Italian Lover
Part 6's
Gina returned Ottavia's gaze steadily, even though she was not at all steady. “My mother never met my father's family. My father's family had absolutely no idea about my parents' marriage.”
“I think that's enough,” cut Lucius off before his sister can continue her investigation. “Not to be talked about anymore.”
Ottavia's advance seemed to say Lucius' command was out of place, but he did not argue. But Gina hesitated
that Ottavia will stop looking. He glanced at Donata and tried to smile, but Donata replied with glaring eyes. Obviously Donata's attitude won't soften against him. He was really trapped in this house!
# # #
Dinner was not as lively as Gina originally thought, and only consisted of four menus. Gina gulped the wine
the red carefully. I love red wine, but it doesn't
always suited to him. He did not want to wake up with a heavy head the next morning.
Lucius insisted that their conversation be conducted in English in honor of Gina, but it made him feel more like an outsider. Marcello, Gina managed to find out, is
that property manager, and Ottavia is an electrocution that doesn't have to do anything. Ottavia asks Gina about her current background, and is astonished to hear that Gina is an accountant.
“Rightly unusual job for a woman!” he said it out loud. “Don't you think, Lucius?”
“It was precisely a good career for anyone,” Lucius replied, while throwing a smile that made Gina seem stung. “Especially for someone so young.”
“My age is twenty-five,” Gina feels she should
explain. “Not much different from you, I guess.”
The smile appeared again, this time accompanied by a flash on the dark eyes of the owner. “Eight years is not an obstacle, I agree.”
Obstacles to what, Gina did not feel the need to ask. And he was sure that the people around him felt that way too. That Lucius was physically attracted to him, also needless to say. There's no way Lucius likes himself more than that.
Gina's nonchalant attitude that night made the glint in Lucius' eyes even more so. The resistance seems to make the game even more interesting. Gina felt even more regret for letting
he is trapped in this situation. If he really wants to find out what
actually, it means he must be ready to explain his lie earlier, which is,
which even he himself did not understand why it could be said. Besides of
it is possible that he would have insulted Lucius for seducing his own close cousin.
“And what does your stepfather do?” insist Ottavia, managed to restore the path of Gina's mind again.
“Textile company,” suhut Gina.
“Has his own?”
“Ya, her own business.” And very successful, he wanted to add, but saw no need to expose with more detail again— especially because success it depends on several factors that
Ottavia seems to be temporarily quite satisfied with the answer, but Gina is confident Ottavia will continue to dig into the captions. The woman was probably just curious, Gina thought to herself. There was no way the woman suspected that something was wrong.
# # #
The show continued into the night and it still seems to be not over. Being barely able to open her eyes again, Gina was forced to ask herself.
“I hope you guys don't take it personally if I ask myself to sleep,” Gina said. “I've been driving a car from seven in the morning
last night, and absolutely could not sleep the night before.”
“Of course you can!” Signora Carandente. “You need not hesitate to do whatever you want while you are a guest here. Maybe you want to have breakfast in your room?”
“Absolutely no,” says Gina. “I'll be fine.” It adds again abruptly, “Your friendliness is incomparable, Signora.”
“Contessa,” says Ottavia correcting in a sharp tone.
“You can call me Cornelia,” her mother told Gina graciously.
Gina who was somewhat shocked at Ottavia's words, tilted her head and said, “Thank you.”
He walked away from the other people while saying “Good night”, and avoided looking in the eye with Lucius. If Lucius' mother was a Contessa, then his father was a Count, and that meant the title would be passed down to their son. And that minimizes the possibility that his father has a bond with the family. Why would a boy from such a family study at a university in the UK as an ordinary student?
After all, both now and in the past the Carandente family could never have lived in Vernici.
Gina realized she was just walking in place.
The only sure path is the one that should have been taken a few hours ago, which is to tell the truth. Hiding his father's real name is ridiculous. Tomorrow, he said to himself, he would tell the truth. After all, he had absolutely no intention of seeking any profit. All he wanted was to know who his father was.
# # #
Despite being tired, Gina had already woken up at six the next morning. The morning sunlight seemed to call out to the balcony and enjoy the beautiful view of the park that stretches around it. The entire park seemed to be covered in a thin morning mist.
He saw no one in the garden. Encouraged by heart desire, Gina walks back to her bedroom to wear thin cotton trousers and a shirt. He will walk for half an hour or so so that he still has plenty of time to prepare for the day.
He could hear quiet voices from somewhere in the back of the house as he climbed down the stairs to the ground floor, no one showed up to question him. After all the maids couldn't possibly do that, Gina thought. As Cornelia said last night, as a guest she had the right to do whatever she wanted.
Moreover the chances of him meeting anyone at the front door became extremely small. His Fiat car is no longer there, in the driveway there is really no car. There must be a garage behind, Gina thought.
He turned to the left, away from the house, down the stone steps that were between the white marble pillars towards the terrace,
shaded with lush greenery and decorated with classic sculptures. Gina admired the beauty of the place set against the bright blue sky.
On one side there is a pond decorated with colorful lotus flowers, the edge of the pool is given benches made of stone which is very strategic position to see the scenery across the valley. Gina immediately slowed down her steps as soon as she saw Lucius sitting on one of the benches.
Seriate…
