Dario looked grim, but he nodded. “If your girlfriend refuses to remain here, then you can take her home on your way to Fiesole. But tell her she’ll be a hundred times saferherethan back in Florence, and that she’s welcome to stay as long as she likes.”
“Thank you, Don Rosolini,” I said gratefully, and left to go find Emilia.
92
Ifound her out behind the mansion.
She was standing in the grass field beyond the patio, staring out at the distant gardens and swimming pool.
“A beautiful place out in the country, right?” I said as I walked up.
She whirled around, startled by my voice.
But she didn’t smile at my joke.
She just turned back to keep staring at the scenery.
I moved up behind her and put my arms around her waist. “We won’t be able to afford anything quite this grand, but who knows – Adriano’s family owns a lot of land around here. Maybe they’d be willing to cut me a deal on an acre or two someday – ”
“I’d like to go home now,” she interrupted.
Her voice wasn’t exactly cold.
More like… scared.
I gently turned her around. “Are you okay?”
She didn’t look at me.
I put one finger under her chin and tipped her face up. “Emilia?”
When she finally looked into my eyes, her face was worried.
Tired.
Sad.
“Yeah, I just… I want to go home.”
“Don Rosolini personally told me that you’re welcome to stay,” I said. “It’s a beautiful place – you haven’t even seen the gardens. And Caterina will be cooking for everybody – ”
“I want to go home, Giorgio,” she said more forcefully.
I sighed inwardly and steeled myself for what came next.
“After what happened this morning, Don Rosolini believes it would be safer if you stay here at the – ”
“Whywould it be safer here?” she burst out in a panic. “Are you saying those people would comeafter me?!”
“No – no, no, no,” I quickly backtracked. “You’re safe. No one’s gonna come after you. It’s just… this place is a fortress. Nobody can hurt you here.”
“But they’d hurt me back in Florence?!”
“No,” I said, then hesitated. “…probably not.”
“Probablynot?!”
“Look, it’s like a one percent chance back in Florence, but it’s azeropercent chance here.”
