Free Da Silva's Mistress by Tina Duncan

’Ciao, Stefania. I didn’t expect to hear from you so soon. How is he?’
    Stefania didn’t return his greeting, instead getting straight to the point. ‘The doctor…the doctor said Joe has had a heart attack.’ She could barely get the words out through her tears.
    ‘Are you sure it was a heart attack?’
    ‘Of course I am sure,’ she said shrilly, her accent thickening. ‘The doctor has run several tests. They have confirmed my worst fears.’
    ‘Do they know what caused it?’
    ‘They suspect it is stress-related. Apparently he hashigh blood pressure.’ She broke into another bout of sobbing.
    ‘Calm down, Stefania. You’re going to make yourself ill.’ He waited while she got herself under control. He could hear her breathing deeply before noisily blowing her nose.
    ‘I’m scared, Luca. I’m scared he’s going to die,’ she whispered.
    ‘He’s not going to die,’ Luca said firmly.
    ‘If he does it will be my fault,’ she sobbed. ‘The IVF treatments have been harrowing. I’ve been so focussed on myself I haven’t noticed the toll it’s taken on Joe.’
    ‘He is not going to die,’ Luca reiterated. And if he did his sister wouldn’t be the one to blame. No doubt trying to keep his affair with Morgan a secret from his wife was at least partly responsible. ‘High blood pressure can be treated with medication. Once they have it under control he’ll be out of danger.’
    ‘That’s what the doctor said,’ Stefania said, hiccupping over the last word.
    ‘There, you see,’ Luca said soothingly. ‘He’ll be back on his feet before you know it.’
    ‘But what if there is permanent damage to his heart?’ she wailed.
    ‘Does the doctor think there’s a chance of that?’ he asked.
    ‘He says no.’
    ‘Well, he’s the expert.’
    ‘But what if he’s wrong?’ she asked, sounding as if she was going to burst into tears again at any moment.
    His heart wrenched. It was frustrating being on the other side of the world. Words of comfort spoken down a telephone line weren’t half as reassuring as actuallybeing there. But he’d already asked Stefania if she wanted him to fly to Australia and she’d said no.
    There had to be something he could do to ease her concerns. ‘Would you like to get a second opinion? I’ll call in the best cardiologist in Australia if that’s what you want.’
    ‘Oh, would you? I’d feel so much better,’ she said, unable to hide her relief.
    ‘Consider it done.’
    ‘Oh, Luca! You spoil me rotten. So does Joe. How I managed to be so lucky to have both a husband and a brother who treat me the way you guys do I’ll never know.’
    ‘You deserve it,’ Luca said feelingly. After everything she’d been through—was still going through—she’d earned the right to be treated like a princess.
    ‘I’m sorry for making such a fuss,’ Stefania said, sounding a lot calmer.
    ‘Don’t be. You’re worried about your husband. That’s completely understandable.’
    ‘I have another favour to ask you,’ she said.
    ‘What’s that?’
    ‘I’m worried about Baci. You know she doesn’t like it when Joe and I go away. This thing with Joe…’ She paused for a moment. ‘I can’t help thinking something might have happened to her.’
    Baci was the cat Luca had bought for her when they’d first moved to London, not long after their parents had died. Stefania had been having a difficult time adjusting to their new life. Luca had given her the kitten in an attempt to distract her. It had worked. Given something else to focus on—and worry about—she’d soon settled in.
    ‘You’ve got that wretched cat staying in the equivalent of the Hilton,’ Luca said with a smile, trying to lighten her mood. He nodded to Morgan as she reentered the room. ‘I doubt she’ll be pining away. In fact probably just the opposite. After living in the lap of luxury it’s highly likely she’ll be big and fat by the time you get home.’
    ‘Luca!’ she wailed,