Free A Life Sublime by Billy London

was more lucrative to the bishop to agree to sell the convent and purchase a cheaper hold for the women. Simplicity being closer to godliness. Corruption within the Catholic Church has existed for many a year.”
    What an utterly disappointing and insulting story of women being ousted from what they were entitled.
    “One of my ancestors bought it as a gift for his new bride and it has been passed to the eldest son of every Da Canaveze since then. When I go, this will pass to Nicholas.”
    “And what will Paul do with himself?”
    “Paul prefers Milan. He has a home there which has half the bedrooms but many more chandeliers. I gave it to him as a wedding present.”
    Belinda’s frown deepened. “Are you sure you don’t play favourites?”
    “Yes. But Paul has always had to find his own way and I believe now he has. What about your own children?”
    “I don’t have any. I already told you the first night we were here.”
    “I apologise. I was distracted. It would certainly account for your youthful looks.”
    “It wasn’t a choice,” she snapped. It was the one subject guaranteed to set her teeth on edge and make her temper flare like wildfire.
    “I understand your loss,” he said, which only inflamed her further.
    “What do you know about loss? You don’t know what it is to have telephone call after telephone call telling you your father is dead, your mother is dead, your family dropping dead and you can’t get back home to see them buried properly. When you can’t give your husband the babies he wants, when the one and only person who understands you dies? All this before the age of forty. That is loss. How can you talk to me of loss when you have everything that you do?”
    Massimo gave a long suffering sigh, “Belinda, why do you always think I am patronizing you?”
    “Because you are,” she muttered, embarrassed by her outburst. Maybe this place wasn’t good for her. She’d never been particularly good at holding her tongue, but being around the Da Canavezes wasn’t doing anything for her sense of self control.
    “No I am not. I said I understood because I did want more children. And it was not to be. There was nothing I could do to change that. Of course I have lost family and friends. Dreams.” He stopped for a moment, closing his eyes briefly, water coursing down the planes of his face like tears of a marbled saint. He continued. “To expect that no one else has suffered as you have is patronizing. I was merely sympathizing with you.”
    Her mouth tightened. She hated people’s sympathy, she didn’t want it. “You don’t need to.”
    He sent her an assessing look. “Why are you afraid of having things in common with me?”
    Belinda turned to him, fury in her eyes. “Pardon?”
    “The idea of having similarities with my life worries you. I can tell. We are all simply human. If not always with the same set of sensibilities.”
    Hmm. “You and I both know that is not always the case.”
    Those crystal blue eyes twinkled. “That sounded nice.”
    “What?”
    “ You and I . Please do continue, we may even eventually agree with one another.”
    Ridiculously attractive man, she thought, a reluctant grin tugging at her mouth. “Eh heh. All right, I’m going to go and sort myself out.”
    “Belinda,” he said with a mild warning, as she heaved herself from the pool and padded to the lounger, “I am the last sensible adult in this villa. You should stay friends with me, even if we disagree, or you will have no one else to talk to.”
    He has a realistic and very valid point , she thought, snapping off her swimming cap. God knows she wished there was a palm tree within reach where she could remove a few swatches and swat the idiocy from the mouths of those children. “I’ll let you know,” she replied smartly, pulling the kaftan over her head and wrapping the towel around her hair. He was still watching her. Naughty man, she knew that look. That same sort of look had got her into