Free Riccardo's Secret Child by Cathy Williams Page A

this cold weather.’
    This time when Julia looked at him it was with a frown of disapproval and Riccardo met her eyes with an edge of steel, while between them Nicola began bristling with excitement at yet another weekend treat in store. Not even Julia’s dampening suggestion that they might be busy in the morning was enough to deter her enthusiasm.
    â€˜You shouldn’t have made a promise like that,’ was the very first thing Julia said once the taxi had dropped them off at the house, but she had to keep her voice low so that their conversation was not overheard.
    â€˜But I have nothing planned for tomorrow.’ Riccardo feigned innocence. ‘So why not? Did you not think that today was a roaring success?’
    Julia didn’t answer. She turned the key to the door and was instantly greeted by her mother, face aglow with excitement to find out how their day had gone.
    Julia groaned inwardly.
    â€˜You didn’t tell me you were coming over, Mum,’ she said as brightly as she could, harking back with a sense of foreboding to their most recent conversation, during which her mother’s seemingly incessant preoccupation with her daughter’s man-less state had taken an alarming twist.
    â€˜I mean, Jules,’ her mother had said coyly, ‘he is very good looking, isn’t he? And I must say, I’ve warmed to him since I’ve seen how he is with Nicola. Not a man to shirk his responsibilities like so many young people today.’
    â€˜Where are you going with this, Mum?’ Julia had asked, as though she couldn’t see very well for herself exactly where it was leading.
    â€˜It’s not going anywhere.’ But there had been no time to release any sighs of heartfelt relief. ‘I’m just saying that you don’t seem to have met any nice young men yet and why not seize the opportunity to get to know him? You’re bound to naturally find yourselves getting close because of Nicola.’
    Julia had wanted to point out that Riccardo Fabbrini was about as nice as a roving python on the lookout for its next meal, but she had resisted. Her mother was gradually succumbing to Riccardo’s well-directed charm and Julia felt powerless against it.
    â€˜Oh, I decided I’d drop by on the spur of the moment, darling. Hope you don’t mind that I let myself in.’ Her mother’s voice brought Julia back from her thoughts and she glanced a little anxiously around at Riccardo, who was listening to their conversation with his head tilted to one side, for all the world as though he could hear every thought running through her head.
    â€˜Perhaps you could take Nicky into the kitchen and get her something to drink, Mum,’ Julia said with another bright smile. ‘I just want to have a quick word with…Mr…um…’
    She waited, tense as a coiled spring, until her mother and Nicola had vanished safely out of sight, then spun around to face him, her cheeks ablaze with colour.
    â€˜Look…um…’
    Riccardo watched her in unhelpful silence. Not so much as a word of encouragement passed his lips as she wiped her hand feverishly across her brow.
    â€˜I had to tell Mum about…um…this idea of yours that you and I should appear to be…’
    â€˜Lovers?’ he supplied, plucking the least helpful expression he could think of and folding his arms.
    â€˜Going out!’ Julia corrected through gritted teeth. ‘I had to just in case Nicky mentioned anything.’ She paused and waited for him to fill the ensuing silence, which he didn’t. ‘It’s just a bit of an awkward situation at the moment…um…because Mum’s got it into her head that it’s a splendid idea. In fact, if she seems to behave as though we really are going out instead of just pretending because of the situation, I want you to just ignore her.’
    â€˜I’m afraid you’ve lost me.’
    I wish I could,