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‘We’ll look around the town,’ she said a little vaguely. ‘Have lunch and then meet up with our driver.’

‘I will walk to the gates with you,’ Daniele said.

‘No, really,’ she began, fearful it would be a trial for him, but then stopped. He had a fixed look on his face which told her there was more he wanted to say, but not here in the house.

They had said their goodbyes and walked for some minutes, almost to the farm gates, when the boy came to a halt. ‘Bianca was having a baby,’ he said abruptly.

Flora locked eyes with Jack, both of them stunned.

‘Not now,’ Daniele said hastily. ‘But it is why Franco asked her to marry.’

‘What happened to the baby?’

The boy gave a small shrug of the shoulders. ‘There was no baby. I don’t know why.’

A miscarriage, she thought, but Bianca had said nothing of the tragedy and neither had Sally. Had Sally known what had befallen her friend? Was it possible – Flora paused at the thought – that there hadn’t been a pregnancy?

‘Did your mother know there was to be a baby?’ she asked.

‘Yes, she knew. Bianca told her. But they said nothing to my father.’

That went some way to explaining Signora Massi’s strange remark that Bianca was good and Franco was good. In her eyes, they had done the honourable thing in deciding to marry.

‘How did Franco feel,’ she asked quietly, ‘after Bianca lost the baby?’

It seemed that Daniele was reluctant to answer and they had walked another few yards before he said, ‘Sad, I suppose.’ Then burst out, ‘But angry, too.’

‘He was disappointed?’

Daniele shook his head. ‘He thought it was a trick. That he had been tricked into the marriage.’

‘And he wanted to forget the engagement?’

‘He told me that he could not sign the lease of the Mestre flat. It was not what he wanted. So, he told Bianca that they should wait a while, that there was no need now for them to marry so quickly.’

‘Did he mean to marry her eventually?’

‘I don’t know. He never said. I thought that maybe he would wait for a year or two.’

That wouldn’t have pleased Bianca, Flora thought. She would suspect that Franco didn’t want to marry at all.

‘And Bianca?’ she asked. ‘How did she feel?’

‘She was not happy. She came here to see my parents – maybe she hoped they would make Franco keep his word. They were shocked that he had broken his promise and sad for her. They expected the wedding. Her father, too, I think. Bianca is a good girl, they said, she deserves better. She will be our daughter and look after us.’

Bianca would have seen for herself that neither Franco’s parents nor Daniele were in immediate need of help. He had lied to her and her visit here would have rammed home the truth. She would have felt the family’s kindness towards her, their willingness to treat her as a daughter. Would have seen their shock at Franco’s behaviour. What effect had all this had on Bianca? Had she returned to Venice and confronted him directly with his lies?

‘My mother told Franco that he should honour his promise,’ Daniele went on, ‘and Bianca said this, too. She insisted that they marry.’

‘Is that when Franco walked away?’

‘It was. I leave you here,’ he said, opening the gates for them to pass through. ‘This road will take you to the town. I hope that you enjoy your day – and your lunch at the café. You must try the truffle omelette!’

18

The café when they walked through the door was almost empty, but the array of salad dishes on offer was tempting, though truffle omelette appeared missing from today’s menu. Quickly, they made their selection and found seats at an outside table.

‘What do you make of what we’ve learned?’ Flora asked, snaffling a chunk of Taleggio cheese.