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Back The Woman in Red Save as PDF
Chapters (73)
  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Epigraph
  4. Prologue
  5. Part One
  6. One
  7. Two
  8. Three
  9. Four
  10. Five
  11. Six
  12. Seven
  13. Eight
  14. Nine
  15. Ten
  16. Eleven
  17. Twelve
  18. Thirteen
  19. Part Two
  20. Fourteen
  21. Fifteen
  22. Sixteen
  23. Seventeen
  24. Eighteen
  25. Nineteen
  26. Twenty
  27. Twenty-One
  28. Twenty-Two
  29. Twenty-Three
  30. Twenty-Four
  31. Twenty-Five
  32. Part Three
  33. Twenty-Six
  34. Twenty-Seven
  35. Twenty-Eight
  36. Twenty-Nine
  37. Thirty
  38. Thirty-One
  39. Thirty-Two
  40. Thirty-Three
  41. Thirty-Four
  42. Thirty-Five
  43. Thirty-Six
  44. Thirty-Seven
  45. Thirty-Eight
  46. Thirty-Nine
  47. Forty
  48. Forty-One
  49. Forty-Two
  50. Part Four
  51. Forty-Three
  52. Forty-Four
  53. Forty-Five
  54. Forty-Six
  55. Forty-Seven
  56. Forty-Eight
  57. Forty-Nine
  58. Fifty
  59. Fifty-One
  60. Fifty-Two
  61. Fifty-Three
  62. Epilogue
  63. Author’s Note
  64. Acknowledgments
  65. Discover More
  66. Reading Group Guide
  67. Discussion Questions
  68. ESSAY FROMDIANA GIOVINAZZO
  69. Antoinette’s Sister
  70. Chapter One
  71. Chapter Two
  72. About the Author
  73. Praise forThe Woman in Red

He dropped his fork. “Anita, we have been over this. The church is a vile and corrupt organization. What they say and do holds no sway over us.”

“What about when you die? What will happen to me and your children?”

“Anita, why must you think of such things?” He tried to brush me away. “You shouldn’t worry about me dying.”

“José, you are always going out to battle. You think nothing of risking your life. Of course I am going to worry about these things.”

“I am not fighting a battle now, am I?” He pushed his plate away as Menotti reached a small hand toward it.

“It doesn’t mean you won’t fight one in the future, and it certainly doesn’t mean you won’t drop dead in the middle of the street tomorrow!” I put my head in my hands in frustration before looking back up at him. “I am asking you to seriously think about your son’s future. What will happen to him in the eyes of the law, if you die?”

“Anita, please.”

“In the eyes of the law he and any future children that we have are bastards!” I watched José as a shadow passed across his face.

“For the love of Christ, Anita!” He slammed his fist on the table, making the dishes rattle. “You and Menotti are all I think about! Before I go to sleep at night I think, ‘My God, this has been a wonderful dream. I hope I don’t wake up from this.’ Every morning I think, ‘This woman can’t still be here by my side in my bed.’ And in the hours when I am awake and supposed to be carrying on with my daily life, do you know what I am thinking? Answer me, do you know what I am thinking?”

“No.” Menotti began to cry so I took him from José. The scent of José’s sandalwood still lingered as I gently bounced my son in my arms, trying to soothe him.

“I am thinking, ‘What is Anita doing right now?’ and ‘I hope Menotti is happy.’ So, don’t you dare guilt me when you know damn well that you and my son are everything to me.”

“I don’t doubt your love for us.”

“Then why are you making this such an issue?”

“Because if you die leaving us behind, in the eyes of the law I will not be your widow, and Menotti will be entitled to nothing. Your mother, back in Italy, will she accept your bastards?” I raged. “All I ask is that you think about us. I just want to make sure that if the day comes when we have to live without you, we can. That even if you are gone, you can give your son the best possible future,” I said as I held our crying child.