The Wedding Arrangement

She was silent for a moment before she spoke, choosing her words carefully. ‘Does she know she’s been relegated to “Oh, her!”?’

‘Olympia wouldn’t care. To her I was never any more than “Oh, him!”’

‘Yet you kept her picture.’

‘I’d forgotten it was there. Better tear it up now she’s engaged to my brother Primo. In fact-I don’t know-what was I going to say?’ His mind seemed to be filled with clouds.

‘Never mind now,’ she said. ‘Get some rest. I’ll come in tomorrow.’

‘Thank you for-what you did-it was you holding me, wasn’t it? Or did I imagine that?’

‘Go to sleep,’ she said.

‘Mmm!’

She waited and, when she was sure that he was asleep she kissed his forehead. He stirred, but did not awaken, and she slipped out silently.

The next day he felt better, although still woozy. Netta came to see him, bearing a huge gift of fruit, and chattered non-stop.

‘Everyone asked after you. Benito and Gasparo and Matteo, and they sent you some beer, but the hospital wouldn’t let us give it to you.’

‘They’re funny about that,’ Luke said with a weak grin.

‘Such a mess you were, we thought you would die. So we called the ambulance and when they carried you off we followed. All except Minnie. She came with you.’

Did she cradle me, naked, in her arms? he thought.

‘I’m glad I’ve got such nice neighbours,’ he said.

Netta continued bawling kindly confidences at him until a sister came to his rescue and ushered her out.

‘Thanks,’ Luke said when the sister returned. ‘She’s a dear, but-’ He gave an expressive shrug, then wished he hadn’t because it hurt his arm.

‘No more visitors today,’ she said.

‘Ah-well, if Signora Minerva Pepino should come, I want to see her. She’s my lawyer and we’re planning legal action against my landlord.’

He slept again and when he awoke it was dark outside and Minnie was sitting beside him. Her dishevelled, grimy look was gone and she was her impeccably neat self again.

‘Are you feeling better?’ she asked.

He was still talking in a husky whisper, but he managed to say, ‘Yes, I guess I’m well enough for you to say, “I told you so.”’

She smiled faintly. ‘I was going to save that for later.’

‘Go on, get it over with. Aren’t you glad that I ended up my own victim? Doesn’t it serve me right? Minnie, what’s the matter?’ She’d covered her eyes suddenly and when she spoke her voice shook.

‘Don’t say things like that, just-don’t.’

‘You’re not crying, are you?’ he asked in disbelief.

‘No, of course I’m not,’ she said hastily, brushing her eyes. ‘But you could have died in that blast.’

‘Teresa would have died in it,’ he said huskily. ‘She’s old and the shock alone would probably have finished her off. I’d have had that on my conscience.’

‘Then she’s very lucky that you took over,’ Minnie said gently. ‘We all are. Thank God you’re still alive and it’s no worse than a burned arm and face.’

He gave a derisive grunt. ‘That’s no loss. Women never pursued me for my beauty. I might do better as “scarred and interesting”.’

‘You’re not going to be scarred. Here.’

She took out a small mirror and gave it to him. He surveyed himself critically and grunted again.

‘My face looks like a boiled lobster.’

‘Only down one side,’ she reassured him.

He gave a bark of laughter and immediately winced.

‘Just a little redness,’ she said. ‘It’ll go and your looks will be unimpaired.’

He looked at her askance. ‘My face was always shaped for scowling rather than smiling. Now it feels too tender to smile much, anyway. Tell me about the apartment.’

‘Blackened with smoke. The fire was put out almost at once, but it’s not habitable.’

‘I want you to do something for me-I mean, please. Get the right people in, not just to my place but everywhere. I want every boiler in the building replaced, and that’s just for starters. When I’m back home there’s a lot more to be done. I want to oversee it personally.’

‘You need to be better before you can think about anything.’

‘Will you come and see me again?’

‘Of course.’

The nun he’d spoken to earlier appeared by his bed, and smiled at the sight of Minnie.

‘Signora, I am glad to see you. Signor Cayman tells me that you are both planning to take very stern action against the landlord.’

Minnie’s lips twitched. ‘He said that?’

‘Oh, yes, and it’s good. Such landlords are beneath contempt. If I had yours here I would put arsenic in his coffee.’

‘So would I,’ Luke said, darting a wicked glance at Minnie.

‘You’re looking tired,’ she said. ‘It’s time I was going.’

She gave his hand a brief squeeze and departed, leaving him to the tender mercies of the sister.

In three days he was feeling better. He still lacked energy but the only sign of injury was his heavily bandaged arm and hand.

The Pepino family visited every day. Netta would call in briefly to ask if she could get him anything, and the men lingered to play cards.

‘Netta, I want to get out of here,’ he said one evening. ‘Is my place really so bad?’

‘You can’t live there,’ she said at once. ‘Not for ages.’

‘What about a hotel? Do you know one nearby?’

‘You can’t live in a hotel. You come to us.’

‘I couldn’t impose on you. There would be so much work-’

Netta began to weep noisily. In the outpouring that followed several things were stressed-her lonely life since so many of her sons had moved out, how happy it made her to have someone to look after, but, of course, at her age she couldn’t expect to know the joy of being needed, and if he preferred to go among strangers then she would try not to complain, but it was very hard on a poor woman who only wished him well, et cetera, et cetera.

Her sons listened to this with groans that showed they’d heard it all before, and her husband leaned over to Luke, remarking cynically, ‘You may as well give in now.’

Luke agreed and yielded, grinning. Netta’s tears dried as if by magic, and she graciously accepted the financial terms he offered. It was agreed that he would be collected the next day.

Minnie arrived soon after, to be greeted by the news. She expressed herself pleased, but there was a slight reserve in her manner that Luke thought he understood.

Even so, he might have been surprised to hear them talking in Netta’s kitchen that night.

‘What are you playing at?’ Minnie demanded furiously. ‘And don’t give me that innocent look because you’re as devious as an eel.’

‘Bad girl. You should respect your mother-in-law.’

‘I’ll respect her when she stops trying to marry me off.’

‘Marry? Who says marry? I’m looking after an invalid, that’s all.’

‘That’s all, my left foot! This is part of a devious plan.’

‘So? I’m your Mamma, you’ve said so often. And a Mamma is supposed to be devious to help her daughter.’

‘I do not need help,’ Minnie declared, trying to sound firm.

But she knew, from experience, that it was easier to be firm with the wind than with Netta in full cry.

‘Of course you need help,’ Netta said. ‘Four years you are a faithful widow. Now you find a happy life for