Abbie hadn’t wanted a veil and as she stepped out to see the blue sparkle of the sea and the happy faces of people lining the route she was about to take into the Piazzo del Duomo, she knew she’d made the right decision. She didn’t want anything that would put even a flimsy barrier in front of any part of this day.
Smiling her thanks at Georgio, Abbie turned and bent down to peer into the car.
‘You ready, baby girl?’
A mop of shiny, dark curls adorned with a clip that held a tiny lemon blossom flower to match the ones in Abbie’s hair nodded agreement but Ella didn’t wait for her mother’s help. She wriggled across the seat, turned onto her tummy and slid out of the car.
Her dress was pink, of course. A version of the same tutu that her ballerina bear still wore, and Ella adored it. She loved her lacy white socks too and the sheer cuteness of the pink ballet pumps on her small feet would always make her parents smile.
Marcella was hurrying to catch up from the other side of the car.
‘Ella. Come here, cara. Zia Marcella will carry you to the church.’
‘No. Ella walk.’
‘It’s a long way, cara.’
Abbie smiled at the new sister she already loved. ‘Let her walk, Marcella. Her little legs will get tired before we get halfway up those steps and then we can pick her up.’
It wasn’t Ella’s legs getting tired so much as the press of people wanting to see the arrival of the bride that made her want to be carried. And it wasn’t her new aunty that she wanted.
‘Mum-mum-mum…’
Abbie handed her bouquet to Marcella to carry and scooped Ella into her arms.
‘It’s a long way,’ Marcella said anxiously. ‘Maybe Papa should carry her?’
Abbie looked at the huge set of steps she needed to carry her daughter up. It would be a challenge but nothing compared to the challenges they had already faced and won. Smiling, she declined the offer.
Somewhere, at the top of all those stairs, Rafael was waiting for them. The love of her life.
Ella’s papa.
How perfect was it that she would carry their daughter into the ceremony that would show the world their commitment to each other as a family?
She shifted Ella into a slightly more secure position on one hip as Marcella arranged her train so that it would flow beautifully up the steps.
A quick glance down at her dress showed her that nothing was out of place.
Abbie pressed a quick kiss to Ella’s curls to hide her smile.
She’d always said she didn’t want to be a pregnant bride but this was okay because it was early days.
Still a secret between her and Rafael.
She couldn’t wait any longer. Abbie began to climb the steps.
It wasn’t really okay, was it?
It was more like perfect.
ISBN: 978 1 472 04540 9
200 HARLEY STREET: THE PROUD ITALIAN
© 2014 Alison Roberts
Published in Great Britain 2014
by Mills & Boon, an imprint of Harlequin (UK) Limited
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