“These barrels are called barriques. We let the wine age down here for a year; then we bottle it and sell it.” She stopped next to a barrel and examined it. “Let’s try some of this.”

At the end of the room was a wooden counter. She retrieved from it a wineglass and a large glass tube resembling a turkey baster. She worked the plastic plug from the barrel then inserted the tube. “They call this a ‘thief,’ ” she said, smiling, “because it steals wine from barrels.”

The glass tube turned burgundy as it filled. She took the thief from the barrel and released its liquid into the glass. She lifted the glass to the light, examined the wine’s color, smelled it, then sipped it.

“Mmm, that’s really good. Try this.” She handed Ross the glass.

He tasted it. “That is good.”

“I don’t know what it is. I’ll have to ask Luca. That was a good harvest. I’ll have him get some bottles of it for you.”

“Thanks.” He took another drink. “So, you’re pretty powerful around here.”

“Oh yeah, I say jump, and all these men ask how high.”

“Well, I’m sure you were used to that even before you were the capo’s wife.”

She just smiled, then took the glass from him, her hand touching his in the exchange. She took another drink then handed back the glass.

“Do you love Maurizio?” Ross asked.

The question struck her so abruptly that she laughed. “Now, there’s a question to ask a girl after a glass of wine. Where did that come from?”

“I’m sorry, it’s a bad habit of mine. I just say what comes to my mind.”

“I’ve noticed.” She put down the glass. “Truthfully?” She sighed. “Truthfully I do better with questions about wine.” Her voice softened. “I don’t really know. I mean, if I didn’t love him, why would I hurt so much when he cheats on me?”

Ross thought it a strange barometer. “Maurizio cheats on you?”

She looked down. “Earlier this year I caught him. Not actually with someone; I probably would have killed him if I had. I found the girl’s earrings in his coat pocket. He first tried to lie about it. He said that he had bought them for me. But the used lipstick I found with them kind of ruined his excuse.” Her eyes filled with sadness. “I knew he’d been cheating for a long time. It was just the first time I called him on it.”

“What did he say?”

“Nothing at first. Then he said that’s just the way things are and it’s me who has the problem, not him.”

Ross looked at her, weighing her words. “So what did you say to him?”

“I told him that I was leaving. He said that I could, of course, but that I couldn’t take Alessio with me—as if leaving Alessio behind was an option.”

Ross frowned. “Could he really stop you from taking him?”

“From Italy, yes. I can’t take Alessio out of the country without Maurizio’s permission.”