go to bed too,’ she said, kissing Livia’s cheek. ‘See you in the morning.’
When they were alone, Giacomo beckoned to his daughter. ‘Come into my study. I want to talk privately.’ Once inside, he closed the door behind them. ‘I will get you back to Florence, don’t worry.’
‘Mamma will never forgive me.’
‘She will, in time. But things are getting complicated – politically – and I need to be back in the city.’
‘What do you mean, complicated?’ Livia asked.
‘From what I can gather, the government is making a terrible mess of an armistice. I fear that by the time one is actually signed, we will effectively have been invaded. I think war with Germany is now inevitable.’
‘What can we do?’
‘If we are to defeat Fascism, we must join forces with the other parties.’
‘The liberals and the communists, you mean?’
‘Indeed. The Pd’A have a conference planned in early September – it will be held in Florence. I have to be there. But more than that, I am arranging various meetings with senior figures in the other left-wing parties. One of them is coming here tomorrow, in fact.’
‘Really?’ Livia was surprised. ‘But you hardly ever meet people here.’
‘I know, and with your grandfather falling ill, I wish I had made a different arrangement, but he is already on his way.’
‘Who is it?’ she asked.
‘Someone you know – Vicenzo.’
‘Vicenzo? But he’s a film director – how can he help?’
‘He is also a leading member of the Communist Party.’
‘I remember he told me he was “on the left” when we stayed with them last summer. But I had no idea he was so influential.’
‘He’s developing a network of partisans in Rome.’
‘The Resistance, you mean?’ she asked.
Her father nodded. ‘My problem, Livia, is how to explain his arrival at this terrible time – with my father’s illness and so on. Your mother is already anxious enough, but if she thinks we are plotting partisan activity with a leading communist she’ll never forgive me.’ He sat down heavily behind his desk and sighed audibly.
‘Couldn’t Vicenzo just be passing by – visiting old family friends?’
Giacomo looked at her. ‘Even your mother is not that stupid. He’s never visited us before.’
Livia wandered around her father’s study, examining the books and legal texts. ‘How about…’ she began. ‘No, it’s too ridiculous.’
‘Tell me,’ he said.
‘You know that Mamma has long had this mad idea that I might one day marry Vicenzo?’
Giacomo stared at her open-mouthed. ‘You are joking, of course.’
‘No, not really. Last year, when we stayed with the Luccheses on the coast, she told me it had been a dream of hers for years – uniting the two families.’
‘Your mother is unbelievable. So what is your idea?’
‘Could Vicenzo not come here – to see me? Perhaps to explore the idea of marriage, to sound you out?’
Giacomo sat at his desk, his chin propped up on his hands. ‘It is a preposterous idea,’ he said at last. ‘You hardly know each other.’
‘Well, we got on when we were together last year. I think Mamma would believe it.’
‘Really?’ Her father sounded unconvinced. ‘Well, it might work, but I don’t want to overcomplicate things. There should be no talk of an engagement – we don’t want announcements in the newspapers.’
‘Of course not,’ said Livia. ‘But if you could convince her he wanted to explore the possibility, I really think it could work.’
Over breakfast the following morning, Giacomo casually mentioned Vicenzo’s visit.
‘He’s coming to lunch?’ Luisa exclaimed. ‘Today?! But I have nothing prepared, and your father is upstairs ill in bed, or have you already forgotten?’
‘No, my dear, I’ve not forgotten. But it seemed important to Vicenzo. He wrote to me and asked if he could come. The arrangement has been made. It’s not a real problem, is it?’
‘What am I supposed to feed him on?’ Luisa asked plaintively.
‘I don’t know. We have to eat lunch anyway – can’t we just lay another place?’
‘Oh really!’ Luisa threw her napkin down on the table. ‘I cannot give the young Count nothing but a bowl of soup. You know how wonderful his mother’s meals are. What on earth am I supposed to do?’
‘I’m sure you’ll think of something,’ Giacomo said encouragingly. ‘The girls will help you, won’t you?’ He looked across at Elena and Livia, who nodded earnestly.
‘Of course we will,’ they chorused.
‘And what is so urgent that he has to come today, anyway?’ asked Luisa.
Giacomo glanced across the table at Livia. ‘He mentioned something about Livia,’ he replied innocently.
‘Livia? What about her?’ Luisa exclaimed.
‘I’m not