Surprised by Love by Kate Hofman Read Free Book Online

circuitous
routes she will manage to invite her convent-bred pure candidates for me to
wed.”  His sudden laugh pierced the tranquil atmosphere.  “Never.”
    “Please
feel free to ask for any help you may need,” Connie offered.
    “I’ll
need your help for my reciprocal dinner, here in the big downstairs dining room
that seats 48 at a U-shaped table where the host sits at the centre.”  He
smiled.  “I’ll have my Nonna to my right and you to my left. 
 Then two of my favourite uncles, Armando and Roberto, then my mother and
Aunt Sofia, she is a sweetheart.  My uncle Roberto hasn’t been quite so
lucky with Aunt Marisa—a vicious gossip and guaranteed to make deliberate faux-pas that she hopes will force me to tell her more about me than she can
reasonably expect.”  He grinned. “She can expect, but she won’t get.”
    “I’m
sorry that your family visits here are fraught with difficulties,” said Connie,
concerned.
    “I’m
better off than on previous occasions—I’ve got you in my corner.”
    “That
you have, Alessandro, promise.”
    “As
you have my promise that I will wipe the floor with anyone who should dare to
be even marginally discourteous to you—and that includes my mother.”
    “Alessandro…”
    “Sssh,”
he said softly. 
     
     

Chapter 5.
     
     
    The
next evening, Alessandro presented himself to Connie.  “Will you check me
over?  I don’t want my mother’s eagle eye to discover any flaws.”
    Connie
laughed.  “You’re always a picture of effortless grace, and invariably
you’re faultlessly attired—particularly in evening clothes.”  She walked
around him, pretending to inspect him minutely—and gave him a big smile. 
“Yes.  As I thought—you’re perfect.  I will hope for you that your
mother has done as you asked, and invited only family members.”
    Alessandro
raised a brow.  “If she hasn’t, you will see me back here inside half an
hour.”
    Connie
teased, “Or you could throw the little ninnies out—they are not family.”
     “And
never will be.”  He grinned at Connie.  “Don’t think that delicious
possibility hadn’t already occurred to me—” 
    Teasing
gone, Connie gazed at him.  “I hope you will have a pleasanter evening
than you seem to expect.”
     “I
wish you were coming, but I’m hoist with my own petard of family only,” he
said.  “Wish me luck.” 
     “ Buona
fortuna,” Connie smiled.
    His
slim black brows lifted in surprise.  “ Grazie.”   With
that, he was gone.
     
    ****
     
    Alessandro
asked Aldo to drive him in the limousine to his mother’s house, at some
distance from Florence, but in a different direction from his own palazzo.   
Once they had cleared the city traffic, Aldo made good time, and delivered Alessandro
promptly at 7:30 to his mother’s butler, Ernesto Filippi—who received him with
delight, saying, “ Signor Conte—”
     “Glad
to see you looking so well, Ernesto.  I hope Maria is in good health as
well.”
     “Oh
yes, thank you, Signor Conte…  She went to great lengths for this
dinner, because you were coming.”  Ernesto made a slight gesture inviting
Alessandro to walk ahead of him to the double doors of his mother’s main
reception room.
     “The Conte di Montedalcino,” Ernesto said, and stepped over to the drinks
cabinet, intending to pour Alessandro’s favourite white wine.
     “Alessandro,
my son!” his mother trilled and went to embrace him.
     “Mamà,”
he said, embracing her, but his eyes sought someone else.  The moment he
spotted his paternal grandmother, he let go of his mother and went to a petite,
thin, still beautiful old lady.  “ Nonna!” he exclaimed, hugging her
warmly but carefully.  He always felt as if a big hug would break her in
half. 
    Tears
in her eyes, she whispered, “Nipotino mio – my grandson.  I’ve
missed you so, and now you will have to be polite and say hello to all these
relatives…”
    Alessandro
smiled,