That night when they made love, he finally said the words she’d been waiting to hear for days.
“I love you, Joan Edwards,” he said, before rolling over and falling asleep.
He had nightmares that night and she woke him up, then soothed him back to sleep by playing rock a bye baby as she rocked up and down his cock, kissing his face.
When he went back to sleep, she lay awake.
She’d been waiting for Antonio to ask her to marry her. He’d almost done it that one time back in Milan, so why wasn’t he doing it again?
The next day Antonio had to visit his attorney so Joan went to see Lissa, Julio and the triplets who’d moved into their new place close to the Milan Project. Antonio joined them for dinner and everyone was in a somber mood, knowing it would be Antonio’s last supper before turning himself into prison.
Lissa and Joan were on one side of the large balcony trying not to think about tomorrow as they enjoying the breathtaking views of Milan. Antonio and Julio were at the other end of the balcony smoking cigars, and talking quietly.
Joan heard some of their conversation.
“I want to, but I can’t. After I pay my fine, I’ll be broke.”
“But, you can make the money back So many teams want you to play for them.”
“I’m not going back to soccer, Julio. Too much water under the bridge, too much temptation.”
“I could lend you the money.”
“I don’t want your charity.”
“It’s not charity.” Said a gravelly voice.
Joan and everyone else turned around - the voice had come from inside the house and it wasn’t Julio’s. It was an elderly man supporting himself with a gold encrusted walking stick.
“Your Royal Highness?” Lissa blurted. “What are you doing here?”
“May we have the balcony?” he said to the two women.
Joan and Lissa looked at each other, then at Julio and Antonio. Antonio started to go.
“Not you. Please, Julio, you too. It’s time I spoke with Antonio alone.”
Antonio’s face grew confused. Julio looked at the two men, and Joan saw a look in the Viscount’s eye that she recognized. It was the same look Antonio got when he was worried or afraid.
“Come on, Joan, Lissa,” Julio said as he put out his cigar in a plant and moved them back into the house. Julio closed the door and Joan watched as the old man moved closer to Antonio.
“What’s going on?” she asked, worried that something terrible was about to happen. “Why does the Viscount want to speak to Antonio?”
“Come with me to the other room and I’ll tell you.”
Lissa got a bottle of mineral water and poured them all a glass as they waited for Julio to explain.
“You remember how my father was Antonio’s godfather, which is why I became his godfather after my father died?”
“Yes, but what does that have to do with the Viscount wanting to talk to Antonio? Is he a soccer fan or something? Lissa pressed.
“I don’t know if he’s a soccer fan or not, but he does care very deeply about Antonio.”
“Why?”
Julio looked around, then got up and checked in the hallway than the balcony to see if they were being overheard. He came back, sliding the kitchen door closed behind him.
“This is a well-kept secret, I have to know that you will tell no one what I’m about to share.”
“Of course, I won’t tell anyone,” Joan said.
“I swear to Jesus Christ, I’ll keep your secret,” Lissa agreed.
“Just tell us, already!” both sisters said at the same time.
Julio lowered his voice.
“That old Spanish airforce buddy of my father’s, that was supposed to have been Antonio’s father? That man never existed. The Viscount is Antonio’s father.”
“Oh my God!” Joan said.
“That means, Antonio is – some kind of prince or something?”
“Or something is the operative word. It’s an extreme scandal and would cause undue disruption to the Royal Families if word ever got out. That was the reason the Viscount came to my father after he learned that a woman he’d had an affair was had given birth to his child.”
Joan thought about this. She’d seen where Antonio had grown up, how rough and impoverished his life had been. She’d seen the restaurant where his mother had been forced to work. “So, this Viscount dude knocks up the mother and then washes his hands?” she asked, with a growing sense of outrage.
“Not exactly,” Julio said. “He set up the godfather thing with my dad and my father sent his mother money from time to time, helping her out when she couldn’t pay her rent.”
“He helped when she couldn’t pay her rent – while he lived in a palace for God’s sake!”
“Joan, you have to understand. It had to be very discreet. She didn’t know it was his child - she was a woman who’d had many men, and when she realized she was pregnant she married the first guy that came along. If he’d told her he knew Antonio was his child, she or her new husband might have blackmailed him. He couldn’t afford that.”
“How did he know it was his son? Maybe it was from one of the other men,” Joan spat out.
“He knew because he watched the child from afar. He’d gone in disguise to the restaurant and seen the baby, and he’d seen the mark that only the children of the Iberian royal family had on their body.”
Joan’s eyes went wide. “The mark that looks like a bell?”
“Yes.”
“He saw a mark on Antonio’s buttocks?”
Julio laughed. “You know, when he told me the story I thought the same thing. But, Julio’s mother was so busy that when the stranger offered to change her baby’s diaper she didn’t blink. That certainly wouldn’t happen today. He told me that once he saw the mark he stormed out of there, saying something about how it was too stinky and she should do it herself.”
“Wow,” Lissa said.
“When did you hear all of this?”
“Remember when he invited himself to the wedding? That was when I found out. I’d been summoned, and the wedding was when he intended to meet Antonio and admit who he was at last. Only, you know, that didn’t work out.?
?
Joan thought about the dead thug and how the Viscount didn’t even stay for the wedding. She understood. He wasn’t there for the wedding – he was there to see Antonio.
She got up.
“I want to check that he’s okay.”
Julio nodded. The three of them moved back into the living room and looked out on the balcony. It was empty. Joan’s heart clenched. Had they jumped off in a fit of familial despondency? “Antonio!”
“Over here,” he shouted, his voice full of laughter.
She blew out a breath. He was standing next to a chair the Viscount had sat in, and he was smiling broadly as the Viscount relayed some funny story.
Julio’s hand gripped Joan’s shoulder. “It’s going to be okay, just don’t say anything. Let them initiate it or not, okay?”
Lissa was standing close by and she nodded in agreement with Joan as the three of them approached the two men.
“Come quick! Hurry!” someone shouted. They all turned to see Susy the nanny waving her arms frantically.
Joan’s chest tightened as Lissa said the words on her tongue, her words panic rising in her voice. “What’s wrong? Is there something wrong with one of the boys?”
“No, nothing’s wrong, but I think Marco is about to take his first steps. Bring your cell phones!”
Everyone rushed into the playroom, which was part of the nursery - a massive room with cribs on one end and a huge playpen on the other. The three boys were in the playpen, but Marco was standing on his feet, holding onto the edge of the playpen and looking like he was getting ready to move.
“Come on, Marco, you can do it!” Said Julio, proudly.
Marco let go, then immediately toppled over like a pin in a bowling alley.
“Excellent,” came the deep voice of the Viscount.
Joan saw that Antonio had walked his father over and was supporting him as he leaned against the door of the nursery.
Lissa watched as Ryland crawled past Marco, who was still trying to get back up, and went to the edge of the playpen. He pushed himself up to a standing position.