Chapter 6
Dressed in shorts and a T-shirt, her hair pulled back into a pony tail, Nat pushed the doorbell to the enormous house on a Saturday morning that was already proving to be another scorcher.
Her ponytail swished as a warm breeze whipped through the shady portico.
Her fingers tapped against her leg in trepidation so she forced herself to concentrate on the wind’s caress instead.
The door flung open and Julian stood there, his curls bouncing slightly as his body vibrated with what she could only describe as excitement.
Or the nearest thing she’d ever seen in this little boy.
‘Nat!’ he exclaimed. His dark eyes, so like his father’s, literally sparkled as he shifted from foot to foot. ‘Papa told me this morning you’re coming to live here.’
Nat couldn’t help but be infected by his barely suppressed enthusiasm. ‘Just until my house is finished, matey.’
He grabbed her hand and dragged her inside. ‘I hope it takes a really long time,’ he declared.
‘Gee, thanks.’ Nat laughed as a cloud of cool air enveloped her, instantly dispelling the heat and stroking her exposed arms and legs with icy fingers. She looked up and saw the recessed vent in the ceiling. Ducted air conditioning. She closed her eyes against the pleasure.
Bliss – instant bliss.
Her eyes fluttered open as Julian again tugged at her hand and she looked around at the large entrance area dominated by white walls, white tiles, white carpet and a large white staircase. She could see boxes left and right in her peripheral vision.
‘Come on. I’ll show you my room. You’re right next door.’
‘Julian.’
Julian dropped her hand as Nat glanced up to find Alessandro lounging in a doorway directly to her left, a mug in hand.
He was wearing a snug white T-shirt that emphasised the rich golden colour of his skin and every muscle in his chest. His trendy khaki cargo-style shorts rode low on his hips. His feet were bare.
The man had a rumpled look about him, his hair tousled, his jaw unshaven.
He looked like he hadn’t slept very much, and that she could relate to.
She’d been awake half the night regretting her decision.
He held her gaze through thick dark lashes and a rush of warmth invaded places that not even the air conditioning could cool down.
‘Don’t crowd Nathalie.’
She opened her mouth to tell him not to call her that. She couldn’t live under his roof if he was going to caress her name with his lips like that. But she saw Julian’s excitement ebb and decided to drop it. For now.
‘I would love to see your room. Then I have a surprise for you.’
Julian smiled at her and grabbed her hand again, pulling her towards the ugly monolith that passed for a staircase. She could feel Alessandro’s eyes on her as they ascended and forced herself to walk, not run.
Nat couldn’t believe the clinical wasteland Julian and Alessandro lived in.
It was all white – everywhere she looked – and littered with unpacked boxes.
Most of the five upstairs bedrooms, two lounge areas and what she presumed was a study were practically bare – except for a few essential pieces of furniture and, of course, the ever-present boxes.
Julian’s room wasn’t much better. Just a bed, a bedside table with a lamp, and a couple of books spread on the floor.
There was no colour, no bright quilt or curtains.
In fact, there hadn’t even been any curtains hung at all.
Which made the white of the room even starker as the bright sunlight pushed through the glass.
Maybe Alessandro’s wife had been one of those minimalist freaks.
She must have betrayed her feelings because Julian said, ‘Papa’s been very busy.’
Nat’s heart nearly broke at the defensive tone and his worried frown. She gave him a bright smile. ‘That’s okay. I’m here now. I can help with that stuff.’
Julian brightened. ‘Your room is next door.’
They went in and she plastered a huge smile on her face as Julian looked at her for any signs of dislike. The room, like Julian’s, had a bed and a bedside table. No curtains. But it did have a vent in the middle of the ceiling and it was blissfully cool. ‘It’s perfect,’ she declared.
They were walking out when Julian stopped in the hallway and turned to face the end. ‘That’s Papa’s room.’
He pointed to the closed door like it was a forbidden kingdom. Nat bit back her disapproval. Was Alessandro really that clueless? A far-away room dominated by a closed door? What the hell did he think his son, his four-year-old son, would read into that?
She really did have her work cut out for her.
Nat gave the boy’s shoulder a squeeze. ‘Want that surprise now?’
Julian nodded enthusiastically, a wide grin firmly in place, and she returned his smile as they made their way downstairs.
‘Wait here, it’s in the car.’ Nat injected a conspiratorial note into her voice.
She was back at the door in a minute – thankfully. The heat seemed even worse after the cool ecstasy of Alessandro’s house. Sticking her head round the door she spied Julian waiting, anticipation lighting his dark features.
‘Shut your eyes,’ she requested. ‘Hold out your hands.’ Julian obeyed instantly. ‘No peeking,’ Nat warned as she adjusted the package and passed it gently into Julian’s waiting arms.
Julian’s eyes flew open. ‘A cat.’
He looked at Nat with utter wonder and squeezed the animal close, rubbing his face into her soft fur. Flo purred appreciatively. In his excitement Julian even forgot about the weird stiltedness between him and his father and called out to him.
‘Papa, Papa, look, a cat. Nat has brought her cat.’
Alessandro appeared in the same doorway as before, regarding the animal warily. ‘You didn’t say anything about a cat.’
Nat was pleased he’d kept his voice low and pleasant for Julian’s sake – not that he was interested in the adults with the ball of fur purring like an engine in his arms. She raised an eyebrow. ‘You’re allergic?’
‘No.’
Ah. She’d assumed after Julian had told her about his cat in London that bringing Flo wouldn’t be a problem. Peyton would probably take the animal but one look at Julian’s animated face told her the cat needed to stay. ‘We’re a two-for-one only deal.’
He grimaced a little but merely said, ‘The cat’s fine. Just keep it out of my room.’
Nat didn’t think that would be much of a problem. Flo wasn’t one for wasting her time on people who didn’t care for her. Especially not when there was a little boy who was obviously going to dote on her for all he was worth.
They watched him for a few moments. ‘I trust your room is to your liking?’ he enquired.
To her liking? That was a bit optimistic. ‘It’s fine. Thank you.’
He cocked an eyebrow. ‘Problema?’
Nat hesitated. But, hell – she had to live here. ‘Everything is very… white?’
‘There’s plenty of colourful things – paintings, rugs and so on – in the boxes. I just haven’t had a chance to unpack yet. This is the first weekend I’ve had at home since I started at St Auburn’s.’
‘So, you won’t object to me adding a bit of… colour? I can unpack the boxes if you like.’
‘I don’t expect you to do that,’ he dismissed.
She shrugged. ‘It’s the least I can do for free rent.’ And it wasn’t good for Julian to live in such a cold space, devoid of warmth.
Shooting a quick look at his son, he said, ‘You’re here for Julian, not to be a housekeeper.’
Nat shot him a pained expression. ‘If I have to live in this white palace for even a day, I’m going to go snow blind. Plus, it will be good for Julian to have some familiar things around him.’
He regarded her for long moments, his gaze conflicted. She supposed there might be a lot of painful memories in those boxes that he might not want her poking around in. But then he simply said, ‘As you wish,’ and turned away.
Nat was aided by Alessandro and Julian as she retrieved her meagre belongings from the car. Alessandro withdrew the minute the job was done and she had to admit to being relieved. His presence in her room was too… dominant and she found herself questioning her sanity – yet again.
Julian hovered while she unpacked, leaping at the chance to help her distribute her bits and pieces around the room. Then Flo entered and he sat on the floor with the cat nestled in his lap, happy to just observe as he petted the purring animal.
A lava lamp brightened things up considerably in the stark room, as did the orange and russet bedding.
Impressionist prints along with her much-loved Venetian masks added colour to the walls.
Finally, she looped some rich purple gauzy fabric she’d bought in Turkey years ago along the curtain rod, letting it drape haphazardly over the bare window.
She stood back and admired her endeavours. Not bad for an hour’s work. At least the room no longer looked like the inside of an igloo.
‘What do you reckon?’ she asked Julian.
Julian beamed at her, raising Flo to his face and stroking his chin along the top of her soft head. ‘It’s… beautiful.’ He sighed.
Nat laughed. The awe in his voice was priceless.
‘Do you think you could do this to my room? Make it like my old one? Before Mummy died?’
Nat’s heart lurched in her chest at his matter-of-fact words. She scanned his face for signs of distress or grief but found none. Instead, he was looking at her as if she were Mary Poppins and had done it all with a snap of her fingers.
‘Sure,’ she replied. ‘We’ll go through the boxes tomorrow and see what we can find.’
Nat heard Flo’s half-hearted protesting meow as Julian bounced on his haunches and squeezed her a little too tight. His eyes sparkled and he looked like a normal excited four-year-old. And she knew in an instant that coming to live under Alessandro’s roof had been the right thing.