‘How long will you be away?’
‘A day or two.’
‘Why don’t you take us with you?’ she asked. ‘It’s a shortish trip. It shouldn’t be too hard to organise. It would be a little adventure for Alessandra. It will build her confidence to travel and mix with other people other than just you and Marella and me.’
His jaw tightened like a clamp. ‘Maybe some other time.’
Eliza suspected his ‘maybe some other time’ meant no other time. What did he think was going to happen to Alessandra if she stepped outside the villa for once? How was his little girl supposed to live a normal life if he kept her away from everything that was normal? ‘You can’t keep her hidden away for ever, you know.’
‘Is that what you think I’m doing?’
‘No one even knows you have a child, much less that she’s blind.’
‘I don’t want my daughter to be ridiculed or pitied in the press.’ His gaze nailed hers. ‘Can you imagine how terrifying it would be for her to be hounded by paparazzi? She’s too young to cope with all of that. I won’t allow her to be treated like a freak show every time she goes out in public.’
‘I understand how you feel, but she needs to—’
He stabbed a finger in the air towards her, his eyes blazing with vitriolic anger. ‘You do not understand. You don’t have any idea of what it’s like to have a child with a disability. She can’t see. Do you hear me? She can’t see and there’s not a damn thing I can do about it.’
Eliza swallowed unevenly, her heart contracting at the raw emotion he was displaying. He was angry and bitter but beneath all that was a loving father who was truly heartbroken that he could do nothing to help his little daughter. Tears burned in the back of her throat for what he was going through. No wonder he was always so tense and on edge. ‘I’m sorry…’
He drew in a tight breath and released it in a slow, uneven stream. ‘I’m sorry for shouting at you.’
‘You don’t have to apologise…’
He came back to where she was still sitting amongst the pillows, a rueful look on his face as he brushed a flyaway strand of her hair off her face. ‘I know you’re only trying to help but this is a lot for me to handle right now.’
She lowered her gaze again and bit at her lip. ‘I shouldn’t have said anything…’
He stroked the pad of his thumb over her savaged lip. ‘Of course you should. You’re an expert on handling children. I appreciate your opinion although I might not always agree with it.’
‘I just thought it would be good for Alessandra to stretch her wings a bit.’ She met his gaze again. ‘But the press thing is difficult. I can see why you want to protect her from all of that. But sooner or later she’ll have to deal with it. She can’t stay here at the villa for the rest of her life. She needs to mix with other children, to make friends and do normal kid stuff like go to birthday parties and on picnics and play dates.’
He studied her features for a measured pause. ‘I might have to go back to London some time next week. If you think Alessandra would cope with it then maybe we could make a little holiday out of it. Maybe take her to Kew Gardens or something. Smell a few roses. That sort of thing.’
Eliza gave him a soft smile and touched his hand where it was resting on the bed beside her. ‘She’s a very lucky little girl to have such a wonderful father like you. There are a lot of little girls out there who would give anything to be loved by their fathers the way you love her.’
His fingers ensnared hers, holding them in the warmth of his hand. ‘You’ve never told me anything about your father. I remember you told me when we first met that your mother died when you were young. Is he still alive?’
She shifted her gaze to their joined hands. ‘Yes, but I’ve only met him the once.’
‘You don’t get on?’
‘We haven’t got anything in common.’ She traced a fingertip over the backs of his knuckles rather than meet his gaze. ‘We live in different worlds, so to speak.’
He brought her hand up to his mouth and kissed her bent fingers, his eyes holding hers in a sensual tether that sent a wave of longing through her body. ‘Your tea and toast are cold. Do you want me to get you some more?’
‘You don’t have to. I’m not used to being served breakfast in bed.’
He took her currently bare ring finger between his thumb and index finger, his eyes still meshed with hers. ‘Doesn’t your fiancé treat you like a princess?’
Eliza couldn’t hold his gaze. ‘Not any more.’