The Complete Legacy Series: Books 1 - 6 Read online

  Arianna nodded at Lia to encourage her to continue, wiping away her own tears at Lia’s obvious discomfort in reliving those days after her birth.

  “My cousin had been working as a housekeeper in the city and she knew of another family that needed help. The room and board was provided and they said that they would give it a try. We moved in and I tried to make it work for those first weeks. It wasn’t just about me, I promise you, Ari. Please believe that.”

  Arinna nodded.

  “I wanted so much more for you. And the family I was working for knew a couple—the Sinclairs—your—your parents. When they told me about them and how much they wanted a child of their own—the kind of life that they could provide for you. At the time they—your parents—lived in the city, and I went there. To see the house. I think they knew then that they were moving—building the house in Sausalito. I couldn’t believe everything that they had, and they seemed so desperate to be parents. I—I just had to consider it. And in the end I made the decision to do what I thought was best for you. And I do regret it. I do, Ari.”

  Arianna didn’t know exactly how to feel. It was hard to process everything that she was learning but as she looked at Lia, at the locket around her neck, she knew that she could finally truly forgive her. That Lia had wanted her and loved her when she was born. Even for a few weeks more than Arianna had realized.

  “I mean, I know that you had a good life with the Sinclairs—” Lia stopped herself. “At least I hope that you did—that you feel that your life with them was good. Was it? I mean—before the accident?”

  Arianna was quiet for a moment. “Yes, it was good,” she said quietly. It would be too much for both of them if Arianna said more right now. And she didn’t want to hurt Lia more than she seemed to be hurting. “I just—I always felt like something was missing.” She was trying very hard to balance being honest about her own feelings with being careful of Lia’s. “And what did you do after that—after my adoption?”

  “It wasn’t long after that I moved away to New York. I couldn’t bear living so close to you. I thought I might run into you or start stalking the Sinclairs, and I’d—I’d signed the contract and they were so wealthy and powerful. No. There was no changing things once I’d realized my mistake.” Lia seemed to gather her strength with one last deep breath before continuing. “But I always knew that I’d find you one day, Ari. And from the moment I bought this necklace with that first paycheck at my new job, I’ve never gone a day without this picture of you around my neck.” Lia fingered the locket and seemed pensive for a minute before she unlatched the clasp and put it in Arianna’s hand. “I want you to have this now. It’s the one thing I can give you now and maybe…” Her voice trailed off. “Maybe one day you can know your father too.

  Arianna thought that Lia looked frightened at the thought of it, and she had no clue if it was a good idea or not, but the thought of actually meeting her birth father was incredible to her. Time would tell. She didn’t know if there would be time for everything, and she had to be okay with that.

  Arianna took the necklace from Lia. She could see that it was important to her, as if she was finally being absolved of just a bit of her guilt. It was something that Arianna could do for her. And she wanted to spend some more time alone with the picture of herself and of her father. Studying the face of the man whose genes she carried. Her Italian father. Arianna smiled.

  “Thank you.” Arianna closed her hand around the necklace. “This means a lot to me. And you—you opening up—telling me about the past. It means a lot to me too. It does. These are questions that I’ve had for as long as I can remember. Questions that my parents—the Sinclairs—always seemed unwilling or unable to answer for me. Thank you for that.” She took a deep breath and they both laughed, noticing that they seemed to be deep-breathing in sync after the intense conversation.

  “Now, shall we lighten up the mood a bit with a glass of Italian wine and a peek at which movies we have to choose from?” Arianna said, motioning for the flight attendant as she turned on the screen in front of her to check the estimated remaining flying time. “It looks like we have about four more hours before landing in Paris—and I, for one, could use something light-hearted and maybe another nap before we land.”

  Lia smiled at her. “I second that idea. Especially the wine. I could use a drink.” She laughed. “I have the feeling that we’ll be having our share of lovely bottles of your favorite over the next few weeks.”

  “I can’t wait.” Arianna laughed, happy that she and Lia shared a love for nice Italian wine and food. This was going to be a great holiday. Arianna would make sure of it.”

  She relaxed into her seat for the remaining hours of the flight, enjoying a movie and the silence between them that was perfectly comfortable after the deep conversation that had taken place.

  Chapter 22

  After a short layover in Paris, the flight to Florence was a quick two hours. Arianna and Lia arrived feeling fairly rested after another little nap on the short flight to Italy. Once through passport control and a fairly quick baggage retrieval, Arianna spotted the driver that she’d arranged with the Four Seasons Hotel. Within minutes they were out in the bright Italian afternoon sun ready to take in the view during the twenty-minute ride to the hotel.

  “I’m so excited.” Lia grabbed Arianna’s knee and gave it a little squeeze in the back of the sedan they were in.

  “Me too.” Arianna grinned as she looked out the window. “I’ve been dreaming of this trip forever.”

  “Is your first time to Firenze, no?” the driver said, smiling in the rearview mirror at them.

  “My first time to Italia.” Arianna replied with a big smile. “And she was born in Tuscany,” she said, nodding towards Lia.

  “Ah, lovely. And mother, daughter, si?”

  Arianna and Lia looked at one another and grinned.

  “Si, we are.” Lia replied.

  “Si sono entrambi belli. Understand, no?” The driver said with a wide smile. “You are both very beautiful.”

  “Grazie,” Lia said, blushing a bit.

  “Thank you very much. Grazie.” Arianna laughed and whispered to Lia, “I think I’m going to like it here if all the men are so charming.”

  They continued the drive in silence, the two women peering out the windows to try to catch a glimpse of the famous Italian city they were entering. When they pulled up to the hotel, Lia gasped at the sight of it.

  “Wow, Ari. This looks incredible. I can’t believe I’m actually staying at the Four Seasons.”

  Arianna smiled, happy that she had held nothing back when it came to booking this trip for them. She had grown up staying at various Four Seasons in the U.S. and knew that it was one of her parents’ favorites for good reason. She did trust their taste when it came to such things.

  “Lia, wait until you see the suite I arranged for you. The description and pictures of it struck me as something that really suited you.” Arianna was so pleased that she could do this for Lia; she knew how wonderful everything would be for her.

  The driver delivered their bags to the bellhop while Arianna checked in without hassle, collecting the keys to their two different suites. Their plan was to spend a few days in Florence seeing some of the sights and enjoying the city before heading to the villa where they’d spend the remaining weeks of their time in Tuscany. Arianna was feeling pretty good and was anxious to get a glimpse of the city.

  “Shall we each go to our rooms to freshen up a bit and then I can meet you at your suite? I’d love to see your garden view.” Arianna smiled, wanting to take in all of Florence, including the luxurious hotel they were staying in together. “We can decide then what we want to do for dinner. The receptionist told me that they’d have a light snack and beverage in our rooms ready for us just now, so that should tide us over for a bit.”

  “Yes, that sounds perfect.” Lia reached over to give Arianna a quick hug before following the bellhop to her room. “See you in a few min
utes.”

  Arianna followed the other bellhop to her suite, tipped him generously, and walked into her own private little Italian dream. She had chosen the Duomo Suite for herself; it consisted of two levels with two different living-room areas and two full bathrooms, and was known for having an amazing view of the city. She had thought that it might be nice to have more space in one of the suites in case she and Lia wanted to spend some time together lounging around.

  When she walked into the luxurious living-room area, she was not disappointed. Everything was very plush. There were beautiful paintings, exquisite rugs, and thick curtains that were tied back to reveal a peek of the spectacular view off the terrace.

  Arianna resisted stepping outside onto the terrace for a moment, as she wanted to unpack upstairs in her bedroom. She walked up the stairs and was pleasantly surprised to find that the other sitting area was as big as, if not bigger than, the one on the main floor. She continued walking into the adjacent room where she would be sleeping. Several big pillows and a beautifully designed thick comforter topped her bed, which was looking quite inviting at the moment.

  She slipped off her shoes and lay back on the bed, closing her eyes as she thought about the great travel day that she’d had with Lia. It seemed that they’d crossed a bridge with Lia opening up to her, and Arianna could feel herself doing the same. And soon enough she’d be sharing some secrets and feelings of her own with Lia. She sighed. She’d wait as long as she could so that they could enjoy their first few days here in this beautiful city. She stretched her lean body across the bed, which felt good after being on the plane for so many hours.

  I must make a move to freshen up before I fall asleep.

  Arianna collected her toiletry bag and headed into the full marble bathroom, immediately taken with the size and grandeur of it. Several candles lined the huge tub and there were luxurious soaps and bath salts as well. Ooh, I can’t wait to have a nice bath later tonight. The idea of it sounded absolutely divine, but for now she mustn’t keep Lia waiting long.

  She quickly washed her face and brushed her teeth, examining herself in the well-lit mirror. She did look tired, but not too bad. Nothing a little blush and lipstick couldn’t fix. She finished her quick make-up application, changed into a pair of black pants and bright top, and grabbed one of her favorite fitted jackets to head down to Lia’s suite.

  She had booked the Garden Suite for Lia, and she was anxious to see how everything was. It was separate from the main part of the hotel and overlooked the hotel garden, which she walked through to arrive at Lia’s door.

  She had only knocked once lightly when Lia threw the door open and then threw her arms around Arianna before she even had a moment to say hello.

  “Arianna, I love everything about this room—this suite. God, I can’t believe I’m staying in a suite and it’s so gorgeous. Come in, let me show you.” She grabbed Arianna’s hand, pulling her into the beautiful sitting area.

  Arianna was impressed, as it was equally as beautiful as her suite although each had its own unique decor and design. The room was quite lovely, and she enjoyed seeing Lia so happy as she showed her the bathroom and then her huge king-size bed. “And I can’t wait to take a bath in the amazing-looking tub.”

  Arianna nodded her agreement. “We had the exact same thought. There’s a lovely collection of soaps and bath salts. A lot of my favorite European brands, I noticed. Did you get a bite to eat? They had a lovely cheese and bread platter waiting for me in my room. I assume they had the same for you?”

  “Oh yes. I’ve already sampled the Italian cheeses, and everything is wonderful. There’s a bottle of champagne in the fridge. Shall we have a glass out on the terrace here before we go?” Lia said.

  “Now that might just be the best idea of the night. I’d love that.”

  Lia poured them each a glass and they carried them out to her private outside terrace overlooking the well-maintained lawn, lush and green.

  Arianna raised her glass. “To Firenze.”

  “And may our time in Italy be the beginning of many wonderful memories together,” Lia added and clinked her glass with Arianna’s.

  Arianna looked down and hoped that the quick pang of sadness hadn’t shown on her face during Lia’s words. It always took her by surprise, and it was getting harder and harder to hold it all in. Soon, she thought. For now, I’ll just enjoy this garden and Lia’s company.

  They finished their champagne and determined that they’d head into the reception area to talk to the concierge about finding an evening activity that would lead them to their first beautiful Italian meal.

  They found out that the Piazzale Michelangelo was the place they needed to be to enjoy what looked to be a spectacular sunset shaping up. The air was perfect and lovely; just the hint of an evening chill coming on. Arianna had arranged a car and driver for their time in Florence, and he arrived to pick them up shortly after the hotel contacted him for her. Lia seemed giddy with excitement and Arianna noticed a lovely flush to her face. They sat back to enjoy the ride and admire the city bustling around them.

  This is going to be quite the adventure. Arianna wasn’t ready for a lot of things, but she’d been dreaming about Italy all her life, it felt. She was going to enjoy every minute of it.

  The driver took them to the Oltrarno district of the city and straight up to the observation point where so many famous photos of Florence had been taken. The sun was just setting, and as they got out of the car the view took Arianna’s breath away. From here she felt that she was glimpsing the whole city; it was a wonderful welcome to the place where they’d spend the next few days.

  The bridges that crossed the Arno River seemed to go on and on. There was the beautiful Duomo in the distance and beyond the city, the hills that they’d be driving through on the way to their villa in a few days.

  “Oh my God, it’s beautiful,” Arianna said to Lia as they both stared in silence.

  Lia nodded in agreement and held her smartphone up. “Okay, not to be total cheesy tourist or anything, but I’d love to get some shots of us while we’re on this trip together. Okay?”

  Arianna laughed. “I’d love that actually. Shoot away.”

  They both turned so that the view was behind them. Lia put the phone at arm’s length as Arianna put her arm around her, and they both grinned for the camera.

  “Perfect,” Lia said as she showed the picture to Arianna.

  “I’ll want a copy of that one for sure.” Arianna grinned.

  They found a bench and enjoyed several minutes of admiring the view and sitting in silence. Arianna could feel that it was already so comfortable to be around Lia. She felt as if she’d known her all her life. It was wild to think that they had only met a few short weeks ago. She smiled and linked her arm with Lia’s.

  “How do you feel about going down to one of the busier parts of town to find a restaurant that looks good? I didn’t make any reservations tonight because I wasn’t sure how we’d be feeling after the flight, but I’d love to find a nice local spot to people-watch and taste some great Florentine cuisine.”

  Lia nodded her head in agreement. “That sounds perfect to me.”

  When they got back to the car, Arianna asked the driver if he could take them to a great restaurant where locals liked to eat. He smiled, telling them he knew just the place.

  Within minutes, they were at a bustling square with several trattorias, one of which the driver pointed out to her. “Eat here. The bistecca al fiorentina is the best around.”

  Arianna looked at Lia. “Are you in the mood for steak?”

  “Yes, I think I can be.” Lia laughed, and they got out of the car with Arianna making arrangements to text the driver when they were ready to be picked up.

  Inside the small restaurant, the tables were packed but the hostess managed to find a table near the kitchen for them. “It smells fantastic in here,” Arianna said.

  “You have no idea how much I want to peek my head in that kitchen.” Lia
laughed.

  “Correction. I bet you’d be in there with an apron on in two seconds if you could get away with it.” Arianna giggled.

  The waiter came to take their orders, and they chatted easily over a glass of wine while waiting for their steak to arrive. Arianna loved the feel of being surrounded by what looked like mostly locals in the restaurant. She could hear the sounds of the language being spoken and thought to herself that she wished she would have pushed Gigi to teach her more before she left for the trip. I should speak Italian, she thought.

  Lia looked right at home; Arianna guessed that her Italian was perfect, even though she’d only heard her speak a few phrases. Their meal arrived and they ate as much as they could before pushing their plates away. “Wow. I don’t want to overdo it or I won’t be able to move tomorrow, let alone walk around the city.” Arianna laughed.

  “I agree,” Lia said. “Let’s quit while we’re ahead. I think that was the best steak I’ve ever had.”

  “Shall we walk a bit before I text for the car?”

  “Yes, let’s. That sounds great.”

  They walked around the piazza and then decided that they would go for a little stroll towards the river to admire the pretty bridges that they’d seen from a distance earlier in the day. Arianna was enjoying their time together even with the easy silence.

  “How does it feel to be back here?”

  Lia shrugged and then stopped, looking thoughtful. “You know, it feels pretty wonderful actually. Especially with you. I never in my wildest dreams would have imagined that I’d have the opportunity to come here with you. It means everything to me.”

  Arianna nodded. “I feel very fortunate too. I’m glad I asked you to come with me. So, does it feel like this is your home? Do you miss it when you are in the states?”