The farmhouse was set back from the road, with a tidy courtyard of old cobbles interspersed with patches of gravel, and stables that met the main building at right angles, their stalls and pens just visible beyond the open doors. The house stretched to three stories, the bottom of fieldstone and the upper two of a mellow, rosy brick, though the top floor was only two-thirds the height of those below. The windows that faced the courtyard, four to each story, were shuttered against the midday sun. The entrance was set into the center of the bottom floor, its threshold shaded by the silvery boughs of an ancient olive tree, and next to it a pair of low stools sat waiting for occupants.

A rangy, rough-coated dog came barking toward them, then two girls and a boy emerged from the house, their cheers of “Nico! Nico!” rising in counterpoint to the dog’s delighted yelps, the hawing of an agitated Bello, and the laughter of their brother as he lifted them high and swung them round and round.

Two teenage boys came striding out from the stables, followed more sedately by an older man who so resembled Nico that he had to be his father. He smiled readily enough, coming forward to greet them, but faltered when a woman came out of the house. She, too, had the family face—she might even have been Nico’s twin, with the same dark, solemn eyes and honey-colored hair.

“We weren’t expecting you back until next week at the earliest,” the older man said.

“I know. I’m sorry.” Nico steered Nina forward, his arm a bracing weight around her shoulders. “Nina, this is my father, Aldo, and my sister Rosa. I’ll introduce you to the others in a moment. Everyone, this is Nina. My wife.”

“Your wife?” Rosa clutched a hand to her heart, just as people did when they received news of a tragedy. Whirling around, she rushed back inside.

Nico’s arm tightened a fraction, but he made no move to hurry after his sister. It would be up to Nina, then, to smooth things over. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Signor Gerardi.”

“And I am delighted to meet you—but please, no signor here. You are my daughter now. Papà will do.” He took her hands, kissed her cheeks, and offered a tremulous smile. “Welcome to our family.” And then, calling to the older boys, “See to the mule and cart.”