The Italian’s Rightful Bride

‘I expect supper will be ready,’ she said. ‘Shall we go in?’

‘Just give me a moment. I haven’t called Elena yet.’

Crystal called Toni’s nanny several times a day to ask about him. In a moment she was on the phone to her, and Joanna could see at once that something was wrong.

‘I can hear him screaming,’ she said into the phone. ‘What’s wrong with him? Is he ill? What do you mean, hungry? He’s ill. I know he’s ill.’

Gustavo came into the room, with Renata. ‘What’s the matter?’

‘Toni’s ill,’ Crystal wailed. ‘I must go to him at once. He might be dying.’

Gustavo took the phone from her. ‘Elena? What’s happened? I see. Just his feed being a few minutes late?’

‘I’ve got to go to him,’ Crystal wept.

Out of the corner of her eye Joanna saw Renata leave the room. Quietly she followed her out into the hall, up the stairs and as far as her room.

‘What are you doing?’ she asked as Renata began taking clothes out of drawers, hampered by only having one good arm.

‘I’m going with Mamma. She wants me.’

‘But-’

‘She wants me,’ Renata said, too decidedly to be convincing. ‘If Toni’s ill she won’t come back, so I have to go with her.’

Gustavo appeared in the doorway and she could see from his face that he had heard. He looked quickly at Joanna, and she saw a plea for help in his eyes.

‘Carissima,’ he said.

The child turned on him. ‘You can’t stop me.’

‘Gustavo!’ That was Crystal’s voice calling from the corridor. ‘I’m ready to go. I have to get to Toni quickly.’

‘I’m coming, Mamma,’ Renata called.

‘What?’ Crystal came into the room, frowning. ‘What did you say?’

‘I’m ready to go.’

‘But, darling, what are you talking about? I can’t take you with me.’

‘But you said-’

‘I said one day-maybe-but now Toni’s ill-’

‘But that means you’ll need me.’ Renata’s voice had risen to a wail.

‘But-but-I’m sorry, but you’ve got to understand-I simply can’t-’

‘Renata-’ Gustavo began.

‘No,’ Joanna said swiftly, putting her hand on his arm. ‘Don’t say it. This isn’t a time for authority. It’s a time for pleading.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Don’t order her,’ she said softly. ‘But tell her how much you need her. Plead, beg if you have to.’

‘But you can see how she is-’

‘Don’t give Crystal the chance to reject her again. She couldn’t bear it. It’s your best chance. Do it!’

Renata was regarding her mother with eyes that held a terrible look. Gustavo got between them, dropping down to one knee and putting his hands on her shoulders.

‘Carissima,’ he said, ‘if you want to go, I won’t stop you, but please don’t. Think of me if you went away. What would I do without you?’

She stood silent, uncertainty written all over her face.

‘I know you’d rather go with Mamma,’ Gustavo said, ‘but I love you too, more than you know. Won’t you stay with me? Please.’

Renata took a long breath and suddenly it was as though a great burden had fallen from her. She straightened herself, looking suddenly taller.

‘I can’t go with you after all, Mamma,’ she said with childish dignity. ‘Papa needs me to stay and look after him.’

‘Thank you, my darling,’ he said.

Crystal’s gift for playing a part came to her rescue.

‘I’m sure you’re right,’ she said. ‘You should stay and be kind to Papa. Yes, that’s what you should do.’

She repeated this, evidently feeling that it was a mantra that she should cling to.

‘Now I need someone to drive me into Rome,’ she said.

‘The chauffeur will take you,’ Gustavo said. ‘I prefer to stay with my daughter.’

‘If you think a chauffeur’s good enough for me when I’m in such a state about my baby,’ Crystal sniffed.

‘Of course a chauffeur isn’t good enough,’ said Freddy from behind her. He’d slid into the room, unnoticed. ‘I’d be glad to drive you.’

‘Oh, Freddy, you’re so kind and understanding,’ Crystal said.

‘It’s my pleasure,’ he said, meaning it.

Joanna followed them out and downstairs to where the car had been brought around to the front. Before getting in Freddy gave her a wink. She shook her head in disapproval, which just made him wink again.

Before returning upstairs Joanna called Crystal’s Rome apartment. She knew the number after seeing Crystal dial it so often.

‘Elena? She’s on her way.’

The nanny gave an exasperated sigh. ‘There’s no need. I’ve fed him and he’s fast asleep. There’s nothing wrong with him.’

‘Well, she’s still on her way,’ Joanna said wryly.

She joined the others for supper and didn’t see Gustavo again until the end of the evening. Then he came seeking her, seizing her hands in his and holding them tight.

‘Thank you with all my heart,’ he said. ‘I would never have thought of that. However did I manage before you came along? You’ve transformed everything. If only I…’

For some reason he seemed unable to go on.

‘If only what?’

‘If only I’d listened to your advice before,’ he said, in an awkward way that told her it wasn’t what he’d been going to say.

‘It saved Renata’s face, poor little soul,’ she said sympathetically. ‘This way, she’s the one who made the decision.’

‘And that matters?’

‘Oh, yes,’ she said, her mind going back twelve years. ‘You’ve no idea how much it matters.’

He released her hands. ‘I’ll be grateful to you all my life,’ he said. ‘I only wish I knew the way to tell you what you’ve done for me-how much it means.’

She waited, hoping for something more, but it didn’t come. He’d retreated into himself again, and whatever he might have said would remain unspoken.

CHAPTER TWELVE

FOR those working on the dig, only one thing now mattered. How soon could they work their way through the bricks concealing the secret chamber? Brick after brick was eased out, dusted off carefully, and handed up to Lily, who inspected it minutely before passing it on to Danny, who X-rayed it. Sonya then put it through a battery of other tests, including scan and radar.

Joanna’s conviction grew. This was the earlier part of the old lost palazzo, which meant it was at least fifth century, and perhaps earlier. When the brick that should have been in the last layer was removed, revealing just one more ‘last layer’, Joanna led the cries of agonised exasperation.