it was the first time. It was tender and yet urgent, a chance to lose themselves in a moment’s ecstasy.
The following morning, they lay wrapped in each other’s arms.
‘I love you so much,’ Cosimo said, kissing her mouth, her eyes, her forehead. ‘I had thought maybe we had lost each other.’
‘Never,’ she said. ‘I just couldn’t show you my love. The war has taken all my strength, all my concentration; and there have been so many secrets between us.’
‘I know,’ he replied, stroking her cheek.
She pushed herself up on her elbow and gazed at him. ‘I wish we could stay like this forever.’
He pulled her towards him and they made love again, more slowly this time. As she climaxed, she whispered his name over and over again.
When she finally pulled away from him, he clung to her hand. ‘Don’t go yet,’ he said gently.
‘I must.’ She climbed out of bed and began to dress hurriedly. ‘I have to be at Villa Triste at nine. And we need bread – if I don’t go out now, it will be too late. When you leave, try to avoid our neighbour, Signor Lombardi. Open the door of the apartment, just a crack, and wait. He will almost certainly come out onto the landing to see what’s going on. Wait until he gets bored and goes back in, then leave. Can you tell everyone from Radio Cora to meet us here at five o’clock. We’ll pool everyone’s information to give to the Americans. And ask them to bring maps of Florence and the surrounding area.’
‘Do you really think it’s safe to meet here?’
‘We have no choice, Cosimo.’
‘But I still worry we’re breaking all the rules. What would your father say?’
‘Well, my father’s not here, so it’s my decision,’ said Livia, picking up her keys. ‘Come on – let’s get going.’
The sun was slowly sinking in the sky, casting deep shadows in the streets, as Livia hurried home for her evening meeting. Up in the attic, she explained to the family what was about to happen.
‘I have some people coming here shortly,’ she told Sara. ‘We might have to come up to the roof terrace. It’s important that you keep out of sight.’
‘Shall we stay in our room?’ Sara asked.
‘Yes, that would be best. It won’t be for long – half an hour at the most. When they’ve all gone, I’ll come and get you and we can make supper.’ Livia smiled encouragingly.
As the time of the Radio Cora meeting approached, she positioned herself by the window overlooking the street. Cosimo arrived just before five o’clock, accompanied by three other members of the Radio Cora team. Livia hurried downstairs in stockinged feet to let them in.
They held their meeting in the sitting room – spreading out maps of Florence and the surrounding area on the floor. They had a long list of questions from General Alexander, and as they worked through the answers together, one of the team converted them into code for the transmission.
‘He wants to know how many partisans there are in each cell,’ Paulo said. ‘That’s an impossible question to answer – none of us know. We all work in total isolation from each other.’
‘Just put in a rough figure then,’ suggested Livia.
Eventually, the answers assembled, Cosimo and Livia climbed up to the terrace to make the transmission. They set up the radio out of sight beneath the wall, attaching the aerial to the hook where Livia normally hung the washing line. Cosimo put on his headphones and began the transmission, sending coded messages to the Americans.
Livia knocked on the attic door to check on the family. She found Sara propped up on the bed, the baby sucking greedily on her breast. ‘It keeps her quiet,’ Sara explained.
‘It won’t be long now,’ Livia said. ‘I’ll come and get you when we’re finished.’
Livia ran downstairs to find the team packing up. ‘Where’s Paulo?’ she asked.
‘He had to leave,’ Sergio explained. ‘He had another meeting, I think.’
Moments later, there was a pounding on the apartment door, as if a metal object was being hammered against the solid chestnut panelling, accompanied by German voices.
Livia rushed into the hall and raced back upstairs to the attic. She ripped off Cosimo’s headphones. ‘It’s the Germans! You have to escape across the roofs, and take the family with you.’
‘What?’ he asked. ‘How? We can’t possibly get away – not with a child and a baby!’
‘You can. You must.’ She pulled him to his feet and pushed him towards