Harlequin Romance March 2021 Box Set Cara Colter (the mitten read aloud TXT) 📖

pushchair. ‘Lorenzo.’ She laid a hand on the head of a boy of around six. ‘And this is my Rosa.’ She put an arm around an older girl of eight or nine who had red-rimmed eyes and a sulky look on her face, then gave Matteo a hard stare. ‘Your goddaughter, Matteo.’

Charlie shot him a quick glance. ‘You have a goddaughter?’ She sounded surprised and Matteo shifted slightly uncomfortably.

‘Haven’t I mentioned it? Her, I mean.’

‘No.’

He shifted again, searching for the kind of diplomatic words that might get him out of this awkward situation, only to grin a little sheepishly as Lucia and Charlie looked at each other, identically pursed mouths before laughing.

‘Completely useless,’ his cousin said, nudging him affectionately and Charlie nodded.

‘He is. I am so sorry. I wish I’d known; I’ve always wanted to be an aunt. I am an only child so am already planning to spoil any children my cousin has as much as possible. You will have to let me take you out for ice cream or something when I’m here, Rosa. If that’s okay, of course.’ She clapped a hand over her mouth, looking embarrassed. ‘I forgot, of course, she doesn’t speak English. She must think I’m a right idiot, babbling away to her in a foreign language.’

At that Rosa’s mouth twitched into something close to a smile. ‘Oh, she speaks a little,’ Lucia said. ‘She’s just not speaking very much at all right now. She is very disappointed, and I can’t do anything to fix it.’

‘Oh?’ Charlie took off her sunglasses and looked sympathetically down at the small girl, her smile understanding. ‘Is there anything I can do to help cheer you up? I am sure Matteo owes you at least eight years’ worth of treats; do you want to claim one today?’

Matteo had never really seen Charlie around children. He knew, of course, that not only was she a primary school teacher but that she also worked some evenings in a local dance school. It stood to reason that she would like children, be interested in them. But seeing her display such empathy warmed him. His own parents had been so disinterested in him, and he himself knew very little about children. But he couldn’t help a vision of him and Charlie walking down a street, surrounded by their own sons and daughters, just as his cousin was—and for the first time such a thought didn’t terrify or bore him. It excited him.

‘She’s a good person to tell problems to, Rosa,’ he said. ‘And she has a point about those treats.’

Rosa slowly shook her head, tears welling up and spilling over, splashing down onto her thin cheeks, and Lucia sighed. ‘There’s no point crying, Rosa,’ she said. ‘There’s nothing to be done and you just have to accept it.’ She looked up at Matteo and Charlie and shrugged. ‘Rosa here is a very keen ballet dancer and she is very lucky to learn with a wonderful teacher. They have been working towards a gala in two weeks’ time, to raise money, you see, for the refugee children who live in the region. It is a good cause. And Rosa was to have a solo. But, unfortunately, her teacher’s mother has just been taken into hospital and so Signora Natalia has had to go back to Roma. So no gala, no solo for Rosa, and right now it feels like the end of the world.’

‘It’s not just a solo,’ Rosa ventured in a little voice still thick with tears. ‘It is because of Violeta…’ Her voice wavered again and then broke. Matteo quickly translated so Charlie could understand and Charlie crouched down to look into Rosa’s woebegone face.

‘Violeta?’

Lucia nodded. ‘Yes, Violeta Costa, the ballet dancer? She is the prima ballerina at La Scala and she and her partner are coming to Ravello to give a gala performance at one of the concerts. Rosa’s teacher was at school with her when they were younger and so Violeta agreed to do a solo at the gala and to be guest of honour.’

Charlie took Rosa’s hand and squeezed it. ‘Violeta Costa? No wonder you’re disappointed; what an opportunity. And nobody else can take over? You’re so close, just two weeks to go, surely you must know your roles by now? You only need a rehearsal director.’

Lucia shook her head. ‘There’s no one suitable in the whole area, not to the standard needed. No, we must postpone until next year and try not to be too sad, hey, Rosa?’

Matteo grinned. ‘And you said I am a useless godfather? I might just be able to help you out, Rosa.’

Charlie froze as Lucia laughed. ‘You? Don’t tell me that you’re qualified to teach ballet, Matteo?’

‘Hardly, but Charlie is. She can help you get ready, can’t you, Charlie?’

CHAPTER FIVE

CHARLIE FOLLOWED MATTEO into the villa’s hallway and slipped off her sandals before heading into the deliciously cool sitting room, glad of the chill of the tiled floor against her hot, bare feet. Matteo looked at her, eyebrows raised quizzically.

‘Okay. You’ve been quiet all the way home and not just because it’s a steep climb back. What’s wrong?’

‘Nothing’s wrong.’ She paused. That wasn’t exactly true. ‘I just wish you had checked with me first before telling Rosa I’d take on the ballet gala.’

‘I guess I should have done. I’m sorry.’ Matteo leaned against the door, his smile contrite, like a kid caught stealing biscuits, knowing he was in trouble but sure he would be swiftly forgiven. ‘I was just so pleased we could help—you can help. I know the language barrier is a slight issue…’

‘Just a small one!’

‘But I can translate. I’d like to be involved. Is that what was worrying you? After all, you’re a qualified ballet teacher.’

‘Not to that standard! Rosa’s ballet teacher trained at one of Italy’s top ballet schools. It’s not the same.’

‘Charlie, they are kids, not professionals. They’ll just be happy someone can make this happen. And it’s for a really good cause.’

Charlie flopped onto the sofa,