Bella (18 page)

  
“
You can tell everyone, what you saw that night.
However, we both know you are a bigamist and our marriage isn`t legal. So I
will tell the police.
”

 Marco wasn't listening
and laughed in my face. He told me I had two days to give him another ten
thousand pounds. If I didn
’
t fulfil his request
by then, he would tell the whole family about Simon and I.

  
“
I don't have that kind of money just to throw
away Marco.
 
But one thing
is for sure, I don't want you seeing Violet. Your parents are here to see their
granddaughter for the first time, don
’
t spoil it for them at least.
”

Fortunately Marco
left.  I knew our secret would have to come out. What would people think,
brother
and sister sleeping together
? I thought. Victoria knew something, but not
that Simon and I had actually slept together, or the fact I had his child, then
again neither did Simon. I tried to put on a brave face and went downstairs, but
my mood wasn't very good and Claudio knew something was up. I had just got
engaged and could lose the man I wanted to marry. Claudio put his arm around
me.

  
“
Are you tired Bella, maybe you have taken on too
much. You need to slow down a bit.
”
He was right to some degree. I had taken on too much, but
that was the least of my worries. My life was going to be completely in
shatters if Marco got his way. I tried my hardest to entertain Anna and Emilio
the best I could, but it wasn't easy. Over the next two days I was on tender
hooks waiting for Marco to show up. I decided I had to tell Claudio before
Marco showed up again.

CHAPTER NINE

I
knew if I told Claudio that would be the end of us. I
called Simon first and told him what Marco had said. Simon told me he would at
my house within the hour.

He arrived and we both asked Claudio to come into the
reading room.

   
“
What's the matter
with you both?
”
  He asked.

   
“
Marco is blackmailing
me.
”
  I told him.

  
“
What do you mean
Bella? Why would he do that?
”
He asked with a very
concerned look on his face.

  
“
Marco came to the
hotel room when I was staying in Tuscany. He caught Simon and I in the bathroom
together.
”
  'What do you mean?
Why were you both in the bathroom?
”
He asked confusedly.  I could feel my face turning red. I
quickly told him that Simon was helping me get out of the bath. The lies
started to fall out my mouth.

  
“
I was in pain and
couldn't get out of the bath. Marco must have come in and thought we were up to
something; unfortunately the door to my room wasn
’
t locked and he came in. Then Marco asked for
money, saying he would tell everyone that Simon and I were up to no good. I was
worried and didn
’
t know what to do. We
tried explaining to him, but to no avail. So I gave him money. But he came back
the other day asking for more.
”
I looked at Claudio.
He looked hurt and angry.

  
“
Why would Marco lie
about you both? Surely he wouldn't do that unless he had something to blackmail
you with?
”

  
“
Please Claudio forget
what Marco said. I just had to tell you, before he did. I know I have to tell
everyone.
”

 Claudio put his hands on his face, his eyes were full of
tears.

  
“
I have to think
Bella.
”
He left the room,
headed upstairs and packed his things.

  
“
I
’
m going back to Tuscany. I will call you in a
few days, I am sorry Bella, I love you but, I don't know what to think.   When
you were in Tuscany, I did think that you and Simon where exceptionally close.
”
Claudio gave me a kiss on my cheek.
“
I will call you, I promise.
”
Claudio left and how could I blame him. What a
mess. Simon took me in his arms and I cried.

   
“
I love Claudio so
much. Why did I ever have romantic feelings for you? We should have realised
that someone would catch us,
its incest
.
”
I blurted out

   
“
Bella I know you
still have feelings for me, and you are trying to hide them through someone
else.
”
He said stroking my
hair in a caring way.

   
“
I did but I have
genuinely fallen in love with Claudio.
”
I told him.

  
“
Bella we have to tell
everyone. Victoria knows there is some kind of special connection going on and
she told me she knows something about us.
”
 

  
“
What possibly could
she know Simon? Where is Victoria?
”
 

  
“
She is very angry at
the moment; she has taken Luke and gone to stay with her parents.
”

  
“
You need to call her
and ask her exactly what she knows.

I can
’
t handle anymore
Simon. This is too painful for me. Maybe I do have feelings for you.
 
But I
’
ve tried to supress them. However, I can never let them out
again, it
’
s not right.
”
Simon walked out the door slamming it on the
way out.. I called Marco and told him that I`d told Claudio about the incident,
and I would tell everyone else including the fact that he is a bigamist.
Fortunately after all of the things I
’
d lost, Marco never bothered me again.

Claudio must have taken things quite badly because he didn
’
t contact me when he said he would.

    Marco
’
s parents enjoyed
their stay. I took them to London and showed them many beautiful sights. I
tried to hide how I felt for their sake, although, I think they guessed
something was up.

I decided to talk to Tammy and Roy. I went to their house.
Tammy looked so much better. I sat down at the kitchen table, and began telling
them everything. The feelings I had for Simon and that we had always had the
wrong feelings for each other. The only thing I missed out telling them was
having
his baby. Tammy folded her arms and Roy shuffled his feet. Neither of them knew
what to say.

  
“
Bella you are a grown
woman and only you know what is right from wrong, you know having feelings for
your brother is wrong.
”
Tammy said.

   
“
I have loved Simon
since I was a child. I know it is wrong, but I can
’
t help it.
”
  I cried.

 Roy looked a bit more sympathetic.

  
“
You shouldn't see
each other anymore, if you have these feelings, it's the only way Bella.
”

 I told Tammy that Claudio knew and he hadn`t been in touch
since he left. Tammy took me in her arms and said.

  
“
Bella, everything
will be alright. You will see.
”

   Over the next year I kept myself busy with the children,
and got a job as a secretary at the local hospital. I tried calling Claudio,
but he never answered so I gave up in the end. Simon had gone back to in New
York, which was probably for the best. All I could do now was hopefully learn
from by my mistakes.

  
“
My life has been
full of secrets and lies
.
”
I whispered to
myself. Remembering my parents and wishing they were here to give me advice. I
missed them so much, not being able to talk to them. Lizzie was busy with her
new shop. There was nobody to talk to. If it hadn
’
t been for the children I think I would have
gone crazy. Violet was four and she had such a lovely personality and was a
real little chatterbox.

    Christmas time arrived once again. I didn`t really feel
like celebrating, but of course I had to carry on for the children's sake. I
prepared a turkey. Tammy, Roy and Lizzie were coming over for dinner. Simon
stayed in New York for Christmas. I knew it was for the best. I got the tree out
of the loft, and started putting it up with the children.

 My phone rang just as we had finished putting the last bit
of tinsel on the tree. It was Tammy.

   
“
I am coming round
straight away. I have to talk to you and it can
’
t wait.
”
What on earth could be so important
! I thought.

 When Tammy arrived she looked upset. 

  
“
It
’
s Simon he
’
s in Hospital.
”
She told me

  
“
Why what's wrong with
him?
” 
I asked
worriedly. 

  
“
He
’
s had a nervous breakdown. I imagine it is with
all the pressure.
”

    I knew I had to fly out to New York, he needed me.
Tammy thought that it wasn't a good idea, but I wouldn`t listen. I promised her
and Roy that everything would be ok and any romantic feelings I
’
d had for Simon had gone.

    I booked the flight for the children and myself. At the
last moment Tammy and Roy decided to come with us. I called Lizzie to tell her,
and she decided to come too.

That evening we all flew out to New York. We were lucky
enough to get a flight together. Christmas Eve was a very busy time. We landed
after a long flight. The lights of New York looked really beautiful as the
plane came into land. Normally I would have loved the fact I was in New York,
but it was difficult under the circumstances we. Roy had paid for us to stay at
the Casablanca Hotel in Time
’
s Square.

    It was too late to visit Simon.
 
So we unpacked our things and I put the kids to
bed, then we had a drink. We had our very own executive suite with a living
room, so we could be near the Children. I couldn't believe one minute I was in
England
and the next I was in one of the most famous Cities in the World. I was really
tired and needed some sleep.

I woke up 10 o
’
clock the next morning the same time as the children. After
we
’
d had our breakfast
we set off to see
Simon. The Doctors told us that he was in a bit
of a bad way and hadn
’
t looked after
himself for a quite a while. I was shocked when I saw the state of him.. He was
unshaven; and his clothes were hanging off him, because he had lost so much
weight. I wanted to cry. Was this the result of what he and I had done?

   Tammy as usual fussed over him like a mother hen. Lizzie
was trying to act as normal as possible, but I could see she was very upset.
Roy decided to pay and have Simon treated at the best Hospital he could afford.
He was a millionaire, and could afford it. His parents were very wealthy
people, and had passed their business on to him, they had luxury Hotels
everywhere. I sat down next to Simon, not knowing what to say. I took his hand.

  
“
Simon please tell me
what's wrong, I want you to be well again. Mother and father would be
devastated right now if they were still alive.
”
He looked at me with sad eyes but didn
’
t say anything..

The Doctor told us it could take months for Simon to get
better.  Later that day he was transferred to a private Hospital which had the
best facilities money could buy, and set on lovely grounds.

    Even though we
arrived on Christmas Day we slept most of it. However, we still managed to
celebrate Robert
’
s birthday. I gave my birthday celebrations a miss that time due to
the circumstances. We decided to celebrate Christmas on Boxing Day. Simon was
clearly too unwell to come with us, so we left him to get some rest.