The Italian Sister (The Wine Lover's Daughter, Book 1)

by Christa Polkinhorn

  Sofia gave a quick smile, wondering if he meant it or if it was just one of those non-committal suggestions one makes after a pleasant evening.

  Nicholas dropped her off at the main house. As she stepped out of the car and walked toward her home, she saw something in front of her door. She couldn’t see what it was in the half-dark. It looked like a small bundle and she wondered if someone had left something for her. When she got closer, she stopped short, then approached slowly, holding her breath. It was another animal, a rabbit. She came closer and almost choked at the gruesome sight. The rabbit was lying on its side and its head was covered with crusted blood. Sofia gave a terrified shriek, then turned around and ran to the main house.

  Chapter 19

  Sofia banged on the door, then turned the knob. It wasn’t locked.

  She found Luisa and Edoardo in the living room. “Somebody is leaving dead animals at my place,” she blurted out, her heart racing.

  “What do you mean?” Luisa said. She and Edoardo got up and stared at her.

  “The other day, I found a dead bird and now, there’s a rabbit at my door steps.” Her voice was shaking.

  The door opened and Julietta came inside. “What’s the matter?”

  “I don’t know what’s going on,” Sofia said.

  Edoardo stared at her. “Show us.”

  They all walked over to Sofia’s house. Julietta put her arm around Sofia. “Don’t be scared.”

  Fortunately, the rabbit was still there. What if it had disappeared like the bird? Then they would have really taken her for a mental case.

  Edoardo bent down and turned the dead rabbit around, checking it. “Aha.” He stood up again. “It was shot,” he said.

  “Who would do something like this?” Sofia’s voice cracked. “And why in front of my door?”

  “Ah, no.” Edoardo shook his head. “It was not shot here. Hunting season just started on Sunday. I am sure the rabbit was shot out in the fields or the woods. I heard several gunshots today. It probably was not killed properly and ran away. And by chance, it ended up here and died. This happens sometimes. Do not worry. I will get rid of it.”

  Luisa touched Sofia’s arm. “I’m sorry. No wonder you were scared.”

  “But then what about the bird?” Sofia asked. Their explanation sounded reasonable but she wasn’t convinced yet. “It looked like it had its neck twisted. And then it disappeared.”

  “When did this happen?” Edoardo asked Sofia.

  “It was right after the storm. First I thought it was because of the storm, but now, there’s a dead rabbit. I don’t know what to think anymore.”

  Edoardo gave her what Sofia felt was an indulgent look, as if he needed to calm a frightened child. “I am sure the bird died because of the storm. Every time we have a storm, I find one or two dead birds. And you said you did not bury it right away. You left it outside?”

  Sofia nodded.

  “An animal may have dragged it off. Perhaps a dog. There are some wild dogs around,” Luisa said.

  “Esatto.” Edoardo nodded. “I will get a shovel.”

  “There is one in the shed behind the house,” Sofia said. They all waited while Edoardo went to get the shovel.

  “I’m sorry. You must think I’m crazy. But it really frightened me. It was as if someone wanted to scare me.”

  Luisa shook her head. “No, I’m sure this is not the case. You are just not used yet to our wild … what do you call it?”

  “Wild West?” Julietta said, laughing.

  Luisa smiled. “Something like this. If you are scared to be by yourself tonight, you can stay with us. Or Julietta can sleep here.”

  A few days before, after the emotional exchange with Julietta, Sofia had asked Luisa if her sister could spend the night at her place once in a while, so they could get to know each other better. Luisa had agreed.

  “I’m sorry, I’m making such a fuss,” Sofia said. She was embarrassed and now felt she had overreacted. But she was grateful for Julietta’s company.

  After Edoardo got rid of the dead rabbit and he and Luisa had gone home, Julietta and Sofia sat in the living room, drinking a cup of hot tea.

  “How was dinner with Nicholas?” Julietta asked her.

  Sofia smiled. “We had a good time. He is very nice,” she said.

  “Are you going to see him again?” Julietta asked.

  “Perhaps,” Sofia shrugged, smiling at her sister’s eagerness. She got up and opened the patio door.

  They stepped outside. Sofia inhaled the scent of flowers in the garden. Warmed up from the sun during the day, they gave off an intense fragrance. The moon lit the rolling hills in the distance. “No more dead animals, thank God,” she said.

  “I would have been scared, too,” Julietta said. She hugged Sofia.

  Julietta went to bed and Sofia checked the doors to make sure they were locked. The sensible explanation Luisa and Edoardo had given her for the dead animals sounded true, but a certain unease remained. It still seemed a strange occurrence that in the space of a couple of weeks, she had found two dead animals on her property. She thought of the figure behind the house she’d seen during the storm. And what about the wine barrel that almost crushed her?

  Coincidences? Or did someone want to scare or even harm her? If so, they’d succeeded. The image of the twisted neck of the bird and the dead rabbit with its bloody head made her shudder.

  Chapter 20

  The following Saturday, Sofia and Julietta went shopping for Julietta’s birthday cake. They drove to Vignaverde to one of the few alimentari or grocery stores where they got the ingredients—flour, baking soda, dark chocolate, nuts, butter, eggs, and sugar. They also picked up cocoa powder, confectioner sugar, and vanilla extract for the frosting. In a different store, they bought colorful candles, cake decorations, and some balloons.

  “Might as well go all out,” Sofia said, getting excited about the birthday celebration. Julietta, too, seemed to have overcome her disappointment about her father not being present and insisted on buying some funny hats for the party.

  As they walked through town, Sofia stopped at a shop window that displayed beautiful alabaster artwork. “Let’s check it out,” she said to Julietta.

  They went inside and looked at the display of bowls, vases, and all kinds of small sculptures. Sofia carefully lifted an alabaster vase, turning it around and admiring its brown-and-white texture. In her guidebook, Sofia had read that alabaster was plentiful in Vignaverde. There was a museum and many of the stores sold art objects and souvenirs made of alabaster. The carving of this translucent stone went back to Etruscan times. Sofia decided to buy a few things as presents for Emma and her friends in California.

  “Beautiful,” she said and brushed her finger lightly over the fine carvings. She bought several of them and the sales girl wrapped them carefully in bubble wrap paper.

  “Ciao, Julietta,” someone called as they stepped out of the store. They turned around and Julietta smiled and waved at a young man who came walking down the street.

  “Ciao, Marco.”

  Sofia noticed, amused, that Julietta’s face was flushed and her eyes sparkled. She realized why. The young man who sauntered toward them was stunningly handsome with wavy dark hair, green eyes, and a trim figure. He hugged Julietta and gave her a kiss on the cheek. She introduced Sofia as “mia sorella d’America.”

  “I am very pleased to meet you. Julietta told me a lot about you.” Marco spoke English with the usual accent.

  “Marco is in my English class,” Julietta said.

  Since Julietta’s English was more advanced than that of her classmates, she attended lessons for older students at her school.

  Marco hugged her. “Yes, and Julietta always helps me with my homework. I would not know what to do without her.”

  Julietta blushed again and gave him a playful slap on the arm. “You exaggerate as usual.”

  “What are you doing here?” Marco asked.

  “Getting stuff fo
r the birthday party,” Julietta said. “You are going to come, right?”

  “I would not miss it … how do you say? … for the world.” His handsome face stretched into a smile. “Listen, I would love to invite you for a cup of coffee, but unfortunately, I have a dental appointment in ten minutes.” He looked at his watch. “But some other time, okay?”

  “Yes, thank you. You have to go to the dentist?” Julietta asked.

  “Just cleaning,” Marco said, showing a row of perfectly aligned, white teeth. “Anyway, it was nice meeting you.” He turned to Sofia. “You will be at the party, too, I hope.”

  “Oh, yes,” Julietta said eagerly and put her arm around Sofia. “We are going to make the birthday cake today.”

  “Fantastic. I look forward to it.” Another charming smile. “Well, I am on my way. See you tomorrow then.” Marco waved and walked off.

  “Isn’t he cute?” Julietta grabbed Sofia’s arm and squeezed it hard.

  “Ouch.” Sofia chuckled and rubbed her arm. “He sure is and you’re swooning.”

  “Ah, yes.” Julietta sighed. “But I think he has a girlfriend. I am not sure. Anyway, he will be at the party by himself. I told him he could bring a guest, but he said he would be alone. So, who knows, perhaps he is not dating anyone.”

  Sofia laughed. “Come on, you lovebird. Let’s go home and make the cake.”

  At Sofia’s home, they put the ingredients away. Sofia studied the recipe again. She wasn’t exactly an experienced baker, but neither had her father been and so the recipe was very detailed and easy to follow. They had to collect a few utensils from the main house, since Henry obviously hadn’t done a lot of baking while in Tuscany. Sofia, however, found a mixer. She mixed and beat the batter while Julietta turned on the oven. After the cake was in the oven, they sat around the kitchen table, licking the utensils with the leftover-batter. Soon the scent of chocolate permeated the kitchen. Sofia was relieved when she saw the batter rising nicely in the pan. It had been some time since she had made a cake from scratch. After the allotted time, they took the cake out and admired its nice shape.

  “It looks even better than when Papa made it,” Julietta said. “His always came out a little crooked, but with the frosting it was okay.”

  Sofia was happy Julietta seemed to have gotten over her sadness about her father’s absence. “It’ll look perfect with the decoration,” she said. “We’ll put the frosting on when the cake has cooled a little.”

  Julietta mixed the ingredients for the frosting—butter, cacao powder, confectioner sugar, and a dash of vanilla extract. They applied the frosting together and then licked the spoons clean.

  “I’m going to have a sugar high before I even taste the cake,” Sofia said.

  “What is a sugar high?” Julietta asked.

  “Oh, you know, when you get all jittery and excited from too much sugar.”

  Julietta nodded, then pointed at the cake. “What about the decorations?”

  “We’ll put those on tomorrow before the party,” Sofia suggested.

  The birthday celebration would take place the following day at lunch, and in the afternoon, a few of Julietta’s friends from school would join them for ice cream and cake and a little party.

  “It will be fun,” Julietta said and her eyes sparkled. “Perhaps Papa will celebrate with us.”

  “We’ll save him a piece of cake,” Sofia said. The two sisters giggled.

  Ever since their talk about their father and the inheritance, the air between them had cleared. Sofia felt more relaxed around Julietta and Julietta had become her old bubbly self again.

  “I wanted to give you something for your birthday,” Sofia said. “I know it’s a day early, but anyway, here it is.” Sofia handed Julietta the packages.

  Julietta opened the box with the Hollywood T-shirt first and screamed with excitement. She put it on and it fit perfectly. She turned around in front of the mirror, admiring the logo and the picture on it.

  “And here is something from Papa,” Sofia said and handed her the package with the jewelry.

  When Julietta opened the box, she looked at the necklaces with wide-open eyes and turned them around slowly without saying anything. For a brief moment, Sofia was afraid she didn’t like them. One was a simple gold chain with a teardrop-shaped stone. And the other one was more modern, a long chain with a mixture of real pearls and other types of semi-precious stones.

  Julietta’s eyes filled with tears. “They are beautiful,” she whispered with a sob. “Oh, my God, they are wonderful.” She hugged Sofia, then stepped back and put one of the necklaces on. “Thank you so much. I love them. And thank you, Papa.” Tears were streaming down her face and she smiled at the same time.

  Sofia felt they had truly bonded.

  Chapter 21

  As Julietta had hoped, the birthday was a success. They had a good lunch of her favorite food: pizza quattro stagioni or four-season pizza, which Luisa made from scratch, and salad. To Sofia’s pleasant surprise, they had invited Nicholas as well. For dessert and as an accompaniment to the cake, Edoardo’s wife, Gina, had prepared homemade blackberry and raspberry ice cream.

  Sofia had met Edoardo’s wife a few times during the work in the vineyard. She was a pleasant woman, livelier than her husband. Unfortunately, she didn’t speak English as well as the other people, so they didn’t talk much to each other. But Gina was friendly and polite and didn’t seem to harbor any resentment toward Sofia.

  In the afternoon, a few of Julietta’s friends from school as well as Edoardo’s and Gina’s children, a ten-year old boy by the name of Francesco and a girl of about seven, called Diana, came in time for the cake ceremony. Besides boys and girls from Julietta’s class, there were a couple of older students at the party, Marco, the handsome young man Sofia had met the day before, and two girls from Julietta’s advanced English class.

  Marco had brought Julietta a present, a lovely pair of earrings, which, as if by design, fit the new necklace she was wearing. He hugged and kissed Juliette who blushed deeply. She surreptitiously glanced at her mother who was busy setting the table with paper plates and napkins and didn’t notice the exchange.

  Sofia went inside where Gina was spooning ice cream into dessert bowls. Sofia carried the decorated cake with the fifteen candles outside. Everyone was seated at a long wooden table under a canopy of colorful paper streamers Luisa and Edoardo had put up.

  It was a cheerful party and even Edoardo smiled more than usual. The highpoint for Sofia, however, was the fact that the old Santucci was not present. He was gone for a few days, supposedly visiting a friend. Without the old man, the atmosphere was lighthearted and pleasant, and his wife Donna, Julietta’s grandmother, was more relaxed and surprisingly chatty.

  Julietta blew out the candles. When she cut the cake, she set aside one piece. “For Papa.”

  Luisa nodded. “We’ll save it for him,” she said quietly.

  Sofia who sat next to Julietta put her arm around her when she collided with Marco who sat on the other side and was trying to do the same. They looked at each other and Marco smiled and pulled his arm back. “Mi dispiace,” he said, “I’m sorry.”

  Out of the corner of her eyes, Sofia saw Edoardo watch him with a scowl. The concerned uncle, she thought.

  Marco and Julietta, however, gave no further indication of intimacy. After the cake and ice cream was finished, Marco spent most of the time talking to one of the older girls from the English class and Julietta entertained her girlfriends from school.

  The celebration lasted until sunset. Julietta’s friends began to leave, and Marco got up, and he and Julietta went over to Luisa. Marco and Luisa shook hands and the two talked for a while. Luisa smiled and shook his hand again as he was getting ready to leave. He gave Julietta a friendly pat on the back and left.

  After the last guests had gone, Sofia, Luisa, and Gina cleaned up while Francesco and Diana helped their father carry the tables and chairs inside. After cake and ice cream, nobody
was hungry for dinner anymore. Edoardo, Gina and their children walked over to their place and Sofia and Julietta helped Luisa put the dishes away.

  “Can I stay at Sofia’s tonight?” Julietta asked her mother.

  Luisa glanced at her. “Yes, but I want to talk to you first.”

  Sofia felt Luisa wanted to be alone with Julietta. “I’ll see you guys later.”

  “Thank you for helping with the birthday party and for the cake and the beautiful presents. This was really nice, wasn’t it, Julietta?” Luisa said.

  “Yes, thank you, Sofia. Papa would have loved it,” Julietta said and hugged Sofia, who was touched by the display of gratitude.

  Half an hour later, Sofia pulled some laundry out of the dryer. Her father had had the foresight to have a washer and dryer installed in the house which was a godsend when working in the fields. Sweaty T-shirts and dirty overalls piled up fast in this hot weather. The following day would be another working day at the estate.

  While Sofia was folding shirts and underwear, Julietta came in, carrying a cloth bag with her clothes for the morning. She dropped the bag by the door and plopped herself on the sofa, watching Sofia fold laundry. She looked troubled.

  “What’s the matter?” Sofia asked.

  Julietta sighed. “You have to help me with something.”

  “Oh? What is it?”

  “You have to help me convince Mamma to let me go to Marco’s party.” Julietta jumped up from the sofa and threw her arms around Sofia. “Please, please.”

  Sofia pushed Julietta back a little and held her by the arms. “Which party?”

  “Marco has one every year at the end of the summer holiday for his classmates and friends. And since I am in his English class, he invited me as well and asked me to bring a friend, so I invited Monica. Marco asked Mamma for permission. Isn’t he cool? He is such a gentleman.”