Sicilian's Shock Proposal. Carol Marinelli

Teresa told Sophie there would be no charge.

      ‘Scusi?’ Sophie frowned and then blushed. She was being let off paying because she was marrying Malvoio’s son, Sophie decided. Well, she wanted no part in that sort of thing and angrily she took out some money, placed it on the counter and then walked out.

      ‘You’re late,’ Paulo said, when Sophie let herself into their home and walked through to the kitchen, where her father was sitting reading his paper at the table. ‘You would be late for your own funeral.’

      ‘Bella and I got talking,’ Sophie said.

      ‘What do you have there?’

      ‘Just some bread and olives...’ Sophie answered, and then realised that he was referring to the parcel she was carrying, but before she explained what it was she asked her father a question. ‘Father, when I went to pay, Teresa said there was no charge. Why would she say that?’

      ‘I don’t know.’ Paulo shrugged. ‘Perhaps she was being nice. After all, you are there every day.’

      ‘No.’ Sophie refused to be fobbed off. ‘It was uncomfortable when I walked in—everyone stopped talking. I think it might have something to do with my getting engaged to Luka.’

      ‘What is in the parcel?’ Her father changed the subject and Sophie let out a tense breath as she set down the food and pulled out some plates.

      ‘Bella gave me my birthday present a day early. It’s my dress for my engagement. I’m going to try it on when I have had my shower. Father...’ As she cut up the loaf Sophie did her best to sound casual. ‘You remember you said I could have my mother’s jewellery when I got engaged?’

      ‘I said that you could have it when you got married.’

      ‘No!’ Sophie corrected. ‘You told me years ago that I could have it when Luka and I got engaged. Can I have them now, please? I want to see how my dress looks with everything.’

      ‘Sophie I’ve just sat down...’

      ‘Then I will fetch them if you tell me where they are.’

      Her father let out a sigh of relief as the phone rang and, though not prepared to get her mother’s jewellery, he happily headed out to answer the phone.

      He was always making excuses. For years Sophie had been asking for her mother’s necklace and earrings and always he came up with different reason why she couldn’t have them yet.

      ‘Father...’ she started as he came back into the kitchen.

      ‘Not now, Sophie. Malvolio has called a meeting.’

      ‘But it’s Sunday,’ Sophie said.

      ‘He said that there is something important that needs to be discussed.’

      ‘Well, surely it can wait till Monday?’

      ‘Enough, Sophie,’ her father snapped. ‘It is not for me to question him.’

      ‘Why not?’ Sophie challenged. She was sick and tired of her father being Malvolio’s puppet. ‘What is this meeting about? Or is it just an excuse to sit in the bar for the evening?’

      Surprisingly, her father laughed. ‘You sound just like your mother.’

      Everyone said the same. Rosa had had fire apparently, not that Sophie could remember her as she had died when Sophie was two.

      ‘Here,’ Paulo said, and handed her a small pouch. ‘These are her jewels.’

      Sophie let out a small gasp and then looked at her father and saw that he was sweating and a little grey.

      ‘This means so much.’

      ‘I know,’ Paulo said, his voice shaken. ‘There are only her earrings.’

      ‘I thought there was a necklace...’ In all the photos Rosa wore a simple gold cross but she could hear the emotion in her father’s voice when he told her that he didn’t have it.

      ‘It was a very fine chain. I believe that it came off in the accident. Even after all these years I still look for it in the bushes when I take my walk in the morning. I wanted you to have it. I’m so sorry that I cannot give that to you.’

      ‘Is that why you haven’t let me have them?’ Sophie asked. ‘Father, I just wanted something...anything of hers...’ She looked at the fine gold hoops, that had a small diamond in each, with tears in her eyes. ‘And now I have her earrings. Thank you so much.’

      ‘I have to go to my meeting,’ Paulo said, and Sophie pressed her lips together. She didn’t want to fight, especially not when he had just given her something so precious, but her father looked terrible and she really did want him to rest. ‘I’ll try and get back for dinner.’

      Sophie simply could not hold her tongue. ‘If Malvolio lets you.’

      She saw her father’s eyes shut for a brief moment before he turned and headed for the door.

      Sophie knew it might be kinder to apologise and that she was maybe making things harder for her father by admitting her truth but she didn’t like his involvement with Malvolio.

      ‘Father, I don’t know if I am ready to get engaged...’ She held her breath as her father’s shoulders stiffened.

      ‘It is normal to be nervous,’ her father said, but did not turn around. ‘Sophie, I have to go.’

      ‘Father, please, can we talk...?’

      But the door had already closed.

      Sophie walked around the small home and picked up a picture of her mother. She could see the similarities there—they had the same long black hair, the same dark brown eyes and full lips. Oh, Sophie wished she was here, just for a moment. She missed having a mother to give her advice so badly.

      ‘I am so confused,’ Sophie admitted to the photo of Rosa. A part of her dreaded being married, yet there was another part of her that longed to see Luka again, the man who had always filled her dreams. She had always looked up to him, had always nursed a crush on him, and she wanted her first kiss to belong to them and to be made love to by Luka.

      What would Luka want, though?

      She blushed in embarrassment at the thought of him returning and being forced to marry her.

      No doubt he was dreading next weekend and returning to uphold his father’s commitment for him to marry poor little Sophie Durante.

      Was that the hold Malvolio had over her father? Sophie wondered.

      Well, she didn’t need charity and she would tell her father that.

      She put down the photo, took her parcel upstairs and finally opened it.

      The dress was exquisite. It was in the softest chiffon and the colour was a very pale coral. Sophie badly wanted to try it on but she had a very quick shower and washed her hair and then combed it before picking up the dress.

      She slipped it over her head and looked in the mirror.

      Sophie found she was holding her breath. All those hours standing as Bella had pinned sheets of paper had been worth it for this moment.

      The dress was amazing. It was scooped low at the front and showed Sophie’s cleavage. Of course, it would need a bra but even without it was somehow both elegant and sexy. It came in at the waist and then fell in layers, emphasising her curves when usually Sophie did what she could to downplay them.

      Yes, she knew she should take it off but instead she put on her mother’s earrings and found the lip glaze she had bought.

      Working at the hotel, Sophie was used to seeing beautiful women but this afternoon, for the first time in her life, she felt like one.

      Now she blushed for different reasons when she imagined facing Luka.

      She