trailed off and she shook her head.
Yes, there were things that should never be discussed, but with her engagement now less than a week away Sophie could no longer keep her fears in. ‘I don’t want to be pulled even closer into Malvolio’s life. I don’t think Luka is anything like his father but—’
‘Shh,’ Bella said, and even though they had the cove to themselves she looked over both shoulders just to make sure. ‘Don’t speak like that.’
‘Why not?’ Sophie pushed. ‘We’re just friends talking.’
Bella said nothing.
‘I don’t want to get married.’
There—Sophie had said it.
‘I’ll be barely nineteen. There are so many things I want to do before I settle down. I don’t know if I want to...’
‘You don’t know if you want to live with Luka in a beautiful home and be taken care of?’ Bella’s response was one of anger. ‘You don’t know if you want to be rich and pampered?’ Bella was starting to shout. ‘Well, I’d take it if I were you and count yourself lucky—after your engagement party Malvolio has told me to stay back. I’ll be working the bar. This time next week I won’t be making beds at the hotel, I’ll be...’ Bella broke down then and Sophie held her own tears in check. ‘Like mother, like daughter,’ Bella sobbed. ‘I am not ashamed of my mother, she did what she had to to survive, but I don’t want that for me.’
‘Then don’t do it!’ Sophie shook her head furiously. ‘You are to tell him no!’
‘Do you think for a moment that he’d listen?’
‘You don’t have to jump to his rules. He can’t make you do anything that you don’t want to.’ Sophie was insistent. She loathed the way everyone jumped at Malvolio’s command, her own father included. ‘If you can’t say no to Malvolio then I shall for you.’
‘Just leave it,’ Bella pleaded.
‘No, I will not leave it. When Luka gets here on Wednesday I’ll try speaking with him...’
‘It won’t do anything.’ Bella shook her head and stood. ‘I need to get back...’
They walked down the little pathway together and Bella apologised for her outburst. ‘I didn’t mean to be cross with you. I understand that it should be your choice if you marry.’
‘We should both have choices,’ Sophie said.
They didn’t, though.
Everyone considered Sophie lucky—that, because of her father’s connections to Malvolio, she would marry Luka.
There had been no discussion with the future bride.
They came out of the trees and onto the hilly street and walked past the hotel Brezza Oceana, where Sophie and Luka’s engagement party would be held.
‘Are you taking your Pill?’ Bella asked, because they had taken the bus two weeks ago to a neighboring town so that Sophie could get contraception without the local doctor knowing.
‘Every day.’
‘I’d better get some,’ Bella said, and Sophie’s heart twisted at the resignation in her friend’s voice.
‘Bella—’
‘I have to go.’
‘Will I see you tonight at church?’
‘Of course.’ Bella attempted a smile. ‘I want to know if you like your dress.’
They parted ways and Sophie was almost home when she remembered she was supposed to have stopped for bread, so she turned and raced back to the deli.
As she walked in, the conversation stopped abruptly, just as it often did these days.
Sophie did her best to ignore the strange tension and when it was her turn she smiled at Teresa, the owner, and ordered the olives and cheese she had chosen, as well as a large pane Siciliano, which was surely the nicest bread in the world, and then took out her purse to pay.
‘Gratuitamente.’ Teresa told Sophie there would be no charge.
‘Scusi?’ Sophie frowned and then blushed. She was being let off paying because she was marrying Malvoio’s son, Sophie decided. Well, she wanted no part in that sort of thing and angrily she took out some money, placed it on the counter and then walked out.
‘You’re late,’ Paulo said, when Sophie let herself into their home and walked through to the kitchen, where her father was sitting reading his paper at the table. ‘You would be late for your own funeral.’
‘Bella and I got talking,’ Sophie said.
‘What do you have there?’
‘Just some bread and olives...’ Sophie answered, and then realised that he was referring to the parcel she was carrying, but before she explained what it was she asked her father a question. ‘Father, when I went to pay, Teresa said there was no charge. Why would she say that?’
‘I don’t know.’ Paulo shrugged. ‘Perhaps she was being nice. After all, you are there every day.’
‘No.’ Sophie refused to be fobbed off. ‘It was uncomfortable when I walked in—everyone stopped talking. I think it might have something to do with my getting engaged to Luka.’
‘What is in the parcel?’ Her father changed the subject and Sophie let out a tense breath as she set down the food and pulled out some plates.
‘Bella gave me my birthday present a day early. It’s my dress for my engagement. I’m going to try it on when I have had my shower. Father...’ As she cut up the loaf Sophie did her best to sound casual. ‘You remember you said I could have my mother’s jewellery when I got engaged?’
‘I said that you could have it when you got married.’
‘No!’ Sophie corrected. ‘You told me years ago that I could have it when Luka and I got engaged. Can I have them now, please? I want to see how my dress looks with everything.’
‘Sophie I’ve just sat down...’
‘Then I will fetch them if you tell me where they are.’
Her father let out a sigh of relief as the phone rang and, though not prepared to get her mother’s jewellery, he happily headed out to answer the phone.
He was always making excuses. For years Sophie had been asking for her mother’s necklace and earrings and always he came up with different reason why she couldn’t have them yet.
‘Father...’ she started as he came back into the kitchen.
‘Not now, Sophie. Malvolio has called a meeting.’
‘But it’s Sunday,’ Sophie said.
‘He said that there is something
