LITMIR.BIZ

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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 hotel, 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.

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