“I didn’t,” Giancarlo told him with a half smile. “I came to get my watch back.This time I plan to keep it.”

“That’s the way it should be,” said Giorgio with a laugh that ended in a cough. “That’s the way Papa wanted it.”

At the mention of their father, Giancarlo’s own eyes began to well up.

“I’m so sorry, Giorgio,” he said, his voice beginning to crack. “I’ve been so stupid for all these years.”

Giorgio reached out and gave him a gentle pat on the cheek.

“Forget it, fratello mio,” he said kindly. “It was not your fault. It wasn’t anyone’s fault.”

Then Giorgio gave a terrible groan, and his face became contorted with pain.

Giancarlo and Carter exchanged worried glances.

“It’s time to use that cell phone,” said Giancarlo.

Carter gave a nod of agreement and pulled out the phone. He pressed the numbers and waited. Nothing happened. He tried again with the same result, and let out a curse.

“I can’t get a signal!” he cried in frustration.

“Eh, those things never work up here,” said Giorgio with a weary sigh. “That’s why I never bother bringing mine. Don’t worry about it. It doesn’t matter now, anyway.”

“Don’t talk stupido,” Giancarlo told him. “Save your breath now.”

“I don’t think I have many breaths left, my brother.”

“Don’t say that!” cried Giancarlo.

Giorgio gave another heavy sigh and beckoned for Giancarlo to lean closer.

“I have to tell you something,” he said, speaking to Giancarlo in dialect so that Carter could not understand. “There’s something I want you to know.”

“What is it?” said Giancarlo, taking his hand, terrified at how weak and fragile it felt to him.

Giorgio gazed up into Giancarlo’s eyes.

“I wasn’t blind, you know,” he said. “I knew about you and Antonella back when you left Castelalto. I knew all along. I could see what was happening between the two of you from the very first day. I saw it coming even before either of you did.” Giorgio was suddenly wrenched with another deep cough. “It was not her fault, either,” he said when it had passed. “She had to choose, Giancarlo. Do you understand? You must forgive her.There was nothing else for her to do.”

“I know,” said Giancarlo, hanging his head. “I know.”

“What you don’t know,” said Giorgio, his voice growing ever weaker, “is that if she had chosen you instead, I would have given you the house, no questions asked. I would have given you everything, whatever it took to make her happy, to make the both of you happy.You see, I loved her. And I loved you. And in the end, what else matters?”