‘Anyone in that building would have done this for you,’ she said. ‘They all count you as their friend. But I wanted to be the one to do it.’
‘Thank you,’ he said again, and fell into brooding silence.
On the outskirts of Naples they came to a place where there had been an accident. Nobody had been hurt, but a truck lay on its side, blocking the road, save for one lane, and the traffic had slowed to a standstill.
Luke groaned and seized his cellphone. But his father’s phone was switched off.
‘Hospitals won’t have them on,’ Minnie said sympathetically. ‘But we’ll be there soon. The front of this queue is moving.’
He slumped down in his seat. ‘It might be too late. Why wasn’t I there?’
‘Has she been ill before?’
‘Not as far as I know.’
‘Then how could you have been on the alert? You couldn’t have known this was going to happen.’
‘That’s easy to say, but she might be dead right this minute, and I wouldn’t know. I should have called her more often. She might have told me that she was feeling bad-’
‘But maybe she wasn’t. Luke, don’t start creating “what ifs?” to torment yourself.’
‘But you can’t stop yourself creating them,’ he said sombrely. ‘You know that better than anyone. Suddenly I find myself saying all the things you said about Gianni.’
‘But you didn’t quarrel with her,’ she said softly. ‘She knows you love her.’
‘I should have called her yesterday, but I didn’t. If I had, I’d have said-’ he sighed heavily ‘-probably nothing very much, but she’d have known I cared because I took the time to make the call.’
She longed to comfort him, as he had comforted her. The traffic was still for the moment, and, in her desperation to pierce his haze of misery, she took hold of him and gave him a little shake, forcing him to look at her.
‘Luke, listen to me. How many years has she been your mother? More than thirty? Do you think she doesn’t know by now how you feel about her? Do you think one incident counts against all those years?’
‘Why not?’ he asked her simply. ‘Isn’t that what you think about Gianni? All those years of loving him, and you can’t forgive yourself for one incident.’
‘But you’ve been telling me how wrong I was.’
‘I know. And you are wrong, just as I’m wrong now. And we both know it, but it doesn’t help, does it?’
‘No,’ she said, putting her arms right round him. ‘It doesn’t help, however hard we try to reason, because in the end reason has nothing to do with it. It’s what you feel.’
‘If she dies-’
‘It’s too soon to say that.’
‘If she dies before I can speak to her-then I shall really understand what you’ve been going through, instead of just talking about it. Oh, Minnie, what an idiot you must have thought me! All talk, knowing nothing.’
‘It wasn’t like that. You gave me so much-more than you’ll ever know. But it wasn’t the words, it was that you were there, all the time. That was what I needed most. Now I’m here. Hold on to me.’
His grip was painful, but she was glad of it. It was all she could do for him, to offer back a little of what he had given, and pray that in the end he wouldn’t need any of it.
‘The line’s moving again,’ she said. ‘We’ll be there soon.’
She kissed him again and again. ‘Just a little longer. Hold on.’
He nodded. She could see tears in his eyes, and it was with reluctance that he released her.
A policeman was waving them on. She started up and began moving at a crawl until at last they were past the accident, the road widened and she was free to drive on.
‘You’ll have to guide me from here,’ she said.
He gave her the name of the hospital and directed her until the huge building came into view.
‘I’ll drop you at the main door, then go and park the car,’ she said. ‘I’ll find you afterwards.’
His answer was a tense smile, and she knew he was fearing to hear the worst. As she drew up outside the main door, she reached over and gave his left hand a squeeze.
‘Good luck,’ she said.
His answer was a return squeeze, then he got out quickly and hurried into the building.
At that time of night the parking lot was almost empty. She parked without trouble and followed him into the hospital, where the man on the night desk directed her to the third floor. Upstairs she found herself in a corridor of private rooms. Turning a corner, she stopped at the sight that met her eyes.
A crowd of young men were standing, sitting or lounging close to one door. Two were young and handsome, with a definite facial resemblance, one was older, with the same resemblance, but less marked. It was enough to tell her that these were the Rinuccis.
They all seemed to notice her at the same time, and moved quickly towards her in a way that could have been alarming if they hadn’t been so clearly friendly.
‘Signora Pepino-Luke told us-we have been expecting you-you brought our brother here-grazie, grazie-’
Hand after hand clasped hers with vigour. It was overwhelming, yet powerfully attractive.
‘What’s the news of your mother?’ she asked quickly.
‘It’s good,’ said one of the men. ‘I am Primo Rinucci.’
‘Good-how?’ she asked. ‘I understood it was a heart attack.’
One of the handsome boys spoke up. ‘Mamma was breathless and then she fainted, so we got her here, fast. The doctor says it was only a dizzy spell, but she must take better care of herself in case the next time is more serious. So we’re going to make sure that she does take care.’
‘But still we thank you for what you have done.’ This was the other good-looking boy.
There was a chorus of agreement and they all swarmed around her again, this time embracing and kissing her. Now it felt like coming home, she thought. Being embraced by Rinuccis was like being embraced by Pepinos-pleasant and comforting.
The door opened and a man in late middle age appeared. Over his shoulder Minnie could see Luke sitting by the bed, his mother’s hands clasped in his. Then he was shut off from her sight. The young men called him Pappa, and rushed to introduce her. This was Toni Rinucci, whose face bore the marks of a night of strain and fear, although it was gradually clearing.
He, too, thanked her, almost fiercely, and answered her question about his wife’s health with a passionate, ‘The doctors say she will be well, thank God! And you must forgive me for dragging you on this long journey, but I am her husband-I panic because I love her.’
‘How could you not panic?’ she agreed, nodding.
‘All of our sons will be here soon,’ he told her. ‘Justin is coming from England, Franco is in America and will be here later today. My wife will feel better for having her whole family around her. She will want to meet you, too, but in the meantime you’ll be wanting to get some rest. Carlo and Ruggiero will take you to our home.’
‘Can we see Mamma first?’ Carlo said.
‘No, she can’t have too many people in there at once, and this is Luke’s time. Be off now, and look after our guest.’
‘Let Carlo take your car,’ Ruggiero said as they left the hospital, ‘and I’ll drive you in mine. It’s not far. You’ll see the house before we’ve gone a mile.’
She did see it, high on the hill, gleaming with lights that seemed to reach down to them as they climbed. As they drew into the wide courtyard a middle-aged woman came out to wait for them.
‘That’s Greta, our housekeeper,’ Ruggiero said. ‘Pappa will have called ahead and she will have prepared a room for you.’
Inside the house they thanked her again for bringing Luke, and she followed Greta up the stairs to her room. She accepted the refreshments the housekeeper offered, but she was longing to be alone to sort out her thoughts. It had all happened so suddenly that she was almost dizzy.