Husband by Necessity by Lucy Gordon

Author:Lucy Gordon [Gordon, Lucy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance, General, Contemporary, Fiction
ISBN: 9780373036592
Publisher: Harlequin Books
Published: 2001-06-30T23:00:00+00:00

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LUCY GORDON

95

Well, I sure picked my time, she thought as she snuggled down in bed that night. Second week in January, just when the weather’s taking a nosedive to freezing, where it will stay for at least a month. Any sensible person would have done this in spring, but not me. And Bernardo thinks I’m a weakling.

Bernardo be blowed!

She’d started with a stroke of luck in getting the nuns on her side. Her second lucky break came the following week, during a phone call with Heather, who mentioned an outbreak of flu in Palermo. So far there were no cases in Montedoro and Angie went into action fast. Every nun in the convent was vaccinated; also the local priest, Father Marco, a desperate gossip who ‘happened’ to be visiting the convent at the time. He was a plump little man in his fifties with a belligerent manner and a kind heart.

He had two hobbies in life, an obsessive interest in boxing, and his running feud with Olivero Donati, who was the mayor of Montedoro, and his own distant cousin.

Donati was a meek, nervous little man who enjoyed the ceremonial aspects of being mayor but couldn’t say boo to a goose. Father Marco had pulled strings to get him the job, but thereafter felt entitled to sit on him whenever he pleased. Mostly Olivero put up with it, but sometimes he remembered his mayoral dignity and found the courage to speak up. Only to be sat on again.

Within hours of the priest receiving his shot Olivero presented himself at the surgery, declaring it his duty to give a lead to the citizens who looked to him for guidance.

Suppressing a grin, Angie praised him for his civic spirit and declared that she wished there were more citizens like him.

In addition every child in the school was sent home with a letter, signed by the Superior, urging all parents to 96

HUSBAND BY NECESSITY

have their children vaccinated, and also themselves. The villagers might be wary of her but they trusted Mother Francesca. The take up was good, but not as complete as she’d hoped. She considered the problem, identified the cause and decided on measures to tackle it.

Bernardo, peacefully eating his supper, was startled by a loud banging on his front door. Stella opened it to admit a short figure of indeterminate gender, so heavily wrapped up that it was almost as broad as it was long.

‘Buona notte, dottore,’ she cried, after recognising the visitor with difficulty. ‘Come into the warm and I’ll bring you some hot coffee.’

‘Thank you, Stella,’ Angie said cheerfully. ‘I could do with it.’

She threw back the hood of her jacket, disclosing a bright-eyed face, full of smiles. If Bernardo had expected the cold to drive her under he could see his mistake. She was glowing with health and vigour, her cheeks rosy from her exertions.

‘Good evening, Signor Tornese,’ she said, clasping Bernardo’s hand and pumping it vigorously.

‘Good evening, dottore.’ Bernardo’s manner was polite but wary.

Stella set a large cup of coffee before her.

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