The American Contessa (16 page)

“Oh,
I comprehend.
 
I comprehend all of it.
 
And to think I was going to ask you …” His
voice petered out and he uttered softly, “
Nonna
was right.
 
Marrying you, I would
have disgraced the Manetti name.”

Gaby’s
hand swung out before she could stop it.
 
It made contact with Luca’s face and seconds later a tell-tale red
handprint brightened his cheek.
 
Luca
didn’t flinch.
 
Clearly he was used to
getting his face slapped by women.
 
But
Gaby was mortified.
 
“Oh Luca, I’m
sorry.
 
I didn’t mean it.
 
I’ve never hit anyone in my life.”

“Don’t
be sorry,” he coldly commented, “At least I know now you’re capable of some
degree of feeling.”

Her
eyes filled with tears once again at his words and Luca felt himself
softening.
 
He had to make her leave.
 
If not, he may very well break down himself
shortly.
 
With that notion, Luca angrily
headed over to the door of the library and roughly pushed it open.
 
“Now, get out of my sight!
 
Before I do call the police.”

“Oh
I’ll go,” she spat angrily, following him to the door.
 
“With pleasure I’ll go!”

As
she ventured to exit through the doorway he grabbed her arm and swung her
around.
 
“Wait,” he said opening her fist
and shoving the necklace into her grasp.
 
“You may as well take this, considering it means so much to you.”

“I
don’t want it!” Gaby shot back at him.

“Consider
it payment for services rendered,” he smiled sardonically.
 

Gaby
recoiled at his nasty comment and thrust back from his close proximity.
 
Looking at the necklace in her hand, she
contemplated how something so cold and hard could cause so much pain to so many
people.
 

A
sudden overwhelming sadness enveloped her, replacing her momentary anger and
she spoke calmly.
 
“There was one thing
your Grandmother was right about.
 
History
certainly has repeated itself.
 
But it
has nothing to do with your mother or my Grandfather.
 
Remember Marina, Luca?
 
She threw the necklace back in the Count’s
face.”

“Want
to throw it back in my face Gaby?
 
Go
ahead,” he challenged.
 
“You can’t hurt
me any more than you’ve already done.”

“No,”
she replied grimly, putting the necklace on a nearby table.
 
“You may not want to believe this, but I
never wanted to hurt you Luca.
 
I never
wanted to fall in love with you either.
 
But
just like Marina, if you truly loved me and believed in me, we could overcome
this.
 
As it stands, you’d rather throw
it all away in anger, without explanation and without hesitation.”

When
he didn’t respond, she continued, “If there is such a curse on the necklace,
and it was within my power, I’d much rather reverse it.”
 
Sighing, she stopped at the door, “I wish you
all the happiness in the world Luca.”

“Do
you?” he scowled.
 

She
nodded.

“Funny,”
he said turning away from her, “I thought I had all the happiness in the world.
  
What a fool I am.
 
I guess there’s no such thing as a happy
ending after all.”

*****

Gaby
hastily threw her clothes into the suitcase on the bed.
 
There was no way it was all going to fit back
in there.
 
Of course, folding the clothes
would have been a better idea, but who had the time when at any moment, Luca
could bound through the door and throw her out the window onto the terrace
below.

“Running
away?”
 
She turned to see Carmina
standing in her doorway.
 
Scanning her
face, Gaby was uncertain if she was now a friend or foe.
 

“Seems
like a good idea to head home at this point,” she replied quickly, continuing
to shove her remaining clothes into her carry-on.
 
“I’m surprised you’re still talking to
me.
 
I’m sure your Grandmother couldn’t
wait to tell you all about it.”

Tapping
Gaby on her shoulder, Carmina pulled her into her arms, and hugged her
tightly.
 
“My Grandmother is an old
troublemaker.”
 
Taking Gaby by the hand,
she sat her down on the bed. “Yes, she told me.
 
But I prefer to get my information from the horses’ mouth –so to speak.”

“I
don’t know where to start …” Gaby sniffed.

“The
beginning’s usually a good place.
 
Just
talk to me Gaby.
 
Tell me everything.”

Gaby
spent the next two hours going through everything with Carmina.
 
Her Grandfather’s notorious past, his medical
bills, the necklace.
 
It all flowed
easily from her lips.
 
It was a relief to
finally unburden her conscience.
  
Carmina listened intently through it all, nodding with understanding in
places and asking questions when she felt the need.
 

When
Gaby had finished, Carmina sighed heavily.
 
“Well, I must say you’re Grandfather gives my
Nonna
a run for her money when it comes to creating trouble.
 
Although, if you hadn’t come to Florence,
Luca and I would never have met you, and that would have been a terrible
shame.”

“He’ll
never forgive me Carmina.
 
He thinks all
I wanted was the necklace.”
 
Tears rolled
down Gaby’s face and she choked back a loud sob.
 
“I love him so much it hurts, and I know
he’ll never trust me again.”

“The
fool,” Carmina said bitterly.
 
“I could
happily strangle him right now.”

“It’s
not his fault; not really.
 
I knew what I
was doing was wrong.
 
Couple that with
all his misgivings and trust issues –something was bound to happen eventually.”

“He’ll
come to his senses.
 
But it may take some
time.”

“Where
does that leave me?” Gaby said sadly.
 
The thought of leaving Italy and never seeing him again was too much to
bear.
 
She stood and started to try and
zip her suitcase; anything to keep her body, if not her mind, occupied.
 

“I’m
afraid it doesn’t leave you in the best position at the moment.
 
But know this Gaby; whatever happens you’re
my friend and nothing and no-one will change that.”

Gaby
stopped her packing and moved towards her friend with arms outstretched, “I’m
going to miss you Carmina.”

“Not
as much as I’ll miss you,” she replied with a sniff, hugging her back.
 
“I don’t have many friends Gaby, but I’m
happy to count you as one of them.”

*****

The
taxi driver loaded his trunk with Gaby’s bags and slammed it shut.
 
Gaby jumped at the finality of the
sound.
 
She’d left Carmina in her
bedroom, not wanting a long and drawn out goodbye.
 
Holding back her tears by sheer will, she
refused to look up at the window of the Luca’s bedroom in case he was there; or
more truthfully, if he wasn’t.
 
She hadn’t
seen him since he’d told her to leave; though in her heart she’d hoped he would
change his mind and at least try and talk about it.
 
But no, she knew he held onto his anger with
all his strength and that he would rather lose what they’d had, than forgive
her.

The
driver opened the passenger door and Gaby slowly got in. Letting out a deep
breath she kept her eyes forward and away from the Villa.
 
Don’t look back, she told herself firmly,
leave and don’t look back.

Luca
watched from his window without expression.
 
It was almost surreal.
 
Less than
four hours ago he’d been happy.
 
Happier
than he had ever been.
 
And now?

As
he watched Gaby enter the taxi without a backward glance and the car pull away,
he cringed at her heartlessness.
 
She
felt nothing; not even enough to glance back at him, the Villa or any of the
destruction she’d caused.
 
Damn her!

“Well
she’s gone.”

Luca
quickly moved away from the window, wiping the telltale moisture from his eyes
and turned to face Carmina.
 
“Yes she is
–good riddance,” he replied coldly.

“You
don’t mean that Luca.”

He
pushed past her.
 
“Don’t tell me what I
mean or feel Carmina,” he snapped, “You have no idea.”

“I
could happily slap you silly big brother,” she replied with heat.
 
“The best thing that has ever happened to you
just left in a taxi, and you don’t even blink.”

Luca
looked at her with disdain. “If the best I can do is a thief and a liar, then
maybe I should raise my standards.”

“
Idioto.
”

He
snorted. “She made an idiot of me, yes.
 
But I’m not idiot enough to continue being made a fool of,” he bellowed
back in frustration.
 
“What I don’t
understand is why you forgave her so easily?
 
She used us Carmina.”
 
 
Luca raked his hand through his hair and sank
down on the bed.
 
“She didn’t love me; I
thought she did, I believed she did; but she didn’t.”

Carmina
kneeled in front him. “You ask me how I can forgive her?
 
I’ll tell you why,” she said softly.
 
“Because when she explained to me why she did
it, I knew it was out of desperation.
 
If
I was in trouble, wouldn’t you do anything to help me?
 
Well, Gaby felt she had no alternative.
 
Her family needed help and she thought
nothing of the legality or the immorality of what she was doing.”

Luca
gaze hardened, “Like I said, a liar and a thief; just like her Grandfather.”

Carmina
stood and placed her hands on her hips, “Oh, get off your high horse Luca.
 
You think the Manetti’s acquired their wealth
by being a bunch of noble and honourable people.
 
You think our heritage is squeaky clean?
 
I’ll have you know our family tree can
happily count amongst its forbears; murderers; thieves and yes, liars. So don’t
talk to me about character and genes.”

Luca
looked away from her.
 
“If you don’t mind
Carmina, I’d rather not talk about this anymore.
 
She’s gone now and …”

“So
that’s it.
 
You’re just letting her go,”
she said with annoyance.

When
he said nothing, she made a move towards the door.
 
“You know Luca, if you think about it, Gaby
didn’t really need you to get into the Villa for the necklace; she’d already
accomplished that with me.”

“What
are you saying?” he asked looking back at her.

“Just
that she didn’t have to go quite so far with you, if she didn’t want to.”

“Maybe
she wanted to be a Countess?” he said sarcastically.

She
shook her head at him.
 
“After meeting
our
Nonna
, I’d hardly think any woman
would willingly enter our illustrious family.
 
In fact, I wouldn’t wish being a Manetti on my worst enemy.
 
No…, you’re wrong.
 
She loved
you
Luca, not the title, but you.
 
And if you
can’t see that, you don’t deserve her.”

Luca
swallowed hard.
 
“I don’t deserve to be
lied to either,” he said quietly.

“You
know there’s one thing that bothers me.”

“Only
one?” he spat.

“How
did
Nonna
get the necklace?”

“What?”
he said quickly.

“How
did she get it after all these years?”

“How
should I know Carmina?
 
Maybe a volunteer
found it.”

Shaking
her head, Carmina shot back, “No, I asked around.”

Luca
put his face in his hands.
 
He wished
Carmina would stop talking.
 
He didn’t
want to discuss it any longer.
 
Didn’t
want to think or feel any longer.
 
Didn’t
want to face the fact that what he had with Gaby didn’t exist, never existed
–it was all smoke and mirrors; and lies.
 
“Who cares where or how she got it; the point
is Gaby wanted to steal it from us!”