waited for Dimi’s answer, but he didn’t say anything as he escorted her and Vincenzo through the palazzo to the front entrance. Dimi’s eyes locked with Gemma’s. “You have no idea what it meant to see you today.”
“I feel the same way. Piu tardi, Dimi.” She kissed his cheek and hurried out to the car. Vincenzo joined her for the twenty-minute drive to Sopri.
“Is Consolata as bad as Dimi said?”
“Worse. I can’t see her lasting long now. We may have another funeral before long.”
“Thank you for taking me with you to see him. I love him.”
“That was quite a hug he gave you.”
Within a few minutes Vincenzo pulled up to the pensione and helped her take in her bags. She stood at the door. “I told him I’d like to stay with Consolata in the morning. Will you let me know if he’d like that?”
His lips had formed a thin line. “I’ll call you later after I’ve talked to him.”
Gemma bit her lip as he walked back to the car and drove away. No sooner had she shut the door than her phone rang. Hoping he had regretted his hasty departure, she clicked on without checking the caller ID. Her heart was thudding. “Vincenzo?”
“No. It’s Filippa.”
The world spun for a moment and then settled back just as quickly. “It’s great to hear your voice. Did you get the job?”
“No, I’m no longer in Canada. Instead of returning to Florence, I flew straight to Milan to see you. Do you mind if I come by the castello to talk? I’ve rented a car.”
“I just got home from a trip with Vincenzo and am at the pensione alone. By all means, come!” Gemma knew in her heart Vincenzo wouldn’t be by again today, and she needed her friend. “We’ll eat lunch here and catch up.”
“Thank you. You’ll be saving my life.”
“Let me give you instructions how to get here. My car will be out in front.”
“I’ll find you.”
Half an hour later her darling friend came running to the door and they hugged.
“Come and sit down on the love seat. You’re the last person I expected to see for a long time.” She sat on the chair across from her friend, whose shoulders were shaking while she tried to hold back tears. “Talk to me, Filippa.”
“Oh, Gemma—”
“I can’t believe you didn’t get the position.”
“I did get it—but I was so homesick, I knew I couldn’t live there. If I’d had a chance to work in New York, I know it would have affected me the same way. All this time I thought I wanted to go to someplace new in the world and make my mark. By the time my orientation was over, I had to tell the owner I couldn’t take the job.”
Little did she know Gemma had told Vincenzo she couldn’t accept the position. Twice, in fact! But not for the same reason.
“I felt terrible about it, but he was very nice. Do you know what’s funny? He’d moved there from Hong Kong to start a new restaurant that’s very successful.”
That was funny, but Gemma didn’t laugh and moved over to put an arm around her. “I’m so sorry.”
“I’m okay, but I’m embarrassed to go home and tell the family their daughter who’s never going to get married is a great big baby.”
“No, you’re not. Vincenzo and I have spent the last nine days in Paxos on a beach. If I thought I had to go there alone, beautiful as it is, and cook at a restaurant with no friends or family for thousands of miles, I couldn’t do it.”
“That’s not true.”
“I wouldn’t lie about something like that.”
Her brows lifted. “This trip you took. Does it mean—”
“No. We haven’t been together like that. I’m not sure we ever will be now, but I’ll talk to you about it later. Let’s concentrate on you. You’re welcome to stay with me on the couch for as long as you want.”
“I wouldn’t do that to you, but if you’re willing to put me up for one night, I’ll leave for home tomorrow.”
“You’ve got to stay a couple of days at least. I don’t have to be to work until Monday.”
“You always make me feel good.”
“Ditto. To be truthful, you couldn’t have shown up at a better time for me. Vincenzo and I had to come home early from our vacation. His uncle died and he has to be with Dimi to plan the funeral. Come in the kitchen. I made a salad for us.”
“Oh, it’s so great to see you! What on earth was I thinking to go off, when the world I love is right here?”
“That’s what I’m trying to convince Vincenzo of. He’s planning to renounce his title, something that’s part of him. I don’t want him to do that, not for me nor for himself.
“Filippa—he doesn’t think he’s a whole man because of it. Somehow he’s got to develop faith in himself that he can be a good man and a good duca at the same time. I couldn’t marry him knowing he was giving it up partly because of me. The problem is, I’ve agreed to stay on at the castello for three months no matter what happens. I’m praying that in that amount of time he’ll begin to see what I see.”
They ate and later went to a movie. After they got back around nine, her phone rang. It was Vincenzo. With her hand shaking, she picked up and said hello.
“Gemma? I’ve been busy making arrangements for the burial and haven’t talked to Dimi yet. If you haven’t heard from him by now, then I would imagine he has decided against your staying with my aunt. I’ll see you at the castello on Monday. Takis is calling a meeting.”
She pressed a hand to her heart. “I’ll be there.” She fought the tremor in her voice. “Thank you again for the trip of a lifetime, Vincenzo.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it. Buonanotte.”
Click.
Gemma made up a bed for Filippa on the couch, then pulled back the covers to get into her own bed. There’d been no life in Vincenzo’s voice. Her grief had gone way beyond tears.
As she slid beneath the bedding, her phone rang again. This time the caller ID reflected an unknown number. She answered it with a frown. “Pronto?”
“Gemma? It’s Dimi.” She couldn’t believe it. “I’ve decided I would like you to be here with Mamma while I’m gone. I called the castello for your address and phone number.” Not Vincenzo? “I’ll be by for you at eight o’clock in the morning.”
Joy. “I’m honored and I’ll be ready.”
After she got off the phone, she ran into the living room and
