Was she meticulous or just stupid? If someone told me there was an emergency with Gianni I’d be on my feet and running in any direction I could to get to him. “He has come back for you. That is why you must run.”
“He came back?”
Instead of waiting any longer, I threw back the covers of Lucia’s bed for her and actually tugged her arm a little, faking alarm to try and get her to move. “Go to him,signorina. There is no time to waste.”
Finally, she got up. Rushing over to her robe and throwing it on. She raced straight out the door then stopped and said, “He’s where? On the first floor?”
“Yes,” I replied.
Once again, she stood still. “He defied his father and hopped aboard a redeye?”
If I’d known trying to move her was going to be such an issue, I would have considered dragging her. “Yes, yes.” I flicked my hands at her to shoo her along. “You must get downstairs.”
She moved more then, at least to the staircase that led down from the third floor to the second, but then she halted again. I could see her mind churning the ideas around, trying to make sense of the sudden emergency I’d presented her with and finding herself unable to do so. “But, Philippa…”
I barely recognized myself as I lost patience. “For the love of all that’s holy, enough is enough.”
I threw my hands out, slapping against her back, and pushed. My eyes widened and my heart stopped as she went tumbling down the stairs in the most horrific way possible. Her head hit the wall, her stomach slammed against the stairs. I was fear-stricken as her limbs flailed in all directions trying to find purchase on anything to stop herself, but the stairs were unforgiving. The sounds she made as she tumbled down were loud enough I knew it’d attract attention.
When she finally clattered at the bottom, my stomach lurched and I turned to my left and threw up all over the carpet.
That wasn’t the plan.
I just wanted to trip her up in the garden. Scuff her knee,maybebreak her leg. Never this.
The baby…
Lucia was quite obviously passed out at the bottom of the stairs, so though I wanted to run, my better nature kicked in and I knew I had to get help. I rushed back up the stairs and contemplated which of the Cavetti siblings would be the most forgiving. My eyes landed on Savio’s door, and I walked up to it and slammed my fist against it.
“Signore! Signore!Please! Wake up!”
I waited as I heard voices and footsteps from the other side of the door, then the door unlocked and opened to the youngest Cavetti male, Savio. His hair was a mess on his head, and to my surprise, one of the Bonifacio twins, Alessandra, was standing just behind him.
“Philippa?” Savio groaned. “What’s wrong?”
Before I could even answer, a scream split the silence. “Lucia!”
“Nat?” Savio murmured in response.
“It’s Lucia,Signore,” I said.
“Help!” Natalia screeched.
Savio didn’t need to be told anymore. He bolted out of the room, passing me by with Alessandra right behind him. Slowly, the entire house started to wake up to see the mess that was Lucia at the bottom of the stairs.
The one I’d made.
As morning slowly came and everyone left the house to head to the hospital, the only silver lining was that Natalia had demanded Giorgio’s involvement in visiting with his sister at the hospital. It wasn’t supposed to be like that, but it seemed that part of my plan had worked, at least. I just had to wait until I heard of Lucia’s status before I could call Gianni and tell him what happened.
Or rather, I wanted to wait. The way he cared about Lucia, when he learned I pushed her down the stairs, he might never forgive me.
Alegna collected all the staff late in the morning to provide an update.
“I just got off the phone with Marcello Cavetti and he has confirmed that Lucia Cavetti is in a coma.” I dropped my head, heartbroken at what I’d done.
Fortunately, someone else raised their hand. “The baby?”
“Mrs. Cavetti is already turning out to be a wonderful mother. She guarded her baby as best she could, and as of my conversation with Marcello, the baby is fine.” That made me so sick I nearly puked again. Alegna turned a gaze to me and looked at me with wide concern. “Philippa. Did you see what happened? You found her, right?”
