‘She wore it all the time. I had it cleaned and mended.’ He ran his thumb along the filigree, but Rose couldn’t see any signs of it having been broken or mended. It must have been done very skilfully.
‘And you just happened to have it in your pocket?’ She smiled up at him.
‘It’s been there...for a while. But now was the time.’
She could ask how long later, this moment wasn’t about the past. She kissed him, holding out her hand, and he slipped the ring onto her finger, pushing a little to get it past the knuckle.
‘Too small?’
‘No, it’s just right. Any looser and it might fall off.’
He grinned, reaching for his glass, which he’d propped against the rocks at the side of the pool. ‘A toast, bellissima. Now and for ever.’ He took a sip, handing the glass to her.
‘Now and for ever.’
EPILOGUE
Two years later
ROSE WHEELED HER cases through the barrier and out into the main concourse of the airport. Matteo was there, waiting for her, one hand holding William’s and the other arm holding their baby girl to his chest.
She’d had a wonderful two weeks in London, catching up with friends, working an
d making time for a couple of theatre visits. But she was home now.
‘Papà...’ William tugged at Matteo’s hand. ‘There she is...’
‘I see her.’ Matteo’s face broke into a bright smile.
She hurried to them as fast as her cases would allow, and bent to kiss William, lifting him up so that the hug could be shared with Matteo and little Andrea, the dark-haired, dark-eyed child who had made Matteo so happy.
‘Papà and me made sorbeto di limoncello for you.’ William had no qualms about using Italian and English together in one sentence. And he’d called Matteo Papà ever since their wedding day.
They’d explained it all to William together and William had run to Matteo, hugging him tightly. They’d written his promises to William into their wedding vows—both sets, since they’d had one ceremony in England and a second in Sicily—and on the same day that Rose had gained a husband, William had gained a father.
‘That’s wonderful. I can’t wait to get home.’ But there was something very important to be done first.
‘Where are your students?’ Matteo looked around, obviously as keen to be home as Rose was.
‘They’re coming. They’ll be staying at a hotel for the week...’
‘Not with us?’ Matteo had become used to archaeology students camping out on the patio from time to time.
‘I thought it was best to give them a bit of space. They might want to do some sightseeing.’
His eyebrow quirked questioningly. ‘Okay, so you’re busy with the vistors’ centre, you’ve got two summer students, neither of whom study archaeology and who might want to go sightseeing instead of digging. What’s going on?’
In ten minutes, Reba and her boyfriend Sam were going to be coming through the gates and he’d know. She had to explain quickly. She took Andrea from his arms and grabbed William’s hand.
‘Reba’s real name is Rebecca. Rebecca Walters.’
Shock registered on his face. Rose knew that Matteo had never given up caring about Rebecca and her brother Joe, but he’d accepted that he wouldn’t see either of them again. But Rebecca was eighteen now, and she could choose for herself.
‘I found her, Matteo. She’s studying medicine at Leicester University. I wrote to her and gave her my email address, and she contacted me immediately. She remembered you, and she asked whether she could see you. We met up, and I said that she and her boyfriend could come back here with me.’
‘Did...did you tell her?’
‘I told her.’ The one thing that had always hurt Matteo more than anything was that he didn’t know whether Rebecca and her brother felt that he had abandoned them. ‘They knew you cared about them. Their mother threw away your cards and letters, but on the first Christmas after you left, Reba happened to get to the post first. She found your letter and kept it. She still has it and she showed it to me.’