Husband By Necessity

mattress filled with turnips.’

‘Please-signore-dottore-’

The interruption came from a girl of sixteen who’d just come in from the street. She smiled shyly at Bernardo who greeted her as Ginetta.

‘You can clean the bedroom and make the bed,’ Angie told her with a smile. ‘You’ll find all the new bed linen in those cardboard boxes.’

When the girl had disappeared she explained, ‘She’s going to do my housework. Apart from paying her money I’m going to talk English to her. The Mother Superior found her for me in the convent school. She’s the elder sister of the little girl whose leg I tended.’

‘Yes, I know the family,’ he said curtly. ‘You’ve evidently gotten everything worked out, and what I think doesn’t count?’

‘No more than my wishes counted with you. It’s a different ball game now, Bernardo. We’re playing by my rules.’

‘And what is it supposed to achieve? At the end of the day, do I give in and marry you?’

At that, Angie lost her temper, big time.

‘Oh, boy, you really fancy yourself, don’t you? You think I went to all this trouble because I’m desperate to marry you? What do you think I’ve been doing recently, Bernardo? Sitting at home like a wallflower because no other man wants me?’

He regarded her, trying to maintain his distance, reluctantly taking in everything he’d been trying to forget: her dainty figure that had been designed for dancing in costly evening wear, not roughing it in the mountains, her angel face with its halo of flyaway blonde hair.

No wallflower. No sitting at home. He could guess about the men who pursued her, danced with their arms about her, kissed the mouth that had once moved so sweetly against his own. He could, but he didn’t dare in case he went mad. He wondered why he’d never noticed something else about that lovely mouth, its sheer mulish obstinacy.

‘I never imagined you lonely-’ he began.

‘Then you’re a fool,’ she whispered so that he didn’t hear. Then, eyes flashing, she took up the argument. ‘I did not uproot my life to come all this way because I was desperate for a husband. I have my own reasons. OK, maybe I am as weak and foolish as you think me-’

‘I never said-’

‘You said a lot more than you think. All sorts of little prejudices came creeping out between the lines. A psychologist could have a field day with what you said, what you didn’t say, and what you don’t realise you said.

‘If I believe you I’m just a weakling who falls apart when the going gets tough. I don’t think I am like that, but I want to find out. For me, not for you. It has nothing to do with you. In fact, you’re surplus to requirements, and I’d be obliged if you’d leave because I have a lot of work to do.’

He stared at her for a moment, and walked out without another word.

Well, I sure picked my time, she thought as she snuggled down in bed that night. Second week in January, just when the weather’s taking a nosedive to freezing, where it will stay for at least a month. Any sensible person would have done this in spring, but not me. And Bernardo thinks I’m a weakling.

Bernardo be blowed!

She’d started with a stroke of luck in getting the nuns on her side. Her second lucky break came the following week, during a phone call with Heather, who mentioned an outbreak of flu in Palermo. So far there were no cases in Montedoro and Angie went into action fast. Every nun in the convent was vaccinated; also the local priest, Father Marco, a desperate gossip who ‘happened’ to be visiting the convent at the time. He was a plump little man in his fifties with a belligerent manner and a kind heart.

He had two hobbies in life, an obsessive interest in boxing, and his running feud with Olivero Donati, who was the mayor of Montedoro, and his own distant cousin. Donati was a meek, nervous little man who enjoyed the ceremonial aspects of being mayor but couldn’t say boo to a goose. Father Marco had pulled strings to get him the job, but thereafter felt entitled to sit on him whenever he pleased. Mostly Olivero put up with it, but sometimes he remembered his mayoral dignity and found the courage to speak up. Only to be sat on again.

Within hours of the priest receiving his shot Olivero presented himself at the surgery, declaring it his duty to give a lead to the citizens who looked to him for guidance. Suppressing a grin, Angie praised him for his civic spirit and declared that she wished there were more citizens like him.

In addition every child in the school was sent home with a letter, signed by the Superior, urging all parents to have their children vaccinated, and also themselves. The villagers might be wary of her but they trusted Mother Francesca. The take up was good, but not as complete as she’d hoped. She considered the problem, identified the cause and decided on measures to tackle it.

Bernardo, peacefully eating his supper, was startled by a loud banging on his front door. Stella opened it to admit a short figure of indeterminate gender, so heavily wrapped up that it was almost as broad as it was long.

‘Buona notte, dottore,’ she cried, after recognising the visitor with difficulty. ‘Come into the warm and I’ll bring you some hot coffee.’

‘Thank you, Stella,’ Angie said cheerfully. ‘I could do with it.’

She threw back the hood of her jacket, disclosing a bright-eyed face, full of smiles. If Bernardo had expected the cold to drive her under he could see his mistake. She was glowing with health and vigour, her cheeks rosy from her exertions.

‘Good evening, Signor Tornese,’ she said, clasping Bernardo’s hand and pumping it vigorously.

‘Good evening, dottore.’ Bernardo’s manner was polite but wary.

Stella set a large cup of coffee before her. ‘How you like our cold weather, eh?’

‘I’m coping. Look at me.’ Angie indicated her heavy boots and trousers. ‘You know what I’m wearing under this? Red flannel combinations.’

Stella went into gales of laughter.

‘No, really, you should try it,’ Angie assured her. ‘So should you, signore. It’s a wonderful way to keep warm.’

‘Thank you, I am warm enough,’ Bernardo said. ‘You are welcome, of course-’

‘Liar,’ she murmured provocatively.

‘You are welcome in my house,’ he said firmly, ‘but I didn’t send for a doctor.’

‘No, and you didn’t come to my surgery, either, which was very remiss of you.’

‘But I’m not ill.’

She slapped him on the back. ‘And I aim to keep you that way,’ she said with a heartiness calculated to terrorise any man. ‘There’s a flu epidemic in Palermo and I’m conducting a vaccination program to stop it reaching up here.’

‘Flu,’ he said dismissively.

‘Don’t sneer, it shows how little you know. Flu can be a killer, especially among the old. They’re the ones who need to be vaccinated but they’re resisting it because they still do things the old ways. So you’ll have to give them a lead.’

‘What?’

‘You’re the Great Man around here. If you lead they’ll follow. You see, the trouble is, a lot of people are afraid of needles. Big strong men, some of them, and they can’t face a little pinprick.’

‘That will be all, Stella,’ Bernardo said hastily. ‘You can go now.’

When Stella had left Angie said, ‘Very wise.’ Her eyes were teasing.

He ground his teeth. ‘Angie-’

‘I think you should address me as dottore. It’s more respectful.’

‘Respectful!’

‘Well, I think you ought to show me some respect,’ she complained with a wounded look. ‘Everybody else does. After all, the doctor is a pillar of the community.’

Goaded, he retorted, ‘If you’re such a pillar of the community, I don’t think you ought to go around discussing your underwear in public.’