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“Well, I’ll get them out of your hair as soon as I can do so without creating a scandal,” Luca says kindly. “My position does come with some perks, you know.” He looks at me carefully. “I want to make sure that you’re alright here alone, Caterina. That you—”
“I’ll be fine,” I say quickly. “I’m not fragile. I’m grieving, but I’ll heal.”
“No, you’ve never been fragile,” he says, his voice thoughtful. “But you look as if there’s something on your mind.”
I pause, taking a breath. “We haven’t spoken since—” I swallow hard, trying to think of the right way to say what needs to be said. “I want to apologize, Luca,” I say formally, drawing my shoulders back as I look him squarely in the eye. “I had no knowledge of what my husband was doing or what he had planned, but I was his wife nonetheless. I know that you might hold me somewhat responsible for all that happened. And I want you to know how very sorry I am for all of it and that I wasn’t able to stop it. That I was blind to my husband’s betrayal of you.”
Luca’s eyes widen in shock, and he steps forward, gingerly putting his hands on my upper arms. I hate that I flinch at his touch—at any man’s—but Sofia must have told him about the bruises because his touch is exceedingly gentle. “Caterina,” he says quietly, almost disapprovingly. “I don’t blame you at all. How could you think that? Of course none of this was your fault. The fault was entirely Franco’s, and he’s paid for it. You were his wife, but I had no reason to think that you were his confidant.”
It’s hard for me to entirely grasp the weight of what he’s saying—I’m too overwhelmed by the events of the day still—but I feel relieved, nonetheless. I nod, blinking slowly as I grope for a nearby chair and sink into it, feeling as if I can breathe again. I hadn’t realized just how worried I’d been until Luca said, aloud, that he didn’t blame me in some way.
“But Caterina,” he continues, his voice low and serious. It sounds far away, and I know that I’ve pushed past the point of what I can take for one day. I’m more tired than I’ve ever been, on the verge of passing out from emotion and sheer exhaustion, and I dimly see Sofia walking into the room, making her way quickly towards me.
“I do need something from you,” Luca continues as Sofia walks to my side, gently helping me up. “For the good of the family, Caterina.”
For the good of the family.How many times have I heard that over the course of my life? I nod automatically, leaning into Sofia’s arm as she wraps it around my waist. “Of course,” I say numbly. “Whatever you need.”
