Page 38 of Far from Home
‘You were the mother of his child and still he didn’t want to marry you?’ Suddenly Amy’s opinion of Martin Slater took a nosedive. The outrage in her voice must have got through to Domenica, who was quick to explain.
‘It was complicated, Amy. You see, the thing was that he never stopped loving your mother.’ She sniffed and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand but managed to carry on. ‘Please don’t think too badly of him. It’s not as awful as it sounds. He was completely open and honest with me from the start. He told me he cared for me a lot, but his heart irrevocably belonged to her and to his daughter back in England. I honestly believe it frustrated him as much as it did me, but it was something he was powerless to control.’ She looked up from her hands for a moment. ‘Martin was always very generous. He bought me my house here. He arranged for royalties he got for his books every month to be paid direct to me and this produced more than enough to keep me and Rolando. It still does. I can’t complain about the way he treated me – at least as far as money’s concerned.’ Her eyes met Amy’s and the misery was all too clear to read. ‘The only stipulation was that we couldn’t marry or live together. He told me about the daughter he’d never met but, as he couldn’t be with her, it wasn’t right he should be with Rolando.’
Amy didn’t know what to say. All this time, since learning the truth about her father, she had been putting the blame for their separation on her mother’s inflexibility, but now it sounded as though her father had been equally pig-headed. She rolled her eyes in disbelief. Two people whose lives had been blighted, if not completely ruined, by a refusal to put the past behind them and move on. She was still trying to put her thoughts into words when Domenica continued.
‘Amy, Martin told me he wrote you a letter. Did you find it? He said it would be in the safe and you’d know how to open it.’
Amy nodded. ‘Yes, thanks, I found it. It explained so much but I’m still struggling to understand how two people could be so pig-headed.’
‘Love does funny things to people.’ In spite of the way she had been treated it was only too obvious that Domenica was still in love with this strange and troubled man.
They talked for a good long time and, by the end, Amy felt she knew her enigmatic father a lot better and she was developing a lot of affection – and pity – for this kindly woman who had been dealt just about as poor a hand by her father as her mother had dealt him. It beggared belief. Then, suddenly, something clicked in her brain.
‘Domenica, you’re going to think I’m totally stupid, but I’ve only just realised something now. Your son, Rolando, is my half-brother.’
Domenica nodded and smiled. ‘I wondered how long it would take you to work that out. I’m afraid I gave you a lot to take in.’
Amy sat back and took a couple of deep breaths. All her life she had thought of herself as an only child and now, suddenly, at the age of thirty-one she found she had a brother – all right, not a full brother, but they both shared the same father. Domenica was right. It certainly was a lot to take in.
‘And Rolando, how old is he now?’
‘He’s twenty-one.’ She looked up from her hands. ‘Look, Amy, that’s another thing I have to say to you. I have to apologise for him. You saw how rude he was last night but maybe after what I’ve just told you, you can begin to understand why.’
‘Of course. He sees me as the person who blighted your life and, by extension, his. Oh, Domenica, I’m so sorry. I knew nothing about all this but I feel awful. Do you think you could persuade him to come and talk to me? I’d love to try to clear the air between us and get to know my little brother.’ She shook her head in wonderment. ‘First I discover I have a father I didn’t know I had, and now I find I have a brother.’ She caught Domenica’s eye. ‘It’s taking a bit of getting used to. But, please, do you think you could speak to him? Tell him I’d love to get to know him.’
‘And I’m sure he’ll love you when he gets to know you, but he’s had this immense chip on his shoulder ever since I told him the truth a few years ago. From that day on he refused to speak to Martin. He can be very stubborn.’
‘Hecan be stubborn? I think we both know who he inherited that from. Would you and he like to come here for dinner one evening? I really would love to patch things up between us. By the way, we can keep this secret between us, if you like. Nobody else needs to be in on it, but I really would like to get to know Rolando.’
She read relief on Domenica’s face. ‘That would be perfect. I’ve never told anybody and I’d definitely prefer it if we keep this to ourselves. Considering how fast news travels here in Sant’Antonio, I’ve been amazed that we managed to keep the secret for so long. As for dinner, that’s very kind of you. I’ll do my best to persuade him to come. None of this is your fault; he has to realise that. The trouble is that Rolando could never understand Martin’s behaviour. I tried time and time again to explain it to him, but to no avail.’
‘I don’t blame him one bit.’ Amy reached across and squeezed Domenica’s arm. ‘I’m not so sure I understand it either.’ Anxious to change to a more cheerful subject, she jumped to her feet. ‘Do you know anything about mushrooms?’
Domenica looked at her in surprise. ‘Not a lot. I can recognise porcini and a couple of others that are good to eat, but I steer clear of any other types just in case.’
‘Terrific.’ Amy dashed to the kitchen and dug out her porcini and brought them back for inspection. Domenica’s eyes lit up.
‘What lovely mushrooms and so early in the season. Yes, these are porcini all right. What are you going to do with them?’
‘I was just trying to work that out when you arrived. Any suggestions?’
‘Is it just you or are you expecting company?’ Seeing Amy hold up a single finger, she continued. ‘Personally I love a starter of raw porcini, sliced and drizzled with lemon juice and olive oil. Follow that by cutting the larger ones into pieces the size of the segments of an orange, dip them in egg and flour, and then lightly fry them.’
‘Super, thanks. I’ll try that tonight.’ Another thought occurred to her and she pointed at the photos of her father on the shelf alongside the fireplace. ‘I’ve been looking for photos of my father but all I’ve found are these three. I don’t suppose you have any I could take a look at or copy, have you?’
Domenica nodded. ‘I have lots. I’ll have a sort through and next time we meet up I’ll bring them with me.’
‘Thank you so much. That’ll be one night next week when you come to dinner, hopefully with Rolando.’
‘I’ll do my very best to get him to come. Let me check with him to see which nights he’s free and I’ll give you a call.’
After exchanging numbers, Domenica headed for the door but stopped before she got there. ‘If you don’t mind me asking, what are you planning on doing? Are you going to move here to Sant’Antonio or are you going back to England?’
Amy shrugged helplessly. ‘I’ve been trying to make up my mind for weeks now. I love this house and the town, but I also love my job. It’s a tough decision.’
‘I can imagine. Is there anybody over there in England that you need to get back to? A partner or husband?’
Amy shook her head. ‘Not now.’
