Ferruccio stood before her father, seemed to be examining him. Then he said, “Seems to me you’re back in tip-top shape. Does this mean you want the crown back?”
She exhaled her immense relief at his obvious teasing, as King Benedetto embraced him.
Ferruccio stepped back from his father’s embrace, doing a double take. What was that he saw on the old jackal’s face? That smug, got-you-where-I-want-you look?
He didn’t have time to interrogate him, as the women and children swept the king away. Ferruccio turned to Leandro and Durante, saw the same puzzled look on their faces.
“Tell me you saw that,” Durante exclaimed.
“I saw it.” Leandro nodded. “I think he meant for us to see it.”
“Dio,” Ferruccio groaned. “I feel like the biggest sucker in the known universe.”
“Oh no you don’t.” Duranted echoed his groan. “That is one status you’ll have to share with us.”
“This was all a plan. A master plan by your canny old man.” Leandro shook his head in wonder, admiration tingeing his gaze as he looked at King Benedetto.
“Everything falls into place, doesn’t it? We’re all exactly where he wanted us to be all along,” Ferruccio said.
The three of them exchanged looks, suspicion becoming conviction in a heartbeat.
They all burst out laughing at the same moment.
“For the first time in my life,” Ferruccio guffawed, “I want to kiss the man. I want to smother him in kisses.”
“You’ll have to wait in line.” Durante wiped away tears of hilarity.
Leandro still shook his head, the look of admiration on his face deepening. “Between our hugs and kisses of overwhelming gratitude, we might even make him sorry for manipulating us so unrepentantly.”
“And considering what we all ended up having,” Ferruccio said fervently, “grazie a Dio a billion times that he did.”
“Amen, fratello, amen.” Durante echoed his passion.
At that moment Clarissa walked up to Ferruccio.
He scooped her off the ground into a convulsive hug. She giggled and hugged him back, whispered in his ear.
He froze before he whooped and swung her into the air.
As everyone gaped at them, he clutched her in his arms and rushed out on a beeline to their apartments.
He couldn’t have waited to make an announcement out of her news.
Having a second baby on the way was something he needed to celebrate in private first, and urgently.