The polished wood gleamed in the sunshine. Once she was comfortable on a cushioned bench, he fired the engine. “How long has it been since you’ve been on the lake?” he asked.
“Far too long,” Ruby replied. “I last visited during the filming of Roman Holiday. And I think I rode in a yacht just like this.” She smiled. “That was the best time of my life.”
“Then you must have been in love,” Alessandro said.
“What makes you say that?”
“Life is sweeter when you’re in love.”
Ruby nodded thoughtfully. “You’re a young man to be so wise.”
The breeze swept his dark, glossy hair from his forehead, and he chuckled. “Not that young.”
Ruby slid on a pair of sunglasses. “Yes, I was in love then.” She liked the way he spoke so openly about love—and his love for his children.
“And what happened?” he asked quietly. “Did you marry?”
Ruby hesitated. Alessandro was so easy to talk to. Finally, she said, “I haven’t been lucky in love.”
“So, no children?”
Ruby gazed out at the lake. Today the water was a brilliant shade of shimmering blue and nearly blinding in the sunlight. “This is why Ariana and I are so close. She’s like my granddaughter. If only her mother weren’t so stubborn. Even on the best days, she’s tough on Ariana.”
Nodding thoughtfully, Alessandro adjusted his sunglasses. “Is that why Ariana was upset today?”
He was perceptive, but his guess was off the mark. “A week ago, Ariana was preparing for her wedding and honeymoon. Instead, she left her fiancé at the altar—which I must say, showed tremendously good judgment.” She didn’t think it necessary to mention the baby.
“And how did her mother and father take her decision to call off her wedding?”
“Her father is out of the picture, and her mother didn’t have time to attend.”
At that, Alessandro shook his head. “That’s terrible. I feel so bad for her, but it certainly explains Ariana’s attitude. Is she angry at all men?”
“I hadn’t thought so, but maybe she is. She’s not usually so sharp-tongued.”
Alessandro steered the yacht through the open waters toward another shore. “When I asked her out, she, how do you say—I think the term is, she chewed me up. I bungled the invitation. I haven’t asked a woman out since Serafina died.”
“At least you tried.” Ruby thought about the look of disappointment on Ariana’s face when they left. “Maybe you’ll have another chance.”
Alessandro shook his head and shrugged. “No disrespect to you, but I have to protect my heart, too.”
He raised his hand in greeting to another boat owner who was pulling away from a dock. Alessandro pulled alongside it and moored the yacht. Before them stretched the comune of Lecco.
After helping Ruby disembark, Alessandro told her about the area. “Some of the best wine in this region of Lombardia come from Montevecchia. If you don’t mind walking, we can have lunch and then visit the wine shop.”
They strolled on the lakeside promenade under the watchful bell tower of Basilica di San Niccolò, which made Ruby smile. Everything reminded her of Niccolò. Alessandro went on to tell her about the secret tunnels and caves under the tower.
The cobblestone streets were narrow, and a mountain rose behind the bell tower. They had lunch overlooking the lake, and afterward, Alessandro introduced her to his cousin, who helped them select an assortment of local wines for the afternoon party. Ruby also arranged a large delivery to stock her wine room. She chose wines from Montevecchia and across Lombardia, as well as the neighboring Piemonte region.
“I’ve enjoyed this day so much,” Ruby said to Alessandro on the way back.
If only Ariana hadn’t been in such a mood, because Ruby would have liked her to join them. Alessandro was such a joy to be around.
Ruby smiled to herself. Maybe tomorrow at the party she’d have another chance to bring them together.
Chapter 12
Lago di Como, 1952
* * *
By mid-August, the heat in Rome was growing increasingly insufferable for the cast. Filming was done early in the morning and later in the evening with a long break for lunch during the hottest part of the day. One day, Mr. Wyler told the cast that filming would halt for the Ferragosto holiday. The director and his family went to the beach resort of Fregene to enjoy the ocean breezes.
“Let’s go north,” Niccolò said, his eyes glowing with excitement. “I want to show you Lago di Como, one of the most beautiful lakes in the world.”
“How far is it?” Ruby asked, remembering the painting she’d admired.
“We can take an overnight train and be there by morning. We can stay with my aunt and uncle. You’re up for an adventure, aren’t you?”
“Only if you’re paying,” she said. She’d sent most of her pay home to her family.
Yet the timing was perfect. Ruby’s brief scene had already been filmed, so she could relax a little. She was still on the schedule for the general crowd scenes.
An hour later, Ruby tucked a couple of cotton shirts with a skirt and cropped pants into a small bag, slid her feet into the espadrilles she’d bought at the Olvera Street market in Los Angeles, and hurried from her room at the pensione.
She and Niccolò raced to the train station, which Ruby found overwhelming with so many trains and platforms and names of cities she didn’t recognize. High overhead, destinations rotated and clicked into place. Everything was new and thrilling to her; she felt like they were in a film of their own.
“Due biglietti per Milano, per favore.” Niccolò slid lire across the counter.
Ruby furrowed her brow. “Milano? I thought we were going to Lago di Como.”
“We’ll change trains in Milano for Lago di Como,” Niccolò said. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of you.”
She smiled and slipped her hand into his. She could trust him.
“Hurry, we can’t miss the train. Andiamo.” He took her hand, and they raced through the crowd with Niccolò shouting out, “Scusi, scusi.”
She laughed as the crowd parted for them, with people cheering for them as they jumped onto the train, barely making it. They hung on, waving at the crowd as if he were Gregory Peck and she were Audrey Hepburn. And when Niccolò kissed her, shouts of bravo reverberated through the station.
Ruby felt adrenaline surge through her; every nerve in her body was tingling with exhilaration. This is living. This is love. She never wanted any other life than this one.
“Come on, let’s have some antipasti in the dining car,” Niccolò said.
They wedged inside the crowded car, where they drank bubbly prosecco and ate prosciutto and cheese with crusty bread and olives. Ruby thought it was one of the finest meals she’d ever had.
Against the setting sun, Ruby watched the countryside hurtle by, entranced by the ever-changing landscape of rolling vineyards and postcard-perfect villages.
She was so excited to be exploring Italy with Niccolò that she could hardly sleep on the train. Instead, they stayed awake, whispering and sharing stories of their lives and families and aspirations. Niccolò had such a good heart, and he told her of his plans to help his family, such as helping his siblings go to university. His father earned a decent living, but with four children, they still had to economize.