer, he could keep it and the wedding ring, she thought painfully She wanted more, she needed more than a man ould only keep her as a wife because she had fallen pregnant

‘We couldn’t possibly e than my parents did,’ he pointed out wryly ‘We can only try our best’

‘As a goal, that just depresses me, Gaetano,’ Poppy admitted

‘How? We’ll continue on as we are now but at least on’t be living a lie for Rodolfo’s benefit any longer’