Surrendering All but Her Heart

by MELANIE MILBURNE

There was an awkward little silence.

  ‘It wasn’t your fault,’ Isla said on a little sigh. ‘I’ve never blamed you—not really. I know it might’ve looked like it at times, but I was scared of what your father would do if I contradicted him. He can be quite nasty, as you well know. It wasn’t your fault that Liam drowned. If anyone was to blame it was your father.’

  Natalie stared at her mother. ‘Why do you say that?’

  ‘Because I had a headache when we came back from the beach and went inside to lie down,’ she said. ‘He said he’d watch you and Liam out by the pool.’

  Natalie frowned. ‘But he asked me to watch Liam. I remember him saying it. He said he had to make a really important call.’

  Her mother gave her a worldly look. ‘Do you really think it was that important?’ she asked.

  Natalie’s stomach churned as realisation dawned. ‘He was calling his mistress?’

  Her mother nodded. ‘One of the many he had on the side.’

  ‘Why did you put up with it?’ Natalie asked, choking back bitter tears. ‘Why did you let him do that to you?’

  ‘I told you why,’ Isla said. ‘I was scared of what he would do. I had nowhere else to go. There was nowhere else I wanted to go.’

  ‘But you could’ve got help,’ Natalie said. ‘You could’ve found a shelter or something. There are places for women to go when they’re scared.’

  ‘I don’t expect you to understand,’ Isla said. ‘I know you want more from your life, with your fancy career and all, but I’m happy with my life. I have money and security. I would have lost all of that if I’d turned up to a shelter with a couple of kids in tow.’

  Natalie stared at her mother as if she had never seen her before. Could her mother really be that shallow? Had she really sold her soul for diamonds?

  ‘You don’t even like him,’ she said. ‘How can you bear to live with him if you don’t like him, much less love him?’

  Isla raised one of her thin brows cynically. ‘Are you telling me you’re in love with your billionaire husband?’ she asked. ‘Come on, Natalie, what you really love is his money and what he can give you. It’s what all women love. You’re no different.’

  ‘I love everything about Angelo,’ Natalie said. ‘I love his kindness. I love that he still loves me, even after I ran out on him. I love his smile. I love his eyes. I love his hands. I love every bit of him. I even love his family. They’re not shallow and selfish like mine. They watch out for each other and take care of each other. They stay together because they want to be together, not just for the sake of appearances. I love him. Do you hear me? I love him.’

  ‘You’re a fool, Natalie,’ her mother said. ‘He’ll break your heart. Men like him always do. They reel you in with their charm and then leave you high and dry.’

  ‘I don’t care if he breaks my heart,’ Natalie said. ‘It will be worth it just to have him for as long as he wants me.’

  If he takes me back, she thought in anguish. Did he really mean it when he said he never would?

  ‘And how long will that be?’ Isla asked. ‘You’re beautiful now, but what about when your looks fade and you put on a few pounds and have a few more wrinkles than you’d like? What then, Natalie? Is he going to love you then?’

  There was a sound at the door, and Natalie spun round to see her father saunter in.

  ‘You have a hide to show your face here,’ he said. ‘Do you know what day it is?’

  Natalie drew herself up to her full height. ‘I do, actually,’ she said. ‘And I’m on my way to the cemetery now, to pay my respects to Liam. But when I leave I am not going to take the yoke of guilt with me. That’s your burden, not mine. Liam would want me to move on with my life. He would have wanted me to be happy.’

  ‘You killed him,’ her father spat viciously, bits of spittle forming at the corners of his mouth. ‘You killed him.’

  ‘I did not kill him,’ Natalie said. ‘I was too young to be left in charge of him. That was your duty of care—but you were too busy lining up another secret assignation with one of your mistresses.’

  Her father’s face reddened. ‘Get out!’ He thrust a finger towards the door. ‘Get out before I throw you out.’

  Natalie stared him down, feeling powerful for the first time in her life. ‘You haven’t got the guts to throw me out,’ she said. ‘You’re a pathetic coward who has spent years hiding his guilt behind his innocent daughter. I’m not carrying it any more. I pity you and Mum. You’ve wasted your lives. You don’t know the meaning of the word love.’

  ‘I do love you, Natalie,’ her mother said, sloshing her drink as Natalie headed out through the door. ‘I have always loved you. Even when you were born a girl instead of a boy I loved you.’

  Natalie looked at her with a despairing look. ‘Then where the hell have you been all my life?’ she asked, and turned and left.

  Angelo was trying to get Molly to use the garden as her toilet rather than the rug in his study. There had been a significant regression over the last month in the puppy’s training. He hardly knew what to do with her. The young woman he had employed to train her had come with great recommendations, but had created a press fest that he would have given anything to avoid.

  He could only imagine what Natalie was making of it.

  He had got through each day that she had been gone with a wrenching ache in his chest. It was much worse than five years ago. He had thought he had loved her then, but now his love for her surpassed that by miles.

  He had thrown himself into work, but he had no enthusiasm for building an empire he couldn’t share with her.

  He didn’t care about the children thing.

  He just wanted her.

  He had wanted to go to her, to beg her to come back to him, but he knew she could only be his if she was free to make the choice to be with him—not because she had to be, but because she wanted to be.

  ‘Signor Bellandini?’ Rosa appeared at the back door. ‘You have a visitor.’

  He frowned irritably. ‘Tell them to go away. I told you I don’t want to be disturbed when I’m at home.’

  ‘I think you might like to be disturbed in this case,’ Rosa said.

  Angelo looked past his housekeeper to see Natalie standing there. He blinked a couple of times, wondering if he was imagining her. But Molly clearly didn’t have any doubt. She barrelled towards her with an excited yap, ears flapping, tail wagging frenetically. He watched as Natalie scooped her up and cuddled her against her chest.

  ‘She’s missed you,’ he said before he could stop himself.

  ‘I’ve missed her too,’ she said, kissing the puppy’s head.

  ‘So,’ he said. ‘What can I do for you? Do you want me to sign the divorce papers? Is that why you’re here? You could have sent them with your lawyer. You didn’t have to come in person to rub it in.’

  She set the puppy down at her feet and met his gaze. ‘Did you really mean it when you said you would never take me back?’ she asked.

  Angelo tried to keep his expression impassive. ‘Why do you ask?’

  She ran her tongue over her lips and lowered her gaze. ‘I was just kind of hoping you only said that to make me think twice about walking away.’

  ‘You didn’t walk away,’ he said. ‘You ran away.’

  Her teeth snagged her bottom lip. ‘Yes, I know … I’m not going to do that any more.’

  Angelo was still not ready to let his guard down. ‘Why are you here?’

  She lifted her eyes back to his. ‘I wanted to say …’ She took a little breath and continued, ‘I wanted to say I love you. I’ve wanted to say it for ages but I wasn’t sure how. I couldn’t seem to find the words. They were inside me, but I had to find a way to get them out.’

  He swallowed the lump that had risen in his throat. ‘Why now?’ he asked. ‘Why not a month ago?’

  ‘I’ve talked to my parents since then,’ she said. ‘It turns out my father wasn’t making an important business call that day. He wa
s calling his mistress.’

  Angelo frowned. ‘And he let you carry the guilt all this time?’

  ‘And my mother,’ she said. ‘I’m not sure I can forgive either of them. I’m still working through that.’

  ‘I don’t think you should ever see or speak to them again.’

  ‘They’re my parents,’ she said. ‘I have to give them the chance to redeem themselves.’

  ‘I wouldn’t be holding my breath,’ he said. ‘You’re likely to get your heart broken.’

  She looked up at him with a pained look. ‘I know you’ve got someone else,’ she said. ‘I’ve seen the papers. I just wanted to tell you because … because …’

  ‘She’s a dog trainer,’ Angelo said with a little roll of his eyes. ‘And not a particularly good one. I don’t think she knows a thing about puppies, to tell you the truth.’

  Her eyes started to shine with moisture. ‘Dogs are easy,’ she said. ‘It’s kids that are difficult. But I reckon a dog is a great way to ease yourself into it.’

  He held out his arms and she stepped into them. He hugged her so tightly he was frightened he was going to snap her ribs. ‘We don’t have to rush into anything you don’t feel ready for,’ he said. ‘I’m just happy to have you back in my life.’

  ‘I’m so sorry for what I’ve put you through,’ she said. ‘I love you so much. I couldn’t bear to lose you all over again.’

  He looked down at her tenderly. ‘This last month has been torture,’ he said. ‘So many times I wanted to pick up the phone and call you. I even drove halfway to Edinburgh but then turned back. I thought if you came back it would have to be because it was the only place you wanted to be. I felt I had to let you go in order to get you back.’

  She smiled up at him. ‘This is the only place I want to be. Here with you.’

  He stroked her face, loving the way her eyes were shining with happy tears instead of sad ones. ‘Do you think it’s too early in our marriage to have a second honeymoon?’ he asked.

  She stepped up on tiptoe and linked her arms around his neck. ‘Is the first one over?’ she asked with a twinkling look.

  He smiled as he scooped her up in his arms. ‘It’s just getting started,’ he said, and carried her indoors.

  * * * * *

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  All the characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author, and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all the incidents are pure invention.

  All Rights Reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises II BV/S.à.r.l. The text of this publication or any part thereof may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, storage in an information retrieval system, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.

  This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the prior consent of the publisher in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

  ® and TM are trademarks owned and used by the trademark owner and/or its licensee. Trademarks marked with ® are registered with the United Kingdom Patent Office and/or the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market and in other countries.

  First published in Great Britain 2012

  by Mills & Boon, an imprint of Harlequin (UK) Limited.

  Harlequin (UK) Limited, Eton House, 18-24 Paradise Road,

  Richmond, Surrey TW9 1SR

  © Melanie Milburne 2012

  eISBN: 978-1-408-97464-3

  Table of Contents

  Excerpt

  About the Author

  Title Page

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Copyright