Central Park by S.A. Morelli

Author:S.A. Morelli
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Nextone Inc
Published: 2023-11-24T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

I

n the days after Christmas and before the New Year, Mac spent his days working on the memorandum for the Vatican regarding preserving its neutrality while encouraging peace overtures, and his reports for his handlers in the United States. He spent his evenings with Carla, either at the Inn, or at the DeFelice home. When one of the lawyers at his firm had offered him tickets to the opera the Saturday after Christmas, he jumped at it, not because he loved the opera, but because it was a chance to get out with Carla, without being overwhelmed by her chaperones. Not that Mac was in such a hurry for them to be intimate, but because he just wanted a chance to be alone with his girl.

When Mac asked Alberto if it would be appropriate to take his sister to the opera on Saturday, Alberto laughed, and he replied that such formalities were no longer necessary. Mac was now considered part of the family, as Alberto was satisfied that his intentions were entirely honorable. That Saturday, Mac took Carla to the Tetro Realedell ‘Opera, the opera house of Rome to see La Traviata. Carla was delighted to go, having never been to the opera before.

Carla dressed elegantly in a little black dress, sling back black shoes, and the jewelry that Mac had given her for Christmas. Her hair was up as it had been for the Christmas Ball, but there were two runaway curled strands of her dark curly tresses framing her face. Mac arranged for a car to drop them off at the front entryway of the opera house, with all the other elegant couples attending the performance that night. Mac, dressed in formal eveningwear, held his hand out to help Carla out of the vehicle, and up the red-carpeted marble steps outside.

“Oh Mac, this is so exciting,” whispered Carla. “I feel like I am living a fairytale whenever I am with you. You are so handsome. All the other ladies are staring at you.”

“And their men are all staring at you. You are truly the most beautiful girl in Rome.”

The Teatro Realedell ‘Opera originally opened in 1880, named after the contractor and benefactor that built the opera house, Teatro Constanzi. In 1926, the Constanzi Theatre was bought by the Rome City Council, who did major renovations, including relocating the entrance to the opposite side, on Piazza Beniamino Gigli, along with adding a fourth tier of boxes and a balcony. The interior was redone with new stuccowork, decorations, and a magnificent chandelier, almost twenty feet in diameter, with twenty-seven thousand crystal drops. The plaque commemorating the rebuilding featured King Emmanuele, Benito Mussolini, and other luminaries of the time. Yet, due to the war, this was to be the last performance of the Teatro Realedell ‘Opera for the foreseeable future.

Mac led his beautiful date to their seats in the first tier of boxes at the right side of the stage. The curtains of green velvet were still closed, the crystal chandelier bursting with light.

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