‘Now it will be a good night,’ Malvolio said.
They drove on to Malvolio’s home and Angela, his housekeeper, greeted him anxiously.
Malvolio took a drink of whisky and so too did Matteo. Then Matteo paced the floor, making calls to the hotel to arrange the party as the fat man showered and changed and then came down in a loud suit.
Malvolio was, Matteo noted, still sweating even after a shower.
He was repulsive.
‘You look nervous,’ Malvolio commented when he saw Matteo’s strained features. Usually Matteo was the coolest of the lot.
‘Why would I be nervous?’ he asked. In fact, he was asking himself the same thing.
He neither knew nor cared anything about Bella Gatti.
Then he remembered how she blushed around him and a day a couple of years ago when Dino’s mouth had gone too far and he had stepped in.
Yes, he noticed her more than he cared to admit to and he could not stand what awaited her tonight, but for now all attention had to be placed on Malvolio, who was grilling him.
‘I thought you would be honoured to find out that you are to be my second man.’
And Matteo knew his life depended on his response.
‘Now that you have said that I shall be...’ Matteo smiled ‘...I don’t need to be nervous. I’m honoured, Malvolio. I thought Luka would be your choice.’
‘Your friend thinks about sex but will soon be grovelling. For now he tries to make up with Sophie.’ He looked at Matteo. ‘Sophie is too much like her mother, Rosa.’ He made a yapping motion with his hands. ‘She talks too much, and says no, instead of minding her own business. Luka will soon tire of her. Anyway...’ Malvolio shrugged ‘...we all know what happened to Rosa.’
Matteo took a belt of his drink before he spoke. ‘I have to admit that I was worried, if not Luka, that you might consider Dino,’ he said, referring to his brother.
‘Dino talks too much, everyone knows what is going on in that stupid head of his because he tells them, whereas you...’ He looked at Matteo and still he could not read him. That Matteo cared about no one was either a blessing or a curse. It would prove a blessing if he stayed loyal and a curse if he ever again attempted to stray. For now Malvolio chose to practise what he was about to preach. ‘Tonight,’ Malvolio said, ‘is not a night for questions. Tonight is all about putting people at ease. A lot of my men were forced to give evidence. They had to say things about me that they did not want to...’
Matteo nodded.
‘Tonight you are to let them know, as I shall, that I understand the pressure they were under. You are to tell them that there are no bad feelings, that I understand that they did what they had to do.’
Matteo let out a small breath of relief, but it did not go far, it halted even before it had fogged the glass as Malvolio spoke on.
‘Tonight let them think they are forgiven. Tomorrow you make sure that they pay. All of them.’
He meant Luka also, Matteo knew. Malvolio would even make an example of his own son.
Thank God that Luka was getting the hell out.
Matteo drove them to the hotel. It was starting to get dark and as they came down the hill the sun was firing the ocean so that it rippled like molten lava. As he parked the car and they walked into the hotel, Matteo felt as if he were entering the gates of hell.
CHAPTER SEVEN
AS THE CONVOY that would take Paulo Durante to a prison in Rome left, Bella took Sophie back to her home as the photographers packed up.
‘It’s just news to them,’ Sophie said. ‘This is my father’s life.’
‘Come on,’ Bella said, and they walked up the hill.
Since the arrests Sophie had lived with Bella and her mother as Malvolio had had his lawyer take ownership of Paulo’s home to cover legal fees.
Sophie wasn’t upset yet—instead, she was furious. Her father had taken the fall for the entire town’s dark dealings. Aside from that, months of pent-up frustration and the pain of hearing Luka say on the stand that he considered her a peasant all flooded out now.
‘He humiliated me,’ Sophie choked. ‘I bet right now he is with his father, toasting their freedom.’
‘You know that he’s not,’ Bella said.
‘He said, under oath, that I threw myself at him, even after he had dumped me.’
‘He said that rather than admit, in court, that you and he were making plans to leave together,’ Bella reminded her friend as they walked. ‘You told Luka that you were worried about the things your father was getting up to. How would you feel now if that was the reason your father was being locked away?’
‘Well, it did no good,’ Sophie hissed. ‘Because he has been locked away. Luka called me a peasant to his father...’
That would have hurt, Bella knew.
Luka had spent the last few years in London and Bella knew Sophie had felt left behind and not good enough.
Having Luka, however reluctantly, confirm that in court had been cruel to hear indeed. ‘Luka cares about you. Remember that he was trying to get away from his father when it all happened and he said those things.’ Over and over Bella had told her Luca hadn’t meant what he’d said, that he had only been trying to protect Paulo, but this evening Sophie didn’t want to hear it.
‘I’m going to Rome to be near my father and you need to leave too,’ Sophie urged. ‘Malvolio is back and all his yes-men are still here.’
‘I cannot leave my mother,’ Bella said.
‘She will understand...’
‘I can’t, Sophie, she is so sick.’ Bella wanted to leave, more than anything she wanted to run, but she knew she could not leave her mother.
They stepped into Bella’s small home. Sylvia, her mother’s friend, had dropped in to see Maria and bring her up to date with all that had happened. She had bought her some flowers and a bottle of limoncello to cheer her up on this very dark day.
Bella waved and called hello and then went into the bedroom the friends were now sharing. Sophie immediately started packing, still urging Bella to come with her, but when a knock came at the door Bella was quite sure, as she went to answer it, that it was Luka, wanting to finally, after all these months, speak with Sophie.
Hopefully he would have better luck calming her down than she’d had, Bella thought.
Only, instead of Luka, when she opened the door she saw young Pino, balancing on his bike and telling her that he had a message from Malvolio. Bella stood there in silence as her fate was delivered—she was to be at the bar tonight.
Bella had always known this day was coming.
It had been as inevitable as breathing if your name was Gatti. A direct assumption that Malvolio had made long ago.
A few months ago Gina had dropped off a package, telling her that on the night of Sophie and Luka’s engagement Malvolio had said he wanted her to stay back and to start working at the bar.
The package still lay in her wardrobe unopened.
A reprieve had been granted to Bella in the shape of the arrests but it would seem that her stay of execution was over now.
Bella had, as the trial had neared its end, silently dreaded just this.
She had gone on the Pill just in case and every night when she took it, she told herself that it was unnecessary, that soon, once Malvolio had been put away, she’d be laughing to herself at the fear she had held inside these past months.
Bella closed the door on Pino and went back into the bedroom.
‘No,’ Sophie said as Bella returned. ‘You can tell Luka that I don’t want to see him.’
‘It wasn’t Luka. It was Pino with a message for me.’
Sophie looked up from her case when she heard the tremor in Bella’s voice.
‘There is to be a big celebration tonight at the hot
el, everyone is to be there and I am to work in the bar.’
‘No!’ Sophie was even more insistent that Bella join her in Rome but Bella shook her head.
‘I know that you have to leave and not just to take care of Paulo—you are the scapegoat now. Everyone knows it is Malvolio but that is not what they will say to his face.’ Bella started to cry. ‘I don’t want my first to be Malvolio. I know that you think I should just say no to him.’
‘I know that it is not that simple.’ Sophie put her arm around her friend and Bella took a cleansing breath.
‘She’s too ill to even leave the house now,’ Bella said about her mother.
‘I know.’
‘She can’t work. Malvolio made her sign over the house, promising to take care of her medical bills...now she owes him rent. How can I leave her to deal with it all? How can I let my mother face his temper if I leave?’
She couldn’t.
They both knew that Bella never would.
‘When my mother has gone, and it won’t be long, then I will come to Rome and be with you, but not now. I need to be here for her in the same way that you need to be there for your father.’
She was grateful that Sophie did not try to dissuade her further and this time, when there was a knock at the door, it was Luka and after a few moments of indecision Sophie agreed that she would go for a walk with him.
‘Will you wait for me to get back?’ Sophie asked, but Bella shook her head.
‘I have to be at the bar soon.’
‘But I’m flying tonight. I don’t know when I’ll see you again...’
‘It is better that we just say goodbye now,’ Bella said. She just wanted it over and done with, before she gave in and broke down.
They stood in the hall and embraced as Luka waited outside.
‘We’re sisters,’ Sophie said, ‘maybe not in blood...’
‘Sisters in shame,’ Bella said, because after tonight that was how she would be. ‘But at least try and listen to what Luka has to say when you speak with each other. Don’t lose him now, Sophie.’
‘He lost me when he said what he did,’ Sophie said, and after one final cuddle she walked out.
As Bella walked back down the hall her mother was still chatting to her friend so Bella went into her bedroom, opened the wardrobe and took out the package Gina had dropped off all those months ago.
Inside there was a cheap, black satin dress along with black underwear and sheer stockings. There was make-up and a bottle of perfume too, and Bella sprayed it, screwing up her nose at the cheap, musky scent. There were high-heeled, black strappy sandals and Bella slipped off one of her flat pumps and tried the sandal on.
It was far too small.
But she was no Cinderella and there would be no prince tonight and so, with her mother still talking with her friend, Bella crept into Maria’s bedroom.
She went into her mother’s wardrobe and, sure enough, there were several pairs of similar sandals to choose from. Bella gave a pale smile as she pulled a pair out. The rubber stopper came off and revealed hollow heels, and as she picked them up and made to go out she glanced up at the chest of drawers and saw the picture of her father and a much younger, far happier and infinitely more beautiful Maria.
Bella knew little about her father. Her mother had never told her very much—just that his name had been Pierre, he’d been French and had been a rich businessman.
Bella paused for a moment and looked at the photo. He had straight black hair and Bella had inherited her pale skin and green eyes from him too.
Hearing her mother’s friend say that she should get going, Bella quickly came out of her mother’s room and hid the shoes, before heading back out to the kitchen where her mother now sat alone.
‘Are you wearing perfume?’ Maria asked, screwing up her nose.
‘No,’ Bella said, and then remembered the scent she had sprayed in the bedroom that must have clung to her. ‘Sophie put some on, she has gone for a walk with Luka.’
‘What did Pino want?’ Maria had more questions. ‘I heard him come to the door.’
‘He just asked if we would be at the celebrations tonight,’ Bella answered nonchalantly.
‘And what did you say?’
‘I said that you were too tired and that I was already working.’ She saw Maria’s eyes narrow. ‘I have an extra shift doing the turn-down service. There are a lot of extra guests tonight at the hotel now that Malvolio has been released.’
‘It’s a sad day for Bordo Del Cielo,’ Maria said.
‘It is,’ Bella admitted. Her voice was more husky than usual as she tried to form normal words. ‘Sophie is going to Rome to be closer to Paulo.’
‘Sophie should live her own life,’ Maria said.
‘Perhaps.’ Bella shrugged.
‘I think I might have an early night.’ Maria went to stand and Bella put her arm around her waist and walked with her to her bedroom. ‘I’ll call you if I need you in the night.’
‘I’ve told you,’ Bella said. ‘I’m working tonight.’
‘You’ll be home by ten, though,’ Maria checked, and Bella nodded, but her heart hurt at the thought of her mother calling out for her in the night and her not being there to answer.
‘I love you, Ma.’
‘I know that you do.’
With her mother in bed Bella started to get ready. The underwear felt scratchy and her hands were shaking as she pulled on the lacy stockings and clipped the suspenders on.
She set to work with the make-up and put on eyeliner and loads of mascara and rouged her cheeks and then painted her lips a deep red. Her hair she backcombed and then tied into a loose, high bun and sprayed it in place.
Very deliberately, Bella didn’t cry.
Not because she didn’t want to ruin her make-up—she was scared that if she broke down she might not stop.
Bella slipped on the cheap black satin dress but she knew the high heels would make too much noise on the floor and that her mother might hear so she decided to carry them until she was outside. Dressed like hell and feeling the same, she went into the kitchen and put the flowers her mother’s friend had left into a vase. She picked up the limoncello and tipped it down the sink in case her mother was tempted to drink it in the night. Then, trying to deny her own terror, holding her shoes in her hand and with her bag on her shoulder, Bella crept through the house.
‘Bella!’ Her mother called her name from the bedroom. Bella, who was at the front door, froze for a moment.
‘Bella, I need to speak to you.’
‘I can’t now, Ma,’ she called. ‘My shift starts soon.’
‘Please, Bella, it will just take a moment.’
‘I really do have to go.’ Bella wrenched open the door but her mother’s voice, though lately so weak, was suddenly strong.
‘You will get back in this house now and come into my room.’
She quietly closed the door and turned and walked back along the small corridor. She opened the bedroom door and saw that her mother’s side light was on. Bella would wish for ever that it hadn’t been, because she would always remember the agony on her mother’s features when she saw how her daughter was dressed, and she would be able to recall, with complete clarity, the sob of anguish that Maria made.
‘Please, no, Bella. You’re better than that. You don’t have to do this! Go with Sophie to Rome. I’ve heard you both talking. Please get away from here, rather than do this. I’m begging you to.’
It would be the easiest thing in the world to go with her friend tonight, to run to put her past behind her, but Bella knew it was impossible.
She knew Malvolio would take out his temper on her terribly frail mother, knew only too well the price her mother would pay—and she had paid enough in her time.
‘I’m not leaving you, Mum.’
‘I’m asking you to.’
‘Never.’ Bella shook her head and sat down on the bed. ‘I could never leave you behind.’
And she couldn’t afford to take her mother with her.
Even if she could somehow find the money for the flights, what would happen when they got to Rome? She and Sophie might be able to live rough for a few days or weeks till they found a job but her mother could not live on the streets.
‘Listen to me for five minutes,’ Maria said, as Bella stood to go. ‘I’m going to tell you something. I’ve had it tough but I’ve had some good times. Most of my clients were cruel, hard work but some I considered lovers. I know men, Bella. They moaned to me that they wished their wives would do things that I did, that they were more like me, yet for all their talk they would never take me as their wife. I can’t stop you, but I can tell you that everything will change if you go to work tonight. It’s a stigma that you can never escape from.’ And then Maria told her some information that had always been missing when Bella had tried to piece together her life.
‘Your father,’ Maria said, and she gestured to the photo. ‘I met him when I had just turned sixteen. Long before the hotel had been built there were a few cafés that lined the beach. You know that he was from France and a rich businessman?’
Bella nodded. She wasn’t sure she believed her mother but she listened to what she had to say. ‘He was here because he was looking into the possibility of putting a hotel here. It was going to be beautiful. Pierre wanted to keep the houses and cafés and blend it in with the mountain. Sicily was a tourist destination but not in the west. We are a bit of a mystery. But that was why he kept coming back, although I like to think he came back in part for me. I thought we were in love and looking back I think that we were.
‘Malvolio soon caught on that Pierre had plans for this place and saw to it that he left. I found out that I was pregnant after he had gone back to France. It caused a huge scandal. My parents were furious and devastated but I was sure Pierre would do the right thing.
‘I wrote to him as I didn’t have his phone number but I knew his business name and I told him that I was pregnant. It was then that I found out that he was married. I can’t tell you how much that hurt, Bella. I had always thought that the only thing keeping us apart was distance. I had hoped that when the hotel was built he would live here instead...’
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