‘We’ll make it work.’
Sofia nods. ‘And what about you, Gabriele? Will you be joining Lira on another tour?’
‘Mama, please,’ said Gabriele. ‘This is not a conversation to have in front of Lira; it is between you and me.’
‘I am not blind, Gabriele. I can see that the two of you have become close. And I am happy for you, but perhaps not for myself, because I would love you to stay here andrun the farm with me, but I think that’s not what you want in your heart. Is it, Gabi?’
Gabriele pushed his chair back and stood up. ‘Mama, please, we must change the subject. I will fetch a jug of water for us, and when I get back we will talk about something else.’
Gabriele disappeared out to the kitchen, leaving one of the interminable silences I was getting used to, the only sound being the scrape of our forks on our plates.
‘I don’t mean to upset you, Lira, but I am lost without Enzo, you understand? I know nothing about wine, except the tiny amount I have picked up from listening to him over the years, but I could not run the business alone now he’s gone, and I am too old to learn. But Gabrielecould learn, and I know that is what his father wanted for him. I will not force him, of course. I know how much he loves dancing. He would have towantto stay. And rather selfishly I’m concerned that now he has met you, he will definitely not want to live out here in the hills with his melancholy mother.’
‘I understand family responsibility, Sofia,’ I said, treading carefully. ‘And if running the vineyard is what Gabriel needs to do,wantsto do, then I would never try to stop him, even if I could. I’m not sure whether you’ve noticed, but he’s quite headstrong,’ I said, laughing lightly, hoping to lighten the mood. Sofia smiled tightly – it was a start, I supposed, and it was better than having her scowling at me from across the table.
‘Anyway, what we have isn’t serious. Not yet,’ I added, to reassure her that Gabriele would not be factoring me into his decision about whether to stay or go.
Sofia looked up from her plate, surprised.
‘I’m not sure that is correct, Lira,’ she said.
I frowned. ‘What do you mean?’
‘I mean that Gabriele has never brought a woman home to meet me before. He has never sat down at a table with me and someone he is interested in romantically, not once.’
I secretly thought I understood why he hadn’t, if this was the level of interrogation Sofia was likely to give every woman he brought home. And I felt a thrill that I was the first, although, in fairness, I had rocked up on his doorstep unannounced. He hadn’t had much choice, had he?
‘You must be special to him. For him to ask you to stay the night, to have dinner with us. It means something. I’ve just lost the love of my life, and I am wondering whether Gabriele has just found his.’
There was a fluttering of hope that what she was saying was true, and that Gabriele liked me as much as she seemed to think he did. When he walked back into the room, I’d never been so pleased to see anyone in my whole life. He was carrying the dessert we’d made, placing it in the centre of the table. Sofia looked at it admiringly.
‘Who would like some apple tart?’ asked Gabriele, looking from one of us to the other.
Later that evening, Sofia told us she was having an early night and Gabriele and I sat out in the garden with a glass of wine. He’d brought a speaker outside and had attached it to his phone so that soft, sexy Latin music played over our conversation. The Tuscan sky was beautiful – a bright, full moon; stars that I hadn’t even known existed because, in London, and even in Castlebury, the sky was never this dark and clear.
‘It’s beautiful out here,’ I said, tipping my head back, taking some deep, relaxing breaths.
I felt my shoulders soften now that I didn’t have to watch every word I said for fear of upsetting Sofia even more than I seemed to have done already.
‘I apologize again. About my mother. She is very intense sometimes, and losing Papa seems to have taken her to a whole new level. I am terrified to say anything in case I set her off.’
‘I’m glad it’s not just me,’ I said, smiling wryly at him.
He took my hand, caressing it gently.
‘I am glad you are here,’ he said.
‘Me too. Although I’m slightly worried I might have made things worse for you. Your mum seems to think that I have some kind of hold over you. I tried to tell her that I wouldn’t be able to influence your future plans for the vineyard one way or another.’
Gabriele looked thoughtful. ‘Is that really what you think? That you have not had an impact on me or my decisions at all?’
I frowned. ‘Well, that’s what I assumed. I mean, sure, we’ve enjoyed each other’s company recently. But I’ve never let myself think beyond that.’
A hurt look crossed his face and I wondered if I’d read it all wrong. If maybe his mum had been right after all.
Gabriele looked at me. ‘It’s true. My prioritieshavechanged over the last week or so. I could never leave my mother alone up here without Papa.’
‘Of course. You have to put your family first at a time like this,’ I agreed.
