Scandal and the Runaway Bride by Donna Alward

Author:Donna Alward
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2020-07-13T13:32:17+00:00

CHAPTER NINE

WILLIAM KNEW HE should hop on a plane and fly back to Paris. It would be the smart thing to do at this point, and it was what was expected. He’d had a sharply worded email from Stephen, and another from his mother that was less angry and more concerned. Why was he still in Italy? He should forget about Gabriella Baresi now that the media story seemed under control, and get back home and to work. The family, who’d congregated at the manor for the wedding, were now all back in either London or Paris for work, and he should be, too. According to Aurora Germain Pemberton, anyway.

But he couldn’t leave yet. Not while Gabi was sitting with her mother and sister, waiting while Massimo was having surgery to have a section of his colon removed. Marco was there, too, and right now had gone to get coffee for everyone. Will found he quite liked the younger man, who seemed bright and energetic but now, at a serious time, stepped up and provided support for Giulia. According to Gabi, they’d been seeing each other off and on for some time, though it had only recently become a steady thing.

He went to the chairs in the waiting area and sat down beside Gabi. “How’re you holding up?”

“Okay. It’s taking so long.”

He knew. The surgeon had estimated the surgery to take about ninety minutes, and then of course Massimo would be taken to recovery. But it was already five in the afternoon. It had been three hours already, and no doctor, no word.

Of course everyone was thinking the worst. Were there complications? More cancer than they realized? Had it spread?

Will’s father had died suddenly, from a heart attack. There’d been no waiting around for results, no hope. One minute Cedric had been alive, then next he was gone. It had been excruciating, but watching the Baresi women worry, he wasn’t sure this was a better alternative. He hoped that it all worked out right in the end, and Massimo would be going home again.

Marco returned with coffee and a bag of pastries for everyone to share. “You need to eat something, Mama Lucia,” he said, pressing a paper napkin and a sweet into her hand.

“Grazie, Marco,” she whispered, but Will saw that her face was pale and her eyes dull with worry.

Will leaned over and whispered in Gabi’s ear. “Eat one, and maybe your mother will, too.”

She nodded, then looked up at Marco. “I’ll have one, thank you.”

Giulia rose and put her arms around Marco’s waist. “Thank you for being here with us.”

“I wouldn’t be anywhere else, cara.”

Gabi nibbled on her bun and Will sat back, sipping on strong coffee, wishing the doctors would hurry up.

Gabi had been a wreck. Not outwardly, of course, but he’d noticed how quiet she’d been. Last night, after Lucia and Massimo had left for the hospital, she’d barely eaten. Instead she’d gone into the library to work for a while, she’d said. Giulia had

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.