Page 62 of Unrelenting
“Renzo!” He opens his arms and he and Lorenzo hug, slapping each other hard on the back the way men do. He breaks out of the embrace and turns to me. “And who is this lovely lady?”
“This is Lucia Lazaro. Lucia, this is my old friend Marco Morganti.”
Marco takes my hand and kisses the back of it. His eyes glint as he glances up at me. “A pleasure,signorina.”
He’s as much of a flirt as Lorenzo. “Did you two attend the same charm school?”
Marco laughs, a deep, rumbling sound. “We went to the same school but charm was not one of the subjects they taught.”
He clicks his fingers, and a young woman steps through the French doors leading into the house. Carrying a pink paper bagand a white box wrapped with a red ribbon, she’s wearing a uniform of a black skirt and a white blouse.
“The things you asked for, Signore.” She smiles shyly at Lorenzo as she holds out the two items to him.
“Thank you, Chiara.” He returns her smile, and the poor girl practically melts on the spot.
Her cheeks redden and she stammers something unintelligible before turning and fleeing.
Lorenzo smirks, fully aware of the effect he has on women. I elbow him in the ribs.
“What?” he asks innocently.
Marco, who’s been watching us intently, clears his throat. “Your mother’s in her bedroom. Agnesca is with her.”
“And the maid who was supposed to watch over her last night?”
“Gone. Her replacement will be here in a couple of hours.”
I have no idea what’s going on, but it sounds as if something is wrong with Lorenzo’s mother. It makes me even more uneasy about being here, but I don’t protest when Lorenzo puts his arm around my waist and steers me into the house.
The villa is enormous. Its entrance hall reminds me of the lobby of a fancy hotel. With its marble flooring, gold mirrors and chandeliers, it’s grand. It feels a little impersonal.
As Lorenzo leads me up the wide staircase and along a corridor, the house becomes a lot cozier. There’s thick carpet on the floor, and the walls are painted in a pale yellow.
We walk to the end of the corridor to an enormous double door. A beautiful floral pattern is carved into the wood.
A few seconds pass before the door opens and we’re greeted by a short, white-haired woman with a ruddy complexion. She throws her arms around Lorenzo and they share a warm hug.
For a moment I think this is his mother but then she steps aside and I see another woman, sitting on the bed, propped up by several pillows.
Pale and thin, she’s dressed in a white satin nightgown. Her long brown hair is poker straight. When she sees us a smile touches her lips.
“These are for you.” Lorenzo passes the white box with the pink ribbon to the older woman.
“Thank you, Signore Lorenzo.” The woman pats his cheek affectionately. “I will go get lunch started.”
She nods a greeting to me as she passes.
“Our housekeeper, Agnesca.” Lorenzo explains before turning his attention to his mother. “Mamma!”
While he hurries across the room to greet his mother with a kiss on each cheek, I hover by the door. Lorenzo turns and waves me over. “This is my friend, Lucia.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Signora Volante,” I say, feeling a little overwhelmed.
“Pfft! It’s Beatrice.” She pats the bed next to her. “Sit. Let me get a good look at you.”
I perch uncomfortably on the edge of the bed as Lorenzo’s mother examines me closely.
“Such a pretty girl.” She looks up at Lorenzo and smiles. “Do you have news?”
