“Well, then …” Julietta stopped her work and stared toward the houses. “What is he doing here?”
Sofia turned around. A young man came walking toward the field. Sofia had never seen him before. He was of medium height, somewhat overweight, dressed in a light-gray summer suit. “Who is he?” Sofia asked.
“It is Guido, my half-brother,” Julietta said.
“Your half-brother? I didn’t know you had a half-brother.” Sofia was puzzled at the news. Then she remembered Adriano Gori mentioning a son from Luisa’s former marriage, who had an interest in her property.
Julietta shrugged. “I do not know him very well. He is from Mamma’s former husband. He hardly ever comes here. He lives in Rome with his father.”
“Buongiorno,” the man gave them a brief nod, then walked over to where Edoardo worked. The two nodded at each other and talked for a while. Then Guido came over to Julietta and asked her how she was.
“Bene,” she said, then motioned at Sofia. “Sofia, mia sorella,” she introduced her.
Guido glared at her and gave what looked like a forced smile. “Buongiorno, signora.” He turned back to Julietta and said something to her, mentioning Luisa’s name. Julietta nodded. He left with a brief waving motion to Sofia.
As he was leaving, Julietta looked after him. “I don’t like him. He is a crook.”
“How come?” Sofia asked.
“He is really greedy and he is into some bad business … what do you call it ‘shady?’”
Sofia nodded.
“He only comes here when he wants money and he makes Mamma really unhappy.” Julietta sighed.
“If he’s your half-brother and you’re my half-sister, does that mean he is my half-brother, too,” Sofia wondered.
Julietta shrugged. “I don’t know. Is he?”
Sofia chuckled. “I have no idea, but anyway, he lives in Rome, so I guess he won’t bother us too much.”
“Yes, I hope not.” Julietta began to work again, then stopped. “You know he came here when Papa died and he wanted to have the two grape fields that belonged to Papa. My mother told him that they were going to you. He was all upset and said that they belonged to the family. It is ridiculous because he is not part of the family. My mother and his father are divorced. They divorced a long time ago. Anyway, they screamed at each other, Mamma and Guido.”
Another guy who wants my property. Sofia sighed. “What a mess. Anyway, I don’t want to worry about it. Let’s keep on working. Edoardo is not looking too pleased. We’re just standing around.” She continued cutting the clusters of plump ripe grapes, pushing the thought about her property away.
At noon, Sofia and Julietta took a break and walked over to the main house. A blue Ferrari was parked in the courtyard and Sofia assumed it was Guido’s car. A loud, angry male voice came from inside. Sofia and Julietta looked at each other. The door opened and Guido dashed outside, his face flushed and pinched. Luisa followed and called after him, then threw up her hands, as he ripped the car door open. He revved the engine and drove away.
“What did he want?” Julietta asked.
Luisa answered with a flood of Italian, then exhaled deeply and shook her head. “Sorry,” she said to Sofia. “He makes me so angry.” She went back inside and Sofia and Julietta followed her.
“It is always the same,” Luisa said. “He is my son from my former marriage,” she told Sofia.
“I know,” Sofia said. “Julietta told me.”
“He came out to the fields and talked to Uncle Edoardo,” Julietta explained.
“Yes, he claims that he and his father are starting a new business.” Luisa rolled her eyes. “They are always up to something, which ends up being a failure. Then Guido comes here, and all of a sudden we are family again. They want money. He called it a favorable investment for us … or something like this. What it really means is that they want to borrow money and they never pay it back. I have given him money in the past but no more.” Luisa brushed her hand over her face.
Julietta went up to her and hugged her. “Don’t be upset, Mamma.”
“I am sorry. He just makes me so angry.” Luisa hugged Julietta back. She turned to Sofia. “It is such a sad thing. He is my son. I do not know what I did wrong that he turned out this way.”
“It is not your fault, Mamma,” Julietta said, her arm around her mother.
Sofia felt sorry for Luisa. It was the first time, she saw her so vulnerable. “Family,” she said. “They are so difficult sometimes.”
“Yes,” Luisa said, more quietly now. “But what would we do without them?” She gave a sad smile.
In the evening, just after sunset, Sofia went for a walk. She loved to walk in the late evenings. After the sun had gone down, the heat of the day turned into a pleasant warmth. It was mostly quiet. An occasional laughter from the cantina, where the few volunteers had their meals, the barking of a dog in the neighborhood or the whispering of the trees in the evening breeze were the only sounds.
When she came back to the house and went inside, she thought she saw someone behind the house. She’d left the lantern on the patio on. The old Santucci, was her first thought. She turned off the light in the living room and stared outside. She recognized the shape of a man next to the shed with the garden tools. It wasn’t Silvio Santucci, the man didn’t have a cane. Perhaps the gardener, she thought.
She opened the door to the patio and stepped outside. But nobody was there. She shrugged and closed and locked the door, then remembered she had to put the trash outside for the collection in the morning. She grabbed the trash bag and opened the front door. Carrying her trash bag to the main house, she saw Guido, Luisa’s son, walking down the path that went by Sofia’s house. He faced her for a quick moment, but didn’t acknowledge her. He walked toward the car, which was parked in the driveway of the main house. She’d seen him drive away in the afternoon. He must have come back. She was almost certain he’d been the man standing behind her house. What was he doing there?
The encounter with Guido felt creepy and reminded her of the night she thought she’d seen the old Santucci during the storm, as well as of the dead animals in her yard. She still wasn’t completely convinced that they hadn’t been put there on purpose. Perhaps someone in the family tried to make her leave. Was it the old Santucci or perhaps this Guido character? But what would they accomplish? It wouldn’t change anything about her inheritance. The fields would still belong to her. Unless they killed her. She thought of the wine barrel that this Umberto person almost dropped on her. That would have done the job. But, no, he looked really contrite. And he wouldn’t gain anything. He didn’t belong to the family.
No, she didn’t want to feel distrustful all the time. The last few encounters with the family had been pleasant. Luisa was becoming a good friend. Edoardo was still somewhat standoffish but his behavior was a far cry from the sour attitude he’d displayed toward her in the beginning. The old Santucci was still an old grouch but he more or less behaved the same to everyone. He hadn’t singled her out anymore.
Going back inside, she locked the door and checked to make sure the patio door was locked as well. Before going to bed, she gathered her bathing suit, a towel, suntan lotion, and a few other things and put them into a bag. Julietta and Sofia were going to Cecina the following day. It was market day there and they wanted to spend some time at the beach as well. She was looking forward to a day off with her sister. They’d become closer, too, and a warm friendship was developing.
Sofia put on her T-shirt she used as a nightie and brushed her teeth. She turned off the lights and looked out the window in the back of the house again but except for the shadows of pine trees lightly swaying in the wind, she didn’t see anything.
Chapter 24
Sofia and Julietta were singing Let It Be by the Beatles as they drove the two-lane country road toward Cecina. It had been one of Henry’s favorite songs and Julietta knew all the lyrics. It was early in the morning. Sofia rolled down the window
and inhaled the light smell of resin from the pine forests. Getting up in the morning, she’d noticed a definite cooling. The temperature in September was still warm, even hot, but the mornings and nights were fresher. It would be pleasant to swim in the Mediterranean and take a sunbath at the beach. Later in the morning, they planned to visit the open-air market of the town.
After about forty minutes, they arrived in Cecina and found a parking spot near the sea. They carried their picnic basket and bathing things down to the beach and spread out their towels. The beach was still empty but within half an hour, a group of young men and a few families joined them. When Julietta proceeded to rub suntan lotion on Sofia’s back, one of the young guys whistled and strutted over to them.
“Let’s pretend we do not speak Italian,” Julietta suggested.
That was just fine with Sofia who wasn’t interested in the mindless chatters of young guys trying to pick up girls. The pretended language barrier did work after a while and the young man walked back to his friends with a shrug. Julietta giggled quietly. They both stretched out on the towels and sighed. Sofia enjoyed the warm sun on her body and the rhythmic sound of the small waves tumbling softly onto the sand. Unlike the Pacific Ocean she was used to, the water in the Mediterranean was gentler. When she mentioned it to Julietta, her sister said that this would all change in October with the approach of the fall storms.
“Well, we better enjoy it while it lasts. Let’s go for a swim.” Sofia got up.
“You go first. We should not leave our things unattended,” Julietta said. “You never know.” She glanced at the young men near them.
“Okay, I’ll be back soon.” Sofia walked down to the water. It was pleasantly warm, another change from the nippy ocean she was used to at home. She walked in up to her waist, then swam further out. When she looked back, Julietta was waving at her from the beach.
After about an hour, they unpacked their picnic—prosciutto sandwiches with cucumber and tomato slices, hard-boiled eggs, and some candy for dessert. In the meantime, the beach was slowly filling up with people, mainly Italian families with children who enjoyed the last few days of vacation before school started again.
“Are you looking forward to going back to school?” Sofia asked her sister.
Julietta shrugged. “Yes and no.”
“What does that mean?”
“Well, usually school is all right, but I hate to be away from you.” Julietta’s face clouded over. “How long are you going to stay?”
“I guess until after the grape harvest, but I’ll be back next year,” Sofia said.
“But that is a whole year.” Julietta sighed.
“We’ll have to find a way for you to come to California. You can stay with me. What about during Christmas or the summer vacation?”
“This would be great. Mamma wants me to go to summer school, though.”
“We’ll ask her. If you stayed for a few months, you could even take classes in California. That would be really great for your education, wouldn’t it?”
“Yeah, that would be fantastic. I would love to visit California. It sounds so exciting. I always wanted to find out where Papa lived.”
“I’ll talk to your mother,” Sofia said.
“Wonderful.” Julietta hugged her.
“Let’s go to the market now,” Sofia suggested. They packed their things and drove back into town. Finding a parking place near the market proved to be a challenge. They had to circle around the area several times, before they found a spot.
The open-air market of Cecina was a colorful display of anything from household goods to clothes and shoes as well as all kinds of groceries. Sofia was surprised to see how reasonable the prices were. Since the introduction of the euro, Italy was no longer the paradise for inexpensive goods, but at this market, the prices were low.
“That is because the market is for the locals,” Julietta told her. “The tourist stores are more expensive.”
Sofia bought some socks and a couple of long-sleeve sweaters. Having arrived here in the heat of summer, she hadn’t brought much for the cooler weather and with the possible October rains and storms, temperatures would drop.
Julietta, who had received some money from her mother for back-to-school outfits, tried on one of the shiny quilted faux-leather jackets that were so fashionable among young people as well as a pair of dress-boots. She was looking at herself in the mirror when they heard a whistle. “Favoloso,” a voice called. As they turned around, Nicholas was waving at them from the sidewalk. He came over, a shopping bag in hand.
“Nice outfit,” he said to Julietta. “Isn’t this market fun? Have you seen the food in the next street?” He gave them both a hug.
“Actually, we are on the way there,” Sofia said. “We want to buy some vegetables and stuff for dinner.”
“Would you like to join us for dinner?” Julietta asked Nicholas. “There is a store nearby that sells really great fresh hand-made pasta. We were going to get some for tonight.”
“Sounds wonderful. I’d love to.” He looked at Sofia who nodded. “Yes, come on over.”
After Nicholas left, Sofia and Julietta took their purchases to the car and locked them in the trunk. Then they went on to the grocery section of the market with its extensive display of vegetables, fruits, meats, and fish. They bought lettuce, broccolini, different types of peppers and other kinds of vegetables Julietta picked out, which Sofia didn’t know. They walked along the stands looking for prosciutto. The cheeses and smoked meats looked inviting but when they came to a stand with a whole roasted pig, Sofia flinched.
“Oh, no, look at this. Seeing the whole cooked animal really makes you want to become a vegetarian.” She took Julietta by the arm and pulled her to the next stand.
Julietta, obviously used to these kinds of displays, laughed at Sofia’s squeamishness. Fortunately, a few stands down the street, there was a more appetizing selection of the famous prosciutto. And as Sofia tried one of the paper-thin slices the merchant cut for her, she changed her mind about becoming a vegetarian. They bought some cheese and smoked ham, then walked back toward the clothing section of the market where the pasta shop was. As they entered, Sofia marveled at the display of different types of fresh pasta. Plates full of tortellini, different shapes of ravioli, spaghetti, fettuccine, fusilli, and more were arranged artfully along the counter.
They bought enough pasta for the three of them. They added a bottle of mineral water for the road home and hurried back to their car, since it had become quite late.
“I hope you don’t mind that I invited Nicholas for dinner,” Julietta said as they were driving home.
“No, why should I? He’s good company,” Sofia said.
“You know after dinner, I will leave you two alone.” Julietta winked at Sofia.
Sofia rolled her eyes. “Would you please stop you silly goose.”
Chapter 25
In the evening, Sofia and Julietta prepared a mixed salad and made a couple of tomato and pesto sauces for the fresh pasta. Sofia opened a bottle of her estate wine. Nicholas offered to bring dessert and surprised them with a custard made of orange juice, mascarpone and a shot of Grand Marnier. He also brought a bottle of Prosecco.
“How were you able to make this dessert?” Sofia asked. “You don’t have a kitchen.”
Nicholas lived with the volunteers in a separate house and ate most of his meals in the cantina, a communal dining room on the estate.
“Well, okay, actually I didn’t make it. This is the dessert for the workers for the night. I bribed the cook to let me have some.”
“What was the bribe?” Sofia asked.
“I promised her a lock of my blond hair.” Nicholas winked at her.
Sofia chuckled. “That will do it.”
It was still warm enough to eat on the patio. They had a glass of Prosecco before dinner and Julietta poured herself some Coca-Cola, one of her favorite drinks. Sofia who didn’t care for soft drinks shook her head.
�
��How can you drink this stuff? You’re going to spoil the great food.”
“It is Papa’s fault. He always let me have it when I ate with him. Mamma won’t allow it either. But do not worry, dear sister, I will switch to mineral water with dinner, if you let me have a sip of wine.” Sofia and Julietta carried the pasta and the salad outside. Nicholas poured the wine and let Julietta taste a sip. She made a face and switched to mineral water. “I love our vineyards but I have to admit I do not like wine much.”
“You’ll have to acquire a taste for wine, I think,” Nicholas said. “When I was younger I didn’t like it at all. Now, I love it.” He poured Sofia and himself more wine. “Salute. And dinner is wonderful. Compliments to the chefs.” He lifted his glass to Sofia and Julietta.
“This was probably the easiest dinner I’ve ever prepared,” Sofia said. “All I needed to do is simmer the pasta and Julietta helped me make the sauce.”
“Well, it’s a nice change from eating at the cantina,” Nicholas said. “Although, to be honest, the food there is pretty good and there is plenty of it. I’m glad I’m working hard or I’d put on mounds of fat.”
Sofia laughed at the thought of Nicholas putting on weight. He was trim and had a well-developed physique but there was no fat on him. “I think if you haven’t gained any weight by now, you should be fine.”
After they finished dinner and dessert, they all helped clean the table. Julietta offered to clean up in the kitchen and shoved Sofia away when she wanted to help. “You have to entertain our guest. I will leave you alone. It is past my bedtime.” She winked at Sofia who shook her head and grinned.
Sofia and Nicholas sat outside for a while, drinking espresso. It was getting dark, the rust and yellow-colored fields slowly faded into the black-blue of the night with only a sliver of silver along the hills in the distance. After a while, they moved back into the living room. They talked about the work at the estate and Nicholas’s plans of having his own vineyard in California.
The Italian Sister (The Wine Lover's Daughter, Book 1) Page 12
