Chapter 7
It seemed that Lucrezia blinked, and the day of the wedding had begun. February 5th, 1926. A day that would forever be ingrained in her memory and the start of her new life.
Tony pulled up to her house at precisely eight in the morning, opening the trunk and assisting in loading whatever would fit in her small suitcases; her clothing and the few little trinkets she owned.
”Is this all you want to bring, Miss Sindetti?”
”Yes, that’s it.”
Tony eyed the small luggage, then looked in the house, and she locked the door.
”What about the furniture? Boss said he”d have movers bring whatever you wanted.”
”I thought about it, but I don”t want anything more from this house. It wasn”t really home. Anything I need is in this suitcase.”
Lucrezia felt her shoulders drop as she walked away from her first home as a married woman for the last time. The dark cloud that was this house faded in the back of her mind, soon to be forgotten completely.
It held no good memories; her lonely wedding night, empty days cooking and cleaning, waiting for Carlo to come home and ultimately finding out who Carlo Russo truly was.
She”d throw the key in the river if Romero weren”t taking over the home.
When Tony had her and her things settled in the car, they finally made their way to the church. In just two hours time, she would be Mrs. Lucrezia Mancini.
”Oh, miss. Romero wanted me to give this to you, but he said don”t open it until you”re completely dressed and ready.”
He passed her an envelope with the Mancini seal.
Lucrezia examined the letter, with her name written in remarkable penmanship on the front.
”Do you know what it says?”
”Not a clue, miss. But Romero was adamant that you can”t open it until your gown is on and you”re about to walk down the aisle. He said he”d put out my eyeballs if I let you peek.”
He chuckled as they made a turn.
”I promise I won”t.”
Lucrezia realized they had turned onto her parents” street, and Tony quickly discovered his mistake.
”I”m sorry, miss. I shouldn”t have gone this way.”
Lucrezia noticed him visibly cringe.
”It”s okay, Tony.”
Her head followed her mother and father”s house until they drove too far.
The lamp in the window was still on, and she thought for a moment that perhaps they wouldn”t attend the wedding.
A spark of glee ignited in her chest at the prospect, but she snuffed it out quickly, not wanting to get her hopes up.
If they were in the audience, so be it.
If they weren”t, then Lucrezia would receive the message loud and clear that her parents no longer wished to be burdened by her.
And for the first time in her life, she felt at peace.
Twenty minutes later, they pulled up to the church and were met there by Maria.
She held the garment bag well above her head, as not to drag it on the damp ground. She had done all the necessary alterations days before.
The girl excitedly squealed when Lucrezia stepped out from the car.
She accepted the hug this time, finding herself growing more comfortable with her kindness.
”We have to hurry! I brought my kit just in case we need to fix anything at the last minute!”
Maria ushered her inside, and Tony led them to a designated room for the bride to ready herself in.
When they opened the door, they were greeted with dozens and dozens of lilies.
Lucrezia”s heart skipped a beat.
He remembered.
”Romero wanted this room to be specially decorated just for you. It was pretty drab before, but he donated this furniture to the church so you and other ladies could have a beautiful bride room on your special day.”
Lucrezia wanted to pinch herself while exploring the room. Romero had gifted velvety white couches and brand new oak flooring.
The wallpaper was brand new; a pretty floral pattern. In the middle of the room was a changing screen.
She put down the envelope that Tony had given her and ran her fingers over the walls, bending down to smell the flowers.
”When did he do all this? How did he do all of this?”
Lucrezia was almost overwhelmed with emotion.
”The boss never tells his secrets.” Tony put a finger to his lips and winked.
”It”s perfect, but we really need to get her ready, Papà!”
Maria beamed, hugging her father, then shooed him out of the room.
Before she closed the door, Lucrezia called out to her bodyguard.
”Tell Romero thank you for me, Tony?”
”With pleasure, miss.” He tipped his hat, then was pushed out of the room by his daughter.
The girl rubbed her hands together and set about getting Lucrezia ready for her big day.
◆◆◆
”And I think we are...done!”
Maria carefully pinned Lucrezia”s veil in her hair, which was done in a simple but elegant low bun.
She had convinced her to indulge in cosmetics for the occasion. A tiny bit of product to darken her lashes, some rouge and just a few dabs of red lipstick went a long way.
Maria helped her stand to look at the reflection in the mirror while she pinned and quickly sewed any problem areas of the gown. But Lucrezia saw no flaws.
In fact, she had never felt so beautiful in her life.
A soft knock at the door startled the women.
”Uh oh, hide! I swear, if Romero thinks he can get a peak, I”ll wring his neck myself!”
Maria grumbled at being interrupted at her work while Lucrezia sneaked behind the changing screen.
”If it”s you, Romero, you know that it”s bad luck to see your bride before the wedding.”
Maria”s face brightened when she opened the door, revealing not Romero but a woman that Lucrezia had not seen before. She took her in as she peeked behind the changing screen.
She was mature and remarkably tall, even in her heels.
Her gown was somewhat old fashioned and higher in the waist, with a beautiful lace pattern and deep blue in color to match her striking eyes.
Her dark hair was neatly curled and pulled back, and while wearing more cosmetics than Lucrezia was, she was undeniably elegant.
”Aunt Giulia! It”s been so long!” Maria hugged the woman, who warmly embraced her with arms encased in satin gloves.
”Hello, Maria. Pardon my intrusion, I wanted to meet the woman who has stolen my son”s heart.”
Her son! Romero”s mother!
Lucrezia gulped, her nerves getting the better of her while she shook her hands. What if his mother didn”t like her or if she didn”t think she would be a suitable bride for Romero? What if she took one look at her and clearly saw that Lucrezia did not come from wealth as they did, then demanded that her son choose another bride?
She shook her head.
Don’t be ridiculous, Lucrezia. You can do this!
Taking a deep breath, Lucrezia stepped out from the screen, confidently walking to her future mother-in-law.
”Hello, ma”am. My name is Lucrezia Sindetti.”
She shakily held out her hand, which Romero”s mother accepted with a smile.
”Please, call me Giulia, sweet girl. You have to forgive me for not inviting you out to dinner so we could be properly introduced. I live roughly two hours away, and it isn”t so easy for me to travel, my health being what it is these days. But once I got the news, I made preparations to move closer, so here I am!”
Lucrezia anxiously shifted her weight.
She had moved in the span of a few weeks just for her and Romero”s wedding? Without even knowing if she would like her son”s bride?
”Now, let me get a good look at you!”
Guilia pulled a pair of spectacles from her hand bag and examined Lucrezia.
She felt herself blush, trying to hide beneath the microscope of her gaze.
Carlo”s mother met Lucrezia once on their wedding day, offering nothing but an upturned nose and a scrutinizing scowl.
But Giulia smiled and took Lucrezia”s hands, proclaiming in Italian that she was beautiful and that her son chose well. She also mentioned that it was no wonder Romero insisted on the wedding being so close, since he clearly couldn”t wait to have her share his name.
Romero was almost a male carbon copy of his mother, save for his eyes. The two were clearly very close, something Lucrezia envied.
She blinked any thoughts of her mother away. Nothing would ruin this day.
”I waited a long time for my son to find someone who he could spend the rest of his life with. Now that the day is here, I could almost cry.”
She sniffed, dabbing her nose and straightening the hat on her head.
”But I won”t keep you any longer. I will see you out there and at the reception! Congratulations, sweet girl.”
Giulia hugged Lucrezia before leaving the room, and Maria continued the work on her gown.
The clock ticked. Just fifteen minutes before she walked down the aisle. She was then reminded to open Romero”s envelope.
As her eyes read the words, tears threatened to smear her makeup.
”My perla,
I want you to look in the mirror and remember this moment as only the beginning. You mean more to me than words can describe. I promise to protect, cherish, and love you all of my waking days. I’ll see you at the end of the aisle, my sweet little girl.
Your Daddy.”
Lucrezia pressed her hand to her mouth as her tears threatened to ruin her makeup.
Love.
He loved her.
She pressed the letter to her chest, not wanting to let it go.
Then, she squealed like an actual little girl.
He loved her.
He loved her!
◆◆◆
Lucrezia walked down the aisle on her own, holding her heavy bouquet. She counted her steps as the choir filled the church with a soothing melody.
The closer she got to Romero, the more her heart quickened it”s beating until it felt like her chest would explode.
One hundred and fifty guests. That was the number they agreed upon. But looking at her audience, it felt like much more.
Sure enough, the only inhabitants on the left side of the pews were her mother and father. They were clearly displeased with her choice of dress, not to mention the whole spectacle which was this wedding.
To the right of the pews, nearly every possible space was filled with a mixture of her groom”s friends, family, and his apparent trusted circle.
True to his word, the chief of police was in attendance. As was the mayor.
She straightened her spine more.
The crystal clear class divide of the audience made her footsteps falter as the anxiety began bubbling in her chest.
Her parents” gazes were getting closer and closer, and combined sniffs, coughs, and throat clearing of guests over the church music began to become overstimulating.
Were they scrutinizing her as well? Giulia approved, but it certainly didn”t mean everyone did.
What did they think of the lack of guests on her side of the church? It would surely be a tell-tale sign that Lucrezia didn”t come from Romero”s side of the tracks.
Lucrezia stumbled just slightly over her shoes, setting off her nerves even more.
She couldn”t even look up now, focusing on the maroon-colored carpet and attempting to match her footing to the music.
Her parents were feet away now.
Lucrezia felt her bouquet grow too heavy as she began to lose her nerve.
No, no, no, this is going all wrong.
Quiet murmurs spread through the pews to her right.
Her feet stopped.
They”ll think I”m either going to sprint in the other direction or blindingly stupid.
Lucrezia”s body froze, incapable of completing the simple task of walking down the aisle.
Romero sprang into action, smoothly walking down the stairs and meeting her at the halfway point of the aisle where she was stiffly frozen in place, trembling.
Romero slid to her left, blocking the view of her parents and shocking the rest of the guests.
”It”s okay. Daddy”s here. Don”t worry,” Romero reassured her as he hooked his arm in hers and guided her down the remainder of the aisle.
The priest began addressing the crowd.
”The bride and groom have decided to begin the ceremony in a non-traditional way, meeting in the middle of the aisle to symbolize the equality of their union and willingness to face the trials of the world together.”
Lucrezia let out a breath she didn”t realize she was holding, looking up at Romero.
Somehow, he knew what she would ask.
He lowered his lips to her ear.
”I prepared the priest for every possible scenario. If you got nervous, we both knew what we would do. Daddy took care of everything, perla.”
His voice was barely above a whisper, but it sent chills throughout her body. Instantly, her mind was clear. She didn”t even care that her parents had turned their faces away when they passed.
But Lucrezia did notice Romero cast a threatening glare upon them that promised bloodshed should anything go wrong today.
When they reached the priest, he smiled upon them and commenced his speech.
”Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in the presence of God to witness the marriage of Romero Alessandro Mancini, and Lucrezia Adelina Sindetti. Should anyone here wish to voice any reason why the bride and groom should not be wed, please speak now or forever hold your piece.”
The deathly silence in the room remained so as Romero turned his head and glared at the crowd, daring someone to open their mouth.
To his side of the church, it was humorous. Even the priest chuckled.
He commenced his reading of the holy word, commanding the church with powerful testimony.
She and Romero stole glances at one another.
”Thank you,” Lucrezia mouthed.
He smiled, tightening his hold of her.
His green irises were swallowed up by his pupils. She knew he was counting down the seconds until the priest could declare them wed.
”Would you face each other, please?” the priest asked.
They did as instructed, remaining connected by holding hands.
He bid them to repeat the words she had been asked to repeat upon her marriage to Carlo. Except this time, it meant something.
Romero stared into the depths of her soul while he promised to love and honor her, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others.
Lucrezia did the same, squeezing his hand as she swore to honor him. She made sure to emphasize the word love, reciprocating what he confessed to her in his letter.
The corner of his mouth tilted, the two of them now confirming what they truly felt.
”Do you, Romero, take this young woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?”
”I do.”
Romero was clear, concise, and powerful.
”Do you, Lucrezia, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?”
”I do.”
Once the words left her lips, a single tear descended her cheek. To her shock, Romero wiped it away with his thumb and sucked it into his mouth as he had done before.
Somehow, no one noticed. But Lucrezia was ready to fall into his arms or on her knees for him.
”I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may salute your bride.”
Romero wasted not a millisecond more, pulling her in by the back of her neck and her waist, letting every soul in that church know that Lucrezia was his wife, in case the priest hadn”t gotten that point across.
He swept his tongue across her teeth, demanding entry into her mouth.
Lucrezia resisted, as not to offend the crowd.
“I love you. You’re mine,” he growled against her lips.
Lucrezia felt her mind submit to him and allowed him access.
Before it could go any further, Romero picked her up in his arms and made his way down the aisle with his prize.
The guests applauded and hollered, following them out of the church.
Romero wouldn”t let her feet touch the ground until they got to the car.
This time, Lucrezia initiated the kiss, wrapping her arms around him and shielding his face with her heavy bouquet.
”Mrs. Lucrezia Mancini. I like it.”
”I think I like it more, perla.”