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I nod because I don’t want her pity at learning Luca didn’t ask me to marry him out of love but commanded it to keep my brother at bay.
"You are the envy of women all throughout Italy. You won the heart of Luca Conte." She stands and goes to make herself a plate.
I remember Luca telling me to call Bianca about shopping. I didn't call her, so I wonder if he did. Or maybe he had Roberta call her.
Bianca returns to the table with her food. "We will go buy a dress, and then you will come out to my place. I'm having a little afternoon party. You'll be able to meet the other wives.”
Reality descends on me. I'm about to be a Mafia wife. And not just any Mafia wife but the wife of the most powerful Don in the country. Not long ago, the idea of that felt like a fairy tale, marrying into royalty, but today, the weight of it unsettles me. If only I could know for sure that Luca loves me. That he is marrying me for me, and not simply as a defensive move against my brother.
After breakfast, Bianca leads me out to a waiting sedan. "Today, Ernesto drives. We have many shops to go to."
We sit in the back of the car as her driver, Ernesto, takes us into town. The first stop is a bridal boutique.
"You're marrying in the church where Luca’s parents married. Luca’s father very much liked tradition. It's nice that Luca is honoring him in this way."
It's information like this that reminds me of the deeper, more feeling person that Luca can be. What I don't know is whether it's authentic or just the politics of Mafia life.
I try on the first dress, a white, lacy, fitted dress that is traditional but pretty. I study myself in the mirror, trying not to show how unhappy I am that this isn’t an exciting moment that I’d dreamed of. Elena, Lucy, and Kate should be here, not Bianca.
Behind me, Bianca frowns. "You don't seem very happy for a bride-to-be."
I don't know Bianca well enough to share my inner turmoil. I give her a wan smile. "I guess I'm still jet lagged."
She nods. "When we finish shopping, I'll take you to my beach house. We’ll have wine and be with the other wives. It will cheer you up."
I try on several dresses and finally pick one Bianca liked the most. After that, we go to a shop to buy lingerie. She tries to take me to buy a trousseau, but I tell her that Luca has already bought me a whole closet of clothes.
It's nearly noon when Ernesto drives us out to Bianca's house along the shore. I'm a little surprised as I walk in because it doesn't look like a place where a Mafia capo would live. It has Bianca written all over it with pink and white décor and two little dogs dressed in pink greeting her at the door.
She calls out to someone in Italian. The only word I recognize is vino. I could definitely use some wine.
She leads me out onto a terrace that has a lovely view of the ocean. I'm served a glass of wine as other guests arrive. Bianca introduces me to the wives of the men who work for the Conte family. They all scrutinize me but remain guarded and polite, probably because I'm about to marry the Don.
As the wine flows, the wives loosen up and I begin to learn a lot about their lives here in Italy. To be honest, it's not so different from the lives of Mafia wives back home. Mostly, they live to keep their husbands happy and on occasion get involved in business. It's a traditional life, but because they have money, they also are able to enjoy many of life's luxuries. It's not so different for Elena, although I know Niko works very hard to keep her happy, helping her indulge in her interests. Lucy is an entirely different kind of Mafia wife, one that I doubt would be allowed here in Italy where tradition is so important.
As I sit with these women, I see my future. It's not horrible, but I wonder if at some point it'll begin to feel tedious and small despite all the luxuries. Women here are still subservient to the whims of their powerful husbands. Because of the potential dangers in their world, they’re not fully free and able to be spontaneous. This is how I grew up and how my life will be no matter whether I live here or in New York. But Luca has given me a choice of which gilded cage I prefer.
Bianca's housekeeper serves us a platter of antipasti, and wine keeps coming.
I don't miss the judgmental expressions of all the wives when they learn I can't converse in Italian, but they all agree to speak English.
"Alfredo is buying me a condo in Switzerland," Maria, a middle-aged, yet very chic, woman says in English.
"Out of love or guilt?” Allessa, a wife around Bianca’s age, early thirties, asks.
Maria laughs. "I found out he bought one of his mistresses a diamond bracelet. So, of course, I used that. We should all plan a trip."
I stare at Maria, who doesn't seem at all concerned that her husband has a mistress. I expect the other women to console her or ask why she’s still with him. Instead, they share all the gifts they've received from their husbands as a penance for infidelity.
I must be gaping because Bianca asks, "What is the matter, Aria?"
"I'm just so surprised to hear how you accept the fact that your husbands are unfaithful. Shouldn't you be angry and hurt?"
Bianca laughs. "How do you think I got this lovely villa that I have decorated in pink? Besides, I'm very happy that Gino has his girlfriends because he's old and fat and I don't like it when he touches me."
I’m in shock. “All of your husbands have a mistress?”
The ladies look at me like they wonder what the big deal is.
