Page 87 of Villa of Secrets

‘What, like a hospital you mean?’

He looked into my eyes for a moment, and then nodded.

I pictured Mama and her bad legs, and old Uncle Levi and his crooked spine. Tears broke free and ran down my face. I imagined Aunt Martha wearing her fine hairnet and red lipstick, and the fox fur around her neck. I could see them in their hospital beds, with starched sheets and fat pillows, falling peacefully asleep without even saying goodbye to each other.

If I believed any of it, I’d go mad from the anguish. Besides, Papa and Danial would discover what was going on, and they wouldn’t allow such a thing.

‘He probably made it up to get money from the papers.’ Giovanni said.

I nodded. ‘You must leave. I’ll see you when I return.’

At the door, he took me in his arms and kissed me, tenderly at first but then harder until he was trembling. He held me tightly and very still. His breath heaved in my ear and his body pressed against mine.

‘I want you so badly,’ I whispered.

Evangelisa turned over and opened her eyes. ‘What are you doing?’ she asked.

Giovanni winked at me before slipping out into the night.

Chapter 37

The three women sat on the patio in the warm afternoon air. Rebecca texting Fritz, Naomi reading the diary, and Bubba trying to lift her lame foot off the floor.

Bubba studied her granddaughters’ faces for a second. ‘I’m so tired. I need my siesta,’ she said reaching for Rebecca’s arm. ‘In the morning you must visit Doctor Despina for a check-up, child. It will put your mind at ease. Now help me to my bed. My triathlon training will have to wait for another day.’

Rebecca flapped her hand as Naomi stood. ‘Stay there. I’ll be back shortly. We really should talk about the court case.’

Neither of the women noticed Bubba’s thin smile.

*

Naomi dozed in Bubba’s armchair and woke when Rebecca placed a cup of coffee beside her.

‘Lovely, thanks,’ she said.

‘That’s the one I forgot to make this morning, sorry. Look, we can leave our discussion about court until after dinner if you’re tired,’ Rebecca said.

‘No, better talk about it now. Then we’ll have more time to plan.’

‘To be honest, I didn’t quite grasp what it’s all about,’ Rebecca said. ‘Do we have debts, tax, or something; or is it simply about the family property?’

Naomi’s irritation rose. She wanted to ask why Rebecca had never read the letters Bubba sent, explaining everything. But she recognised Rebecca’s recent resolve to be less selfish, and didn’t want to burden her with reprimands.

‘It’s about our great-grandfather’s shop in Rhodes Old Town. Just thinking we need to go through a court case to get it back makes my stomach flip. There’s so much prejudice I’m ashamed to call myself a Rhodian.’

‘But if he didn’t sell it, the building must still belong to our family? I remember from school that Rhodes was first in Greece to make a land registry, though I think Rhodes was Italian at that time.’

‘It was. What they forgot to teach us is that they confiscated Jewish property, then changed the names on the property’s deeds to suit themselves.’

‘I see,’ Rebecca said absentmindedly. Then, shaking her head, ‘Actually, to be honest, I don’t see at all. Can they actually do that?’

‘Bubba wrote to you about it. When you didn’t respond, she decided to send the gun and diaries to get your attention. She guessed you hadn’t read her letter.’

Rebecca stared at the floor. ‘I’m truly sorry, but I simply couldn’t take more stress. I’d started bleeding on the day it came. It was my first attempt at IVF, and there was still a chance I wouldn’t miscarry. I recognised Bubba’s handwriting so I binned it unopened. Later, I regretted what I’d done, and told Fritz. He said if it was important you’d have written again. But that was eight years ago, Naomi, and not a word since.’

Eight years ago? Naomi remembered Bubba writing many times.

Rebecca continued. ‘Surely people tried to claim their property back?’