Venetian Masquerade by Suzanne Stokes

mind, but I saw it in a shop in Padua and couldn’t resist it. It is about the right size for the little chap and has stabilizers ’til he gets his balance.”
    “Gabriel, he will love it! Thank you so much. We can hide it in the shed and lock it until tomorrow. We’d better do it now; he’s due back at any time.” As they wheeled the bike down the garden, she continued, “I…um…I haven’t had a chance to tell you yet, but he did meet Alessandro, and they seemed to get on really well. He’s coming to the party tomorrow.”
    “Well…that’s good, isn’t it?”
    “I suppose so. James doesn’t know yet that Alessandro is his father.” She locked the shed, and together, they walked back to the house, Gabriel’s arm across her shoulders.
    “One step at a time…Oh, hello Sonya.” He beamed as Sonya and the children burst through the gate with Snoopy, who was barking excitedly. “Hi, kids.”
    “Hi, Gabriel. Mama, can we have milk and cookies?” asked James.
    “Yes. Carmela’s in the kitchen. Go and ask her.”
    The children scampered away, and Sonya turned to Amy.
    “I’ve finished the birthday cake, and I contacted Coco the Clown for you. He’s free tomorrow afternoon, so I booked him.”
    “You’re a star, Sonya. I don’t know how I would have coped with ten small children for three whole hours!”
    “I’ll play some games with them if you like,” volunteered Gabriel.
    “Oh, yes, please. What sort of games?” she asked suspiciously.
    “You’ll see.” He grinned. “I have to go. See you tomorrow.”
    After his boat had chugged away, Sonya and Amy wandered back into the house. “Sonya, I haven’t had a chance to tell you yet, but James’s father tracked us down. I met him in the park a few days ago, and the next day, I took James there to meet him.”
    “Amy, I’m glad… I know it’s difficult for you, but it will be better for the boy. Donna would give anything to have a papa, and James has one but doesn’t know him, which is a shame.”
    “James invited him to the party, so will you please help me get through the day?”
    “Don’t worry. We’ll all make him welcome. What’s his name?”
    “Alessandro di Benedetto.”
    “Not one of the di Benedettos? The property company?”
    “The very one.” Amy felt color rising to her cheeks.
    Sonya stared at her in amazement. “And you left him?”
    “Yes, and then he married someone else.” Amy couldn’t bring herself to expand on that, and Sonya, though clearly puzzled, refrained from any more questions.
    To everyone’s enormous relief, the next morning dawned clear and sunny. Carmela and Antonio, determined to help, arrived with croissants for breakfast, and then Antonio spent much of the morning blowing up balloons and hanging up paper decorations. By three o’clock, James was almost sick with excitement, but it was actually Snoopy who threw up all over the kitchen floor, having stolen and eaten a packet of butter. Amy was still on her knees, clearing up the revolting, smelly mess, when the doorbell rang for the first time. “Oh, no,” she grumbled, tugging at her rubber gloves, “Don’t say they have all arrived ten minutes early! James, open the door, will you?”
    A moment later, footsteps advanced into the kitchen, and she looked up into Alessandro’s amused gaze.
    “I’m sorry if I’m early. Would you like a hand with that?”
    “Oh, no…no, thank you.” She rose to her feet and picked up the bucket of disinfectant, feeling rather like Cinderella when Prince Charming came to call. She was still in a scruffy pair of jeans and T-shirt, and he was dressed in navy slacks and a short-sleeved, white shirt, open at the collar, with a cashmere sweater thrown over his shoulder. “James, take Alessandro through to the dining room and ask Sonya to fix him a drink. I shan’t be a moment.” She dumped the bucket outside the door and fled upstairs to change into something that didn’t smell of puppy sick.
    “Come on,