Owning the Mafia Don

Proserpina

I sat at my desk, busy with my work. I had been reviewing the work done by my team in Japan and was finding it difficult to concentrate. In fact, I had had to go over the mails and the attachments twice before I could make sense of what I was reading.

The only news that made me feel thoroughly happy was in the short mail my friend, the Professor had sent me. Dear child, he had written in his affectionate way, I have a surprise for you. A gentleman you knew when you were in Bhutan, is in the US and will be delivering a series of lectures in and around New York. He will be speaking at the Duke’s Hall this week and wants to come and meet you. The name of the gentleman as the Professor so quaintly put it was Brian.

Brian Gaulle.

The Frenchman who had loved me years ago, during my stay in Bhutan. He had adored me in a gentle fashion, never touching me but his eyes had spoken words. He had proposed to me, urging me to marry him. I had held back…

Pensively, I leant back in my chair now and thought of those days. When I lived at the monastery, having given birth to my twins. All alone, after running away from Lucien. I smiled, Brian had been a salve to my bruised heart. I was nineteen, and he had been a few years older, an earnest young man with faith in Buddhism. He had become an orator now, speaking at seminars. We would be meeting after years. I smiled. He had been a dear friend but we had not corresponded after I was forcibly hauled off from the mountains by my furious gang lord lover who had tracked me down.

I stared into the distance and thought fleetingly, life would have been so different if I had accepted Brian’s proposal and had married him. My children had adored him. How simple it would have been… And I? Smiling ruefully, I turned away. My heart had belonged to Lucien from the day I met him. That was the sad truth.

***

The day had not gone well. Baby Claude was cranky; he had a cold, and he was fretful. It was usual for Claude to be loud and demanding. But today, with a red nose, he felt and looked miserable. I had managed to make him go to sleep with a lot of difficulties and I was exhausted. Physically, I was feeling awful; my lower back ached and I knew that I had to see a doctor again. But the real problem was the feeling that kept plaguing me; why was Lucien behaving in such a strange manner? Little Paddy turned up in the doorway.

He looked pleased with himself. I could not help smiling back at him.

He came forward, shuffling, and held out a bunch of flowers and grass that he had clumsily tied with a string. The flowers were wilted and I wondered how long he had been at it, making this simple bouquet. He extended his hands and grinned at me, his eyes sliding away shyly.

“For you,’ he lisped. I was touched. “Come here, darling,’ I said and threw my arms around him and hugged him impulsively.

He was such a sweetheart, simple in nature and trust. Piers had taken him under his wing thankfully. I dreaded to think how Ria would have otherwise made the poor soul turn cartwheels. The little boy was stiff for a few minutes; then he seemed to relax and allowed me to hold him.

Ria burst into the room just then and her eyes narrowed possessively as she saw the boy in my arms.

“What is he doing here? She snapped, looking exactly like her father. She kept her hands on her hips and looked like she would throw the little fellow out. Paddy gave her a disarming grin but she was made of sterner stuff. She ignored him and turned her eyes on me.

‘He came to give me this,’ I smiled and ruffled Paddy’s hair as I held up the forlorn-looking bouquet. He blushed in joy but I could see he was wary of my daughter. The minx must have scared him, I thought wearily.

“Pappa just called.’ She said. My eyebrows shot up. My husband never called in the daytime. He was too busy. Ria had a bland look on her face and I sensed she had been up to something. “Now?’ I said incredulously. ‘He called now?’ Lucien had not answered my calls and so I had stopped speaking to him too. It was better that way.

I had my pride too. It was now a few weeks since we had last spoken. I stared at her wide-eyed. Ria looked sheepish. The way her eyes slid away put me on high alert. “What have you done, Ria Delano?’ I asked warningly. Her evasive look made me think of the worst-case scenarios.

“I wanted to see my Pappa,’ she said sulkily, I waited my gaze on her. Paddy slunk away, aware that some major confrontation was about to happen.

Piers had come in and he stood beside his sister, eyes downcast. “Yes,’ I prompted gently. My eyes flickered between the guilty-looking duo. “I…we..’ but Piers immediately began to shake his mop of silky blond hair, washing his hands off the entire plan. “It was not me.’ He announced firmly. I hid a grin. Ria looked furious.

“Oh, ok!’ said Ria crossly, and turning to me with a show of bravado, she crossed her arms over her little chest and piped up, ‘I told Pappa that Claude was very sick…’ She eyed the floor as I sat up straighter. My daughter was manipulative and I knew she must have said something stronger than that. She was also not very fond of her baby brother who was always attempting to hurl spoons or anything at hand, at her. Knowing her, she must have made Claude out to be in deep danger.

“Go on,’ I said tightly, fearing the worst. The maid appeared with Claude in her arms at that moment. Bleary-eyed from his nap, Claude let out an ear-splitting shriek on seeing me. Wriggling his little bottom, he almost fell into my arms, kicking wildly at the harassed maid. “MUMMA!!!’ My baby was pink-nosed but otherwise as energetic as ever. I gathered him in my arms and turned to my recalcitrant daughter. ‘Ria, what did you tell your father?’ I said.

“I said he was very sick.’ She said, nodding her head resentfully in Claude’s direction. And then she promptly burst into tears. I sat back. And?

Beatrice came in, hobbling a little. “The Man is arriving tomorrow morning.’

She cast Ria a stern look. When she was particularly annoyed with Lucien, she addressed him as The Man. I knew she was cross because she felt he was neglecting me. Yet again. ‘He is flying down.’ I felt my pulse quicken.

‘Well,’ I thought as I cuddled my baby, who was frantically trying to stomp on my laptop. “At least I can speak to him now, face to face. He cannot avoid me!’