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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

“I know.” I walked up behind him, slipping an arm around his waist, burying my face in his back. The smell of sandalwood engulfed me, bringing me to safety. Bringing me to him.

“It’s unfortunate. I was getting used to the quiet life.” He gripped my wrist, holding me closer.

“We’re not quiet life people.” I laughed into his back. “We were bound to tire of it.”

José chuckled as he closed the door on the outside world.

Thirty-Two

Thirty-Two

I stood by my stove talking to Anzani about his new baby boy, named Giuseppe Antonio Cingolani Anzani. I was more interested than normal in the details of the baby, as talking about them gave me an excuse to ignore Miguel, who sat at my table sighing and tracing a knot in the wood with his finger.

“I have never had a baby sleep so little.” Anzani yawned. “Just when I think we might get a few hours of sleep he wakes us up again. I swear the little bastardo does it on purpose.”

“How are the other boys handling it?” I looked out of the corner of my eye to spy Miguel frowning, the crease between his eyebrows growing tighter.

“Tomaso has been a godsend. Anything Luisa needs, he takes care of. The boys really look up to him.”

José rushed into the house. He was taking more meetings with government officials, and they kept him busy at all hours of the day and night. Large bags hung under his eyes.

After refilling Anzani’s mug with tea, I took a cup for myself and sat down.

Immediately Miguel looked up at me. “This is a business matter.” He turned to José and Anzani for support, but Anzani intently watched his feet as an awkward silence fell over the room.

José cleared his throat and looked Miguel directly in the eye. “Anita gets to sit in on any meeting of mine that she likes.”

Miguel leaned toward him. “But she’s your wife.”

José shrugged and met Miguel’s eyes. “That just means I am going to tell her everything anyway.”

“Clearly you’ve never heard about her exploits in the Ragamuffin War,” Anzani interjected with a roguish grin.

José frowned. “We have more serious matters to discuss. I’ve learned some unfortunate news about the navy. It’s apparently become a burden of the local municipalities to purchase their own ships.”

“That means if Montevideo wants a naval defense it would have to come up with its own money to have one? And the same goes for every other city?” Anzani asked.

“Are they mad?” Miguel asked.

“No money,” José said with a sigh. “By diverting the burden to the local regions, they can also divert the blame should anything go wrong.” When Anzani and Miguel opened their mouths to protest, José raised a hand. “I know, I know, something will surely go wrong.”