“Honeymoon?”
“Of course. We need one, don’t you think?” He had plans for them.
“Where will we go?”
“Do you mind if I surprise you?”
“Of course not. I’m just thankful that Fausta is with my parents and they know exactly what has happened. But it won’t take away their pain from not being at our ceremony.”
“But this is what we have to do in order to be married. In the end both families will come around.”
“I admire your optimism.” She put down her coffee cup. “What about your mother, Enrico? When she hears our news, she’ll need your father’s support.”
He reached for her hand and kissed the palm. “You know very well she’ll take it badly. We know what her dream has been. But she’ll have my sisters to comfort her and help her to understand.”
She lifted anxious green eyes to him. “How are we going to deal with all this?”
“By becoming man and wife.” As he said it, they both heard a knock on the door. “That’ll be Lia.”
“Do you need me to go in the bedroom?”
“No.” He got up from the table. “If I know my sister, she can’t wait to welcome you to the family.” Enrico hurried to answer the door.
Lia was loaded with packages. “It looks like you bought out the store.” He kissed her cheek. “Bless you for coming to our rescue.” Enrico brought everything into the sitting room and put her purchases on the couch.
Donetta came closer. “Princess Lia? How do I thank you for what you’ve done?”
Enrico’s brown-eyed sister smiled and stepped forward to kiss Donetta’s cheek. “It was my privilege. I’m so excited this day has come I can hardly believe it.”
Donetta kissed her back. “I’m still reeling. Your brother and I have known each other since we were ten years old.”
Lia let out a cry of surprise. “That long?”
She nodded. “We met at a concorso in England seventeen years ago.”
Enrico smiled. “It was instant attraction.”
“But you never said a word, fratello. No wonder you couldn’t wait to go to every single one of them!” She laughed and turned to Donetta. “Maybe one day you’ll tell me why you’ve kept it a secret, but I won’t stay here any longer to find out. You two need time alone.”
Donetta’s eyes misted over. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Lia blew a kiss to both of them and disappeared. The second she’d left the suite Donetta cried, “She’s wonderful!”
“She and Catarina will always be on our side.”
“I have news for you, Enrico. I know my sisters will love you. In fact I need to phone Fausta before another minute goes by, to thank her and find out how my parents are coping.”
“You do that while I call Giovanni.”
* * *
She hurried into the bedroom and sat down on the side of the bed to call Fausta.
“Donetta—thank goodness you’ve called at last!”
“I’m so relieved to talk to you. If the parents know everything already, I’m afraid to ask if I gave Papà a heart attack.”
“I think Mamma took it harder than he did.”