Wife in the Shadows (19 page)

‘Then—seeing you with her that night at the reception, I realised this half-life I was living had become impossible. That if you wanted Silvia in return, I’d have to go away—somewhere I wouldn’t have to see it. Wouldn’t wonder every moment of the day and night if you were with her. Imagining you …’

Her voice broke. Angelo took her in his arms and held her close, his cheek against her hair, his voice murmuring words she had never believed she would hear.

‘So,’ he said at last, using his handkerchief carefully to blot away the tears she’d been unable to contain. ‘I cannot kiss you as I wish to do,
mia bella,
because once I start, I will not be able to stop and I have no wish to offend Mother Felicitas who has kept you safe for me.’

He ran a finger down the curve of her cheek. ‘You will come back with me and our dog to Vostranto and make it a home again instead of an empty shell?’

‘Our dog?’ Ellie glanced down at Poco, peacefully snoring under the bench, and gave an involuntary giggle. ‘My God, you mean you’ve kidnapped him again?’

‘No, no,
carissima.
The Signora is going to live with her son, whose wife does not care for animals, so she offered me Poco—as a wedding present. It seemed a good omen.’

He paused. ‘Is it, Elena? Will you now say the words I most want to hear, and tell me that you love me? That we will be man and wife forever?’

Ellie said softly and simply, ‘I love you, Angelo, with all my heart. I always did and I always will.’

She smiled into his eyes, all shadows fled. ‘What is more, my darling, I can prove it.’

She took his hands in hers, kissed them gently, then carried them to her body, holding them to the place that sheltered his child, her shining face telling him all he needed to know.

All the characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author, and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all the incidents are pure invention.

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First published in Great Britain 2011
by Mills & Boon, an imprint of Harlequin (UK) Limited,
Eton House, 18-24 Paradise Road, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1SR

© Sara Craven 2011

ISBN: 978-1-408-92575-1