“I’m sending Luna on ahead to our eventual destination with our cook.”

Kellen’s eyes grew wide. They had a cook?

“You have a cook?” Verona echoed Kellen’s thoughts.

“Olympia Paolergio.”

“Olympia Paolergio? From the village? From Cape Charade?” Verona sounded incredulous. “She’s not even one of our staff!”

“Kellen can’t cook. She can’t handle a knife or use fire. I can cook, but no one wants to eat what I prepare. Rae’s too young to do more than grate cheese and pour milk—and she grates her fingers and slops milk all over the kitchen. Olympia has agreed to go with us, do light cleaning and prepare our meals.” Max patted Kellen’s shoulder as if comforting her.

And why? Kellen didn’t remember an Olympia Paolergio. Who was this woman?

Verona gave her a clue. “Long ago, Olympia worked here and she can be…”

“Difficult? I know,” Max said. “But she also…”

“…will do much for money.” Verona’s brown eyes grew sharp behind her glasses. “My God, Max, how much are you paying her?”

“Enough to get her to agree to the terms. To sign a contract.”

“A hefty amount, then.”

“As long as she sticks it out.”

“She will.” Verona rubbed her fingertips together. Money.

He leaned into his mother’s gaze. “You have to go, too.”

“What? Now?” Verona strode toward him, grasped his shoulders. “We’ve got a week of school left. I’m the teacher!”

“I’ve called in a substitute.” Max really had made all the arrangements. “With Mara Philippi in the neighborhood, we can’t take a chance of her using any of us in a hostage situation.”

“I’m just the grandmother!”

Kellen knew what to say, and at last, she had the breath to say it. “You’re a matriarch of the Di Luca family. If Mara took you, she would bring us all to our knees.”

Verona stared at her daughter-in-law. They had not always gotten along. They still sometimes rubbed each other raw. But Kellen never doubted Verona’s loyalty to the woman who had given her a much beloved granddaughter. Verona nodded. “I understand.” She turned to Max. “Next week, I was going to visit your sister and Annabella—”

He answered, “You should go visit the family in Italy right now.”

“It will cost a fortune to change the tickets.” The Di Luca family had money, but they had never forgotten their thrifty Italian peasant background.

“I’ve already done it,” Max said. “I’ve arranged for Irene and Annabella to meet you there. Go pack. You’re leaving tonight.”

My God. Max was really scared, and that made Kellen really scared.

Verona was a sensible woman. She understood fear. “Law enforcement?”