But at this supreme moment, when there should be joy and triumph, he was once more shut out and her heart ached for him.
Now that she saw Hope more clearly Evie understood why Justin had found instant acceptance. As Primo had said, the family resemblance was remarkable.
Carlo and Ruggiero studied their new brother with interest before shaking his hand. Then the others all offered their hands, signifying acceptance.
‘Now,’ Hope said, looking around at them, ‘now I have all my sons beside me.’
Toni drew Evie forward to be introduced. Hope received her charmingly, but Evie didn’t miss the shrewdness in the clear blue eyes, and knew she was being carefully inspected. She wondered what Justin had told his mother about her, and longed for a moment to talk to him.
It was a long time before such a moment came. Hope herself showed him to his room, clinging to his arm in a manner that Evie was glad to see. Nothing would do Justin more good than to have his mother claim him possessively like this. She dared to hope that soon his demons might be stilled.
She spent the rest of the afternoon with the twins, learning Neapolitan words. Then Toni showed her his library and she delighted him by studying his antique Italian books with real interest, and being able to translate them.
‘You are an expert in my language,’ he said, beaming.
‘I hope so. It’s how I earn my living, plus French, of course.’
‘Pooh! French!’ he said, dismissing a thousand years of French culture with a wave of an Italian hand. ‘But Italian-ah, wait until you see the people I can take you to meet. How I look forward to you being part of this family.’
‘Please-’ she said hastily.
‘Of course,’ he said, throwing up a hand. ‘I understand that it’s a delicate matter. I will say no more.’
The whole family joined up again for dinner that night. Justin sat beside Hope, who engaged him deep in conversation. Evie was glad to see that there was now less constraint in his manner. He could smile at his mother and speak naturally to her.
‘When will I meet your son?’ Hope asked him. ‘My first grandchild. Indeed my only grandchild until another of my sons does his duty, which, I have to say, shows no sign of happening.’
There were grins and disclaimers around the table. Evidently this was an old bone of contention.
‘Send for him,’ Hope said. ‘Bring him here tomorrow.’
It was charmingly said, with a radiant smile at Justin, but Evie noticed the hint of command. This was a woman used to announcing what she wanted and having her wishes fulfilled.
‘Tomorrow’s a little soon,’ Justin said. ‘I shall have to go and fetch him-’
‘No, no, you were telling me about your housekeeper-Lily-she can bring him.’
‘No, she’s scared of flying,’ Evie said. ‘She told me so once. And Mark mustn’t come alone. I’ll go and collect him. I’ll leave tomorrow and we’ll be back the day after.’
The young men exclaimed over the idea of losing her, but Hope thanked her in a way that allowed no further discussion. Justin threw her a look of gratitude.
When the meal was over Evie announced that she would retire at once, to make an early departure next morning. She would have liked to talk privately to Justin, but that could wait. This time belonged to Hope.
But later that night she had a surprise. As she was about to put out her light there came a knock on her door. It was Hope.
‘I hope I don’t come too late, but I had to have a brief word with you,’ she said. ‘We’ve had no chance to get to know each other, but I believe that nobody knows my son-’ she lingered over the two words ‘-better than you.’
‘I don’t think that’s really true,’ Evie said hesitantly. ‘I’ve known him only a few weeks.’
Hope gave an expressive shrug.
‘Is time what really matters? Something tells me you know him better after a month than anyone else in a lifetime.’
‘I don’t believe he’s let himself get close to anyone,’ Evie agreed, ‘except Mark.’
‘Ah, yes, Mark. How I long to meet him. How generous of you to make it possible. I’ll leave you now to get your sleep, and wish you a safe journey.’
She enfolded Evie in a scented embrace and departed imperiously.
Mark was waiting for her, eager to hear everything that had happened. Justin had given him part of the story and now Evie filled in with the rest.
On the flight back to Naples he kept looking at his watch.
‘Counting the minutes?’ she teased.
He nodded. ‘Thirty minutes until we land, and thirty to get through Customs.’
‘And then you’ll meet your new family.’
‘And you’ll be there too? I mean, you’re part of the family now, aren’t you?’
‘Well, not really.’
‘But you and Dad-you know.’
‘I’m not sure I do.’
‘You
There it was again, the assumption that she and Justin were together for good. She tested the idea, wanting to know if the old alarm at commitment would start up. Instead she felt as if a smile was growing deep inside her.
As she’d expected, Justin and Hope were waiting at the airport. Hope kept her eyes on the boy as he neared her and Justin said, ‘Mark, this is your grandmother.’
Mark and Evie had been practising this moment all the way on the plane and now he was ready. Gravely he offered his hand, saying,
Hope gave a cry of delight and was about to embrace him when she caught his eye, remembered how boys felt about being cuddled in public, and shook his hand instead, a piece of tact that won her Mark’s goodwill.
While they sized each other up Justin drew Evie close, laying his cheek briefly against hers.
‘Hope has been in agonies waiting for your return,’ he said, adding softly, ‘and so have I.’
In the car going home they were alert for Mark’s needs, ready to smooth his path with this new and strange relative. But it was unnecessary. Hope and Mark were instantly on each other’s wavelength and in a few minutes he was calling her Nonna, the Italian word for Grandma.
After that it was like a replay of their own arrival a few days earlier. Toni and the sons were there at the villa, this time offering a boisterous greeting that Mark seemed to enjoy. Evie could see that he was going to fit into the family even more easily than Justin.
Justin escorted her upstairs to her room and closed the door firmly behind them before taking her into his arms.
‘I’ve missed you,’ he murmured between kisses. ‘Where have you been all this time?’
‘All this time?’ she teased him happily. ‘One day?’
‘You know I need you.’
‘Don’t tell me you’ve been thinking of me with all your new family to get used to. How are you getting on with your mother?’
‘Well enough.’
‘Well enough? Is that all you can say?’
‘For the moment, yes. It’s all a bit much-it’ll hit me later, I dare say.’
‘Yes, I suppose it’s a lot to take in.’
‘I know Hope is my mother. You’ve only got to look at us to see it. And yet-there’s a part of me that doesn’t believe it. I keep expecting to wake up and find that it was a dream.’
‘But you won’t,’ she said tenderly. ‘It’s real. She’s truly your mother, and the best part of all is that she didn’t give you away. You weren’t rejected. You were loved from the first moment. And you still are. That’s what’s so wonderful about it, that her love has been like an arc, stretching over the years from that moment to this, linking them.’
‘Yes, of course,’ he said. ‘You put things so well. It takes me a little longer.’
‘That doesn’t matter. Things are coming together in their own good time. That’s what counts. It’s going to be
