haven’t you?’ she asked.
‘Only about a thousand times,’ Luke groaned.
‘But we’re really grateful to you,’ said Toni, who was listening nearby. ‘It’s a long time since the old man had a brand new audience.’
Angela looked around her in delight, taking in the warmth of the whole family.
‘You’re so lucky,’ she told Hope. ‘So many sons and so good-looking.’
‘But you too are lucky,’ Hope said. ‘The sadness of my life is that I didn’t have a daughter. I would have liked one as much like yours as possible.’ Then she added conspiratorially, ‘But perhaps soon you will share her with me?’
Angela nodded, also conspiratorial.
‘Sons are a great trial,’ Hope confided. ‘I have six, and how many have brought girls to their mother’s party tonight? Only two.’
Her accusing gaze fell on Carlo, who reddened.
‘Mamma-I did explain-’
‘I do not wish to discuss it,’ she informed him loftily. ‘Except to say that I have heard of that incident, and you should be ashamed of yourself.’
‘I am, Mamma,’ he said unconvincingly.
Ruggiero, his twin, chimed in beside him. ‘He is. He’s very ashamed of himself. And I’m ashamed for him.’
Under his mother’s withering glance he fell silent. When Hope was sure she’d reduced her menfolk to abject submission she turned back to Angela.
‘You should give thanks you never had boys,’ she told her. ‘They are nothing but trouble. But at least two of my sons are behaving properly tonight.’
Her smiling glance included Luke and Olympia, then Primo and Galina. She seemed to be waiting for someone to say something. But nobody did. At last Ruggiero said, with the air of a man desperate to break the silence, ‘Francesco is bringing his girlfriend tonight.’
‘Good. At least one of you knows his duty. And there he is.’
She went forward to greet Francesco who had appeared with a pretty, modest-looking young woman. Hope made much of her, to the knowing grins of the others.
Dinner was a riot. Harold was seated next to Grandpapa Rinucci, who spoke good English which, as he would tell anyone who would listen, he’d learned from the Allies in 1944. That was when Vesuvius-
And Harold won his eternal friendship by saying, ‘Tell me about Vesuvius. It’s fascinating.’ Just as if he hadn’t heard it once already.
To the amusement of the others, they plunged into an animated discussion. Letting her eyes drift past them, Olympia saw Primo and Galina, their heads together, absorbed in each other. Or maybe it was her plunging neckline that absorbed him, she thought bitterly. He hadn’t waited long before replacing her. She’d been right not to trust him.
Having taken centre stage, Grandpapa Rinucci flowered. ‘And when are you coming back for the wedding?’ he demanded of Angela.
‘Which wedding?’ she asked eagerly.
‘Any wedding. Primo’s to Galina, Luke’s to Olympia. We should have more weddings.’
‘Count me out,’ Olympia said firmly. ‘I’m concentrating on my career. In fact, I don’t even believe in love.’
‘Oh, darling, don’t say things like that,’ Angela begged. ‘She doesn’t mean it.’
‘Yes, she does,’ Olympia declared, desperate to seize the chance to say this. ‘Love is a snare for the unwary. My career is all I want.’
Before anyone could answer, there was a soft rumbling in the distance. At once a silence descended on the entire company and their heads turned towards the window.
The rumbling came again, and with one movement they all rose and went out on to the terrace. In the distance a soft plume of smoke rose into the night air and disappeared.
‘Is it going to erupt?’ Angela asked, thrilled.
‘No, these little grumbles happen a lot,’ Hope reassured her. ‘It means nothing.’
‘Oh, yes, it does,’ Grandpapa insisted. ‘It means that someone-’ his eyes lingered on Olympia ‘-is telling white lies. Or maybe black lies.’
‘Or maybe she meant every word,’ Olympia said, managing to laugh it off.
Right on cue Vesuvius growled deep in the ground and sent up another plume. Everyone laughed and there were knowing cries of ‘Aha!’
The meal was almost over and nobody returned to the table. Seeing that her parents were happy, Olympia relaxed slightly. Now she could afford to think of herself and what had just happened. It was only a joke, not worth a moment’s thought. She wasn’t superstitious.
Suddenly Primo was beside her. ‘May I refill that for you?’ he asked, indicating her glass.
‘No, I’ve had enough, thank you.’
He took the glass from her and set it down. ‘You’re looking very well,’ he said politely.
‘So are you. Are you back for good now?’
‘No, just for a few days, then I’m going back to finish putting the new arrangements in place.’
‘How is poor Cedric?’
‘Enjoying his retirement. On his last evening we went out and got a little “drunk and disorderly” together.’
‘You? Drunk and disorderly? Surely not?’
‘I used to in my younger days.’
‘That’s hard to imagine, but I expect you planned it all beforehand, so much of this to drink, so much of that, always stay in charge of the situation.’
Primo gave a curt, mirthless laugh.
‘You’ve just described my brother, not me. Luke’s the cold, hard-headed one, planning everything to suit himself.’
‘I haven’t seen that in him.’
‘No, he’s different with you, I’ll give him that. But if you make the mistake of marrying him you’ll find out in the end.’
‘Then the two of you are much the same,’ she flung at him. ‘Maybe that’s why you’re always at odds. It’s a toss-up which of you is more determined to arrange life to suit himself.’
That got to him, she was glad to see. He flinched.
‘I’m not as bad as you think.’
‘Aren’t you? Then tell me this. I’ve been thinking back and remembering that Cedric had met you before. He knew it was you all the time, didn’t he?’
‘Yes,’ he admitted reluctantly.
‘How did you persuade him to keep quiet? His pension didn’t suddenly double, did it?’
‘Not quite double.’
‘So you bribed him, just like you bribed the hotel receptionist. You only have two ways of dealing with people, haven’t you? Delude them, and bribe them. Did you ever try approaching anyone straightforwardly? Or don’t you know how?’
‘Olympia, please-’
‘All right, I’ve finished. We don’t need to talk any more.’
‘So when is the announcement?’
‘What announcement?’
‘Of your engagement to my brother. Isn’t that why your parents are here?’
‘No, it’s pure chance. They’re just staying with us for a few days.’
‘With us?’
‘Staying at Luke’s apartment.’
‘I see.’
‘No, you don’t see. He said I could invite them while he was away but then he came back early.’
‘Like a good prospective son-in-law. They love him. Your mother was telling me how wonderful he is, and your father longs for the day when he’ll give you away.’
