Chapter 23 #2
The delicious food Beth had wolfed down turned to ash in her stomach and her mouth dried. She widened her eyes at Cesca, but she was too busy looking at the numerous faces of her family gathered around the enormous dining table.
The table fell instantly silent.
‘What do you mean?’ Marco asked, his teeth gritted, his jaw tight.
Emilio wouldn’t meet his friend’s eye, and it was Cesca who continued. ‘I mean that we’re dating. And … we have been exclusive for a while now.’
Cesca glanced at Beth and Marco followed her gaze, lines appearing on his forehead as he frowned. Her heart stopped beating as she worried what he’d say but he turned his attention to his best friend.
‘How can you do this, Emilio? You don’t – you don’t want relationships.’
‘I didn’t before,’ Emilio said, his neck red and blotchy with embarrassment, his eyes darting around the table. ‘But I do now. Cesca is an amazing woman.’
She had to admire his honesty and the sincerity with which he spoke. She just hoped Marco and his family would feel the same way. Paola and Elio’s gazes softened, but Marco remained cold. His face a frozen mark of disdain.
‘Emilio,’ Paola said gently. ‘Do you promise me that you love my daughter?’
‘I do, Paola. With all my heart. I know I used to think of her as Marco’s annoying little sister when we were growing up, but since I’ve come back I see what a clever, beautiful, amazing, talented woman she is.
She makes me laugh, she makes me feel like a better person when we’re together, and I want to be a better person for her. There is no one else for me but her.’
Beth’s heart melted. The speech had hit the mark for Paola and Elio who looked at each other and then nodded. ‘Then you can see Cesca. We will allow it,’ Paola said.
‘But if you hurt her—’ Elio began.
‘I won’t. I promise. I’m not – I’m not like that anymore. I was young and stupid. Now I realise what love is.’
All the air seemed to escape from Beth’s lungs in a huge exhalation that she felt deep down in her belly. Everyone turned to Marco, knowing his opinion mattered just as much. The silence was deafening and Beth felt dread press down on her lungs.
When Marco spoke, his words were hard and unflinching. ‘You have slept with more women than I can count. Women in every city, in every region. You used to boast about it to me. How do you think you’re good enough for my baby sister?’
‘She knows about my past – about how stupid I’ve been – but I’m not like that anymore. I was too full of my own importance and now I know that I’m lucky to have found someone as good as she is. I won’t hurt her, Marco, I promise. I will never betray her in any way. We are honest with each other.’
‘But not honest with me?’
‘How could we be honest with you?’ Cesca cut in. ‘You never forgive people for their mistakes. You never forgive yourself for your mistakes. The accident was so long ago, Marco; it’s fine.’
‘It’s not just about that and you know it.’
Beth felt that she’d missed something. What else could Marco be talking about?
‘Marco, no one is perfect. We didn’t keep this from you to hurt you. We just knew you wouldn’t understand.’
‘I don’t understand,’ he shouted, standing from the table. ‘You know what he’s like, Cesca. He’s incapable of being faithful.’
‘I am not,’ Emilio replied. His tone was firm but not aggressive, determined to defend himself but not argue. ‘Not anymore. I know I will have to prove it to you, but please give me the chance. Your parents have given me their blessing. Can’t you—’
‘No, I can’t.’
‘See!’ Cesca said, staring straight at Beth. ‘I told you he wouldn’t understand.’
Beth heard Marco’s sharp inhalation, and all the blood flew from her face.
Her breathing quickened as the adrenalin pushed its way into her bloodstream and the flight-or-fight instinct kicked in.
She wanted to run from the table, from Marco’s fearful, hurt expression.
Every feature on his beautiful face screamed of the pain he was feeling.
Pain she’d inflicted, even though she hadn’t ever wanted to.
She felt sick, the wonderful dinner roiling around inside her and turning to stinging, bitter bile.
‘You knew?’ The words came out as a mumbled whisper, as though his inability to believe meant he couldn’t form the words.
‘I—’
‘I needed to confide in someone,’ Cesca said. ‘Beth told me to tell you straight away, but I refused because I knew you’d be like this.’ Tears fell down Cesca’s cheeks, and both Emilio and Paola went to comfort her.
Marco’s sisters-in-law stood and began shuffling the children away from the table, their husbands following.
Cesca continued to try and save Beth, but she could see from his face it was hopeless. ‘I asked her to keep this a secret before you got together; you cannot blame her for this.’
‘That’s exactly how it was,’ Beth said almost pleadingly. ‘I didn’t want to keep anything from you.’
‘At the masquerade ball, did you know?’ Marco’s ice-blue eyes pinned on her and she couldn’t lie. He deserved the truth, however bad it made her look and feel.
‘Yes. I’m sorry.’
‘You lied to me.’
‘Son—’ Elio said.
‘You lied to me! How many times could you have told me, and you didn’t? You knew how I felt about them. How I worried for Cesca, but you didn’t say anything.’
‘It wasn’t my place to say anything, and as soon as we started … this … I told Cesca if she didn’t tell you soon, then I would.’
‘So you decided today? In front of my family? You decided to embarrass me.’
Cesca poked her head out from between her mother and Emilio’s arms. ‘She didn’t know I would do it today. I didn’t know I would do it today. I thought maybe after dinner I’d speak to you calmly but—’
‘I told you I …’ He swallowed heavily and stared at Beth. ‘I think you should go.’ His mum and sister gasped.
‘No!’ Paola cut in. ‘She is our guest.’
‘Then I will go.’
Before Beth could move he stormed out and slammed the front door behind him. The burn of humiliation flew up Beth’s spine, like her blood was on fire.
‘I’m so sorry,’ Cesca cried, tears falling down her face. ‘I’m so sorry, Beth.’
Beth swallowed hard and tried to gather what remained of her dignity. Paola bustled over and embraced her. ‘My son is a stubborn, stupid man sometimes. He will soon come round and apologise. I’m sorry for this. Truly. This is not how we normally behave.’
‘No, I’m sorry. I—’ Beth tried to breathe but she could feel the tears stinging the back of her nose, growing in her eyes. She had to get out. ‘I should go. I’m so sorry.’
Numbly she gathered her coat and bag, and despite his family asking her to stay and apologising again and again for Marco’s behaviour, she stumbled outside, towards the vaporetto and home.