11
Iled Raffaelo to the kitchen, where we found Alessandra and Caterina exactly as Don Rosolini had described.
Caterina was working with the kitchen staff to prepare lunch. Even though she had married into money and could have never worked another day in her life, her great love – besides Valentino – was cooking. At least three days a week, she prepared lunch or dinner for the family simply because it brought her joy.
And I was very thankful for it, because she usually made enough for the foot soldiers, too – and I’d never tasted food as delicious as what Caterina cooked.
As she worked, Caterina chatted with Alessandra, who sat across the kitchen island on a high-backed chair.
Alessandra was fairly far along in her pregnancy. She’d switched to maternity clothes months ago – but not justanymaternity clothes: fashionable, flowing dresses from the finest shops in Italy.
Recently, though, the pregnancy had begun to take a toll on her. Her hands were abnormally swollen, and her face lookedpuffy. Several months ago, she had looked absolutely radiant – but now her complexion was pale.
I noticed that she had a rosary in her left hand and was idly rubbing the beads. She had always been fairly devout, but ever since Rome, she had begun carrying the rosary with her everywhere she went.
It might have been due to everything that had happened with Fausto –
But I wondered if perhaps she feared for her baby.
I knew that she was going to weekly medical check-ups in Florence. Adriano hadn’t said anything, and I knew it wasn’t my place to ask, but I wondered if something might be wrong.
Whatever the reason, she had become much more religious. When I visited the house with Adriano, I sometimes heard her walking the hallways, whispering Hail Marys and Our Fathers under her breath.
As Raffaelo and I walked into the kitchen, Caterina called out, “Hey, it’s Giorgio and a new guy! Hi Giorgio! Hi, new guy!”
“Hi there, yourself,” Raffaelo said with a charming grin.
Alessandra smiled at us.
“Good morning,Signoras,”I greeted them. “This is Raffaelo. He works for the family in Florence.”
“Oh, cool. I’m Cat – ”
“And I’m Alessandra.”
“Pleased to make your acquaintance,” Raffaelo replied, then said to Cat, “I’d offer to shake, but you seem like you’re a bit preoccupied at the moment.”
Caterina grinned and held up her hands, which were covered in flour. “True. We can do an elbow bump, though.”
“Sounds good to me.”
They made an elaborate display of bumping elbows, and then Raffaelo shook Alessandra’s hand.
“Third trimester?” he asked. “Or the very end of the second?”
She was impressed. “I just finished the 25thweek. Are you a doctor?”
“I used to be.”
“Not anymore?”
“Therein lies a tale. Do you know the baby’s gender yet?”
Alessandra beamed and touched her belly. “A little girl.”
“Wonderful! Do you have a name picked out?”
“Niccolo called dibs on their mother’s name, Viviana, so we’re going to name her aftermymother, Elena.” Alessandra smiled sadly. “She died when I was only 12, so Dario and I agreed this would be a good way to keep her legacy alive.”
