Merediths Awakening (12 page)

* * * *

Sophia took pity on her and guided her back to the couch. She’d no sooner sat down than Josie bounced onto her lap. Wrapping sticky fingers around Meredith’s neck, the little girl looked into her eyes and asked, “Are you Unca Tony’s girlfriend?” Meredith noticed the room grew suddenly quiet, as if they were all waiting for her response.

Hell, they undoubtedly
were
waiting for her response. And she quite honestly didn’t know what to say. One didn’t tell a three-year-old they were her uncle’s lover. If that was even what she was to him.

Once again Sophia came to her rescue, telling her daughter, “Miss Meredith is Uncle Tony’s friend. Like cousin Luca is your friend.”

Picking up on Sophia’s thread Meredith added, “I’ve had a very bad day, and your Uncle Tony decided I needed something nice to happen to me.”

“We’re something nice?” The little girl’s eyes lit up at the idea, and Meredith found herself gathering the child closer.

“You are something very nice,” she assured her, surprised to find she meant it.

“Ah,” commented Theresa, who arrived just then with Meredith’s drink. “But you haven’t met me yet.” The woman grinned as she handed Meredith her glass. “By the time I’m done with you, you might not think we’re all so nice.” Sophia smacked at her sister and turned to Meredith. “Don’t let Reesa scare you.

She’s the youngest, and a bit of a brat.” Theresa pouted prettily.

“She does have a point, though.” Another beautiful, voluptuous woman pulled up a chair. She held a dark-haired baby against her shoulder casually, and looked utterly happy and secure. “Now that Tony’s out of the way, we have every intention of grilling you like a juicy steak.”

Sophia rolled her eyes and Theresa laughed merrily. Meredith clutched Josie closer, rather like a shield, and felt sick to her stomach.

* * * *

Dinner was a boisterous affair, with people talking at the same time, children making their way around the table begging the choicest bites of food, and at one point dinner rolls flew across the table. Nona, of course, put a quick stop to the impromptu food fight, but not before Meredith had time to wonder at the party atmosphere.

Family meals in the Worthington household had consisted of her, Marcus and Matt eating informally but quietly in the small dining room, or joining their father to eat silently in the big dining room. Meredith didn’t remember there ever being laughter at the dinner table.

Slowly, hesitantly, she found herself joining in the conversation. For all their teasing, the Rennato women were sharp and well informed on topics from politics to art.

Theresa in particular was an expert in the area of art. She worked as a graphic designer, she explained animatedly, but her first love was oil painting.

“Oh,” Meredith realized, “you painted the amazing picture over your brother’s fireplace.” She immediately regretted her comment as the surrounding family members looked quickly at her.

“Sooo,” Tony’s cousin Marisol, she of the placid baby, drawled. “Tonio has taken you to his home.” She sent a significant look to the other women at the table. “Very interesting. Tony doesn’t bring women home.”

To Meredith’s relief Tony broke in. “Mare, leave her alone.” He lifted Meredith’s hand and pressed a brief kiss into her palm. “You’ll scare her away.” Taking in Meredith’s hunted expression he gave a wry smile. “If you haven’t already.”

“Nona,” a girl of fourteen or fifteen interrupted the moment. “Tell us the story again of how you met Papa. And how he gave you the ring.” She gave a dreamy sigh. “It’s so romantic.”

Before Nona could answer, a boy who looked only slightly younger than the girl who’d made the request affected a high-pitched voice. “It’s sooooo romantic.” He made a gagging motion, which he quickly ceased as Nona’s black eyes zeroed in on him and his father gave him a quick cuff to the back of his head.

Nona shot Meredith a speculative look, and nodded decisively. Turning to the young girl who’d made the request, she began.

“I was born in Sicily, to a very wealthy family. I was the Vincenzo Princessa. The only daughter after six sons.”

Meredith found herself pulled into Nona’s story, caught up in the older woman’s rich voice.

“Oh,” Nona continued, “and I was spoiled. My Papa and brothers gave me anything I wanted. I had only to mention something, and it was mine. But I was protected, too.

Much more than a girl of seventeen wishes to be protected.” Nona sent her great-granddaughter a twinkling look.

“So,” she said, “one day I walked home from confession with my brother Marco.

Now, Marco had some friends in the city who he liked to go with to dance and gamble.

On the way home this particular day, Marco stopped to see his friends. I was so very bored, they were talking money and sports—nothing a girl of seventeen is interested in.

So I wandered outside.

“We had stopped near a park filled with children and artists and laughter, which was much more inviting than my brother and his friends. I decided to walk in the park a while, even though I knew Marco would be angry with me for going off alone.

“I went to a bush covered with the most beautiful lavender flowers,” Nona’s eyes misted over and her smile grew dreamy. “Lilacs. They were so lovely, and smelled so sweet, I couldn’t resist breaking a branch of them off to carry with me.

“I was sitting on a bench, enjoying the sunshine and my flowers, when the most beautiful young man approached me.”

“That was Papa!” The teenager’s eyes sparkled as she continued. “And he’d been watching you in the park, and you were so beautiful he had to meet you.”

“You are right,” Nona agreed. “Your Papa was an artist. He was painting in the park that day, and when he saw me, he insisted he must paint me. I was very shy,” she paused and adopted an injured air when her children and grandchildren laughed in disbelief. “I was very shy,” she repeated firmly, “and it took him a long time to convince me to pose.

“Of course, by the time I’d agreed, Marco was looking for me, and I had to leave quickly. My brother would have been very upset to see me talking to a man not of my family.” She gave a naughty smile. “Especially one as good looking as my Matteo.

“So, for the next several weeks I made sure Marco was the one who took me to confession. Soon I felt the need to go to confession twice a week, and then three times.

My mother was so proud. She was thrilled to have such a devout daughter.” Nona laughed softly. “Ah, but she would have been horrified to know the truth. For every day after confession, Marco stopped to gamble with his friends. And while he was gambling, I met with my Matteo in the park and he painted me.

“It was a lovely portrait. He put me in front of the lilac bush and painted me in a lavender dress…” Nona sighed.

“When the portrait was done, I still found reasons to go to the park, and to be with Matteo.”

Nona sighed reminiscently. “It was such a beautiful summer. And I was young and in love. My portrait was long done when Marco discovered my true reason for coming to confession so often.

“He’d been losing at dice, and so he decided to leave his friends earlier than usual.

He came into the park at the worst possible time. My Matteo was kissing me, for the very first time.

“Of course Marco was enraged. He dragged me home and told my Papa what he had seen. I was confined to my room for weeks.”

The entire table full of Rennatos was listening intently, spellbound by Nona’s expressive face and melodious voice.

“It was almost a month later when I was next allowed to go to confession without my mother or father as escort. When I went into the confessional, the window opened quickly, but it was not the priest.

“No, my Matteo had been watching for me for weeks, and he had convinced the good father to allow him to slip into the confessional and speak to me.

“For the first time Matteo told me he loved me,” Nona smiled at her audience as the girls and even some of the women sighed in appreciation, “and he gave me this ring.” The matriarch held up her left hand to display a beautiful golden ring in the shape of a flower with exquisite diamond petals. “When he gave it to me, the petals were only crystals, for he could afford no better. He told me he had gone to my father and asked for permission to court me, but my father refused him because he was a poor artist, not nearly good enough for a Vincenzo princess.

“Matteo gave me this ring and asked me to wait for him. He would work hard to become successful, to be worthy of me. I told him he was the most worthy man I knew, that I would run away with him today if he wanted me to, but Matteo said he had too much respect for me. He would never shame me in such a way.” Nona picked up her glass of wine. The deep red liquid glimmered in the light of the chandelier hanging above the table. She looked at Tony and then at Meredith for a long, intense moment before finishing her story.

“It took him almost five years, but my Matteo finally earned enough money and prestige that even my father could not deny him. He came for me on my twenty-second birthday, and took this ring, which I’d worn on a chain for all those long years, and slipped it on my finger.” The group seemed to sigh with appreciation.

Nona directed her eyes to Meredith, and seemed to speak directly to her. “Rennato men take one look at the woman who will own their soul, and know it. It may take them years to make her their own, but once they do, they never let her go.” Meredith squirmed under the woman’s sharp regard. Surely she wasn’t speaking to her!

“I had almost fifty glorious years with my Matteo before death took him from me, and I know one day we will be together again. Now I have his ring as a reminder of how true love is worth waiting for.”

*

Meredith was quiet as the meal ended. She wore a bemused expression on her face.

Tony hated to leave her alone, but Nona once again commanded his help in clearing the table.

Once the dishes were gathered and soaking in a sink full of bubbles, Nona turned to face him.

“She is the one, no?” There was no doubt in Nona’s eyes as they met his.

Tony didn’t even try to deny it. “She is.”

“And you’ve been waiting for her for years, building your business, working to become worthy of her.” Again, it was not really a question. Tony just nodded. “Who is she, that she would find you unworthy?” Nona’s voice took on an edge of ice. Tony hastened to explain.

“She didn’t know I wanted her for more than one night.” He flushed a bit under Nona’s unhappy look. “She didn’t know she owned my soul. I’ve been working, biding my time. She didn’t know she was waiting for me.”

Nona nodded, her expression softening. “And does she know now?”

“She’s so afraid, Nona. I don’t want to drive her away by asking for too much, too soon.” Tony knew his frustration was plain in his eyes, but Nona merely looked thoughtful.

“You are right, in that. She’s wounded, your woman. She will need much care, much affection, before she will trust you with her heart.” She gave another of her decisive nods, and reached to slip the diamond from her finger.

“Your Papa gave this to me the day he confessed his love, and it has never left my possession since.” She pressed the ring into his palm and closed his fingers around it gently. Tony’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Of all my grandchildren, you are the first to give up your soul to your woman at first sight. You are the most like my Matteo.” She pressed his clasped fist to her heart. “I love all my grandchildren, Tonio. But you are special to me. When your woman is ready, you will give her this ring. And then you will have many happy years together.”

Tony knew it wasn’t at all macho, but at his Nona’s words, he felt his eyes fill with tears. He took the tiny woman into his arms and hugged her tightly to him.

“You honor me.” His voice was husky with emotion. “You honor the woman who owns my heart.” He held her tighter, then pulled away to meet her eyes. They were suspiciously bright, too. “I am very lucky to have such an amazing Nona, such an amazing Papa. I thank God every day for my family.” Giving her a soft kiss on each cheek, Tony concluded, “I love you very much.”

Nona seemed to sniff back her own emotion, and reached up to pat his cheeks.

“Pfft. You will make an old woman cry.” She pulled completely away and made shooing motions with her hands. “Now go and find your woman before your sisters and cousins frighten her to death with their questions.”

*

Meredith was much less stressed than she expected when Tony retrieved her from the bevy of Rennato women a short time later. She’d rather enjoyed them when they weren’t grilling her about her intentions for their beloved Tony.

Tony himself seemed somewhat bemused when he joined them, sitting next to her and taking her hand in his. When he leaned over and pressed a kiss to her temple, the Rennato women exchanged knowing glances, making Meredith squirm. She just wasn’t sure if she was squirming with embarrassment or with pleasure.

Eventually Tony rose and led Meredith to another room, one empty of family. It appeared to be a small library, filled with books of all kinds, from the classics to science fiction and romance. There were even two leather wing-backed chairs and a small gas fireplace.

Tony stopped before the fireplace, and Meredith followed his gaze to the portrait sitting propped on the mantle. It was a stunningly beautiful girl, a branch of lilacs pressed to her cheek. Her smile was mysterious, her eyes full of mischief.

“Oh,” she breathed. “She was so lovely.” She couldn’t take her eyes off the portrait.

“She
is
so lovely.” She didn’t look away, but she could almost feel Tony’s smile. “He must have loved her so much. You can see it in every brushstroke.” Tony pulled her around to face him, and lowered his head until his forehead rested against hers. “He did love her. And he spent every day of the rest of his life showing her.” He let his gaze meet hers, and the intimacy was so overwhelming she had to close her eyes. “When a Rennato man meets the woman who will own his soul,” he repeated Nona’s words softly, “he knows it with one look. And once he makes her his own, he never lets her go.”

Before Meredith could even begin to form a response, his lips were on hers in a kiss so filled with tenderness it brought tears to her eyes.