onto the terrace that evening, Vicenzo’s father rose to greet her. ‘How charming you look.’ The Count kissed Livia’s hand; she blushed slightly, her tanned skin glowing against the white of her dress. ‘I’ll mix you a cocktail,’ said the Count.
Vicenzo sauntered onto the terrace, dressed in his customary black – a silk shirt and linen trousers – and joined Livia. Together, they looked like the perfect couple, thought Luisa; she smiled approvingly.
‘Now,’ said the Contessa, ‘where are we all going to sit? Vicenzo, you sit here.’ She indicated a chair in the centre of the table. ‘I’ll put Livia next to you – and Luisa, you go opposite them.’
‘What a beautiful table,’ Luisa gushed, as she sat down. ‘The candles, the crystal – it’s all so lovely.’
Vicenzo pulled out Livia’s chair for her. ‘You should wear white more often,’ he murmured in her ear. ‘It shows off your tan.’
She sat down, blushing, and Luisa kicked her daughter playfully beneath the table. Livia glared back at her.
As Vicenzo poured them both a glass of wine, he opened up the conversation. ‘You’re at university now, I hear?’
‘Yes, I’m studying English Literature and History of Art.’
‘That’s a wonderful combination. I studied art too, but I soon realised I had no real talent for painting. So after university I travelled a lot. I ended up in Hollywood and fell in love with film.’
‘It all sounds impossibly glamorous,’ said Livia shyly.
‘It’s not really. The film business is hard work most of the time. We film in all weathers, and have early starts and late finishes. And actors are the most egotistical people on earth.’ He laughed. ‘They all think they can do the job better than you. It’s a nightmare.’ He drained his glass and refilled it.
‘Well, it sounds more interesting than sitting in a lecture theatre all day,’ replied Livia with a smile. ‘Your mother said you were filming in Ferrara. What’s the film about?’
‘It’s about death, treachery and jealousy...’ then, dropping his voice, he whispered in her ear, ‘... and it’s very dark.’
Luisa, sitting opposite them, looked on approvingly.
‘Anyway,’ he said, ‘that’s enough about me. I’m sorry your father couldn’t be here; I would have liked to speak with him.’
‘He had to go back to Florence. He has a lot of work to do.’
‘He’s still practising law, then?’
‘Yes, he’s a lawyer with a heart.’ Livia smiled. ‘He takes on all the cases no one else wants – defending those who cannot defend themselves.’
‘He sounds very interesting… and honourable. Of course, I remember him from when we were young, but somehow I never really got to know him then. I’m sorry to have missed him.’
‘Perhaps you could come and see him in Florence.’
‘I’d like that. We need as many people as possible who are…’ He lowered his voice, and narrowed his eyes as if sizing her up, ‘… committed to a new way of life.’
‘You mean people who oppose the government?’
He smiled. ‘Exactly. I see you speak your mind. I like that. But you should be careful. My family are open to these ideas, but many others are not. They refuse to see what is in front of their eyes.’
‘My father and I discuss politics a lot,’ replied Livia. ‘In fact, he recently joined one of the anti-government parties.’ She stopped, suddenly aware that she may have revealed too much.
‘Good for him,’ said Vicenzo. ‘It is incumbent on all of us to make a stand at this time.’
‘How do you intend to do that?’ she asked.
He laughed. ‘You are very bold! I’ll tell you something that you must keep to yourself.’
Livia leant forward eagerly.
‘In spite of my comfortable background,’ he said quietly, ‘I am also on the left of the political spectrum.’
‘Really?’ She sat back, studying him. In his dark silk shirt, his face tanned and smooth, he looked more like a playboy than a revolutionary.
‘You think because I have a title, because we live in such luxury, that is not possible?’ he asked.
‘No, not at all.’ She blushed, embarrassed. ‘I’m just a little surprised, that’s all.’
‘Don’t allow appearances to blind you to the truth,’ he said, patting her hand. ‘Not everyone is what they seem.’ He refilled her glass. ‘As for your father – I will come to Florence one day soon and meet him.’
Luisa overheard the comment and smiled knowingly at her daughter.
‘Papa’s coming back here tomorrow to collect us,’ Livia explained. ‘You could meet him then.’
‘I will be leaving very early, unfortunately,’ said Vicenzo. ‘I must get back to Ferrara.