If anything, Alessandro looked even more besotted with Ariana now.
Alessandro offered his arm to Ruby, and she slid her hand into the crook of his elbow.
“Why, thank you,” Ruby said, inclining her head. “You have such impeccable manners.” She turned to Ariana, who strolled beside her. “Isn’t this lovely? The three of us gathered on such a marvelous night to see my favorite production.”
Ariana kissed Ruby’s cheek. “Thank you, Auntie. And that dress is magnificent on you. You bring it to life.”
“With the right bearing and attitude, even a poor girl can be a queen,” Ruby said. “Why, I remember Audrey on the set. Such magnificent posture, grace, and awareness. I learned so much from her. Only later did she tell me she was scared to death, too.” She laughed and touched the half-heart pendant.
They made their way toward the front, where Ruby had reserved a box for them. A bottle of wine sat on the table. A card sat beside it with a note written in Italian. Enjoy the show, she translated.
“What a thoughtful gesture,” Ruby said. A few moments later, a server delivered a tray of cheese and grapes and nuts to their table.
“Molto benne,” Alessandro said. “And sparkling water for the lady, per favore.”
Ariana slid her hand in his. “I appreciate that.”
“I know how to take care of you,” Alessandro replied, kissing Ariana’s hand.
Ruby loved watching them. They reminded her of the love she had shared with Niccolò. Ruby couldn’t follow everything that was said, though Alessandro seemed to know the young man. But then, Alessandro’s family had lived here for generations.
“Everything is settled,” Alessandro said, glancing at Ariana with a smile.
Ruby perused the program. Without her glasses, she couldn’t make out the fine print in the waning light of dusk, and she didn’t want to fumble through her purse. Handing the program to Ariana, she said, “Would you put this in your purse, dear? I’d like to look at it later.”
Ruby lifted her glass. “To living your finest life,” she said, touching their glasses. As she sipped the red wine that Alessandro told them was made from Nebbiolo grapes, she detected hints of cherry and toasted oak, with a honeyed, earthy finish that held the aroma of leather. “Bold, rich, and dry,” she said. “Someone made an excellent choice.”
“It’s one of their finest wines,” Alessandro said.
The house lights on the stage dimmed, and Ruby recalled a night, so long ago, when Niccolò held her in his arms. Resting her chin on her hand, she reminisced. “This reminds me of the first time I ever saw an opera. It was on a night such as this in Rome…Aida under the stars at Terme di Caracalla, the ancient Roman baths in Rome. Surrounded by beautiful, stylish people, fellow art lovers. It was one of the most magnificent evenings I’ve ever known.”
“Teatro dell’Opera is incredible,” Alessandro said. “We should go again. What year was that?”
Ruby smiled. Alessandro was cultured, and she liked that for Ariana. “It was 1952. A magical year for Aida.” As Ruby glanced around, she had the satisfying sense that her history had come full circle. She was meant to be here now.
Soon, Vacanze Romane got underway, and Ruby watched the delightful trio of actors in the parts originated by Audrey Hepburn, Gregory Peck, and Eddie Albert. While the dialog was in Italian, Ruby followed with ease, as she knew the story by heart.
The scene at the café, where Princess Ann careened through the café tables, was delivered with humor and grace. Ruby smiled, recalling the feeling of Niccolò’s protective arms around her, so many years ago. Here on the shore of Lake Como, she felt closer to him than she had in years. It was as if his presence lingered here, where they had been the happiest. She pressed her hand to her heart, caressing the simple pendant she wore that represented so much to her. Niccolò would always be the love of her life.
Over the years, she’d had a few romances, but now, looking back, her emotional life was so clear to her. She had only ever loved Niccolò, and she had saved her heart for him.
In the last scene in the palace, the actors were so close that Ruby could see the tears in the Princess Ann’s eyes and hear the catch in her voice. Ruby was also impressed with the attention to detail by the costume and set designers. They had replicated even the smallest of details—such as the cut of Princess Ann’s dress, and the pot of red geraniums that sat to one side, outside of the camera frame.
Those red flowers… Ruby blinked. Had she imagined that recollection? Maybe the wine was creating pleasant false memories.
As Princess Ann was making her way down the line of foreign correspondents in the final scene, the spot where Niccolò had stood as an extra behind Gregory Peck drew Ruby’s gaze.
She sucked in a breath. Surely her imagination was playing tricks on her. A handsome, older man stood in Niccolò’s exact position. The shape of his head and the line of his profile were so familiar. And yet… Perhaps her mind’s eye was superimposing her memories on the actor.
Ruby blinked away the sudden tears that rimmed her lashes. Her vision blurred, and by the time her eyes cleared, the actor was gone. In the final scene, the lead male actor playing Gregory’s Peck role was alone on the stage.
How well Ruby understood the feelings in that last scene. Every time she watched the film, she felt the same sense of loss. For a brief time, two people had loved each other, even though they could never be together in their real lives.
All around her, cheers erupted, and the audience leapt to its feet. Ruby still felt stunned by her vision. One by one, the actors returned to the stage for a bow, and then, the entire troop assembled to thunderous applause. They acknowledged the musicians that had accompanied them. Next, with great fanfare, the director joined them on the stage. Finally, the applause intensified, and in response, a tall, elegant man with thick silver hair strode onto the stage, his face wreathed with joy.
Ruby blinked. Is my mind playing tricks? It was the same man who’d occupied Niccolò’s spot in the last scene. If Niccolò had been older, he might have looked very much like this man. Rising unsteadily, she joined in the applause.
As the man turned toward her, his lips parted as if in shock, and he blinked. Once, twice, three times. The audience cheers stirred him again, and he pressed a hand to his heart as if registering disbelief. Then, bringing his hand to his lips, he kissed his palm and stretched his hand toward her. His graceful movement was so like one of Niccolò’s etched in her memory.
“I think he recognizes you, Aunt Ruby,” Ariana whispered. “He’s quite handsome.”
Ruby’s pulse quickened. “Niccolò,” she murmured. This man resembled her beloved husband of long ago.
Of course, that was an absurd thought.
And then the man smiled at her, his vivid blue eyes crinkling at the corners just so.
So much like Niccolò. Ruby’s eyes blurred at this vision that appeared before her. Was she imagining this?
The actor smiled again, his expression conveying familiarity. Was he merely a fan, an admirer, a man who reminded her of Niccolò? Ruby blinked. But the line of his jaw, the shape of his lips, the angle of his head belied doubt
Her heart pounding, Ruby clutched Alessandro’s arm for support. Could it possibly be?