“You won’t be back at lunchtime?”
“Unfortunately not. I have business in Firenze today, but I’ll be back in time for dinner.”
“Florence? Could I come with you? It wouldn’t take me a moment to get ready.” She’d love the opportunity to find herself some new clothes and to poke around the culinary shops.
“Perhaps next time. I’ll be tied up in meetings all day and I have no wish for you to get lost on your own.”
“Draco, I’m a big girl. I can look after myself for the day.”
“I’d rather show you the city when we have time to really enjoy it, and I’d like to see it through your eyes when I take you there for your first time.”
Blair’s heart somersaulted in her chest when he smiled at her. She swallowed back the disappointment that flooded her as he left the room, the disappointment and the ridiculous sense of abandonment she suddenly felt. Today was no different than any other, she scolded herself. She’d get ready now for her session with Gabbi and then enjoy the rest of the day as she’d enjoyed every other so far. So what if she had to amuse herself for lunch before her lesson with Cristiano? As she’d said to Draco, she was a big girl now, and besides, she had an awful lot she needed to think about before she saw him again.
Blair completed another lap of the pool, relishing the smooth glide of the water along her skin. She was no further ahead in her ponderings than she’d been this morning, in fact her concentration had been so off all day that even Cristiano had begun to lose a little patience with her in the kitchen this afternoon. In the end, she’d withdrawn from his domain pleading tiredness, and had enjoyed an unaccustomed afternoon nap in the shade here by the pool. She’d woken feeling fuzzy in the head. A fuzziness that was dissipating with each stroke of her arms as she turned and swam another length.
Blair’s hands bumped against the edge of the pool and she stood ready to pull herself up and onto the edge. Suddenly she realized she wasn’t alone.
On a lounger at the poolside sat an impeccably groomed woman. Blair didn’t have to look hard to reognize a family resemblance. If she wasn’t mistaken, this was Draco’s mother. The woman rose and walked with a graceful stride toward her, offering a hand to Blair to help her out of the pool.
“Here, my dear. Let me assist you.”
“Thank you.” Blair took her hand, wishing like crazy that she’d opted today to wear her full-piece swimsuit. The bikini she’d slipped on did little to hide the thickening of her waist, and the new fullness to her breasts made her old bikini top almost indecent.
She accepted the thick, white towel the woman handed to her and wrapped it protectively around her, but the assessing look in the other woman’s eye proved she had missed nothing.
“You must be Blair,” she said, with a gentle smile. “I am Sabina Sandrelli, Draco’s mother.”
“I’m sorry, I wasn’t expecting anyone,” Blair started.
“I should have called first, I know. But I grow tired of waiting for Draco to introduce us. It is as I expected. You are pregnant, are you not?”
Blair felt color rush to her face. “I…”
“Don’t worry, I am happy for the news, although it would have been nicer to have been told by my son than to have confirmed it myself.” Sabina leaned forward and gave Blair a pat on her arm. “Umberto, Draco’s father, will also be pleased. He tried to talk me out of bringing us both here today, but Draco has had long enough to keep you to himself. It was past time for you to meet the family, such as we are left.”
“Draco’s father is here also?” Blair asked, her eyes darting around to see if he was here at the poolside.
Sabina smiled. “He’s in the kitchen, no doubt driving Cristiano crazy picking from his pots and pans to see what’s for dinner. I heard the company helicopter come in a short while ago. Why don’t you run along and get dressed and we can welcome Draco home together.”
Without waiting for a response Sabina walked away, her elegant cream trousers and matching jacket fluttering gently in the light breeze that chased around the poolside patio. Blair slowly sank into the lounger Sabina had been sitting on. Draco’s mother—wow, that was an experience. Clearly the woman was used to taking charge—like mother, like son, she thought ruefully, and reached for the sarong-style wrap she’d brought down to the pool with her. She wrapped it around her and wished that for once she’d had the presence of mind to grab a robe or something that would cover her more efficiently.
By the time she’d quickly showered and dried herself off, she started to worry about what on earth she could wear tonight that still fit. From the quality of Sabina Sandrelli’s clothing and the way she carried herself, Blair had no doubt that she would expect her to dress for dinner. She’d decided on a pair of wide-legged elastic-waist pants and a loose-fitting top, but when she went through to her room there were two boxes sitting on her bed, with a brief handwritten note from Draco.