“I’ll do what I can. But the hard decisions will come later. First, I need to meet her.”
“I understand completely. It’s my job to alert you to the situation and let you make the decisions from there. That’s what I’ve been hired to do.”
“By whom?” she asked. “Who’s paying your fees?”
“Luca Versetti, the man who’s taking care of Lilly.”
“He’s spending his own money?”
“He didn’t specify.”
“Does he seem like a decent man?”
“I guess. I’ve never met him, so I don’t have a good read on him.”
“Do you have any pictures of my birth mother or Lilly?”
“Unfortunately, no—but I can request them.”
“I’d appreciate it if you would. I believe that would help me in some way—to have faces to put with these names. Right now, I feel like I’m flying completely blind.”
“I’ll email him after we hang up.”
She went through the pictures of the villa yet again while she talked. “Can you tell me how Sabrina died?”
“Some sort of accident, I believe. I don’t know the details.”
That didn’t tell her much. “Does Luca speak English?”
“He does, but with a heavy accent that can make it hard to understand him, and his vocabulary isn’t very wide.”
At least she’d be able to communicate with him. She was relieved he spoke English for Lilly’s sake, too—that the girl hadn’t been left with a man she’d known only a few months and couldn’t really communicate with. “And does Lilly speak Italian?”
“He claims she’s picked up a little of the language.”
“If I decide it’s for the best, is she going to want to come back to the States?”
“I’m afraid she doesn’t have many options.”
In other words, she’d have to do what she had to do. Charlotte shook her head at that thought. To be so vulnerable, so at risk... She’d been lucky to have the parents she’d ended up with, the stability. “What about extended family?”
“I’ve been in touch with an aunt, but she’s in no position to take on a child. Her husband wouldn’t allow it even if she was. And Lilly’s maternal grandmother is too old and too ill. She also doesn’t have the resources.”
“Is there anyone else?”
“Who could possibly step in? No.”
“That leaves me.”
“That leaves you,” he echoed. “Would you like to meet her? I could ask Luca, Sabrina’s boyfriend, to put her on a plane, but the cost of the ticket would have to be covered by you or someone else. He feels he’s done his part. And just so you know, I’m not sure he’d take her back if you... if you decided you weren’t up to the challenge.”
“No need to put her through that. I’m going there—to Italy,” she said. “I’ve already rented a villa in Praiano. I’ll arrange my airfare today.”
“That’s wonderful,” he said, obviously surprised. “How long do you plan to stay?”
“I have the villa for a month, but I’ll stay as long as necessary—or as long as it’s best for Lilly.”
“Sounds good. Once you’ve finalized your plans, I’ll let Luca know.”
