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‘That’s doubtful’

‘Er…if it’s money—’

‘No, I’Mr Rich but that’s not going to change anything between us’

‘All right’ Holly subsided to scrutinise the opulent diaer Vito wasn’t the least bit ro to her by special delivery rather than presenting her with it That had been such a disappointment to her It would have meant so ive her the ring

‘Let’s sied, and seenified that nor his ways

She had wanted to ask if it was the sa Marzia, his previous fiancée, had worn but had sealed her lips shut in case that question was tactless And staging a potentially difficult conversation with a reed to marry him had struck her as unwise

‘Of course I’m very busy no else could I take ti?’ Vito had enquired piously on the phone when she’d tried to tactfully suggest that he elo

Vito hadn’t even been able to elo, whoreeested that theyand she had been ready to agree until she had heard from Pixie’s brother and had realised that there was no way she could leave her injured friend to cope alone in a house with stairs She had had to put Pixie first but Vito had not understood that In fact Vito had called it a silly excuse that was dividing hi she needed to explain to Vito just howher pregnancy and after Angelo’s birth, and she needed to explain that she loved Pixie ashad a sibling of his own, he ht not even understand that

And there were an awful lot of things that Vito didn’t understand, Holly reflected ruefully He had been thoroughly irritated when she’d insisted on continuing her childes’ parents had had tiements for their care, but Holly would not have drea anyone down, and took her responsibilities just as seriously as he took his own

Furthermore, in every other way Vito had contrived to take over Holly and her son’s lives He had lected to discuss with Holly Maybe he thought she was too stupid and ignorant to ht unhappily

First he had landed her with an Italian nanny, who had had to board at a hotel nearby because there were only two bedrooms in the house Pixie and Holly rented London-born Lorenza was a darling and wonderful with Angelo, and Holly had needed outside help to cope with shopping for a wedding dress and such things, but she still would have preferred to play an active role in the hiring of a carer for her son

Secondly, he had landed Holly with a horrible, pretentious fashion stylist who had wanted Holly to choose the biggest, splashiest and own ever made Only sheer stubbornness had ensured that Holly actually got to wear her own choice of dress on her special day And it was a very plain dress because Holly was convinced that she was too s e of a lace sleeve with satisfaction At least she had got her dreaot any input into any other details because Vito had placed all the organisation into the hands of a wedding planner, whom he had instructed not to consult his future wife

In truth, Vito was extremely bossy and almost painfully insensitive sometimes He had left it to his social secretary to tell Holly that she had a day at a groo parlour booked for awhether Vito thought her ordinary ungroomed self was a mess and not up to his standards Pixie had told her not to be so prickly and had asked her if she thought there was so And no, of course she didn’t think that, it was just that she had wanted Vito to want her as she was, not be left feeling that only a very polished version of her could now be deemed acceptable After all, she didn’t have the security of knowing her bridegroo difference to a woman’s confidence, she reasoned worriedly

‘Will you stop it? And don’t askyourself sick aboutVito and it’s crazy You love him—’

‘I don’t love him,’ Holly contradicted instantly ‘I like him I’m very attracted to him’