I noticed Michela search nervously for her husband. Colin came to her side and put his arm around her.

  Antonio made an effort to speak more respectfully to his mother. "I'm sorry I didn't discuss this with you earlier. It all happened so quickly. It took us by surprise, too. We can talk now, if you want."

  "Now, in the library." Giovanna turned to Anna and said, "I'm sure we can straighten this out. Why don't you talk to Cinzia and see how serious she is."

  Giovanna and Antonio entered the house.

  Anna rose with a helping hand from Giusi and crossed over to where her daughter had taken a seat at the end of the garden. Anna sat down next to her and began speaking to the young woman. I could not hear what she was saying, but whatever it was, it seemed to have no effect on Cinzia. She ran a bored hand through her dark hair and cast her dark eyes onto the valley below. It looked like she was not even listening to what her mother said.

  It was then that I got a good look at Giusi Cecchi. The usually happy woman seemed very upset as she glanced at Anna and then at her husband. Cecilio took Giusi's hand in his and led her away. As they passed Laura and me, Cecilio said in English, "I'll take her home for a rest. We'll check later to see if you need anything."

  Laura nodded her understanding and watched them leave around the side of the house.

  Tomaso came over to Laura and said, "I'm going to my mother to see if I can help."

  "But is it really such a terrible thing?" Laura asked. "He seemed so sincere. Maybe it's a good thing for him."

  Tomaso's first reaction was of shock. The idea that Antonio was serious about Cinzia seemed not to have occurred to him. His second reaction was one of doubt. "You could be right, Laura, but I never believe Antonio when it comes to women. Cinzia is like a sister to us. I don't want her to get hurt. None of us do. I'm sure my mother and Anna are thinking, like I am, about all Antonio's broken engagements. They've cost my mother a lot of money and hurt a lot of women."

  "He wouldn't do that to Cinzia, would he?"

  "I don't know. I want to talk to Antonio, man to man, to know what he's thinking. We didn't even know they were dating!" Tomaso said dramatically.

  I watched as Tomaso went into the living room and hesitated outside the study door. We could all hear Giovanna and Antonio arguing. When Tomaso entered the study, the arguing became more subdued. After a few tense minutes, Giovanna's raised voice reached the back garden, silencing everyone. I heard the raised voices of both Antonio and Tomaso, followed by the sound of the front door slamming. Giovanna yelled something and then the front door slammed shut, again. Ovidio muttered under his breath and stalked past us into the rose garden.

  Laura sat down and said in disbelief, "What a disaster! Bert, it's all going wrong. This was supposed to be a party and now look at it!"

  I cast an eye over the stunned group of guests. Even Cinzia looked surprised. I suspected Cinzia only now understood the seriousness of her engagement announcement. If her plan was to hurt her mother, and I did not put it past her, Cinzia had succeeded beyond her dreams.

  Tomaso returned to the back garden and sat down next to Laura. "I'm so sorry about all this, Laura. I really am. They both ran out. I'm going to go after them to try to calm them down, but first I want to try to talk to Cinzia."

  "But what about the guests?"

  I suggested, "Why don't you have them take some time on their own. We can arrange to meet back here in a few hours, for a nice quiet dinner, with or without Antonio."

  Tomaso agreed and very quickly made the announcement. Then he went to the other end of the garden where Cinzia was still seated next to her mother. When she saw Tomaso approaching, Cinzia rose and hurried to the side garden. Anna called after her and Tomaso ran after her. He reached out to stop her from disappearing, managing to catch hold of her hand. Cinzia stopped her escape long enough for Tomaso to let go of her, but then she turned suddenly and ran into the garden. Tomaso apologized to Anna for his failure. She thanked him for his efforts, then went into the garden after her daughter, followed by Tomaso.

  Michela and Colin came to Laura and said, "We'll leave for a bit, but we'll be back before dinner to help set up. Don't worry, Laura." She patted her friend on the shoulder. "These things happen in families. It'll still be a wonderful dinner," she added in a whisper, "especially if it's just us friends." Colin took his wife's hand in his, and they left through the rose garden.

  Aldo wandered past us into the living room and then disappeared into the study. I suspected he was glad to have some extra time to enjoy the books he had spoken of during lunch. I thought that of all of us, he looked the least moved by the family arguments.

  Donatella stopped by Laura's table on her way to the rose garden. "I'll be at Giusi's place. I need to let them know not to put the meat on the grill too soon. We'll plan on dinner to start in about two hours. That should give the Bartolinis enough time to shape up or clear out." She left without waiting for an answer, confident her plan was acceptable.

  Laura confided in me, "My friends take things in stride and I guess they're right. It's not my problem. It's something for the Bartolinis to sort out. I'm not a Bartolini, yet." She managed a smile for me.

  "That's right! We'll have a lovely evening. I'm sure Giovanna will be able to sort it all out. This was a party for you and Tomaso. I'll bet Antonio just wanted to steal some attention away from him. He's done that, so it'll pass."

  Ernesto lumbered over to Laura, leaving his wife to watch from afar. "Laura, we're going to see if we can help. Would you watch the children for us?"

  "Of course I'll watch them, Ernesto." After the man had returned to his wife, Laura whispered to me, "That's strange. They never want me to spend time with the children. It's as if they think I'll contaminate them." Then, Laura called Beatrice and Leo to her and took them into the house.

  I stayed outside and watched Ernesto and Graziella enter the olive grove. I thought to myself that if they really wanted to help Giovanna and Tomaso, they were headed in the wrong direction. I lost sight of the couple under the silvery leaves of the olive trees.

  *****

  "Let's go see Giusi and Cecilio. Maybe we can help with the food." Laura opened the front door and let Beatrice and Leo run ahead along the path. She turned back to me and said in sympathy, "I'll bet you'd forgotten how busy children could be. Are you tired?"

  "I'm okay, but I am remembering why I took early retirement."

  We walked along the path up through the terraces. The children were ahead of us playing and talking, still full of energy after nearly two hours of playing with Laura's computer. Within minutes, however, the children ran back down the path and stopped breathless in front of Laura. Beatrice spoke first, followed by Leo who repeated her every word like an echo. "Can we see the oil press again? Can we look at the stone again?"

  "It's closed up. When Cecilio presses the oil later this year, you can both come back and help."

  "But it's open! Can we look inside?" Beatrice pointed to the open shed door.

  "That's not right." Laura went to the shed door.

  "Maybe Cecilio's inside, getting some oil," I suggested.

  "I'll see." Laura peered in the shed. She looked back at us and said in a worried voice, "Keep them there." Then she went inside.

  Beatrice responded to the worry in Laura's voice. She took Leo's hand and said, "We'll wait here for Laura. She's okay, isn't she?"

  Before I could reassure the children, Laura returned. I saw that she was pale and her hand shook as she closed the shed door. She stopped to catch her breath before rejoining us. "I need to speak to Bert for a moment. Beatrice and Leo, you stay right here." Laura motioned for me to take a few steps away from the children, and then whispered in my ear, "Antonio's dead. His head is crushed under the grindstone. We've got to stay calm, for the children."

  I nodded my agreement. "You have to call the police, right away."

  "Yes, Franco, the marshal. I'll call from the house, but no one can go in there!" Laura pointed to the oil shed and shivered slightly. "You'll have to stay here and guard it. Keep the children with you. I'll hurry."

  Laura ran down the path, pausing briefly to tell the children everything would be fine, and that they should stay with me. At first I considered taking the children to my cottage, but then I realized that would leave the oil shed unattended.

  Within minutes, Michela and Colin came through the garage gate. Michela called out, "Are you waiting for us?" Her expression changed from cheerful surprise to concern. "What's wrong, Bert? Where's Laura?"

  I went to Michela and Colin and whispered, "Laura's at the house calling the marshal. Antonio's dead, in the oil shed. His head's crushed under the grindstone." I indicated the children sitting on the terrace wall. "They don't know. Could you take them back to the house?"

  "Yes, of course." Michela took Antonio's death in stride. "Colin, why don't you stay with Bert, for moral support." She collected the children, telling them that the grown-ups had made a mess of things, but they would have fun at the house.

  Beatrice looked relieved and Leo waived a happy good-bye.

  Colin Whitehorse was less composed than his wife. After the children were away, he muttered, "He was a bastard, but I never imagined this."

  "Maybe it was an accident."

  "I don't see how, unless he wasn't alone. It would have had to have been someone else's accident, knocking out the board that kept the grindstone up, just when Antonio had his head—well, you know."

  "He's on his way." Laura's voice made us both jump in surprise. We had not noticed her return from the main house.

  Donatella, Giusi, and Cecilio approached from the direction of the Cecchi's house, carrying platters of cooked meats and vegetables. Laura hurried over to them and broke the news. I did not hear their reactions, but I saw that all three looked pleased by the news of Antonio's death. The group moved closer.

  "We'll bring the food to the house," Donatella said.

  "Are Giovanna and Tomaso at your place, Giusi?" Laura asked nervously.

  "Giovanna is watching the rest of the meat on the grill. We've not seen Tomaso. I'll send Anna to break the news to Giovanna, poor thing." Giusi shook her head in sympathy.

  "Please don't say anything in front of the children. I want their parents to break the news to them when they think the time is right."

  "We won't, Laura." Donatella smiled kindly on her friend.

  As they disappeared down the path, Laura said to me, "I can't tell Giovanna." Laura's voice trembled from strong emotion.

  I put an arm around my friend and guided her to the terrace wall. "Let's sit down. You let the marshal do that. That's what he's paid for, among other things."

  Colin went up to the garage gate. "I think I hear him now."

  Laura calmed down, but now I was upset. I was angry. This was some family, these Bartolinis! And where was Tomaso? He should be comforting his fiancé! The more I thought about it, and about Laura's suffering, the angrier I became. I hoped the wedding would be postponed! I was so wrapped up in these thoughts that I did not notice the marshal and Colin approach.

  "Signorina Walton. Laura. Sta' bene?" Marshal Franco Tadeucci knelt before Laura. His dark eyes took in every aspect of the two women. "Are you alright?"

  "Marshal! Yes." Laura stood quickly, but was unsteady on her feet. "I mean, no." Franco stood, too, and reached out and held her arm. "This is Bertha Fahey and Colin Whitehorse. This is Marshal Franco Tadeucci."

  I was very glad Laura had not introduced me as her mother. I was sure this man would have seen right through that pretense. Seeing Franco Tadeucci up close, I decided I had been right the day before. He was in his early forties. His prematurely gray hair just gave the impression he was older.

  "Bert doesn't speak Italian," Laura explained.

  "We'll speak in English. You're English, aren't you, Mr. Whitehorse?"

  Colin hesitated. He eyed the marshal with curiosity, and then he said nervously, "Yes, English, but I speak Italian. My wife's Italian. She's at the main house, right now, with the children. Not our children!"

  "Babbo," called a teenage girl from the garage gate.

  The marshal explained to us, "My daughter, Pina. I didn't want to leave her alone. It's a holiday today." Colin went and opened the gate for her. Pina smiled shyly at Laura as she approached.

  This was no place for a child, so I offered my help. "Pina, do you speak English?"

  Pina turned a cautious eye on me. She was thirteen years old at most, with long dark hair and her father's black eyes. "Yes, we learn English at school."

  "Why don't I show you the swimming pool and we let your father work." I saw the marshal approved. As soon as Pina saw the pool, she let out a sigh of pleasure and hurried to its edge. She sat down, removed her shoes, rolled up her pants to her knees, and put her feet in the water. I positioned myself where I could keep an eye on Pina and also listen to what passed between Laura and the marshal.

  "Miss Walton, do you want to sit down?"

  "No, I'll be okay."

  I thought Laura looked less than okay.

  Laura said with some confusion, "I can't remember what I told you on the phone."

  "Just that there may have been an accident and that someone was dead."

  "Yes, Antonio Bartolini. He's dead, in the oil shed." Laura became more distraught as she spoke. "I don't think it was an accident. I found him with his head crushed under the stone in the press."

  Franco put his hands gently on Laura's shoulders and looked her in the eye. "I'll deal with that later. Look at me, Laura."

  Laura focused on Franco's eyes, and I was relieved to see her calm down.

  "All you have to do is answer some questions, then your friend can take you to the house. Alright?"

  Laura nodded, then said softly, "Thank you. It's all a bit much. I haven't told his mother."

  "That's my job," Franco said with finality. "When did you last see him alive?" He let go of Laura's shoulders but continued to keep eye contact, even as he removed a notepad and pen from his pocket.

  "About two hours ago. All the Bartolinis are here today. The ones who own the fabric mill."

  Franco nodded.

  "It was supposed to be a party. The Whitehorses are here, too, and another couple, the Bianchis. Oh, and the Cecchis. You know them, of course."

  "Yes." He noted the names in his book. "Go on."

  "We were all together up to about two hours ago." Laura hesitated and then said, "Then we all went our separate ways, planning to get back now for dinner. That was the last I saw of Antonio."

  "Where were you during that time?"

  "Me?" Laura asked, in surprise. "I was down at the house, with Bert, and Beatrice and Leo. Those are Ernesto Bartolini's children."

  I was sure I saw a look of relief pass over Franco's face.

  "We were going to the Cecchi's house to help with the grilled foods. The children saw the oil shed door open, and I went in to see if anyone was there."

  "That's enough." Franco's firm voice stopped Laura from once again reliving the last image she had of Antonio. "You can go to the main house, now." His voice softened as he said, "I'd be very grateful if could you could take Pina with you."

  "Yes, of course!"

  Franco called Pina to him and explained to her where she was going. She smiled with pleasure. I doubted the child even knew about the death her father had been called to deal with. This was just a big adventure to her.

  At that moment, Giovanna Bartolini arrived carrying a platter of food. Franco went to her. "Signora Bartolini."

  I hurried over and took the platter from Giovanna. Franco whispered to me as I turned to leave, "Take Laura and Pina to the house, please."

  I tried to follow the marshal's instructions, but Laura was reluctant to leave. I sent Pina to wait out of hearing by the terrace wall. Then Laura and I watched as Franco broke the news of Antonio's death to Giovanna. Giovanna looked to the oil shed in surprise and horror, but that turned quickly to worry. She turned away from the shed and surveyed the scene around her. Her eyes stopped on Laura. "Bert, take care of your daughter. She doesn't look well."

  I saw Franco turn abruptly to look at me. This was not the time to expose our pretense, so I said, "I will, Giovanna." But when Giovanna turned her attention to Colin, I caught the marshal's eye and shook my head to let him know the truth.

  Suddenly everyone arrived. Graziella, Ernesto, and Aldo came up the path from the main house. Aldo stopped next to Laura and put a comforting arm around her shoulders. Anna, Cinzia, and Ovidio arrived just behind them. Anna and Ovidio went to Giovanna's side. Tomaso arrived from the direction of the garages.

  I watched and listened in fascination as Giovanna proceeded to explain, in Italian, that Antonio was dead, how he had died, and that Laura had found him. Anna and Ovidio offered Giovanna their support. Graziella and Ernesto reacted suspiciously, as if they did not trust Giovanna's version of events and were waiting for the marshal to contradict her. Cinzia reacted with concern and fear, but was not overly distraught. Tomaso, however, appeared to be in shock. He said nothing and looked with dread at the oil shed. I thought for a moment that he might even run away, but instead, he went to his mother and put his arms around her. It looked less like he was comforting her and more like he was seeking comfort from his mother.

  I was not alone in observing everyone's reaction to Antonio's death. The marshal, I noticed with satisfaction, was watching everyone and everything with great interest, too. I was suddenly very glad Franco Tadeucci was handling this case. Giovanna quickly introduced him to everyone present, but not too quickly for him to fit names to faces. She introduced Tomaso last, her voice trembling slightly with her first sign of nervousness since hearing of Antonio's death. I recognized the word fidanzato in her introduction, the Italian word for fiancé.

  Franco Tadeucci looked with surprise at Tomaso and then glanced quickly at Laura. He moved closer to Tomaso, perhaps sensing as I had that the young man might make a run for it. He asked in English, "Where were you during the last two hours?"