Page 154 of Modern Romance January 2025 5-8

But Gio didn’t answer. He was gazing at the voluptuous Sophia, obviously thinking of Nonna.

Dante’s mind drifted to the rather slender waitress who had somehow rescued the night.

‘You should have spoken to me first,’ Gio said suddenly, pulling him from his thoughts.

Dante looked at the screen and saw the film was over. ‘When?’ He frowned.

‘If you were worried about Rosa, you should have come to me rather than go to your brother.’

‘Leave it, Gio...’ Dante warned.

Oh, it really was time to go.

He stood and retrieved his coat. ‘I’ll come over tomorrow, before going to the winery.’

‘Dante, please...you should have come to me.’

‘Gio...’ His eyes briefly closed in weariness, but before he could go on Gio spoke again.

‘I had my reservations about the marriage, too.’

Dante was sure he’d misheard, and was almost scared to move in case he reacted too much only to find out he’d got things wrong. He was a master of the impassive, yet it took him a full second to wipe the flash of shock from his features before meeting Gio’s eyes.

‘But you loved Rosa!’

‘I love Sev,’ Gio said. ‘And because of that I tried to care for Rosa. But I was sure her family were trying to get their hands on my winery.’

‘Did you ever share those reservations with Sev?’

‘Never.’ Gio shook his head. ‘Only now—only with you.’

‘Good,’ Dante said. ‘Because as it turned out he loved her.’ He pointed to his scar. ‘It’s better that you didn’t say anything. When I questioned the marriage, it broke us.’

‘You told him you thought her family had pushed for the marriage?’

‘I suggested it as a possibility,’ Dante agreed.

‘What made you suspicious?’

That he would not be revealing to Gio. His grandfather had been a one-woman man, and had long disapproved of Dante’s rather casual ways. He didn’t need to know that he’d once slept with Rosa...nor the rest of the sordid tale.

And Sev must never know.

‘Just a hunch,’ Dante settled for saying. ‘I was studying property mergers...succession laws.’ He shrugged. ‘Goodnight.’ He kissed his grandfather’s cheeks. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow. Let’s hope for a better day.’

He walked along the walls, his collar up against the cold, and called Sev.

‘He’s okay,’ Dante said to Sev’s message bank. ‘But Mimi seems to have left. Gio won’t discuss it, of course, but there’s a girl who’s been helping...’

He paused, thinking how terse he’d been with Susie. How tonight could have gone so differently had she not faked a small injury. And on this dark night his face moved into a slight smile.

‘I’m staying for the weekend; I’ll hopefully know more tomorrow.’

Actually, he hoped to know more tonight.

Dante walked further along the treelined walls, loathing being back more with every step, for there were memories everywhere...

‘Dante!’