“You did help.”
“I did. Though I confess it was not initially out of the goodness of my heart. Just guilt.”
“Some would suggest that your capacity for guilt means that you do have a good heart.”
“I don’t know about that.”
“Vincenzo certainly seems to think you have a good heart.”
“That’s not what he likes.”
“I disagree.”
“Excuse me.”
They both turned to see Vincenzo standing in the doorway. For a second, she was worried that he had overheard them.
“You seem to have a visitor,” he said.
She and Ricardo exchanged glances. “I’m not expecting anyone,” he said.
“I believe it’s your sister’s husband. I recognize him from all the recent news.”
Her heart leaped up into her throat. She could scarcely believe it.
And then there he was, as if he had been summoned. Entirely incongruous in this sun-drenched setting, an ice-cold Viking, and her in a bikini.
She stood up slowly. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m here to thank you. And your brother. For what you have done not just for me but for my country.”
Of course. He would be noble in the face of all of this. She didn’t want nobility. She didn’t want a consolation prize.
What she wanted was him. But she needed that to be love. Not just desire.
“I did it for my sister,” Ricardo said, colder than Ragnar at this point, which was impressive, honestly.
He gestured to Vincenzo, and the two of them went into the house. Leaving her and Ragnar alone.
“I contacted Ricardo about finding your father before I was sent away.”
“Does that mean you wouldn’t have done it?”
“I would have. It was the right thing to do. I knew that he would be able to help. He’s very well-connected.”
“I thought your whole family was worthless?”
“Not all of them. Something I’m discovering is that we were all raised by our father. And we have all made mistakes as a result of that. But not all of my brothers are proud of those mistakes.”
“That is healing, I imagine.”
“And what about you?” She looked at him directly. “Do you feel healed? Now that you know the truth?”
He shook his head slowly. “It was the right thing. But you know, a narcissist will always tell you that he did what he had to. He is incapable of being a villain in his own mind. There is nothing satisfying in talking to my father. He expressed pride that I lived. And in many ways I feel takes credit for it. There is no remorse. There is no satisfaction. It is only a tragedy, and we all must live in the aftermath. The only tragedy for him is that the end of his triumph is here. But there is no real…feeling.”
“I’m sorry. I am sorry about all of it.”
“Fern I… I need you to forgive me. There is so much about being human that I don’t understand.”
