by Gill Vickery
Nico and Jade took a corner each to steady the cloth and leaned forward for a better look. James was right – there were the merest hints of lines.
‘The only way you can make it properly visible is by peeing on it.’
‘Eww!’ Jade let go of the handkerchief. ‘That’s disgusting!’
‘Oh, don’t worry; I’m pretty sure it hasn’t been used. Nico could always go and test it out though.’
‘I don’t think so!’ Nico drawled and let go of his corner of the cloth.
James grinned. ‘Just kidding.’ He stood up. ‘I’m going to get lunch. You two . . .’ he pointed a finger at them, ‘are going to stay here. Your mothers hear that you’ve run off and I’m dead.’ He stabbed the air for emphasis. ‘And I’ll take you with me.’
Nico watched him go, still surprised he was behaving like a regular human being.
‘There’s something else in here.’ Jade was pulling out what looked like paper from the tin.
‘What is it?’
The paper came free. ‘It’s an envelope.’ Jade turned it over. She stared at it in astonishment.
‘What?’ Nico said.
Jade held out the envelope. ‘It’s addressed to Roberto Volpe. That’s my nonno’s name.’
‘Open it.’
Jade turned it over again. ‘It’s been opened already.’
‘If the tin belonged to the English spy he must’ve read it for some reason.’
‘Why would he have a letter addressed to my nonno?’
‘You might find out if you read it.’
Jade scanned the letter. Then she read it again, carefully. ‘It’s so sad – but . . .’ She looked puzzled. ‘I don’t understand it.’
‘Why? What does it say? Who’s it from?’
‘It’s from Elena – the woman my nonno was in love with when he was young.’ Jade chewed at her lip.
Nico reached out and squeezed her hand. ‘Don’t tell me any more if you don’t want to.’
‘I’ve got to tell somebody and I can’t tell Amber, Mum’s not speaking to me and Dad’s got too much to worry about already.’
Nico listened as Jade took a deep breath and then told him all about her relatives and Elena, Gaetano, Roberto and the betrayal.
‘Do you believe it, about your nonno?’ Nico asked.
Jade pulled a face. ‘I don’t want to but Caterina and Gaetano are so sure. And now there’s this letter.’ She pushed it towards Nico.
‘I can’t get much past, “My dearest Roberto”.’ He grinned. ‘My school doesn’t equip us for the language of real life – you’ll have to tell me what it says.’
He was rewarded with a brief smile that lit up Jade’s face and made his heart give a peculiar jump. ‘It’s quite hard to translate literally – I’ll do my best to give the main meaning of it.
‘“My Dearest Roberto,”’ Jade read out, ‘“I don’t think you received my previous letter – if you had, I know you would have answered me. I asked you to come and rescue me from my parents. Roberto, we are having a baby and my parents are so angry and ashamed of what I . . .”’ Jade faltered.
Nico squeezed her hand again. ‘Go on, you’re doing fine.’
‘Thanks.’ Jade cleared her throat, ‘“ . . . ashamed of what I have done and even more ashamed that it was with a fascist boy when the family is loyal to the King.”’
‘How could Elena’s parents be loyal to the king? Italy hasn’t got a royal family, has it?’ Nico asked.
‘It did have. After the war, the Italians voted to have a republic instead.’
‘How do you know this stuff?’
‘From Nonno’s Italian Club – they were always talking politics.’ Jade nodded at the letter. ‘Elena says, I’m sick and I can’t leave the house and my parents are watching me all the time. I cry and I cry. If you don’t come for me now I’ll have to marry Gaetano. I don’t love him but he will save me from shame and care for me and the baby.’
Jade lowered the letter. ‘She says she knows it will be difficult for Roberto to leave the Black Brigade but lots of boys have run away from them and joined the other side.’
‘Who were the Black Brigade?’ Nico asked.
‘A sort of militia dedicated to fighting partisans and punishing them.’ Jade looked stricken. ‘They were really, really brutal. Everyone hated them.’
‘Does Elena say anything else?’ Nico asked gently.
‘A bit; it’s sad. She writes, I’ll find someone I trust to post this letter. I love you with all my heart, and I know you love me too, and I truly believe that you will come to me as soon as you read these words.’
‘You’re right, it is sad.’ Nico thought about this girl from long ago, only a teenager like Jade, sick and frightened, alienated from her parents, without the boy she loved who was fighting on the wrong side in a bitter, ferocious war that had raged for years.
Jade put the letter back in its envelope. ‘I wonder who she gave it to and why it never got posted. And how come it ended up in the spy’s tin?’
‘I think the only way you’re going to find out is to do what James said: ask someone. Maybe Gaetano would be the best bet – the tin was on his property.’
Jade snapped the tin shut but kept hold of the letter. ‘I can’t ask him about this.’ She waved the letter. ‘I just can’t. He’ll say something bad about Nonno. I have to know more first. I can ask him about the tin, see what his reaction is and then think again.’ She put the letter in her pocket.
Nico squeezed Jade’s hand a third time. She didn’t seem to mind. ‘Good idea.’
‘I can’t do it on my own, he’s scary. Will you come with me?’
‘Course I will.’ Nico decided it was the right time to hug Jade. He was about to lift his arms when James appeared.
‘Lunch,’ James announced. ‘D’you want it out here?’
Nico squashed the thought of a thousand savage and excruciatingly painful evils he could inflict on James. ‘We’ll go after lunch if you like,’ he said to Jade.
‘Go where?’ James asked.
‘On an errand of mercy.’ Nico smiled at James though he wanted to smack him with the umbrella pole. ‘You can take us if you like.’
Despite our concerns about what Roberto might do there was no sign of him in the local town and he made no attempt to contact his foster family. I asked Gaetano bluntly, ‘Will he turn us in?’
Gaetano shook his head. ‘No. He likes swaggering around in the uniform and he likes the Duce and the promises he made to the peasants and the workers. He believes all the lies. But he doesn’t want to hurt us.’
‘What about me? I’m the enemy. I’m a spy.’
‘He doesn’t know you’re here.’ The boy grinned. ‘Let’s keep it that way, eh?’
And we did, making sure we were doubly careful to cover any trace of a link to our activities. The Germans and the Fascists became ever more frustrated as we stole arms, slashed tyres and cut telephone and railway lines. The partisans’ successes only increased the violence of the enemy’s retaliation. We had to decide before each attack if the consequences were worth it. Generally, the answer was yes, but not always as the inhabitants of the farm and the small town of Borgo Sant’Angelo were to discover later.
We were kept informed of enemy plans by Ilaria. As the daughter of a lawyer she’d had no difficulty finding work in the offices of the local mayor, a puffed-up, preening Fascist. Ilaria was a clever girl: level-headed and shrewd, and knew when to appear naïve and when coquettish, whereas by nature she was neither. She had no problem in deceiving the mayor and his Fascist friends both Italian and German. So when she arrived at the stable one day, looking for me, I assumed it was with intelligence information. It turned out to be more personal: a problem to do with a letter to Roberto. It was from her friend, Elena. Although the Germans had requisitioned the Vil
la dei Fiori after the Armistice and used it as a communications and coordination centre, I knew that Gaetano and Ilaria went there clandestinely. Ilaria flirted with the soldiers in order to glean information from them and Gaetano visited Elena; he was sweet on her.
‘I don’t know what to do with this,’ Ilaria said and thrust the letter at me. ‘What do you think?’
It was a pitiful thing. The poor girl was pregnant by Roberto, whom she’d last seen just before Christmas. She was now three months gone and desperate to get in touch with him. She’d written to him once before and received no reply. Now she was pleading with Ilaria to deliver this letter direct to the Black Brigade HQ in Florence. I folded it up. ‘It would be dangerous to go to the heart of the Brigade. And if you did manage to get the letter to Roberto and he did do his duty and came for Elena, he might well discover I’m here, and the Uccelli Squad, and that would be the end of us.’
‘Yes, all that’s true. But Roberto really does love Elena, you know.’
‘Not enough to respond to her first letter. And look, she says here that Gaetano loves her too and if Roberto doesn’t come for her Gaetano’s willing to marry her. Your friend will be safe and well cared for.’
‘I suppose so.’ The girl’s face was troubled. ‘We were all friends when we were children.’
I couldn’t help smiling. Ilaria was still only seventeen; her childhood was not far behind her though the war had made all these youngsters grow up faster than they should have.
‘Elena was the best thing for Roberto. We thought she could talk him round, make him give up his belief in Fascism.’ Her voice trailed off hopelessly.
I folded the letter up and put it in my tobacco tin. ‘Let’s think about it for a day or two and decide later.’ I covered it with the silk map. I had no intention of the letter getting to the Black Brigade HQ; it was far too risky. I hoped that by delaying Ilaria, who was a sensible girl, she would have time to realise that too. She did and I forgot about the letter.
I might have advised differently if I had known the tragedy that was about to befall us.
CHAPTER XVIII
JADE RANG DAD to say she and Nico were on their way to the hospital. Dad told her Amber was doing well enough to be moved to her own room. Once Jade knew her sister was improving she felt able to ask about Mum. ‘Did Mum talk to Caterina?’
‘Yes, she did.’
‘And?’
‘And what?’
‘Dad! Did they get on? Are they going to see each other again?’
‘Give me time to breathe, girl!’
Jade hopped from foot to foot in impatience – she had to know before she and Nico went to see Gaetano.
‘Your mum was fine with Caterina,’ Dad went on. ‘They talked for a long time. I don’t know what her plans are – she’s got a lot to think about. I’ll tell you one thing though, she went to see the old man, Gaetano, to thank him for helping Amber.’
Jade hadn’t expected that. ‘How did it go?’
‘OK. He just grunted that he couldn’t let a child get hurt and wouldn’t say any more.’
Jade was surprised Gaetano hadn’t ranted at her mother. Maybe he was still feeling exhausted and hadn’t the energy to get worked up. She didn’t tell Dad that she was going to see Gaetano too.
After a quick detour to buy chocolates, Jade and Nico went to Gaetano’s room. He was reading. ‘What do you want?’
Jade ignored his surly face. ‘I found something, in your stables. I thought you might want to see it.’ She held out the tin.
‘Dio mio!’ Gaetano dropped his book and took the battered old tin in trembling hands.
‘It was hidden over the top of the stable door,’ Jade said. ‘We thought you might know who it belonged to.’
‘Yes, I know.’
Jade turned to Nico, ‘He knows who owned the tin!’ she said in English.
‘I can speak English,’ Gaetano said, switching languages. ‘The man who owned this tin, he taught me.’
Jade leaned against the end of Gaetano’s bed. ‘Who was he?’
‘My friend,’ Gaetano said in a tone of voice that meant, and that’s all you’re getting out of me. He opened the tin, lifted out the silk map, unwrapped it and took out the photograph.
‘Do you know who they are?’ Jade asked.
‘The child, I know her. She is the daughter of my English friend.’ He returned the photo and the map to the tin, and put it on top of his bedside cabinet. Then he picked up his book and began to read again.
Jade frowned. That was it? He wasn’t going to tell them any more?
Nico tugged at her arm and gestured for them to leave. Outside Jade glared at him. ‘He didn’t even say thanks!’
‘The tin was on his property and he knows who to give it to – I suppose he can do what he wants.’
‘He might’ve told us who the spy was – or his daughter. We’ll never know otherwise.’
‘Doesn’t it give you a nice warm feeling knowing you’ve done the right thing?’
‘You’re not serious.’
Nico laughed and Jade couldn’t help half-smiling back. ‘Yeah, I’m kidding,’ Nico said. ‘It was still the right thing though, wasn’t it?’
Jade shrugged. ‘I guess. I’m still glad I kept the letter. Elena wrote it for my Nonno, she didn’t ever want Gaetano to see it.’
‘What are you going to do with it?’
‘I don’t know yet – I’ll show it to Amber some time, when she’s well enough.’
‘Jade!’ a voice exclaimed. Caterina was hurrying towards them, with Signora Minardi close behind.
Caterina said eagerly in English, ‘You have been to see Gaetano?’
Jade nodded. ‘We found something at the farmhouse, an old tin, and we took it to him.’
‘A tin?’
‘I found it in the stables – it fell on me when we got chased by hornets and had to bash the door to get out. The shaking must’ve dislodged it.’
‘What was it like, this tin?’ the Signora asked.
Jade told her.
‘Was there anything in it?’
What did it matter to the Signora? Jade wondered. ‘There was an old map disguised as a handkerchief and a photo of a woman and a baby. It had “Rebekah and Millie – 1944” written on the back.’
Without a word the Signora went into Gaetano’s room and shut the door firmly behind her. The three of them stared at the closed door. ‘I don’t think she wants us in there, do you?’ Nico said.
‘They are old friends,’ Caterina said. ‘They were partisans together; perhaps Signora Minardi knows something of this mysterious tin.’
Jade gaped. The frail old lady a partisan!
‘I have your book.’ Caterina gave The Book of Memories to Jade. ‘I showed the pictures to Nonno Gaetano. It helped him to realise that you knew nothing of Roberto’s true past. He had deceived you also.’ She patted Jade’s hand. ‘Now, you will forgive me, I have to go. I need to finish quickly the business arrangements Signora Minardi and I were discussing.’
‘You do business together?’ Jade said. How many more surprises were there to the Signora?
‘Yes, I supply her restaurant.’ Caterina swiftly kissed Jade a formal goodbye and hurried away.
‘Restaurant? The Signora has a restaurant?’ Jade said.
The light dawned on her and Nico at the same time: ‘Il Nido!’
‘She set us up,’ Jade said. ‘I bet those weird old people who kept staring at Mum were ex-partisans as well.
‘Why the set-up though?’
‘I’ll ask her.’ Jade turned to rush into Gaetano’s room and confront the Signora.
‘Wait!’ Nico said.
‘What?’
‘You need to cool down a bit otherwise the olds will start getting suspicious about us. We haven’t visi
ted Amber yet and if we take too long they’ll be grounding us again.’
‘Amber!’ Jade’s hand flew to her mouth. ‘I’ve hardly even thought about her.’
‘You’ve had a lot on your mind.’
What kind of sister am I? Jade thought, her stomach turning. She ran to Amber’s room. It was pretty full when they got there: Amber lay propped up on a bank of pillows, looking pale and hollow-eyed, with Mum and Dad to one side, Hattie and James to the other.
‘You took your time,’ Amber said.
‘Sorry . . .’
‘We stopped to get you these,’ Nico said. He passed the box of Baci chocolates to Amber.
‘You look like the queen with her court,’ Jade said. ‘How’re you feeling?’
‘Apart from my screaming headache and wanting to chop my leg off it hurts so much, not bad.’ She gave the box of chocolates a tired pat. ‘Thanks for these.’
Dad stood up. ‘There’s too many of us in here. Let’s give the girls a chance to catch up in the quiet.’ He ushered everyone out. ‘You’ve got an hour,’ he said to Jade.
It was the first time the twins had been alone since the accident. Jade climbed onto the bed and lay down next to her sister. They hugged, carefully so as not to jolt Amber’s leg, and everything was all right.
Jade still wasn’t going to tell her sister about the letter. There’d be plenty of time for that later.
Inevitably Kevin’s group ended up at the hospital cafeteria and just as inevitably Kevin and James argued over whose turn it was to pay. While they haggled at the till Nico sat with Mum and Luisa. ‘Mum, have you finished that E. J. Holm Mrs Bax gave you?’
‘Yes I have. I was going to pass it on to Luisa.’
Luisa waved the idea away. ‘That’s OK, I’m a slow reader compared to you two – I haven’t finished The Prince Without a Country yet.’
Nico was startled to receive a warm smile from Luisa. He’d never seen her look this relaxed. Yet, according to Jade, she’d spoken to both Caterina and Gaetano, who were part of the family she’d tried very hard to avoid.
