us, surely? We were their allies until a day or so ago.’
Vicenzo looked at her wide-eyed. ‘I don’t understand you sometimes,’ he said. ‘Do you know nothing? Our government is in tatters. The King and Prime Minister have run away. The Anglo-Americans have demanded our capitulation, in return for which they will deal more sympathetically with us when this is over. But in the meantime, we are at war with the Germans, Isabella. War. And believe me, it’s only just begun.’
Unnerved, she changed the subject. She tried to amuse him with funny stories about fellow actors, and indiscretions of colleagues, anything to avoid mentioning the war. But he seemed distracted, uninterested. Eventually, she decided to broach the one subject she had been avoiding.
‘Did you have a good time in Florence over the summer?’
‘Why do you ask?’
‘The night of your party, you mentioned you were going to meet a girl called Livia in Florence.’
‘Did I? Well, yes, it was her father I went to meet, not the girl. In the end I saw them at their villa in the country. Why, what’s it to you?’ He sounded defensive, irritable.
‘I just remember you saying how much you liked her, how bright and “fiery” she was.’ Isabella stared deep into his eyes, looking for some kind of clue as to his feelings.
‘I have no memory of that.’ He looked at her, bewildered. ‘I suppose she is quite bright. I’ve never thought about it. I’ve known her since she was a child. She’s very sweet, but just an ordinary girl.’
Isabella blushed. ‘Really? I thought perhaps…’ she ground to a halt suddenly realising she had made a terrible mistake. ‘No, I’m sorry, it’s nothing,’ she said. ‘So what did you do after Florence? Did you visit your family as you’d planned?’
While Vicenzo told her about his trip to Forte dei Marmi, Isabella’s mind was a blur. It seemed that she had been completely wrong about Livia. She had put a young woman in danger for no reason. More importantly, she had given Vicenzo’s name to a top German officer. She tried desperately to convince herself that no harm would come to either of them – especially if, as Wolff had said, Livia was innocent.
‘Isabella?’ Vicenzo touched her arm. ‘Isabella? Are you listening to me?’
‘Yes, yes of course. You were telling me about Forte dei Marmi.’
‘Yes, I spent a few days there with my parents, although how long they will be able to keep that house open, I don’t know. It’s bizarre, the place goes on as if nothing is happening, but it can’t last. I wish they would just leave and go abroad, to America maybe.’
‘But why?’
‘Because nowhere in Italy is safe anymore, Isabella, and it’s getting harder to know who can be trusted. What is certain is that the Germans are in charge now and we can’t sit on the fence anymore. It’s time to take sides.’
Sixteen
The hills above Florence
September 1943
Livia had spent the morning sitting in the shade of the fig tree. Coming inside, her bare feet padded silently across the cold stone floors. She knocked on her father’s study door. ‘It’s me, Papa.’
Giacomo had driven up from Florence the day before, arriving at sunset. Since then, he had been closeted in his study and she had hardly seen him.
‘Come in,’ he called out, ‘and lock the door behind you.’
Unusually, the windows were wide open, allowing a cool breeze to blow through the room. As she sat down on the chair opposite his desk, she could hear Luisa outside, calling for Angela.
‘I’m glad you’re here,’ said Giacomo softly, shuffling a pile of papers on his desk. ‘Can you close the window? I’ve got something to tell you and I don’t want your mother to hear what I’m about to say.’
Livia shut the window and drew the curtains. The room suddenly felt heavy and airless.
‘I need to get back to the city as soon as possible,’ he said. ‘Tomorrow, ideally.’
‘Can I come with you?’ Livia asked.
Giacomo looked at his daughter over the top of his spectacles. ‘Are you sure you want to?’
She nodded.
‘I didn’t tell your mother last night, but there are German troops in the city already, and there’s a curfew in place.’
‘Troops? But I thought you said Florence would be of no interest to them.’
‘I was wrong,’ he admitted. ‘Would you rather stay here?’
‘No,’ she said quickly. ‘I want to help. I can’t just stay here and do nothing. Besides, Elena and Cosimo are there. I ought to be with them.’
He studied