His answer was a return squeeze, then he got out quickly and hurried into the building.
At that time of night the parking lot was almost empty. She parked without trouble and followed him into the hospital, where the man on the night desk directed her to the third floor. Upstairs she found herself in a corridor of private rooms. Turning a corner, she stopped at the sight that met her eyes.
A crowd of young men were standing, sitting or lounging close to one door. Two were young and handsome, with a definite facial resemblance, one was older, with the same resemblance, but less marked. It was enough to tell her that these were the Rinuccis.
They all seemed to notice her at the same time, and moved quickly towards her in a way that could have been alarming if they hadn’t been so clearly friendly.
‘Signora Pepino-Luke told us-we have been expecting you-you brought our brother here-
Hand after hand clasped hers with vigour. It was overwhelming, yet powerfully attractive.
‘What’s the news of your mother?’ she asked quickly.
‘It’s good,’ said one of the men. ‘I am Primo Rinucci.’
‘Good-how?’ she asked. ‘I understood it was a heart attack.’
One of the handsome boys spoke up. ‘Mamma was breathless and then she fainted, so we got her here, fast. The doctor says it was only a dizzy spell, but she must take better care of herself in case the next time is more serious. So we’re going to make sure that she does take care.’
‘But still we thank you for what you have done.’ This was the other good-looking boy.
There was a chorus of agreement and they all swarmed around her again, this time embracing and kissing her. Now it felt like coming home, she thought. Being embraced by Rinuccis was like being embraced by Pepinos- pleasant and comforting.
The door opened and a man in late middle age appeared. Over his shoulder Minnie could see Luke sitting by the bed, his mother’s hands clasped in his. Then he was shut off from her sight. The young men called him Pappa, and rushed to introduce her. This was Toni Rinucci, whose face bore the marks of a night of strain and fear, although it was gradually clearing.
He, too, thanked her, almost fiercely, and answered her question about his wife’s health with a passionate, ‘The doctors say she will be well, thank God! And you must forgive me for dragging you on this long journey, but I am her husband-I panic because I love her.’
‘How could you not panic?’ she agreed, nodding.
‘All of our sons will be here soon,’ he told her. ‘Justin is coming from England, Franco is in America and will be here later today. My wife will feel better for having her whole family around her. She will want to meet you, too, but in the meantime you’ll be wanting to get some rest. Carlo and Ruggiero will take you to our home.’
‘Can we see Mamma first?’ Carlo said.
‘No, she can’t have too many people in there at once, and this is Luke’s time. Be off now, and look after our guest.’
‘Let Carlo take your car,’ Ruggiero said as they left the hospital, ‘and I’ll drive you in mine. It’s not far. You’ll see the house before we’ve gone a mile.’
She did see it, high on the hill, gleaming with lights that seemed to reach down to them as they climbed. As they drew into the wide courtyard a middle-aged woman came out to wait for them.
‘That’s Greta, our housekeeper,’ Ruggiero said. ‘Pappa will have called ahead and she will have prepared a room for you.’
Inside the house they thanked her again for bringing Luke, and she followed Greta up the stairs to her room. She accepted the refreshments the housekeeper offered, but she was longing to be alone to sort out her thoughts. It had all happened so suddenly that she was almost dizzy.
She had a shower in the little bathroom. It washed off the worst of the night, but she still felt the need to lie down for a nap.
When she awoke the sun was high in the sky, and her window showed her a car gliding up the hill. When it drew to a halt below she saw Luke and his father get out. They were smiling in a way that confirmed the good news. For a moment her instinct told her to rush down into his arms, but then she saw the others hurry out to them, heard the cheering, saw them all clap each other on the back.
She wasn’t needed there, she realised. Luke was back with his family, where he belonged. His mother wasn’t seriously ill after all, and the moments when they had clung to each other, full of intense, despairing emotion, seemed to come from another world.
She sat down on the bed, feeling a bleak sense of anti-climax.
Since her job sometimes called for her to travel at a moment’s notice Minnie kept a bag always ready, containing clean clothes and toiletries. She’d snatched it up before leaving and was glad now that she could dress smartly.
Greta came with coffee and a message to say that lunch was being served below. Luke was waiting for her as she descended the stairs. He looked unshaven but happy, and he enfolded her in an exuberant hug.
‘She’s all right,’ he whispered in her ear. ‘She’ll be home later today, and she’s longing to meet you.’
‘She must have got a shock when she saw your bandages.’
‘Yes, but I played it down, and she could see I’m all right. She’s mad at me for not telling her before, but I’ll be forgiven. She’ll probably try to pump you for more details-’
‘I’ll be the soul of discretion,’ she promised.
Now she must be introduced to the others, including Primo, whom she had briefly seen in the corridor that morning. She remembered Luke saying, ‘Primo had an Italian mother, so he calls me
And there, with Primo, was Olympia, the black-haired woman of the photograph in Luke’s wallet. Meeting her now, Minnie saw that she only had eyes for Primo, and she embraced her willingly.
Carlo was missing and Luke explained that he’d gone to the airport to meet Justin, his wife and son.
‘I told you about him,’ he reminded her.
‘The child who was taken away from her at birth,’ Minnie remembered. ‘And she thought he was dead.’
‘Yes. They were married here a few weeks ago, and now they’re barely back from their honeymoon.’
‘The house is going to get very crowded. I should be going soon.’
‘No way, not until Mamma has met you. She-’
The shrill of his phone interrupted him. He answered impatiently and she heard him say, ‘Eduardo? Sorry I had to leave unexpectedly. I can’t talk now-I’ll call you back.’
He hung up quickly. Minnie was about to ask who Eduardo was when a noise outside caused everyone to rush to the windows to see Justin and his family arrive.
They had to be reassured that Hope was well and would be home later that day, and Minnie stood back while Luke was once more sucked into his family.
It was a fascinating sight, she thought, like watching the missing piece that completed a jigsaw puzzle. Always before she had seen him as an outsider. Now she saw the niche where he fitted. Even so, she could see deep into him now, and tell that the fit wasn’t perfect. In part he was still an outsider, from choice.
When she could escape she returned to her room and called Netta, who had been agog with curiosity at finding the two of them missing. She was all sympathy when she heard of Luke’s trouble, but added anxiously, ‘You will bring him back, won’t you,
‘Of course not,’ she said mechanically, and hung up quickly.
She felt winded. She should have seen this coming. And she hadn’t.
It hadn’t occurred to Minnie that Luke wouldn’t return with her to Rome, but now she saw the danger. For him Rome might be no more than a passing mood, to be put behind him once a convenient opportunity presented itself.
The closeness that had seemed to unite them could turn out to be no more than a chimera now that he was back with his family. They would still correspond about legal matters, but essentially it was over.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
