Page 57 of A Scottish Teashop in Napoli

‘My parents tell me I was born to save their marriage. The day after my father brought me home from the hospital, he went to jail. For fraud. My mother, she began to drink. She tell me I am responsible for destroying her life.’

Lucy shook her head. ‘What age were you when you left home?’

‘Fifteen. I couldn’t stay there. Men, strangers, came to the house, and things became… violent.’

A tear leaked onto Lucy’s cheek.

‘For a long time I feel angry at the world. Then I discover music and everything changed.’ Matteo drew a long breath and smiled. ‘Giancarlo and Elena, they rescued me. They gave me a job, the studio apartment at the factory – and my…autostima.I don’t know the English word’

‘Self-worth?’

‘Sì. Self-worth. But still I am grateful to my parents.’

Lucy’s eyes grew wide. ‘Grateful?’

‘My unhappy childhood, it make me very determined to make my life better – so I do not make the same mistakes.’

Lucy had dreamed of renewing her life, of discovering a deeper and richer state of existence. She often thought how ironic it was that the same person who’d held her back had kick-started her own journey of self-discovery, but unlike Matteo, her fork in the road had hardly been a matter of life and death, had it?

‘Lucy?’ Matteo’s voice rang gently in her ear. ‘Lucy?’

‘Sorry. I was just thinking…’

Matteo smiled. ‘I hope I didn’t bore you.’

‘Bore me? Nothing could be further from the truth. I was thinking…’

‘It’s very late. I will take you home.’

Lucy guffawed. ‘After last time? Er, I don’t think so.’

She took out her phone and scrolled for the taxi firm’s number.

‘Before you go, there’s something I want to tell you…’ Matteo blurted out.

Lucy looked up mid-dial and noticed the nervous bounce of his right leg.

He drew a deep breath. ‘I have wanted to tell you this for a long time, but didn’t know if it would ruin everything.’

Lucy frowned. ‘Ruin everything? I don’t understand. What is it?’

All at once the door burst open. Lucy whirled around and let out a piercing scream. There in the shadow of the doorway, brandishing a pistol, was Dario.

‘Scusate.’ He held up a reassuring hand and quickly replaced the weapon in its holder. Matteo stepped forward and shook his hand. ‘Buonasera,Dario. We were just—’

‘I was on my way home and saw the light on and the front door open.’ Dario then turned to Lucy. ‘I’m sorry if I scared you.’

She slowly raised her eyes from behind her fingers. ‘No worries,’ she squeaked. ‘I’ll, erm, I’ll call that taxi now.’

‘Please, let me take you home,’ said Dario.

‘You don’t have to do that. It’s okay.’

‘I would like to.’ Dario’s voice was firm, but friendly. ‘I insist.’

Lucy let out a nervous giggle. ‘How can I refuse a man brandishing a weapo…’ Her voice trailed off, as it struck her how ambiguous that remark might sound. ‘Thank you. I’ll fetch my coat. Sogni d’oro,Matteo,’ she said, kissing him on both cheeks and squeezing his hand.

Dario held open the car door for Lucy then jumped in the driver’s seat. She noticed the muscles in his tanned forearms as he turned the ignition key.