My Son (19 page)

He
had stopped as she laughed softly back at him her eyes suddenly sparkling and bright as tears filled them once again

“I love you Marc” she said gently

He looked at her in wonder

“Say that again” he said while his face suddenly lit up with a glow of complete happiness

“I love you Marc De Santo” she said loudly, laughing even though tears were falling down her cheek

“I love you, love you, love you”

He had kissed her then, a long lingering kiss that made her head dizzy with the passion of it

When their lips had parted he
had smiled down at her, and with a teasing voice he had chuckled

“Does that mean I won’t have to carry you to the
car?”

“Yes” she laughed “Ok, Ok I’ll pack” and then in a softer, shyer tone added

“And yes I’ll be your wife”

He
had looked down on her with such a look of adoration that she raised her fingers to his mouth and with a yearning look in her eyes whispered huskily

“Do we have to go right now?” her blazing eyes making her meaning very clear

Marc had smiled back before pulling her once more into his arms

“I think the packing will wait” he replied before kissing her and once again igniting the flame between them
.

They never left
Claire’s flat that day, spending most of the time in bed making love, cuddling and talking.  Food was delivered and they ate some of it before once again returning to bed.  Both were happier than they could ever imagine and when sleep finally took them it saw them both wrapped in each others arms.

In the morning Marc
had pulled on his jeans and jumper disappearing into the kitchen

“I am a man on a mission” he
had proclaimed dramatically

“By my
reckoning I still owe you a breakfast”

Kelly
had laughed back before laying against the pillow, her arms above her head her tongue trailing along her soft lips

“I believe you are right” she said impishly

Causing him to groan and half give up dressing ready to rejoin her in bed.  However, the feel of his complaining stomach had spurred him onwards into the kitchen.

As he was finishing preparing the morning meal the door to the flat
had opened.

“Kelly” a
woman’s voice shouted

“You up
… you want to see the car somebody left outside…” 

Claire
had stopped in mid stride as Marc had stepped out of the kitchen.  From the bedroom Kelly came fleeing out wearing what would have appeared to be his shirt.

“Claire…. I totally forgot” Kelly cried
breathlessly

Claire
could only stand staring at the two, taking in the radiant happiness shining from Kelly, making her smile

“erm, would I be right in thinking you are Marc” she
had asked.  The dazzling smile back confirming her thinking.  Claire had to agree that she had never seen a man as handsome as Marc De Santo, neither she thought, had she seen one who was so much in love.  He had moved over to place an arm around Kelly’s shoulders, an action which made her friend smile even wider.

“We’re getting married” Kelly cried, adding “And you’re the bridesmaid”. 

It wasn’t until the plane journey back that Kelly finally asked the question which had been on her lips the moment she had first opened the door to him the previous day

“Marc, how did you find
me?”

He
had pulled her once more into his arms resting her head on his shoulder.

“Phil” he told her softly
, before telling her the whole story

After talking to his detective he had returned home to the villa to see if there were any clues that might help them to track her down
, even calling the people who were renting her flat to hear if they had been contacted by her.  After pulling her room apart they had found an envelope with a name on it and a letter to Claire.

Kelly
had remembered that she had been writing it that night, totally forgetting it in her bid to get away.

“But I hadn’t put the address
on” she had gasped in surprise

“No but there was a name” he continued.  It was somethin
g for the detectives to go on, who had traced her to Scotland, but no further.

“Do you have any idea how many Claire Smiths there are in Scotland
“he asked with a groan.  So they were directed that they were to check out every single one until they found her, which was exactly what they had been doing for 2 long weeks, during which time he had waited impatiently, each day growing more and more desperate for word.

“
Then 2 days ago Phil arrived with a letter from you.”  He kissed her head

“That was a lovely card” he said
“Just knowing you were OK, God what a relief”. 

Continuing
he had told her that the envelope had an area stamp which had dramatically cut down on the search. 

The detectives
had arrived at Claire’s flat the day prior to his appearance at her door, and seen Kelly standing looking out of the window.  When informed, he had told them to stay put, not wanting to take the chance that she might take fright and disappear somewhere else, and he had flown straight over on his jet from the villa. 

“I would have
stayed in Britain for the whole search” he had said, “but Max needed me.”

Kelly had
groaned sadly

“How did he take
it?”

Marc looked down gently at her choosing not to answer

“He will be fine when he sees you home” was the only answer he gave before pulling her against him for a kiss, before carrying on

“I was going to be so cool”
he sighed “beg you to come back, be eloquent.  But when I saw you there looking so beautiful I … I…just wanted to make you see it would work”

Kelly
had laughed “you were very eloquent” making him laugh also

“I love you so much.  I knew that I had done something to drive you away, and I was so scared that you wouldn’t want to come back with me”

Kelly could hear the pain in his voice.  Gently, she looked into those tortured eyes.

“I loved you so much
too Marc, but I thought you just wanted a fling….. I couldn’t have handled that” she said, sincerity shining from her eyes.  “I thought if I got away I might be able to limit the damage…but…” her voice had gently broken.  “I felt completely empty inside without you and Max”

Marc gently sat her upright as he reached into his pocket to retrieve a small black box.  Suddenly serious he held her hand looking deeply into her eyes

“Kelly, this ring belonged to my mother” he said opening it for her to look inside.  She looked down at the ring which lay nestled inside the velvet interior, a large ruby surrounded by diamonds which had made her gasp in wonder

Gently he lifted it from the box and placed it on the
index finger of her left hand

“You are the only woman in the world that I could ever bear to see wearing it” 

As a small tear of happiness slide down her face Kelly threw her arms around his neck and was held just as tightly in return.

As Marc
had driven up to the villa, Kelly had felt the sensations of happiness filling her soul.  She felt real excitement and a sense of joy to be returning to the villa she had grown so much to love, drinking in the look of the familiar landscape, sighing contentedly as he had smiled back at her

“
Glad to be home” he asked

Kelly
smiled back knowing for the first time that this was really going to be her home.  She was no longer a guest, unsure of how long she was welcome to stay. As though sensing her thoughts, he reached out for her hand looking at her with those black eyes

“The place has been so empty without you” he whispered “I missed not eating with you at night, the way you always argue
d with me”

She
had flashed him an indignant look

“I don’t argue…” she
had said before laughing as she caught herself arguing with him, the two of them giggling like teenagers.

He
had helped her out of the car kissing her as she stood beside him.

“Ready” he asked
suddenly very sombre as he held her hand

She
had nodded her eyes a little nervous as her mouth smiled happily back at him

Marc
had phoned ahead to say that he was returning that afternoon, but had said nothing about Kelly, ignoring the many questions thrown at him as to what had happened and had he found her, and so it was with surprise that Beth had spotted her hovering beside Marc as they crossed the threshold.

Running forward she
had cried

“Kelly, thank G
od you’re home” before grabbing her and hugging her with such deep affection that Kelly had laughed

“We all missed you so much” she cried “Max especially” she added her eyes flicking to Marc.

“Are you back to stay” she asked with real concern in her eyes, as Kelly had smiled back

“Hi Beth” while gently freeing herself from the smothering
embrace of the older woman

“Yes
I’m back to stay” she said her look flicking to Marc who was smiling at her with such love.

As she had been released Beth had gasped in shocked surprise on
spotting the ring on Kelly’s finger

Looking over at Marc
she placed her hands over her mouth.

“Your
mother’s engagement ring” she said looking at him with surprise

“You…
you’re engaged” she said in total shock.  Both Marc and Kelly were concerned to see tears filling her eyes, and Kelly was momentarily worried that Beth disapproved of the union between herself and Marc, until she had smiled widely once again throwing her arms around Kelly and then Marc

“Congratulations” she cried

“I’m so happy for you both” and then the tears had started to fall

Looking at each other in concern both Marc and Kelly
had looked on at the woman before them

“Beth….” Marc
had questioned softly

“Don’t take any notice of me” she cried waving his hand away “I was just so worried that the two of you wouldn’t be able to see how perfect you were for each other, and then when you left Kelly…..”

Kelly had taken her hand smiling softly into her eyes “Well I’m back now…..and I don’t ever want to leave…..besides if I do apparently Marc will just carry me back” she chuckled making the other woman laugh also.  Marc had smiled a little sheepishly

“Where is Max” Kelly asked
softly, her eyes scouring the hallway in search of him

“Oh” Beth cried running back into the kitchen

Both Marc and Kelly looked at each other with laughter in their eyes.  However, in Kelly’s there was also a wary hint of concern

“How will he take what I did” she said biting her lip

“Don’t worry” Marc replied “He loves you”

Just at that moment a small figure
came running around the corner.  In the two weeks she had been away he had become very sure on his feet and was now running quickly in the lopsided way that toddlers did.  He was giggling as he ran from Beth, but when he caught sight of Kelly he had stopped, before running towards her with outstretched arms crying “mummmmy”

With a small sob she
had ran forward dropping to her knees to pull him into her arms and swing him high in the air.  Marc and Beth had watched as the two had held each other, the tears once again coming to Beth’s eyes.

“So
much better” she mumbled.

Marc
had moved forward his arms going around the two, kissing each in turn.  Beth Green sighed with contentment.

Kelly
had been surprised when Marc had carried her bag back up to her old bedroom.  Raising an eyebrow as she looked at him questioningly

“I thought…” she
said looking down at his room

Marc
had smiled “Ah, but you are not my mistress and I am willing to wait for say 2 weeks” he said with a twinkle in his eyes

Kelly
had smiled gently back “2 weeks sounds just about right” and the two of them kissed passionately before he pulled her away from him with a moan.

“This is going to be a long two weeks” he groaned softly, his eyes full of such fire, as she had smiled lovingly at him.

Two weeks later they married on the beach, on a lovely secluded spot.  Marc had gasped as she walked towards him wearing a simple ivory dress which moulded itself to her body.  Flowers woven into her hair and those in her hands were the only added colour on her outfit, as her face had glowed with the inner beauty which had so attracted him when he first saw her standing so regally in a cocktail party over a year ago.  Behind her Claire and Theresa acting as her bridesmaids moved slowly in unison with her.  Standing beside him Phil had winked at Theresa who had held back a giggle.  She and Phil had set a date themselves in one month from their wedding in which Marc and Kelly would play similar roles for them.