You're the One That I Want by Angela Britnell

Author:Angela Britnell [Britnell, Angela]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Contemporary Fiction, Romance, Contemporary Women, holidays, Literature & Fiction, Contemporary, fiction, Short Stories, Single Authors, Women's Fiction
Publisher: Choc Lit
Published: 2018-01-17T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

Sarah stared around at the mass of people congregating in the large hall, all talking loudly and gesticulating in her direction. In the midst of the chaos she couldn’t help noticing the elegant spiral staircase disappearing behind them all to an upper floor and the impressive collection of paintings around the walls. An older man, eerily resembling her father, stepped forward and held out his hands.

‘Welcome to Casa Agnoli. I am your nonno, your grandfather Enzo.’

A stunning brunette squeezed into a skin-tight red dress launched into a string of Italian and by her tone and accompanying gestures they weren’t words of welcome. Her grandfather remonstrated with the fireball but she wouldn’t shut up and kept pointing her sharp fingernails in Sarah’s direction.

‘What’s wrong? Who is she?’ No one answered immediately until her grandfather finally murmured something. ‘Matt. Tell me what he said.’

Matt’s deep blue eyes shone with compassion. ‘Her name is Francesca and it appears she is your half-sister.’

Sarah swayed on her feet and only Matt’s firm hand around her waist kept her upright. ‘That’s a lie,’ she half-whispered. ‘How can she be? My father would never …’

‘I don’t know, honey. Hopefully we can find out.’

‘My nonno he is not a liar,’ Francesca scoffed.

‘Come in. We will have wine and sweets before we talk,’ her grandfather said and led the way out of the hall.

‘I’m sorry to have dragged you into all of this.’ She squeezed Matt’s hand and got a warm smile in return.

‘I’m glad you didn’t come alone. Let’s go.’

‘Sarah. Sit by me.’ Senor Agnoli beckoned her across the room and she let go of Matt’s hand. The massive rectangular room with its soaring extravagantly decorated ceiling, opulent furniture and crystal chandeliers only made her more unsettled and she hurried to join her grandfather. ‘Per favore, Maria.’ A stooped elderly woman swathed in black slowly carried around a silver tray with glasses of wine. Sarah listened impatiently as Enzo went into every proud detail about the Chianti they were drinking, a product of the Agnoli family’s vineyards. She dutifully drank hers and forced down one of Maria’s supposedly famous almond cookies. All the time she was acutely aware of everyone staring and talking about her – some things it wasn’t necessary to speak the language to understand.

‘Your mother is well? I hoped she would come with you.’ Enzo frowned.

Sarah hurried to explain about the holiday they were on. ‘It’s called a European Speed Date and today is our only chance to explore Venice. She didn’t want to miss it.’ The lame excuse was the best she could come up with to explain her mother’s absence and she suspected her grandfather guessed the truth. She set her empty glass down on the marble-topped table. Sarah longed to plunge right in and ask about her supposed half-sister but bided her time. ‘I would like to know more about my father and his life here. He rarely mentioned his family and my mother says there were things he would never talk about to her.

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