Chapter 6: Dinner with the Family

In the morning I asked him where he'd heard my last name.

Lucian was propped against the pillows with his eyes half open, and he took a long time to answer.

"What did I say?" he asked.

"Nothing," I said. "You had a fever."

He studied me and let it lie.

I let it lie too, and kept the name to myself. A man who might still be dying didn't need to be interrogated, and I wanted to watch him first.

That evening the whole family sat down to dinner.

The dining room held a table for twenty, with candles, white linen and men in dark suits who stopped talking when I came in.

Lucian walked in on his cane, one hand on my arm, leaning more than he needed to.

He put me on his right.

"Everyone," he said, in his thin voice. "This is Mara."

Nobody said hello.

Aldo sat at the far end with a glass already in his hand, and Renata beside him, passing bread with a smile for each of the capos.

She caught my eye and winked.

"Mara what?" one of the men asked, a heavy capo with rings on three fingers.

"Just Mara."

"A mystery," he said.

"I keep him company," I said. "It's not a long story."

Laughter went down the table, and it wasn't kind.

"A woman who keeps a dying man company doesn't need a long story," Aldo said. "She needs a short contract."

"Aldo," Renata said, softly, and put a hand on his sleeve.

"I'm only saying, tesoro. The girl is brave. Walking in off the street."

"I walked in out of the rain," I said. "I was invited."

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