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Back The House by the Sea Save as PDF
Chapters (71)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
  43. 41
  44. 42
  45. 43
  46. 44
  47. 45
  48. 46
  49. 47
  50. 48
  51. 49
  52. 50
  53. 51
  54. 52
  55. 53
  56. 54
  57. 55
  58. 56
  59. 57
  60. 58
  61. 59
  62. 60
  63. 61
  64. 62
  65. 63
  66. 64
  67. 65
  68. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  69. MORE FROM LOUISE DOUGLAS
  70. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  71. ABOUT BOLDWOOD BOOKS

I climbed out of the car and met Irma on the road. Raindrops fell around us and on my head and my shoulders, stinging my sore nose.

Irma Arnone squinted to see who I was. She screwed her face up against the rain and the light. She kept repeating Gabriele’s name.

I pointed up the road. ‘He’s hurt. There’s been an accident.’

She didn’t understand what I was trying to tell her. I thought: I’m going to have to take her to Gabriele. I couldn’t leave her on the road, alone, not like this.

Thunder crashed above us; we ducked out of instinct and then, thank God, we heard the sound of a siren approaching from the Ragusa direction.

We stood together, in the pool of the single, wonky headlight, rain lashing onto us and around us, until the blue lights of an ambulance came around the corner and then I stepped into the road and waved and the ambulance stopped.

Irma spoke to the paramedic who helped her into the cab and together they drove off up the road.

I returned to the car. Valentina and Francesco were cowering inside.

My clothes were stuck to my skin. Rain was dripping from the ends of my hair, my eyelashes. Another flash of lightning lit up the headland.

I climbed back into the car, started the engine and we set off again, slowly.

A police car flashed past us, heading towards the accident, and that was a relief. If the police car was there, even if Vito tried to reach us, he wouldn’t get past it. We would be safe in the villa tonight.

59

Back at the villa, Valentina, Francesco and I hurried inside. Claps of thunder echoed across the bay. Lightning skipped across the horizon, razors of light slashing the sky.

We sat in the kitchen, the gas flames burning on the stove. The kittens came out of their hiding places to find us. I made peppermint tea, gave cups to Francesco and Valentina. Francesco looked at me and Valentina from hooded eyes, wondering if we were angry with him.

Valentina reached across to take his hand.

I told him he was a hero, that he’d done nothing wrong.

‘What about the old man?’ he asked.

‘You couldn’t help him being there in the road,’ said Valentina. ‘It wasn’t your fault.’

Francesco began to cry. We tried to comfort him, but he was inconsolable and all Valentina could do was hold him while I paced and waited until the crying passed.