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Authors: Danielle Steel
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relentlessly down her face beneath the black veil. Employees and friends and relatives were sobbing openly. Even the gargoyle was there, with her gold and ebony cane.
It seemed years before they returned to the house. Contrary to tradition, Isabella had let it be known that she would see no one at home. No one. She wanted to be left alone. Who knew which of them had betrayed him? But Bernardo knew now that it was unlikely to be someone of their acquaintance. Even the police had no clue. They assumed, probably correctly, that it had been lucky amateurs, greedy for a piece of the San Gregorio wealth. There were no fingerprints, no bits of evidence, no witnesses, there had been no more calls. And there wouldn't be, the police were sure of it. Except from the hundreds, maybe thousands, of cranks who would start their macabre games. The police manned her telephone now, waiting for the onslaught of minor madmen who took pleasure in haunting and taunting and teasing, confessing, and threatening, or breathing obscenities into the phone. They had told Isabella what she could expect. Bernardo cringed at the thought of it; she had been through enough.
Where's Alessandro? Bernardo sipped a cup of coffee after the funeral, thinking how unbearably empty the house suddenly seemed and ashamed to find himself grateful that if it had to be someone, it had been Amadeo and not the child. Isabella wouldn't have been able to make that choice. But to Bernardo it was clear. As it would have been to Amadeo. He would have gladly sacrificed himself to spare his only child.
He's in his room with the nurse. Do you want to see him? Isabella looked at him lifelessly over her cup.
I can wait. I wanted to talk to you about something anyway.
What? She wasn't easy to talk to these days, and she wouldn't let the doctor give her anything to help. Bernardo guessed accurately that she hadn't really slept in almost a week.
I think you need to get away.
Don't be absurd. She set her cup down viciously and stared at him. I'm fine.
You look it. He stared back at her, and for a moment she gave in to the flicker of a smile. It was the first taste of the old tension between them in a week. It felt comfortable and familiar.
All right, I'm tired. But I'll be fine.
Not if you stay here.
You're wrong. This is where I need to be. Near his things, his home ' near ' him. '
Why don't you take a trip to the States?
Why don't you mind your own business? She sat back in her chair with a sigh, I'm not going, Bernardo. Don't push me.
You heard what the police said. Cranks will be calling, bugging you. Already now the press won't leave you alone. Is this how you want to live? What you want for Alessandro? You can't even send him back to school.
Eventually he can go back to school.
Then go away until then. A month. A few months. What is there to stay here for?
Everything. She looked at him very deliberately as she slowly pulled off her hat and took the veil from her eyes. There was something frightening and determined about the way she looked at him now.
What does that mean?
It means I'm coming back to work on Monday. Part time, but every day. Nine to one, nine to two. Whatever it takes.
Are you joking?
Not at all.
Isabella, you can't mean it. He was shocked.
I can and I do. Just who do you think will run the business now now that ' he's gone? She faltered for a moment on the words. But he bridled as soon as she had said them.
I thought I could do that. For a moment he sounded hurt and very tough. She looked away and then back at him.
You could. But I can't do that. I can't sit here and abdicate. I can't give up what Amadeo and I shared, what he built, what we loved, what we made. He's gone now, Bernardo. I owe it to him. And to Alessandro. One day the business will be his. You and I. will have to teach him what he needs to know. You and I. Both of us. I can't do that just sitting here. If I did that, all I could do was tell him what it was like twenty years ago
It seemed years before they returned to the house. Contrary to tradition, Isabella had let it be known that she would see no one at home. No one. She wanted to be left alone. Who knew which of them had betrayed him? But Bernardo knew now that it was unlikely to be someone of their acquaintance. Even the police had no clue. They assumed, probably correctly, that it had been lucky amateurs, greedy for a piece of the San Gregorio wealth. There were no fingerprints, no bits of evidence, no witnesses, there had been no more calls. And there wouldn't be, the police were sure of it. Except from the hundreds, maybe thousands, of cranks who would start their macabre games. The police manned her telephone now, waiting for the onslaught of minor madmen who took pleasure in haunting and taunting and teasing, confessing, and threatening, or breathing obscenities into the phone. They had told Isabella what she could expect. Bernardo cringed at the thought of it; she had been through enough.
Where's Alessandro? Bernardo sipped a cup of coffee after the funeral, thinking how unbearably empty the house suddenly seemed and ashamed to find himself grateful that if it had to be someone, it had been Amadeo and not the child. Isabella wouldn't have been able to make that choice. But to Bernardo it was clear. As it would have been to Amadeo. He would have gladly sacrificed himself to spare his only child.
He's in his room with the nurse. Do you want to see him? Isabella looked at him lifelessly over her cup.
I can wait. I wanted to talk to you about something anyway.
What? She wasn't easy to talk to these days, and she wouldn't let the doctor give her anything to help. Bernardo guessed accurately that she hadn't really slept in almost a week.
I think you need to get away.
Don't be absurd. She set her cup down viciously and stared at him. I'm fine.
You look it. He stared back at her, and for a moment she gave in to the flicker of a smile. It was the first taste of the old tension between them in a week. It felt comfortable and familiar.
All right, I'm tired. But I'll be fine.
Not if you stay here.
You're wrong. This is where I need to be. Near his things, his home ' near ' him. '
Why don't you take a trip to the States?
Why don't you mind your own business? She sat back in her chair with a sigh, I'm not going, Bernardo. Don't push me.
You heard what the police said. Cranks will be calling, bugging you. Already now the press won't leave you alone. Is this how you want to live? What you want for Alessandro? You can't even send him back to school.
Eventually he can go back to school.
Then go away until then. A month. A few months. What is there to stay here for?
Everything. She looked at him very deliberately as she slowly pulled off her hat and took the veil from her eyes. There was something frightening and determined about the way she looked at him now.
What does that mean?
It means I'm coming back to work on Monday. Part time, but every day. Nine to one, nine to two. Whatever it takes.
Are you joking?
Not at all.
Isabella, you can't mean it. He was shocked.
I can and I do. Just who do you think will run the business now now that ' he's gone? She faltered for a moment on the words. But he bridled as soon as she had said them.
I thought I could do that. For a moment he sounded hurt and very tough. She looked away and then back at him.
You could. But I can't do that. I can't sit here and abdicate. I can't give up what Amadeo and I shared, what he built, what we loved, what we made. He's gone now, Bernardo. I owe it to him. And to Alessandro. One day the business will be his. You and I. will have to teach him what he needs to know. You and I. Both of us. I can't do that just sitting here. If I did that, all I could do was tell him what it was like twenty years ago
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