“To be fair, we are on the lawn where about twenty kids are staying in tents,” I say.
“Perhaps we need to take this elsewhere.” He waggles his eyebrows at me. “Come on. Let’s go see your family.” He takes my hand in his once more and leads me back to the house, where Rocco is talking with Pippa on the patio. His grin is half nerves, half pure adoration, like he can’t quite believe she’s talking to him.
“Are they…?” I ask Max under my breath.
“He’s had a thing for her since our first visit. Told me he’s going to ask her out.”
“Cute,” I reply, watching as Pippa giggles, her pretty face flushed. “My guess is it’ll be a ‘yes’.”
“I hope so. The guy’s obsessed.”
Pippa greets me with a hug. “Fab!”
“Pip,” I reply, genuinely pleased to see her. I greet Rocco with, “How’s it going?”
“Good, good,” he replies, no doubt wishing we hadn’t interrupted. He may well have been at the crucial moment in the conversation.
“I got some amazing footage today,” Pippa says.
“I heard! I’d love to see it,” I reply.
“Can I show it to you later?” Her eyes dart to Rocco, and she instantly turns shy.
My hunch is right on the money.
“Of course. No rush,” I reply with a smile.
“Leave you to it,” Max says, throwing Rocco a wink, who instantly shifts his weight, looking about as comfortable as Toffee wearing booties in the snow.
I give Pippa’s hand a squeeze. “No drinking the fountain water, remember?”
“I remember.”
Max and I make our way into the house, where we find Nona and Mr. Beckman in the living room.
“Good afternoon, Lady Romano, Mr. Beckman,” Max says as he greets them both warmly. “It’s wonderful to have you here at Belladonna.”
“Thank you so much for having us, Your Royal Highness,” Nona says, clutching his hands.
“Max, please,” he corrects.
“Or Maxie,” I tease, and he smiles at me, shaking his head.
“This place is stunning,” Mr. Beckman says. “I can see why you love it here so much.”
“I’m glad you like it. It’s very special to me.” His eyes flash to mine. He’s not only referring to the fact that he’s always loved this house, ever since he was a little boy. This is the place where our lovebegan, where he showed me who he really is, and where I began to fall in love with him.
“Where’s Lord Romano?” Max asks.
“If we’re going to call you Max, you must call me Vittorio,” a voice says from behind us, and we both turn to see my father, standing in the doorway, looking totally at home in his tweed jacket and salt and pepper hair.
My heart skips a beat at the sight of him here, still not used to having him back in Ledonia. And now he’s in the home of the family that once ruined him. But the son of the man who convicted him was the one who worked to clear his name.
It’s been a lot for him, for all of us, and I’m so grateful to have him back.
Papa returned to Ledonia amid a media storm soon after the Autumn Ball, where Max changed my life forever. He’s been working to regain our Tenuta Fioralba, our family land, taken from him all those years ago, and he has a new zest for life that can only come from knowing his name has been cleared and he’s back in the country he loves.
“Welcome to Belladonna, Vittorio,” Max says as he clasps my father’s hand in his.
