Page 58 of A Very Italian Wedding
Rose wasn’t sure how to advise her friend yet. She’d come to Italy to encourage her to delay the wedding, but now she wasn’t sure if that was the right thing to do.
Marco might not be perfect, but it was clear he adored Luna – she could do a lot worse than marry a man like him. It was obvious now that the Marinos were wealthy in their own right, so her concerns about him being after Luna’s inheritance were probably unfounded. Her rigid ideas about relationships hadbrought her – and Luna – nothing but grief, so perhaps it was time to let them go and make sure this wedding went ahead?
‘Leonessa!’ Aurora exclaimed as soon as Rose headed outside. She shielded her eyes from the bright sunlight and saw the older woman sitting at the long table in the garden where they’d been makingbomboniere.
Everything had been cleared away — perhaps in an attempt to forget about what had happened with Isabella and Coco? Aurora waved and then poured liquid from a green pot into a delicate cup. ‘Come and sit with me, have some coffee,’ she said.
‘I can’t stop for long.’ Rose searched the garden for Luna before pulling out a chair. ‘Have you seen Luna this morning?’ she asked, just stopping herself from enquiring about Ben too. She hadn’t seen or heard from him since leaving the cellar and wasn’t sure what to expect when she did.
Would he regret what had happened between them? He’d told her that he hadn’t been with anyone for two years, but had he been telling the truth? Or was it just another line? Her stomach tightened at the thought.
‘Aldo says she’s out walking somewhere,’ Aurora said, passing Rose the full cup. ‘He says you should go to the lake next.’
Rose sipped some of the hot liquid, relishing the sharp bitter taste. ‘Did he tell you how Luna’s feeling?’ she asked, wondering if the older woman had seen her in passing.
Aurora sighed, tugging her sparkly shawl tighter. ‘I’m not sure any of us can know that,cara. Aldo kept me up for most of the night worrying about her. He can foresee more problems with the wedding, but he believes everything will sort itself out in the end.’
Rose nodded. She wasn’t so sure of that.
‘I hear a lot happened with you last night too?’ Aurora added, flashing Rose a bright smile, making her stomach turnover. Did Aurora somehow know what had happened with Ben in the cellar — had Marco blabbed? She bristled. It had been a private moment, not something she wanted casually discussed, especially since it had been so out of character for her. ‘How do you know?’ she asked sharply.
‘I just do.’ Aurora tapped her temple, her expression suddenly serious. ‘Leonessa– you care about him.’ Rose was about to refute the observation or ask the clairvoyant who she was talking about, but when Aurora shook her head, the words died on her lips. Was it that easy to see? The idea that it was shocked her.
She shrugged. Admitting she had feelings for Ben made her uncomfortable. It was the last thing she’d been looking for and she didn’t know how he felt. Giving someone all that power over you was dangerous – a sure path to getting hurt.
‘Aldo says you have a great future together,’ Aurora shared.
Rose sighed. The Marinos believed in happy ever afters – why not? The family clearly had enough of them. Aside from what was happening with Isabella and Cesare – and Rose wondered if that was a mere blip? But her experience was different. She had no illusions – although the squeeze in her stomach told her she did have hope.
‘I’m not sure Ben feels that way. I’m afraid he’s more invested in being casual,’ she said, flushing because she wasn’t sure why she’d confided in her so suddenly.
‘Sophia was never right for him.’ Aurora’s eyes glittered. ‘She made him feel like he wasn’t worth anything. Like he didn’t matter. That he was nothing more than a handsome face – something to be admired and, how do you say?’ She cocked her head like she was listening to someone. ‘Cottaged – no…’ she huffed. ‘Coveted.’ She nodded. ‘But never loved. She was wrong. He is a good man and deserves someone who adores him. When he finds that, he will give her his whole heart.’
Rose frowned. Hadn’t she thought the same as his ex when she’d first met Ben – that he was just a pretty face? But the last few days had shown her another side to him – one she really liked. Should she drop her guard?
‘When we are hurt, sometimes we try to protect ourselves.’ Aurora sighed as she studied Rose’s face. ‘But the heart wants what the heart wants, and you both need to give in to it.’ Her mouth tightened. ‘To stop being so afraid and embrace what you deserve.’
‘You know better than anyone, not everyone gets what they want or deserve,’ Rose said sorrowfully. ‘Life isn’t a set of scales that automatically balances because it’s fair. You didn’t get your happily ever after,’ she added tentatively. Whether she believed Aldo was real or not, it was clear Aurora had lost the love of her life and there was nothing fair about that.
The clairvoyant shrugged. ‘I am happy. I have spent the last forty years with Aldo. Some might call it an unconventional relationship; others think I’m delusional.’ She flashed a knowing smile, making Rose flush. ‘But it’s the right life for me.’
Rose thought it was an odd and lonely life but didn’t verbalise that. She was, however, impressed by Aurora’s stoicism and hadn’t appreciated quite how amazing Marco’s aunt was until this moment.
‘I think I’m lucky,’ Aurora added huskily, her voice filled with emotion. ‘But if Aldo could be here with me physically.’ Her eyes bored into Rose’s. ‘I wouldn’t bother myself with petty concerns like following rules or waiting for the perfect time. If he were here, I would grab that man with both arms. And I would never let him go.’ Her voice cracked and she stopped for long enough to pick up her cup and swallow the last gulp of coffee.
‘I’m so sorry—’ Rose said soberly, feeling a weight settle in her chest.
‘So you should get going now,’ Aurora interrupted before she could say anything more, tipping her cup towards the olive grove. ‘There is someone you need to speak with this morning.’
‘Luna, I know,’ Rose agreed, finishing her coffee in one before rising from her chair. ‘I need to find out what’s going on. We have a wedding to get back on track.’
Aurora winked. ‘All in good time,leonessa– and just so you know, the spirits are on your side.’
Bemused, Rose nodded, before heading into the gardens.
‘Luna,’ Rose called as she made her way through the olive grove, passing the table and chairs which had been left out after Aurora’s reading. It had only been a few days ago, but so much had changed. All the things she’d spent a lifetime believing, the rules she’d spent her career crafting felt like they were crumbling underfoot. She continued to walk, inhaling the scent of coffee, sun cream and the charred remains of Isabella’s olive tree. It’s how she knew she was walking in the right direction. Perhaps her friend had headed for the lake?
She turned a corner and immediately saw Ben standing by the water, kicking his heels on the ground. He was wearing a navy T-shirt that hugged his large frame and fresh shorts that showcased his long, tanned legs. She swallowed, remembering how it had felt to run her hands over his skin, before stopping in her tracks acknowledging the tingle of pleasure in her stomach that she got from simply seeing him. The feeling made her want to run.
