Page 46 of A Very Italian Wedding
What if all the rules she’d spent a lifetime creating were wrong? What if she was all the things she’d been accused of over the years – naïve, misguided even clueless – what then?
‘Rose!’ Luna said, suddenly jumping up from the table under the pagoda where she was sitting with Aurora, Elena and Francesca.
‘You look beautiful,leonessa,’ Aurora said, getting up too so she could give Rose an enthusiastic kiss on each cheek. ‘We’ve been waiting for you.’ She pointed to the table which had been covered with crafting equipment. ‘I’m happy we’re going to be able to catch up again.’ She nodded at Rose. ‘There was a lot unsaid last night. Aldo has so many things he still wants to share with you.’
Rose’s stomach sank. She wasn’t looking for more revelations – and despite not believing in Aldo, she was still a little afraid he could somehow read her mind.
‘You look stunning,’ Francesca chimed in as she indicated the chair opposite to where she was sitting. ‘The red dress really suits you. I am a genius,’ she joked.
‘You are,’ Elena agreed.
‘Thank you,’ Rose said, discreetly searching the area for Ben before taking the seat and perusing the bowls laid out in front of them which were filled with different coloured almonds, white tulle, pots of pink ribbon and cardboard hearts. Wine glasses sat at each of the place settings, and bottles of prosecco and red and white wine were peppered in between the bulging crafting bowls.
‘Where’s Ben?’ Francesca asked, glancing around and Rose did too.
‘This is a woman only event, remember,’ Aurora said. ‘He’s with Marco, Leonardo and Cesare organising a big surprise.’
‘A surprise?’ Luna asked, looking around. ‘What surprise?’
‘Now, it wouldn’t be a surprise if we told you that, would it,cara?’ Aurora chuckled.
Rose heard the demon let out a low growl and glanced around in time to see Isabella leading Coco around the house towards them. She was carrying the pastry bag they’d hidden the statue in. Rose had almost forgotten about it in all the excitement. Had Ben handed it over when she’d been changing her clothes?
Was Marco’snonnagoing to give Luna her present now? Rose winced. This wasn’t the right time – Luna didn’t need the pressure of family expectations being laid on her, especially in front of a crowd.
‘We should start with a toast,’ Elena said, greeting her mother-in-law, holding up her drink and grinning at Luna. ‘To the bride.’ Everyone picked up their glasses and quickly toasted. ‘We will make thebombonieretogether now. For those of you who have never made them before.’ She smiled at Rose. ‘You need to make a bag with the tulle and fill it with five almonds, then you will decorate them.’ She pointed to the pots on the table.
‘Why five almonds?’ Rose asked, studying the bowls.
‘Because they signify health, wealth, happiness, fertility, and longevity,’ Elena said. ‘So please ensure you include them all. We don’t want our bride and groom to miss out on any, do we?’ She smiled.
‘Almonds won’t make a marriage happy, and it won’t make it last,’ Isabella grumbled as she pulled up a chair and sat, thumping the pastry bag down on the table in front of her.‘There’s only one reason to have a wedding.’ She looked meaningfully at the pastry bag.
‘Nonna…’ Elena sighed before turning to Rose. ‘Isabella would obviously like to thank you for picking up the wedding gift for her. I’m sure Marco and Luna will appreciate it although she might want to wait until they are alone to give it to them.’ She gave her mother-in-law a pointed look.
‘What is it?’ Luna whispered to Rose. ‘I was hoping for a crate of puppies or some special tea.’
‘My son might not appreciate either of those,’ Elena joked.
‘It is neither.’ Isabella frowned. ‘Do you want it now?’ she growled at Luna.
‘Why don’t we wait until Marco arrives? I asked the men to join us after they set up their surprise. They are going to help us make thebomboniere,’ Elena told them.
The older woman frowned. ‘Usually, only the women make them.’
‘Today we’re trying something new.’ Elena shrugged. ‘Why don’t we get started? There are plastic gloves beside your plates,’ she said. ‘If you can pull them on, thenNonna, I’m sure you won’t mind demonstrating? There’s plenty of tulle, pearl stems and ribbon. Please be generous – we want them to look pretty for our guests!’
Isabella got slowly to her feet. ‘I do this for Marco and Luna and thebambinito come,’ she said grandly.
‘Okay,’ Luna said carefully, glancing at Rose and looking worried as Coco hopped onto her lap and then curled into a ball.
Isabella delicately picked up two pieces of tulle. Rose watched as she nimbly put two small circles together before making a pouch and filling it with five colourful almonds.
Then she pushed the edges together and twisted pink, white and baby blue ribbons around the top before tying them off. She continued to work on it, gradually building it up with morestrings of ribbon and adding pearl stems too. Then she silently finished the whole thing off with a white heart which someone had writtenLuna & Marcoonto in swirly gold lettering.
‘Now it’s our turn,’ Elena said as Isabella placed the party favour into a bowl in the centre of the table and then sat silently. ‘Nonnamade these for me and Leonardo when we married and now, dear Marco and Luna, it’s your turn.’ Elena grinned as she took her seat too.
‘I’m going to need plenty of this,’ Francesca muttered as she sipped more wine. ‘I’m good at choosing and matching clothes and styles to people, but when it comes to craft, I’m all fingers and thumbs.’ She picked up a couple of pieces of the tulle and Rose watched her work before picking up two pieces of the material too.
