After the Lie: A gripping novel about love, loss and family secrets by Kerry Fisher

Author:Kerry Fisher [Fisher, Kerry]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
ISBN: 9781910751800
Publisher: Bookouture
Published: 2016-04-29T04:00:00+00:00

24

As we walked away from the restaurant, my mother seemed energised by the British grandma versus Italian nonna argy-bargy. ‘I’m not going to be made a fool of by a bunch of cowardly Itais. In the war, they were the first ones running for the hills.’ I did wonder whether my mother actually held a view that didn’t have the Daily Mail as its source.

Dad would have been horrified at her behaviour. And if he ever came to know about it, mine too. In an urgent need to atone, I opened my map and pointed to a trio of churches within walking distance. My mother was barely able to contain her excitement that the first church, Santo Spirito, had thirty-eight chapels. Oh goody. But even I had to admit that the square itself was soothing to the soul, lined with cafés and trattorias, with an elaborate fountain in the centre where old ladies – hopefully non-cheese-plate-smashing pacifists – sat chatting, with an indulgent eye on their grandchildren. As far as I could see, no one minded if kids screamed, kicked or pushed each other over as long as they a) didn’t get dirty and b) didn’t take their coats off.

For the first time that afternoon, I was able to appreciate my surroundings, spying into the imposing courtyards beyond huge wooden doors, running my fingers over chunky ceramic tiles. I was just admiring a little shrine to the Madonna when a movement in an alleyway caught my eye. With a lurch of recognition, I saw Tomaso, his hands holding Raffaella’s wrists, speaking to her with an urgency, an intensity that suggested there was still a story to unfold rather than just a couple of loose ends to snip off. The fight had gone out of her. A little softness had crept into her face. She had her head on one side, very Sophia Loren coquette. She reached up and took his face in her hands. I turned away. He wasn’t mine to intrude upon, though there was no mistaking the dull ache of jealousy that I would have to deceive myself about.

I trained my mother’s gaze in the opposite direction by pointing out the simplicity of the church façade and scurried past. The next couple of hours shuffling around Santa Maria del Carmine, San Frediano in Cestello and a myriad of saints in various stages of suffering seemed a small price to pay for arriving back at the hotel without any more hand-to-hand combat.

I dispatched my mother to her room to rest and headed out for my meeting with the hotel’s catering manager. Now I was alone, I could stop lying to myself: I’d expected Tomaso to text me to let me know when he’d be back.

If he’d be back.

I hated the idea of him taking Raffaella home for good old-fashioned make-up sex.

Even though I couldn’t possibly have sex with him myself.

By the time I’d liaised with the sort of chef you could imagine throwing tiramisu in a tantrum, the prospect of a jolly dinner à deux with my mother made me want to hole up in my room.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.