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CHAPTER SIXTEEN
‘LISTENTOME,NICO…’
Of all the bizarre moments in Nico’s life, this possibly earned top billing: Pino giving him marital advice.
As it turned out, Nicowasn’tthe last in his family.
He still had many of them. Not blood relatives, perhaps, but neither would he introduce them as friends, for they were so much more.
‘You have to keep the romance,’ Pino said. ‘I have been married to Rosa for thirty years, so listen when I give you advice. Even if it has not been a good day, you have to find a way to enjoy the night.’
‘I can do that.’ Nico nodded.
‘And you have to dance,’ Francesca added. ‘Often.’
But Nico dismissed that suggestion with a shake of his head. ‘I don’t dance.’
It was three hours until sunset, and while Aurora was having all her treatments in the oratory, he was in the café on the hill with the Silibri contingent.
‘Aurora can dance. She can dance very well,’ Francesca said. ‘You cannot let her down.’
And who knew that Vincenzo just happened to have been a ballroom champion, or a tango master, or something along those lines, a decade ago?
But Vincenzo wasn’t a kind teacher.
Vincenzo was impatient, and exacting, and Nico could never have imagined he would spend the hours before his wedding dancing with a man in a butterscotch suit.
‘And there will be the tarantella,’ Francesca said.
Nico frowned. He’d rather avoided weddings.
Until now.
Luigi had been brought in for this very special day, but instead of an elegant chignon, or snaky curls, Aurora chose to wear her hair loose and long.
Her make-up was for the most part subtle, but she asked Luigi to go to town with the eyeliner.
‘Not just yet,’ Luigi said, and glanced up. ‘There’s a surprise for you!’
‘What?’
And then through the doors came Antonietta.
‘Oh!’
‘Don’t cry,’ Antonietta warned as they embraced.
She wanted to, though, for it had been four long years with just the occasional message in between. ‘I never thought you’d come today!’ Aurora said.
‘I nearly didn’t,’ Antonietta admitted. ‘But I could not stay away from your wedding.’
‘Have you seen any of your family since you’ve been back?’
‘Don’t worry about that now,’ Antonietta said. ‘You have a wedding to attend. I’m going to head down to the ruins, but I just wanted to give you a kiss and offer my best wishes. Now, in case I don’t stay for the party after, here…’ She handed Aurora a little silver medal. ‘For you to carry with you today.’
It was a French good luck charm:Bonheur, the little medal said.
‘It means happiness,’ Antonietta explained. ‘That is my wish for you.’
