Hepburn's Necklace

by Jan Moran

  “I’d love that.”

  Hand in hand, they walked along the same pink oleander-lined lane, albeit a little slower now. When they reached the stone villa on the hill, Ruby smiled. “They still have white roses.”

  “Those might even be the same bushes that I picked flowers from for your wedding bouquet.”

  “They’re my favorites.” Ruby paused to smell them while Niccolò opened the door. The old-fashioned, creamy white roses were just as heavenly as they had been on their wedding day.

  Inside, Ruby saw the kitchen had been renovated. In the refrigerator, Niccolò’s cousin had left a pitcher of lemonade for them, along with a bottle of chilled prosecco. She’d also left an assortment of nuts, olives, cheeses, and bread.

  “Your choice,” he said, opening the pantry for glassware.

  Ruby touched his hand. “We’re celebrating. I’ll have the bubbles.” She also needed to calm her jittery nerves.

  “I’ll join you.” He poured two glasses for them. “To us, once again,” he said, touching her glass.

  As they sipped the sparkling wine, he took her on a tour of the house, pausing in the doorway of the bedroom where they had slept and made love so many years ago.

  Leaning against the doorjamb, Ruby let out a sigh. Here is where their daughter was possibly conceived—and so beautifully. Tears misted her eyes, and she turned into Niccolò’s waiting embrace.

  “Quanto ti amo, my dear Ruby.” Niccolò nuzzled her neck. “Ah, cuore mio. Such sweet hours we spent here. I remember it all.”

  Ruby held Niccolò so tightly, until finally, he said, “Shall we go outside and sit under the pergola?”

  “I’d…like that,” Ruby said, so overcome with emotion that she could hardly speak.

  They stopped in the kitchen to refill their glasses. Niccolò brought the tray that his cousin had left for them.

  As they wound their way outside, they walked under the purple wisteria-laden archway and passed the orchard that still bore figs, pomegranates, chestnuts, and olives. Other trees were heavy with lemons and grapefruit. On the way, Niccolò plucked a couple of ripe mandarin oranges.

  Climbing roses still covered the pergola, shading the chairs under it from the midday sun and filling the air with their heady aroma. Orioles chirped nearby, and other birds joined in, serenading them with the sweetest of songs. Niccolò placed the antipasti assortment on a bistro table and pulled two chairs together to face the lake.

  As Niccolò nibbled, Ruby sipped her prosecco. With the breeze in her hair, she regained her control. “This is even more romantic than I’d recalled.”

  “And you are even lovelier,” Niccolò said, taking her hand. “After seeing you again the other night, I could hardly sleep. My deepest desire had come true, and you were once again in my arms, your kiss warm on my lips. Why then, cuore mio, are you sad? We should rejoice, for I am alive again,” he said with a little laugh.

  The time had come. Ruby put her glass down and turned to him, gripping his hands. “My dearest Niccolò, we were robbed of the life together that we deserved. Of the family we should have had and looked after—together.”

  “Since we cannot change the past, let’s not regret what might have been,” Niccolò said. “Our extended families make up for it. Our nieces and nephews are young and healthy. And who could have imagined that Alessandro and Ariana would have found each other? That makes my heart so glad.”

  Pausing, Ruby gathered every scrap of courage she possessed and steeled herself against his potential anger. She wouldn’t blame him for turning away from her now. If only she had known he still lived.

  Niccolò slid his arm around her. “Ruby, amore mio, please share what’s on your mind.”

  There was simply no other way to tell him, except to be direct.

  “You told me you stopped receiving my letters, which I believe,” Ruby said. “But in one of those letters, I wrote to tell you that I was pregnant.”

  Niccolò’s lips parted. “Did we have…a child?”

  Ruby spoke as gently as she could. “We do, but she was unaware that we were her parents.”

  “You mean, you gave her away?” Niccolò’s face contorted with confusion.

  “I am so sorry, but I had to.” Tears spilled onto Ruby’s cheeks, but she pushed through her grief to tell Niccolò everything as he listened quietly. “My sister’s only request was that our daughter not know anything about this.”

  As she finished, he lowered his head. “I hardly know what to say.”

  She clutched his hand.

  Finally, Niccolò wiped tears from his eyes. “We have a daughter…imagine! Tell me all about her. Does she look like you?”

  Ruby choked with relief at his reaction. “A little, but she has your bright blue eyes. Her name is Mariangela.”

  “I’ve always loved that name,” he said, pressing a hand against his chest.

  “You told me that when you took me to the opera. Aida. You said Maria Pedrini had the voice of an angel, and if you ever had a daughter—”

  “I would name her Mariangela,” he finished, clearly awestruck.

  Ruby squeezed his hands. “She goes by Mari. And she just arrived here yesterday.”

  “She is here?” Niccolò’s face clouded with concern. “Do you think she would like to meet me?”

  “I know she would,” Ruby said.

  Niccolò exhaled, and a look of awe-filled gratitude filled his face.

  Ruby stroked his hands. Every muscle in her body was sore from the tension she’d held, but now Niccolò’s acceptance was sweeping away her pain.

  “How I wish I had known,” Niccolò said, his voice cracking with emotion.

  “There’s more,” Ruby said. “And this is the part that will surprise you. Mari’s daughter is Ariana, who is actually my granddaughter. And yours.”

  Tears sprang to Niccolò’s eyes, and he wrapped her in an embrace. “You have made me the happiest man on earth, amore mio. Imagine, Alessandro and Ariana are destined to be together. Just like us.”

  “I stayed up late thinking about it,” Ruby said, once again relieved at his reaction. “And worrying a little. Our relationship makes Ariana and Alessandro first cousins once-removed.”

  Niccolò kissed her on the cheek. “No need for concern. Valeria and her husband adopted Alessandro and his sister Paolina when they were very young. Their parents died in an accident. It was a double tragedy because they were distant cousins and close friends.”

  They sat and chatted about their family, with Ruby telling Niccolò all about Mari and Ariana, and Niccolò sharing more about Alessandro. By sunset, Ruby was even more convinced that Ariana and Alessandro were perfect for each other.

  Ruby laughed. “You have no idea the effort it took to bring Mari and Ariana together. I thought, if that’s my last act on earth, I wanted to make it count.”

  “Ah, cuore mio, no, no, no. The best time of our lives is just beginning.” He smoothed his hand over her hers.

  Smiling through her tears of joy, Ruby entwined her fingers with his. “I believe that, too. As it turns out, I’m healthy as a woman half my age, and just as ornery. So, yes, my love, the best is here now—with much more to come.”

  Niccolò swept a hand over her hair and touched his lips to hers. “We’re back where we began, in the honeymoon of our marriage. That is, if you still want me.”

  “I’ve never stopped.” Ruby framed Niccolò’s face with her hands. This was the man she had loved all her life. The memories she’d cherished were coming to life again. And there would be so many more. “Here’s to life—on our terms, this time.”

  Epilogue

  Lago di Como, 2010

  * * *

  Ruby held Niccolò’s hand as they stood before the baroque altar. Next to them were Ariana and Alessandro, and in the audience were their family and friends. Stefano, who’d flown in from Palm Springs, Paolina and her husband and children, Niccolò’s sister Valeria and his cousin and other family members. Lorenzo fr
om the café, who was also catering the celebration party and dinner. Vera, the concierge, and her sister Gia who’d first introduced Ariana and Alessandro. Matteo, Livia, and Emilio. And so many others they’d befriended.

  A priest stood before them. “I have performed double wedding ceremonies for twins, but I have never performed a marriage and a recommitment ceremony for grandparents and a granddaughter. This is truly a family event.”

  “Well, get on with it,” Niccolò said. “Before Ruby disappears from my life again. I can’t wait as long as I did before.”

  Laughing softly, Ruby nudged him. “I could say the same thing.”

  For the ceremony, Ariana had designed an aquamarine dress for her that was simple yet stunning. At Ruby’s neck was the silver heart necklace that Audrey had given her, but now the two separate pieces were joined together, reunited with love.

  Next to Ruby stood Niccolò, who looked so handsome in a white summer jacket with a creamy-white rose in his lapel. His cousin had also surprised Ruby with a bouquet of white roses and glossy, green ferns from the garden, just as she had carried on their wedding day.

  On the other side of Ruby stood Mari, beaming at her birth parents. With her daughter and husband beside her, Ruby could easily see their remarkable resemblance. As soon as Mari and Niccolò met, they had bonded like two old friends. They had more in common than Ruby would have thought. As it turned out, Niccolò was a brilliant businessman, managing the vineyard and the theater. He and Mari connected quickly in the realm of finance.

  Ruby felt so blessed to have her family reunited at last.

  Also standing at the altar were Ariana and Alessandro. Their granddaughter wore a dress she had designed—a loosely flowing, pale-pink silk dress with a matching lace jacket. The soft colors accentuated her strawberry blond curls swept into a cascade down her back. At seven months, Ariana’s baby bump was more pronounced, but she bore her pregnancy with grace, given her height and slender build.

  “And now, Ruby Raines and Niccolò Mancini,” the priest began. For their recommitment ceremony, he spoke of the durability of love, the resilience of the human spirit, and their love for their families.

  Before the priest finished, Ruby was blinking back tears.

  “Amore mio,” Niccolò whispered, bringing a white cotton handkerchief from his pocket for her.

  Ruby beamed at him. His brilliant blue eyes, brimming with love for her, overshadowed the years etched on his face.

  Ruby and Niccolò committed to their vows once again, and then Niccolò slid onto her finger a slim, diamond-and-platinum band that cradled a blazing ruby stone. Ariana had helped them design the ring, along with a wide band for Niccolò that also held a single ruby stone. Sunlight from the rose window above glinted off the gemstones, casting a warm glow of color across their joined hands.

  As they sealed their future with a kiss, a flurry of applause rose from the pews. With a heart full of love, Ruby laughed. “I’m glad our families approve this time.”

  “That only took a few decades,” Niccolò said, squeezing her hand.

  The priest turned to Ariana and Alessandro to perform the Sacrament of Matrimony. In the first pew, young Sandro and Carmela sat in rapt attention next to Paolina and her husband and children.

  Before Ariana and Alessandro joined hands, she handed her bouquet of white roses and hydrangeas wrapped with trailing ivy to Carmela, who immediately stuck her nose deep into the flowers and said, “Che belli!”

  Everyone chuckled, and the rest of the ceremony proceeded in such a lovely manner that Ruby continued dabbing her eyes with Niccolò’s handkerchief.

  Afterward, as they emerged from the church, the bells of Chiesa di San Giorgio clanged in honor of their joyful celebration. Niccolò kissed her cheek as Ariana and Alessandro walked ahead of them.

  “What a beautiful couple,” Ruby said, watching them, “Your nephew is so handsome.”

  “As good-looking as I was?” Niccolò asked.

  Ruby nudged him. “Now you’re just angling for compliments.”

  Ariana and Alessandro turned to embrace them. “Aunt Ruby, I can’t thank you enough for insisting I come to Italy with you,” Ariana said. “That trip changed my life.”

  Ruby pressed her cheek against Ariana’s. “You were the one who took the chance, sweetheart. And now, just look at the life you’ve created.”

  Ariana smiled up at Alessandro before turning back to Ruby. “When I discovered you’d purchased an Italian villa on your holiday, I have to admit that I thought you’d been too extravagant.”

  “For some reason, I felt drawn here,” Ruby said, squeezing Niccolò’s hand. “Though we’ll visit Palm Springs soon.” Ruby and Niccolò had decided to spend a few winter months in Palm Springs before Teatro Della Vigna opened for the summer season. Although this year, they would wait until after Ariana had the baby. Ariana was having a girl, and she and Alessandro were still deciding on names.

  Besides planning the wedding with Mari—whose organizational skills were put to good use—Ariana had been working hard on her first collection. The boutique would open after they returned from their honeymoon, which they planned to spend sailing along the Italian coast for two weeks, while Paolina and her husband looked after the children. Although Ariana’s pregnancy seemed perfectly normal, she and Alessandro didn’t want to venture too far, just in case. Mari seemed eager to help at the boutique, too.

  Niccolò and Alessandro embraced as they congratulated one another, and then everyone made their way to the dock, where a fleet of boats waited to take everyone across the lake to Villa Fiori.

  Ruby and Niccolò joined Ariana and Alessandro on his restored Riva yacht. They sped across the sun-dappled lake toward Bellagio and Villa Fiori with the breeze in their hair and the mist on their faces.

  “What a grand day we’re having,” Ruby said, laughing and flinging her arms out. Inside, she still felt like that girl of seventeen, seeing the treasures of Lago di Como for the first time.

  Chuckling, Niccolò wrapped his arms around her. “Won’t let you escape this time.”

  “I hope we’ll be just like you two someday,” Alessandro said. “Full of life forever.”

  As they and their guests disembarked at Villa Fiori, the musicians that Ruby had hired began to play. Soon, music soared across the water, the champagne flowed, and everyone gathered to feast on the delicacies that Lorenzo had prepared for the wedding party. Tables filled the terrace on this autumn afternoon, although heat lamps were standing by to chase the evening chill. People began to fill the dance floor. Everyone was having a wonderful time.

  Leaving Niccolò, Alessandro, and Ariana at a table, Ruby strolled toward the kitchen with Mari to check on Lorenzo, who had a team of servers circulating with hors d’oeuvres. “I want you to know you’re doing a fine job with the portfolio, Mari.”

  “With a calmer life, I have a clear mind for investing,” Mari said. “I enjoyed overseeing the wedding arrangements for Ariana, too. I never thought I’d say that, but it’s been fun. Lorenzo has been an enormous help, too. That man can certainly cook.”

  “And Ariana has loved having you here,” Ruby said. Her daughter had gained a little weight and looked much happier, and she and Ariana were getting along very well.

  As they walked into the kitchen, Lorenzo looked up from the stove, where he was preparing a sauce that smelled heavenly. Leaving the simmering concoction to an assistant, he hurried to them, holding his arms out wide. He looked handsome in a white chef’s jacket, and he was clearly in his element.

  “Congratulations,” Lorenzo said, bestowing kisses on Ruby’s cheeks. Turning to Mari, he did the same, although Ruby noticed that he held her gaze a little longer.

  “Working on the planning with Lorenzo has been wonderful,” Mari said, her eyes shining brightly.

  “It was your suggestions that made all the difference,” Lorenzo said. “I have a new salad that I made just the way you like. Maybe you could come by and try it before I add
it to the menu?”

  “I’d like that very much,” Mari said, returning his smile. “How’s tomorrow?”

  “Perfetto,” he said with a wide smile.

  Ruby glanced from Mari to Lorenzo, suddenly realizing that a strong undercurrent of attraction hummed between them. And why not? Ruby thought. Lorenzo might be a few years younger than Mari, but she was quite youthful for her age.

  Lorenzo was bursting with happiness. He turned back to Ruby. “I feel like I had a small, but important part in reuniting you with Niccolò,” he said. “We have been great friends for many years. He was my first regular customer at the café, and brought so many of his friends.”

  Ruby smiled and took his hand. “If you hadn’t posted that flyer about the Roman Holiday production at Teatro Della Vigna, Niccolò and I might have never reconnected.”

  Just then, Ariana joined them. “I suddenly realized I’m famished. Guess that eating-for-two adage is true.”

  “Allow me,” Lorenzo said, quickly compiling a special plate for her. “So many of my customers are waiting for you to open your boutique.”

  “I think we should have a grand opening party,” Ariana said. “Lorenzo, would you cater the opening? It certainly wouldn’t be far to walk.”

  “Of course,” he said. “If you like, I can work on the details with your mother. She’s very organized,” he added. “Not like me.”

  Ariana turned to Mari. “Would you, Mom? That would be such a great help.”

  “I’d be happy to, honey.” Mari hugged Ariana. “And I can’t wait until your little one joins this crazy family.”

  Ariana reached out to Ruby. “Life is so strange. Remember that day that I found the envelopes postmarked Rome, Italy tucked in the box with your old photo albums?”

  “Indeed, I do,” Ruby said. The envelopes were still there, but the letters had fallen apart after years of re-reading them, even though she’d memorized every word.

  “I couldn’t have imagined that within the year, I would be married in Italy. That was more than coincidence.” Ariana flung her arms around her grandmother. “You’re like a fairy godmother, wielding a magical wand.”