Harlequin Presents April 2018 - Box Set 1 of 2 by Lynne Graham Melanie Milburne Andie Brock & Clare Connelly

Author:Lynne Graham, Melanie Milburne, Andie Brock & Clare Connelly
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781488084027
Publisher: Harlequin Enterprises Limited
Published: 2018-12-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THREE

‘COME A LITTLE closer so that I can see you better, mia cara.’

Harper did as she was told, edging towards the reclining chair where Alfonso Calleroni was propped up by a pile of cushions, a blanket draped over his bony knees.

‘Ah, that’s better. Sit here beside me. Vieri, don’t just stand there. Pull up a chair for your young lady.’

Vieri dutifully produced a chair and placed it beside his godfather. Harper awkwardly settled herself down. If this whole situation weren’t bad enough, Vieri was making it worse by standing right behind her, his hands on the back of the chair, his unnerving presence all around her.

‘So, Harper, you say. Have I got that right?’

‘Yes.’ Harper suspected from her very brief acquaintance with Alfonso Calleroni that he probably got most things right. Despite his age and frailty and the poor state of his health she could tell he was still a very astute man. Which meant he wasn’t going to be easy to fool. Only now did she realise that she had been hoping Vieri’s godfather’s faculties would be somewhat impaired. Which was an awful thing to hope for. Ashamed of herself, she tried to make up for her nastiness by giving him a bright smile. ‘That’s right.’

‘And is that a Scottish name? Am I correctly attributing that wonderful accent of yours?’

‘Yes.’ He was as sharp as a pin. ‘But the name came from my mother’s favourite book, To Kill a Mockingbird. She called me and my twin sister Harper and Leah. As a loose sort of tribute.’

‘So there are two of you? How wonderful.’

‘Yes.’ Although it felt slightly less wonderful from where she was sitting.

‘And you met in New York, Vieri was telling me? A long way from home.’

‘Harper’s sister, Leah, was working in one of my clubs. Harper came to visit her,’ Vieri smoothly interjected.

‘And the two of you fell in love.’ One gnarled, arthritic hand reached out to take hold of Harper’s, holding it in his shaky grasp so that he could inspect the traitorous ring. ‘How wonderful.’ He raised his rheumy eyes to Harper’s face. ‘And your parents? I trust Vieri has done the right thing and spoken to your father to ask for your hand in marriage.’

Harper swallowed.

‘Not yet, Alfonso.’ Vieri cut in again. ‘This has all happened rather fast. We wanted you to be the first to know.’

‘Of course you did.’ Alfonso’s eyes travelled to Vieri’s face, lingering there for several seconds. ‘After all, I won’t be around much longer. It would have been such a shame for me to die without knowing you had chosen a wife for yourself, wouldn’t it now?’

‘Let’s not talk about dying, padrino.’

‘Ah, but I am afraid we must, mio figlio. There are things that need to be discussed now that my time on this earth is short.’ Raising Harper’s hand, he brought it to his lips and gave the back of it a dry kiss. ‘But I am tired now so I think they must wait for another day.

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