Chapter 51

• THE noise hit Sofia’s ears as soon as she stepped through the main door of the villa and into the huge tiled hallway from where the big marble staircase curved upwards towards the first floor. Even in a place the size of the Villa San Felice, the furious, distressed baby yells could be heard right through the house. And, hearing them, Sofia had a terrible fight with herself not to just forget everything that had happened, forget her ambiguous position in this house and run up the stairs as fast as she could, her arms outstretched to take her little son into them.
• She had even moved part way to the foot of the staircase when Alessandro came past her, taking the steps two at a time, long legs covering the ground so fast that Sofia had to put on a burst of speed as she reached the wide landing in an attempt to catch up with him.
• She only made it just in time as her husband pushed open the door to the nursery and strode inside.