“Do that,” I said, then glanced at my watch. “I’ll have to head out now. You enjoy yourself.” I nodded at Giovanni and Clark Senior before I gave Maximo another hard smile.

The moment I stepped into the lobby of our home, Val strode toward me, curiosity reflecting on her beautiful face. She looked stunning in a tight pencil skirt and silk blouse tugged into the narrow waistband.

I kissed her. “You look gorgeous.”

Val smiled woefully, turning around so I could see that the top of the skirt’s zipper was open. “This is the last time I get to wear it for a while. It’s just too tight. Even stretch can only go so far.”

I gently placed my palm against her bump, still marveling at this miracle. I hadn’t expected another baby. We’d been trying for so long, but then it happened like a sign from above in the worst period of our life: a glimmer of hope. Our miracle baby.

“How are you?”

Val covered my hand with hers. “We’re both good. She’s moving more every day.”

“Only four more months.”

“Enough of me, tell me how it went?”

My mood dropped.

“That bad?”

“Not bad, but Maximo Clark is a snake. He plays hard to get.”

“He needs our money if he wants to fund his campaigns.”

“Our funds will make things easier. He might be good without them as well however.”

Val pursed her lips. “Can’t you put pressure on him?”

I laughed. “Blackmail is always a good option, but it might be a bad start to our cooperation and he doesn’t have any skeletons in his cupboard. Blackmailing him with his father’s or brother’s nightly activities might hurt his reputation or it might make him look like the noble king.”

“Everyone’s got skeletons in their cupboard,” Val murmured. “And I’ve met his wife a couple of times. She’s out for the glitz, the glamor. She talks about the British Royal family nonstop. She dreams about being royalty herself, about being part of a society other people only talk about. She’s fascinated by our traditions, our weddings. For her, this is like one of her historical romances come true.”

“I gather your lunch with her went well?”

Val’s expression became wicked. “It did. Of course, I told her everything she wanted to hear. She was absolutely enamored by our arranged marriages. She thinks it’s just utterly romantic, like something straight out of a Shakespeare play.” Val imitated the woman’s enthusiastic lilt.

“Romantic. That’s a new take on it,” I said as we headed into my office. We settled on my sofa, my arm around Val’s shoulders.

“From what I gathered, her marriage to Maximo leaves quite a bit to be desired.”

I perked up. “Does he have an affair?”

“She didn’t mention anything. She isn’t that airheaded. She knows how to keep up a perfect public front.”

I stroked Val’s knee that the slit in her skirt had revealed. “Shame.”

Val’s expression became thoughtful. “Her words made me think though.” She hesitated then shook her head. “Maybe my brain’s muddled by pregnancy hormones.”

I twisted around to her fully. “What is it?”

“Anna and Leonas both will have arranged marriages.” She searched my eyes and then it dawned on me and my first knee-jerk reaction was to say no.

“You suggest marrying Anna off to Maximo Clark’s son?” Despite my best intention, my voice shook with protectiveness.

Val bit her lip. “It is an option. I know a traditional arranged marriage isn’t common in the outside world, but the political elite often marries among each other as well.”

I’d met Maximo Clark’s children twice. He had three of them. His oldest son Clifford was Anna’s age, his twin girls a few years younger. They were polite, raised to behave in public.

“She’d be safer in a marriage with an outsider, and if our children married into important political families that would solidify our contacts.”

I tried to consider this from a logical standpoint but when Anna was concerned objectivity was difficult to maintain.

“They know each other. He’s at the same tennis club,” Val said. “I could talk to Anna if you’d like to get her take on things.”

I sighed. “Thinking of promising Anna to anyone makes my blood boil.”

“She can’t stay our little girl forever. She turns thirteen in September. She’s growing up.”

“I know.” Val didn’t look too happy about the prospect of a possible bond between Anna and the Clark boy either. “You don’t look convinced.”

Val smiled strangely. “I’m just being a bit emotional. I wanted a love marriage for our children.”

“Our arranged marriage turned into a love marriage, and so did Ines and Pietro’s. It’s possible.”

“It is, of course, but still.”

“Let’s keep your plan in mind for now and don’t share it with anyone yet. I want to wait for Maximo’s decision regarding a cooperation first. If he refuses to establish stronger business and social connections with us, he certainly won’t agree to a bond between our children.”

Val leaned her head against my shoulder. “I talked to Ines today.”

I tensed. “And?” I hadn’t talked to my sister since she’d thrown us out of their house.

Pietro and I had come to a tentative understanding, and even Samuel had come around to my surprise, but Ines still mourned Serafina’s absence. “She asked about the baby, and when Anna would come to visit again.”

“What did you say?”

“I told her Anna will visit next week.”

Anna would start private school this year for the first time. She’d insisted and I couldn’t deny her any longer. She and Luisa didn’t want to be homeschooled anymore.

“I suggested that we could vacation at the Great Lakes together this July.”

My chest tightened. “And?” I tried to keep my expression neutral, even if it was useless. Val knew that Ines’ refusal to talk to me bothered me deeply.

Val touched my chest. “She agreed. But she suggested the Mione’s family lodge in Barron County.”

“Good.”

“Yeah.”

As usual, Val’s warm smile set me at ease like few things in this world could.

Pietro, Ines, Samuel, and Sofia had arrived two days ago in the Mione vacation home and had already settled in. Pietro’s Range Rover parked in front of the two-floor timber lodge. I hadn’t seen Ines in seven months, and I couldn’t deny that I felt a hint of apprehension about our first encounter. Leonas and Anna jumped out of the Mercedes the moment we stopped; Anna to dash toward the house and Leonas down to the jetty leading into the lake. Val laughed then awkwardly pushed herself out of the seat, cradling her belly and tilting her head up to meet the sun. I pressed my palm into her lower back, then gave our bodyguards a curt nod. They could settle into the guard house nearby.

“Leonas! Say hi first,” Val called. Leonas dragged himself away from the water with obvious reluctance and ran back to us. He stormed past us and through the front door which Anna had left open. “Just witnessing his energy gives me backlash,” Val said with a laugh. “I hope Beatrice is a calm kid. We’re not getting any younger.”