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That should sound horrifying, but for some reason, it feels exactly the opposite of that.
Chapter 13
Carlo
A month into the marriage, the mansion is bursting with holiday festivity. Sitting at the breakfast table, Isabella enjoys a cup of coffee with my mother. The two have become friends since Isabella’s attitude took a drastic turn on our wedding night.
As I do most mornings, I join them. “There are my favorite girls.”
My mother giggles as I kiss her cheek, then move to Isabella, taking her hand and kissing the top of it as I look into her pretty blue eyes. “My lady, you are looking lovely this morning, as always.”
“And you’re looking handsome as ever, my sweet husband.” She pulls me down and leaves a soft kiss on my lips.
A cup of coffee is brought for me and placed on the table before I even take my seat next to my wife. “So, what do you two have on the agenda for today?”
“Decorating,” my mother says as she picks up a delicate pastry.
Isabella tells me, “She wants me to add something to the decorations you already have—you know, add my touch for the holidays. But I haven’t done much decorating and, to be honest, don’t even know what I like.”
With a shrug, I pick up my cup of coffee. The steam drifts away as I blow across the top. “You’ll just have to do a lot of shopping to figure out what you like. The House of Holiday has everything you could possibly want—it would be a great place to find something.”
Mother’s eyes light up, and she grins at Isabella. “Would you like to go on a shopping trip today?”
Isabella hasn’t left the mansion in a month since we married. Going out should sound like fun to her.
Looking at me, she asks, “Would that be safe?”
“You would be well-guarded.” Patting her hand, I nod. “You should go. You two will have a great time. Maybe get some lunch too. Have a real day out on the town.”
Isabella chews on her lower lip, her insecurity about going out showing. “Can I think about it?” She looks at my mother, and I can tell she doesn’t want to offend her. “It’s just that this would be my first time going out since I found out everything about myself.”
Tapping the rim of her coffee cup with her long fingernail, my mother looks a little worried. “You can’t be afraid to leave the house, Isabella.”
I nod. “You can’t be afraid of anything. Not when you are who you are. I should’ve noticed your hesitation before. You need to confront it and move past it. You need to go out today.”
“But you didn’t want me to leave,” Isabella whines. “You told me it wasn’t safe for me to leave this house. Why is today any different from the other days?”
Looking at her over the rim of my cup, I wink. “Because I said so. Don’t overthink it. Just do it. Go and have fun. You’ll be protected by my best men. There’s nothing to fear. You know how I feel about fear.”
“You abhor it,” she mumbles.
My mother is quick to change the subject. “It’ll be nice to add your unique personality to the place. I mean, I know it’s a mansion, but it’s a home at its heart. It’s the little touches that make it that way. I started the Christmas village when I first came here. Some of the decorations and ornaments for the tree are antiques that came from Italy, where my husband’s parents are from.”
Looking at me, Isabella asks, “That means you’re what? Third generation American, Carlo?”
“That’s right.” I look at my mother. “Mother, tell her about her heritage.”
“I had no idea your mother knew anything about my real family. Please do.” Isabella leans forward with curiosity in her eyes.
“Well,” my mother begins as she puts down her cup of coffee, “your grandparents lived in the same neighborhood as my late husband’s parents. As a matter of fact, Carlo’s grandfather and your grandfather were what some would call best friends.”
“That’s crazy,” Isabella says excitedly. “So, our families were friendly when they were back in Italy?”
Nodding, my mother goes on, “They lived in the city of Palermo on the beautiful Italian island of Sicily.”
“My family comes from Palermo, and I had no idea. This is wild!” Isabella gushes.
With a nod, I add, “Our families, once friends, became rivals. Our grandfathers fell in love with the same woman, and that’s when the war began.”
