La Sposa

by Sienna Mynx

  “I never worry.” Giovanni smiled.

  “Oh. There’s something you should know. I’ve brought a guest. She’s waiting with the boys. If that is okay, I’ve put Renaldo on her,” Lorenzo said. Together, they bounded down the red brick steps.

  Giovanni shrugged his shoulders. He glanced over. “A woman? A date or a hostage?”

  Lorenzo smiled. It was the first smile Giovanni had seen on him today. “Both. Wait until you meet her. She has something in common with Mira.”

  “How so?” Giovanni dropped his hands into his pockets.

  “She’s a black American,” Lorenzo said.

  Giovanni stopped. “Is this a joke? Are you trying to insult me?”

  “No. It’s a coincidence. I met her and I like her. Same as you did with Mira.”

  “Then why is Renaldo watching her?”

  “To keep her out of trouble.” Lorenzo turned his face and touched the red ripe scars. “She gave me these. Part of our courtship.”

  “Basta!” Giovanni said.

  “They were love taps. Nothing to concern yourself over,” Lorenzo chuckled. Giovanni could sense the need for rebellion in his cousin, and the resentment over handling the tedious affairs of this day. But he also knew that yesterday had to be a bitch of a day for him. So however he dealt with it was his business. If Lorenzo wanted some strange woman on his arm to feel like a man, he’d let him keep his balls.

  They began walking through the streets again. Several market owners came out of their doors and clapped; and a few on motorbikes and box- shaped cars blew their horns, congratulating him. It would be bad luck for him to conduct any business on his wedding day or during their honeymoon. And he had plans for Mira that would stretch into several weeks. He glanced over to Lorenzo, again wavering on whether he could trust his cousin with the family business.

  “After the wedding I plan to take Mira directly to Capri, for several weeks. I am trusting you and Carlo to manage everything in the Campania. Santo has offered to assist you in Milan.”

  “No.” Lorenzo dropped his head and kept walking. “Forgive me cousin, for my mood. Yesterday, I needed to get out of here for reasons you understand. I’m not slipping. I’m ready to handle our affairs. I want this day for you.” He glanced over at him. “I’m proud of you today. She’s a good woman.”

  Giovanni smiled. “She’s my Bella. Born that way.”

  Lorenzo patted him on the back. “Then let’s see to the end of your bachelorhood.”

  The walk was a long but casual one. The winding narrow streets of the town were shaded by the tightly aligned buildings and homes. For a moment, they strolled in silence. Lorenzo reflected on all the bullshit ahead of him, and Giovanni reflected on the opposite.

  “Now. Tell me about the Capriccios and the factories, all of it. Any problems?” Giovanni asked.

  “Interesting developments. Not so cut and dry. It’s nothing I can’t manage.”

  “The sooner we have Mirabella’s moved to Italy and the company finances under control, the sooner I can make her happy, and move forward with my plans. Finalize it quick.”

  Giovanni was reassured that his Bella would have Milan for her business needs. All in all, it was a good day to marry.

  *****

  Catalina loved children. Eve was the first baby of the family that she could keep all to herself. She smiled, watching her run around in circles. Grinning after the late night she shared with the family. Children had such energy, and a spirit of resilience to be admired. Today, Eve looked like a little doll. Mira had made the top of Eve’s dress from satin pearl- colored fabric with short puffy sleeves, and a blue ribbon tied at the waistline. The princess bottom consisted of layered silk taffeta material that bounced and floated, as if it were made of feathers. Her chunky blondish brown curls were held back by a blue ribbon.

  “Nippy!” Eve said. She picked up one of the hand puppets and brought it over to Catalina. It was now Catalina’s turn to entertain her.

  “Why does she call you that? Nippy? What does it mean?” Rosetta asked. Cecilia, Eve’s care giver, observed with a smile too.

  “I don’t know.” Catalina accepted the puppet and worked it in ways that made Eve clap and laugh. “The first night we spent together she lost her pacifier, you know, she calls it her ninny. When I found it, she called me Nippy, and has been ever since.” Eve scrambled to her feet and Catalina puckered her lips. Her little sunshine came over and gave her a quick pop kiss, taking some of her red lipstick away. Rosetta asked for the same but Eve put the pacifier, pinned to her dress by a satin string, in her mouth instead. The girls laughed. The little brown girl with blue eyes walked over to her dollhouse and went inside. It was clear that Eve was blossoming into a little girl, and not just the baby they loved to coddle.

  Catalina rose from the bed and walked over to the princess mirror, to check her appearance. She loved the dress Mira made for her. It was a classic blue silk garment that slimmed her figure with a triangular hem to the front and back, and tasteful splits on both sides. It refined her look with a bit of sophistication. This is how she wanted to appear to the Americans running Mirabella’s. She had gone through her closet and packed subdued business attire, or what she thought business attire would be like.

  Mira had suggested for accessories, that she wear her mother’s pearls and earrings with her dress. She agreed, since wearing gold on your wedding day, or to a wedding, was often considered bad luck. Catalina had her natural locks washed and blown straight for this occasion; so her hair reached to the middle of her back with a luster and buoyance that flowed around her shoulders when she walked.

  “What’s taking her so long?” Rosetta asked. She too wore a blue dress, but it was store bought. And she had the nerve to straighten her curly hair in a similar fashion. Catalina rolled her eyes at how pathetic an imitation it was.

  “Problem?” Catalina put on a fresh coat of lipstick.

  “We need to be leaving for the church, everyone is already gone. I saw Carmine, and…”

  Catalina’s gaze lifted from the mirror to Rosetta’s. “You aren’t flirting with Carmine are you?”

  “Me? No. Why would you say that?”

  Catalina turned. “Don’t flirt with any of the men while we are gone. When you stay here, stay away from them. Giovanni won’t like it.”

  “He seems to like you and Domi.” Rosetta challenged.

  “Oh be quiet! You could have left, you know.” Catalina tossed back. “I’m the only one in the wedding and Cecilia has to stay to care for Eve. You serve no purpose!”

  Before Rosetta could respond, the door opened and Zia walked in. “Catalina, she needs you. Go, go now. Where is my Evie?” Zia went to the dollhouse; she bent with her hands to her knees. Eve blinked at her from inside one of the windows. “There’s my bambina. Come to Zia,” she coaxed. Catalina hurried into the next room and closed the door behind her.

  “I can’t get the side zipper up. How is it in two days I’ve gained so much weight?” Mira said in a panic, her eyes glistened with the threat of tears.

  “You’re with child. That is why. Here, let me help.” Mira stood before the floor length mirror, holding the front of her dress to her chest. Catalina struggled a bit to move the zipper an inch and then another. Mira was right; her waistline had expanded a bit.

  “Are you holding your stomach in?” she asked.

  “I am. Wait, let me try again.” Mira sucked in a deep breath once more. “Oh please, God, make it fit.”

  Catalina bit down on the side of her tongue and snatched on the tiny tab of the zipper before running it up. “There! Crisis averted!” Catalina exclaimed.

  Mira took a step back to get a good look at herself. The woman before her eyes, in a gown fit for royalty, would make her grandmother proud. Catalina stared over Mira’s shoulder at the reflection in the mirror. “When my brother sees you in this dress, he will fall in love with you all over again. You are truly, Gio’s belladonna.”

  “I already
feel like he’s my husband. You should have seen him this morning. He was so excited.”

  “Oh now, this I can’t wait to see. All I’ve seen is grumpy Gio for the past few weeks.”

  Mira smiled, continuing to adjust her dress.

  “Can I ask you a question?” Catalina said, her voice low but serious.

  Mira nodded.

  “Do you regret anything?”

  The question stung. Of course Mira had regrets. She had a truckload of regrets. However, if this was the endgame for all she and Giovanni endured, she’d have to say no. “I’m happy. No room for regrets,” she answered.

  “Zia told you. What marrying my brother means. All of what is expected?”

  “No divorce, no separation, no me. It’s now his needs and the needs of our family. Yes, Zia has drilled my role into me. Here’s what I think. I think those rules were for her marriage, not mine. Catalina, you of all people should know that love can be complicated between a modern woman like me and a man like your brother. I believe in marriage. You get out of it what you put into it. Yes. I love him, he loves me, and we respect each other. We can build our life from there.” Mira sucked down a deep breath and exhaled slowly, calming her nervous energy. “I know what I’ve signed on for, and so does my Irish-Sicilian prince.”

  The day Mira discovered she was pregnant, she knew there would be no turning back. She tried to explain it to Kei, and reason it to herself. Married or not, she and Giovanni were forever bound together. Her vow to love him, and only him, she took seriously.

  Returning her focus to her dress, she pushed all other doubts away. Mira had been limited in her options because of the rushed date of the wedding. Eventually, she settled on the choice of charmeuse, a pearl white, lightweight silk fabric with a subdued luster. And she used a delicate web-lace beading as the overlay. She had measured it to be curve fitting and floor length. The strapless heart- shaped bodice that shielded but enhanced her growing bosom with a measured balance of feminine grace, highlighted her small waist and shapely hips.

  In the fashion world, they called this style of dress ‘mermaid’. A slender design that flared out around the calves in soft folds of lace tulle, which covered her feet and drew backward into a mini train that shimmered with sparkling pearls and iridescent beads. Thankfully, the warm climate of the Campania made her choice wearable.

  Mira ran her hand down her curves. She took the time to inspect the details to ensure not a bead was missing or a stitch out of place. Because of the veil, she had decided to smooth her hair from her face. Catalina and Rosetta worked together, pinning her curls to the back of her head in a series of ringlets and circles that would be a help, not a hindrance, for her veil. Zia gave her a pair of pearl earrings with tear- drop diamonds that were given to her from Rocco when she was younger. Mira decided her makeup would be a natural blend of copper-brown and golden tones with a hit of blue to darken and highlight her lids. Her lashes were brushed straight and long, fanning seductively outward around her deep-set almond- shaped eyes. She wore a shimmering lip gloss that was a soft rose pink. She turned around with her arms raised, inspecting how the back of the dress was cut low just to the curve of her butt. It was covered however in a sheer material with pearl buttons that trailed to the bottom of the dip.

  “We have to go. You’re perfect.” Catalina said.

  “Wait. Not yet. Over there!” Mira pointed to her trousseau. “Quick, before Zia returns.”

  Catalina went to the cedar chest and opened it. She found several file folders neatly stacked upon lingerie, and other things typically packed for a wedding night.

  “The yellow folder is yours. Take it.”

  “What is this?”

  Mira captured the side of her dress to be careful not to step on the long hem. “It’s everything you need to read and study before you meet Teddy. Giovanni won’t tell me where we are going or for how long. So I need you to gather information for me.”

  “Like what?” Catalina asked.

  “Easy things, names, project plans, events scheduled for this year and the next. And if you can get your hands on Carole Montague’s design chart, I want it too.”

  “I won’t remember all of this. Mira, how could I? I’ve never had a job in my life.”

  “Don’t worry. I wrote it all down for you,” Mira smiled. “Call Melanzana for the number to where we are staying after you land. If they won’t give it to you, then leave your number with Zia. I will call her and get it and then contact you in a few days.”

  Catalina looked over to the cedar chest and the other folders. “Are you going to work on your honeymoon?”

  “I have some reading and studying to do myself. Fabiana ran so much of the business. It’s like I’m starting over from scratch. Lucky for me, the messenger came yesterday with what Teddy wanted me to catch up on.”

  “Giovanni won’t have it. It’s your honeymoon, Mira. He’s not working, so you shouldn’t either.”

  “I can handle my hubby. He won’t even know. Trust me. Now. Get my veil.” Mira closed the chest. She went back to the mirror. Catalina removed the precious veil from a circular box and stepped behind her. It was sheer lace tulle that draped over Mira’s head with a discreet pin-comb to secure it to the back of her head. The front reached the bends of her arms, and behind her, it fell to the back of her thighs. The trim had carefully woven flower petals as a seal of perfection.

  “I’m ready,” Mira said.

  “Andiamo!”

  They returned to Eve’s room. Everyone stilled at the sight of her.

  “Ma-ma!” Eve said, stretching her arms toward her. She blew a kiss to her baby, who was held in Zia’s arms.

  “It’s time ladies.”

  Rosetta opened the door. Outside, Nico waited and Carlo paced. He looked down at his watch and grimaced, grumbling under his breath. Giovanni had his best men on the job to deliver them all to the wedding. Eve stretched her arms for Nico. Mira hadn’t picked up on the bonding of the two before. Though she knew he kept a good watch over her when she played outside or away in the estate. He carried Eve and led the way.

  A long stretch limo, black and sleek, waited for them outside the doors. Mira was the first helped inside; and the rest of the ladies, including her daughter, were next. All six of them were able to sit comfortably. Carlo wasted not another minute before he sped out of the gates, breaking only for the sharp curves along the slender two lane highway.

  “Can someone tell me where the wedding will be?” Mira asked, careful of how she sat on her veil with the help of Catalina and Rosetta.

  Zia clasped her hands together. “I have been dying to tell you. We will be going to Amalfi. The wedding will be held at Conca dei Marini. It is one of the small villages before Amalfi, and it is yours for the entire day.”

  “Mine? He can’t buy an entire village,” Mira chuckled, but she laughed alone. “Did he?”

  “I wouldn’t say buy,” Catalina corrected her through a smile. “You are marrying Don Giovanni Battaglia. This is a very big day in the Campania. We have friends and many, many townships who wanted to take part. Giovanni chose Conca dei Marini because of its beauty, I suppose. And the isolated feel. It reminds us all of Sicily. You’ll see.”

  Mira’s attention returned to her window. The car travelled the SS163 highway along the Sorrentine peninsula. This road was perfect to absorb the beauty of the country. Turquoise blue waters glistened under the sun with such purity. No ocean ever looked more majestic. And as they drove, the edge of the cliffs she could look down at the tiny box shaped houses stacked upon each other. Each one a bright alluring color of sherbet orange, salmon pink, pimento green, strawberry and lemon yellow. All of the houses were built along the sloping rocky cliffs and green valleys. She had to look away, to keep from the feeling of vertigo.

  “Did you bring your slippers?” Rosetta asked. “You can’t wear those shoes.”

  “I think I can manage them. I don’t want to get married in slippers.”

  �
��It’s what’s needed, Mira. Trust me, you will thank us. We’ve all made the walk before. Besides, we will have the shoes for you.”

  Mira sighed in defeat. She eased her feet out of her shoes and accepted the satin ballerina slippers. Rosetta collected her shoes in a satin bag that Zia had brought as well. Zia removed a box from by the seat, and Mira waited. Eve sat up in her car seat, a bit curious over the package too. When she lifted the lid, a sweet floral fragrance wafted upward, and she knew instantly it was her bouquet.

  A beautiful arrangement of long stem, royal blue roses tied with a white ribbon. “How lovely,” Mira said. “What do you think, Evie? Do you like them? They’re the color of your eyes.” Eve blinked at the flowers, then at her mother, not understanding the comparison. The girls all chuckled and she eventually laughed with them. Once they were passed to Mira, she felt the first pang of new bride jitters. However, the lasting feeling turned out to be warmth and pride.

  “Final check, Mira! Do we have something blue?” Catalina asked.

  “Yes! The flowers,” said Rosetta.

  “And the something old and borrowed?” asked Catalina.

  “I have the earrings Zia loaned me,” Mira smiled. Eve clapped and everyone clapped with her.

  “And you have something new with your dress.” Zia pointed out. “One day, Evie will wear it. Won’t you bambina?” Eve nodded to Zia, and Mira felt her cheeks ache from smiling so hard.

  “I can’t believe these traditions started in Italy. We do this in America too.”

  The girls shared other traditions they did for their own wedding. All the while, Mira tried to settle the swarm of butterflies she felt were trapped in her belly, by focusing on the excitement of the others. The closer they drew to their destination, the more anxious she became.

  “Ma-ma?” Eve struggled to lean forward in her car seat, restrained by the belts. “Pa-pa gone? Ciao?”

  “We’ll see him soon sweetie,” Mira said. “How much longer?” she asked Zia.

  The car veered off the coastal roadway to a branched- off lane sandwiched between a wall of rocks and tightly fit buildings. Mira could see very little from either window, so she leaned forward.