After a couple of glasses of wine, they switched to coffee, waiting until, what seemed like hours later, Salvatore reappeared, face grey and fatigued. They jumped up and he slid his arms around them both exactly as if they were still little boys. ‘I’m sorry, that was a crappy thing to do to you. I’m sorry to put you through it,’ he said hoarsely. ‘But I caught a glimpse of her hovering out there through the crack in the door and seized the opportunity to let her show her true colours.’ He cleared his throat. ‘She’s packing.’

Relief melting his muscles, Piero still demanded reassurance. ‘And you’re not ill?’

Salvatore gave them a last squeeze before releasing them and lowering himself into a chair. ‘No. I made up every word.’ He let his head fall back and closed his eyes. ‘I had to shock the truth out of her. She was going to get a big finder’s fee from Binotto’s.’ Salvatore’s voice was thick with disgust. ‘Greedy bitch. When she realised my “illness” would mean I wouldn’t sell the vineyard and she wouldn’t inherit a share either …’ He hesitated, seeming not quite able to meet their eyes. ‘It was her ex-husband who had all the money when they got together, yet she managed to walk from the divorce court with half the proceeds of three hotels. I should have remembered that.’

Emiliano made an inarticulate noise of rage.

Piero snapped, ‘Shouldn’t you be calling the police? She deserves to be punished.’

Salvatore pulled an apologetic face. ‘I’m not sure that taking an old man for a ride is a crime. It was a clumsy attempt, now I look at it.’ He gave a bitter laugh, the noise perilously close to a sob in the still air of the office. ‘I thought she made me happy. But it was expedient for her to make me believe a younger, glamorous woman loved me. I’m sorry.’ He put his hand over Piero’s. ‘I was a bad father. I let her persuade me that you losing your home was an acceptable sacrifice.’

‘No,’ Piero protested and leaped up to slide his arms around his hurting father. ‘You’re a good father. We all let ourselves be blinded by a woman, sooner or later.’ He seemed pretty good at it himself. First Nicoletta and then Zia.

Salvatore patted his shoulders. ‘Thank you.’ Gently, he freed himself. ‘I’d better go and make sure she’s not stealing the family silver.’

Piero and Emiliano were left gazing at each other again, silenced by their father’s pain.

But Piero was conscious of relief, too. Graziella and her manipulations were leaving. Il Rifugio was feeling safer by the moment.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Lucia returned home on Wednesday just as all Bella Vista shimmered a welcome in the afternoon heat haze.