Hepburn's Necklace by Jan Moran

Author:Jan Moran [Moran, Jan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sunny Palms Press

Chapter 18

Lago di Como, 2010

* * *

“Here we are.” Ruby paused in front of Lorenzo’s café that overlooked the lake. Smiling at the young woman who stood at the reception desk, she said, “Please tell Lorenzo Pagani that Ruby Raines and her niece are here for lunch. He’s expecting us.”

The young woman’s eyes widened. “Signora Raines, what a pleasure. I’ll let him know right away.” She hurried toward Lorenzo.

While they waited, Ruby glanced at Ariana. Yesterday her niece had gone out for coffee with Alessandro, and Ariana told her that they had gone to Villa d’Este in Lorenzo’s yacht. Ruby studied the sparkle in Ariana’s eyes and the spring in her step that she could attribute to only one thing.

Alessandro.

Ruby smiled. She liked him for her niece, but she wondered if they would have enough time to get to know one another. Yet, as she well knew, true love could move fast.

“Ariana, dear, have you heard from your mother lately?” Mari hadn’t responded to the letter Ruby had sent, but then, it hadn’t been very long.

“She doesn’t even know I called off the wedding,” Ariana said softly.

Ruby felt sorry for Ariana that she wasn’t close to her mother. Had history doomed their family to repetition? “I sure would like to see you two reconcile.”

“It’s not as if we argued,” Ariana said. “Mom is so driven she doesn’t have time for me. Or anyone else.”

Ruby started to say that being driven had little to do with it, that one made time for those they loved. But that might make matters worse. Ruby wondered if Mari was capable of knowing how to love Ariana. Maybe she was missing the maternal instinct. Which was worse, Ruby wondered, to be shunned by your mother because she didn’t have time for you or because she couldn’t love you?

Perhaps Mari suffered from another, more deeply rooted cause. Fear of abandonment might be lodged deep in her psyche. But Ruby was not a therapist or a doctor.

Intruding into Ruby’s thoughts, Ariana said, “The café looks full.”

Across the way, Lorenzo motioned to a table with a white tablecloth and a reserved sign. The woman from the front desk quickly returned to Ruby and Ariana. “I’m so sorry to keep you waiting. This way, please. Lorenzo will be with you in a moment.”

As they followed the woman to the table shaded with a red umbrella, Ariana asked, “How do you know Lorenzo?”

The woman pulled out her chair, and Ruby sat down. Lorenzo had reserved the best table for them.

“I came by here yesterday on the way to the post office,” Ruby said. She didn’t mention that she had been searching for this particular café. On her earlier visit to Bellagio with the tour group, Matteo had taken her to several restaurants, but none of them was the one that she and Niccolò had gone to after their wedding. She glanced around now, envisioning how the café had looked then and where they had sat. What a wonderful evening that was.

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