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‘Is it bothering you?’ he asked.
‘A bit. I know we aren’t lying to each other, but we are lying to all the people who will be watching.’
‘Hah! Most of the guests won’t give a rat’s ar—bottom. And a large proportion of them will be laying bets on how long we’ll last. Plus, how many people really believe the promises they make when they say their marriage vows? Really believe in the “ever after” bit of the happy-ever-after?’
‘I’d like to think most of them do.’
‘That is naïve. In today’s age you would have to be an idiot not to consider the very big possibility that you’ll end up divorced. Or that one of you will be unfaithful.’
Graham hadn’t even waited to make his vow of fidelity before he’d broken it. ‘Then why bother?’
‘People figure it’s a way of making some sort of commitment, but they know there’s a get-out clause—they know they aren’t really signing up for life. We’ve just agreed our get-out clause up-front. And I suppose some people get married because they want kids and see marriage as a natural precursor, the right thing to do.’ He gestured around the chapel. ‘For me, this wedding is the only one I will undertake. I know that. But you want the whole deal, and one day you might want to get married for real here.’
Holly shook her head. ‘Right now it’s hard to picture. I used to believe hook, line and sinker in the whole fairy tale. Now...not so much.’
‘Because of the “complicated break-up”?’
‘Yes.’
Holly hesitated. At some point they needed to discuss past relationships. Now seemed as good a time as any. No doubt the press would find out about Graham, and whilst she doubted it would feature in an interview, there might well be some coverage or commentary in the press.
‘About that... It really was complicated. We were due to get married. Here, in fact. Then on my wedding day I found out he’d been cheating on me, so I cancelled the wedding.’
She looked down at the stone floor, traced a pattern with the toe of her foot. She didn’t want to see pity or compassion in his eyes.
‘That took guts,’ he said at last. ‘And in my opinion you did the right thing. If you tell me who he was I’ll go and find him, bring him here and make him grovel.’
That surprised her enough that she looked up and met his gaze. She saw that his expression held nothing but a sympathy that didn’t judge, mixed with an anger that she knew was directed at Graham.
‘That’s OK. I don’t need him to grovel—it’s over and done with. And, whilst I don’t doubt your ability to make him grovel, you can’t make him mean it.’
‘I’d be happy to try.’
‘It wouldn’t be possible. In Graham’s world he didn’t do anything wrong.’
‘How does he figure that?’
Holly hesitated. She’d never spoken to anyone about Graham’s crass revelations. Yet here and now, with Stefan, she wanted to.
‘The whole relationship was a con. Graham worked for my father and he saw a way to further his career. Marrying me would give him a direct line to the Romano wealth and prestige—a job on Il Boschetto di Sole for life, a house, prestige, social standing...yada-yada. He never loved me. I don’t think he even liked me. But he pretended to and I fell for it. Hook, line and proverbial sinker. And the whole time he was sleeping with a “real” woman.’
‘So what are you? An alien?’
All she could do was shrug and he shook his head.
‘The man must be blind. Or stupid. Take my word for it. You are a real woman.’ He leant forward, his expression intent and serious. ‘You are beautiful and gorgeous and...hell, you are all woman.’
Shyness mingled with a desire to move forward and show him that he was a hundred percent right. To kiss him, hold him and...and then what? This was a business arrangement, and most importantly there was no future to this attraction except potential humiliation. This man liked variety.
But his words had warmed her, acte
d as a counter to Graham’s betrayal, and for that she could say, ‘Thank you. Really. I mean that.’
‘No problem. I’m sorry you went through what he put you through.’
‘On the plus side, I think I’ve learnt from it. It’s shown me that love isn’t the way forward for me.’
‘Why? If you want love you shouldn’t let one loser change your mind.’
