My mother didn’t even look up from the black beans that she stirred as I walked into our cramped kitchen. I made my announcement, expecting to elicit a suspicious response from her, but I got none.

“Too bad the Da Gatos can’t adopt you. Has your ability to manipulate people started to slip?” Maria sneered.

“Go to hell,” I said to her as I made my way through the kitchen.

“You first, sister.” Maria turned back to her mending.

“Oh, will you two stop?” Our mother whipped around, shaking her spoon at us. “I swear, I never have a moment’s peace when both of you are here!” Bits of bean flew from the spoon. “Anna, if you are going to leave, then leave already! Stop causing so much trouble.”

“Why am I the one getting yelled at?”

“Because whenever there is strife in this family, you’re the one to blame!”

I tried to shake off my confrontation with my sister as I made my way to the Farrapos’ campsite. Dirty sailors moved about as they settled in for their dinners with their wives, women who looked as worn out as the men they catered to. It was in the center of the camp that I found Garibaldi, surrounded by a group of friends. Their shared laughter carried over the business of the camp.

What if his friends didn’t like me? What if they thought I wasn’t good enough for Garibaldi? I paused and contemplated retreating. This is foolish, I thought, smoothing the pale blue skirt that I usually only wore to church. Did I really expect anything to come of this? Then Garibaldi saw me. A large, warm smile spread across his handsome face and every fear I had evaporated.

“Anna! You made it.” He walked closer before bending down and gently kissing my hand. My heart fluttered at the tender touch of his lips.

“This is my fellow countryman, Luigi Rossetti.” Garibaldi pointed to the tall dark-haired man standing next to him. I took in his clean, well-tailored clothing, trimmed in lace. He reminded me of a stern schoolteacher. How could he be a soldier and yet be so immaculately dressed? There wasn’t a single stain or tear.

Rossetti’s piercing black eyes stared back at me with an air of superiority from over his large nose. His smile was small and polite, barely making his neatly trimmed beard move. “A pleasure to meet you.” He bowed with a flourish as he reached out and lightly kissed my hand, his lips barely brushing my knuckles.

Garibaldi pointed toward the man standing on the other side of Rossetti. “This is our resident norte-americano, John Griggs.” Griggs wasn’t quite as tall as Rossetti. He had a pleasant air about him, with eyes that looked like he had just woken up from a deep sleep. His smile was charming as he tipped his hat, revealing a full head of curly dark-blond hair.

“So, this is the girl that you’ve had your eye on since we sailed into port?” Griggs’s smile widened as Garibaldi’s face flushed pink. I looked back and forth between the men. “Normally a man uses his telescope to look out over the ocean. Not up into the hills to spy on a certain lady who likes to spend her siestas on her balcony,” Griggs teased.