‘It’s still under discussion. She’ll have several names, Anna, Baptista, Lenora and Marta. But which one will come first will probably be argued about until the day of the baptism.’
Angie bustled in with coffee and cakes. Lorenzo declined, having already eaten, and took the baby back into his arms. He had none of the awkwardness so many young men showed with babies. His pleasure in her was genuine.
He was thinner, and there was a new tension about him, as though he’d lived the last few weeks on hot coals. Lorenzo, whose nature was so carefree, now looked as though care was a constant companion.
Would she really be ready to wipe out the memories she had left, sweet memories of affection and laughter before it all went wrong?
‘Helen?’
She came back to reality to realise that Lorenzo was staring at her. ‘I asked you how the hotel was going. But you were in a daze.’
‘It’s the fire,’ she said quickly. ‘The warmth is sending me to sleep. The hotel is fine. I seem to spend my days chasing workmen, but it’ll all be done in time. How did your Spanish trip go?’
‘Very well. Even Renato is pleased with me, and he doesn’t throw praise around.’
In this way they managed to get a very reasonable conversation going for about half an hour. It was astonishing, Helen realised, how much meaningless talk two people could indulge in without once touching the bitter reality that lay between them.
‘I should be going,’ she said at last.
‘Yes, the light’s fading,’ Lorenzo agreed, handing the baby back to Angie. ‘May I give you a lift?’
Helen hesitated. To refuse would be churlish. And if she insisted on Bernardo taking her he would also have to drive back up the mountain in the dark and the gathering snow.
‘Thank you,’ she said.
Bernardo saw them out to Lorenzo’s car and waved them off before going back to his wife who was getting ready to feed the baby.
‘It was nice of you to bring Helen,’ she remarked placidly as she settled the infant.
‘Yes, it was a lucky chance bumping into her,’ he agreed.
‘Did you happen to remember that Lorenzo would be here?’
He shrugged with elaborate casualness. ‘It may have crossed my mind.’
‘You’re a devious schemer,’ she chuckled.
‘That’s right, I am. Do you think we’ll bring it off?’
‘If we don’t, it won’t be for want of trying.’
For a while the winding mountain road took up all Lorenzo’s attention, so the silence was natural. Sometimes Helen stole a glance at his profile, then looked away quickly before he could notice her. It hurt her to see the weary sadness that seemed a part of him now. As the road straightened out she said, for something to say, ‘It’s not like me to take an afternoon off. I shall have to make up for it this evening.’
‘How are the plans going for the grand opening?’ he asked politely.
‘Not well. I still don’t have the big idea.’
‘You should call your friend Frank, the one you told me about in New York, with all the show business connections.’
‘Good heavens, I never thought of Frank,’ she said. ‘He knows people in the movies too.’
‘You need a celebrity birthday,’ Lorenzo advised. ‘Tell them to come and have the party here, and the Elroy will lay it on for free.’
‘Of course! Where are my wits? I’ll start work on it as soon as get back. We’re nearly there-hey, this is the wrong turning.’
‘It’s the right turning for where I’m going,’ he said calmly. ‘There’s a little place just up here, owned by a friend of mine, where we can talk.’
He parked the car, helped her out with impersonal hands, and led her to a cafe by a square where the trees had been hung with lights. Now they had left the mountain snow behind it was still just about warm enough to sit outside.
‘What did you want to talk about?’ she asked, when Lorenzo’s friend had brought them almond biscuits and
‘Christmas,’ he said. ‘Mamma wants you to come to us. She minds a lot that you haven’t been to see her.’
‘But how can I?’
‘Your quarrel is with me, not her.’
‘I have no quarrel with you, Lorenzo. How could I have when you’ve been good to me?’
‘I’m just putting right the wrong I did you,’ he said quickly.
‘Heather came to see me,’ she said impulsively. ‘She told me what really happened.’
‘She told you what I should have told you from the start. Let’s not argue about whose fault it really was. We know the truth. I was afraid to tell you because I was scared you’d think me “faithless and unreliable” and I’d lose you. I brought it on myself.’
‘But you must have known I’d find out,’ she said. ‘What did you think-?’
‘Helen, have you known me all this time without realising that I don’t
‘I’m not sure you’re still like that, Lorenzo.’
‘Well, it’s true I’ve been taking a hard look at myself recently. I’m not pleased with what I’ve seen.’
‘Don’t change too much,’ she said impulsively. ‘You wouldn’t be you if you became earthbound.’
He didn’t answer and she realised that he was looking at something over her shoulder. A gang of young men were regarding them with fascination. At the same moment they all raised their hands to make horns, as Giorgio had done when he left. The sign of the cuckold. Then they burst into raucous laughter.
Lorenzo put his hand firmly on hers. ‘Ignore them,’ he said calmly. ‘Just smile and talk, but never weaken. Don’t give them that satisfaction.’
Someone had started playing an accordion under trees, and a few couples were dancing. Lorenzo took her hand and got to his feet.
‘Come along,’ he said firmly. ‘Let’s really make their eyes pop.’
‘You can’t dance with me,’ she said, scandalised.
‘Just try and stop me.’
It was unnerving to be in his arms again, twisting and turning to the music, trying not to be aware of him as a thrilling male entity. Pretending, as she had always been.
‘I don’t know how you can do this,’ she said in a low voice. ‘I’m strung up the whole time.’
‘You can do it because I’m here to help you.’
How kind his eyes were. In the past she’d seen them wicked and sparkling, but now it was their quiet kindness that struck her most.
‘It must be worse for you,’ she said. ‘Do you imagine I don’t know what that gesture means? Do they really think I left you for another man?’
‘They don’t know how to think,’ he said lightly. ‘I know that crowd. Tonio, Enrico, Carlo, Franco, Mario. I used to fight with most of them when I was at school. They’re ignorant and they have nothing better to do.’
‘They despise you for putting up with it, don’t they?’ she demanded hotly. ‘So why do you?’
‘Hey, c’mon, I’m big enough and ugly enough to look after myself.’
He gave her a grin of reassurance as though he was on top of the world, just like the old, boyish Lorenzo. But she would never see him like that again.
He’d said ‘ugly’, but he wasn’t ugly. He was handsome enough to have any woman he wanted, but he chose to be here, protecting a woman who’d insulted him, exposing himself to derision, because he believed she needed his help and support. Her eyes pricked.
‘Don’t cry,’ Lorenzo said frantically. ‘What will people think?’
‘They’ll think you’re having a go at me, and respect you for it,’ she said, hastily blowing her nose.
