Page 53 of The Dolce Vita Divas
Sylvia, resplendent in turquoise taffeta and what looked like all her jewellery, sat down next to me with a long sigh and then addressed the room.
‘I am all right, everyone. There’s nothing to worry about. Please carry on. Just ignore me.’
‘As always, we will try,’ Ceci said.
Of course, then Paulo had to get out of his seat and introduce her to everyone, ask after her health and her comfort.
Sylvia looked up at him with a brave smile. ‘I have been unwell, but there is nothing to concern you now.’
‘Then I will sleep tonight,’ Ceci growled, fingering the handle of her butter knife.
A few seconds later as everyone was settling down again, Lucia came into the room, pausing in the doorway for maximum effect. She was a short, voluptuous woman in a stylish pink dress which even at seventy-eight made the most of her fabulous legs.
‘Oh, mio Dio,’ she said loudly. ‘Dear me, am I the last to arrive?’
‘As always,’ Ceci growled. ‘I could set my watch by you.’
Lucia ignored her and allowed herself to be escorted to her seat opposite me. She inclined her head graciously towards me in greeting.
‘Meraviglioso,’I said.
She smiled. ‘Sì,yes,sono una donna meravigliosa.I am indeed a marvellous woman. How clever you are.’
Sylvia snorted at this and I thought Ceci muttered something under her breath that didn’t sound flattering.
Quiet restored, the blessing was said and the meal began.
‘So have you come far today?’ I asked Sylvia, realising too late that I sounded like the Queen at a Buckingham Palace garden party.
She looked up from herminestra maritatasoup and thought about it.
‘I flew in from Brussels yesterday, where I was visiting my son Ralph at the European commission. He is an assistant administrator in the Personnel Selection Office. A very important post.Molto importante.’
‘How marvellous,’ I said.
‘Scribacchino,’ Ceci muttered.
Sylvia was busy dabbing at her nose with a lace-edged handkerchief, but she caught the tail end of this comment, and her nostrils flared with indignation.
‘Indeed, Ralph does not wear chinos. He wears a suit and tie every day.’
‘I meant pencil pusher,’ Ceci murmured.
‘My hearing is not what it was,’ Sylvia said. ‘Old age takes no prisoners. It was a miracle I got here at all. Travel is so exhausting these days.’
‘Yes, it can be very tiring. And to do it on your own, I do admire you,’ I said.
Ceci wasn’t having this.
‘Your son drove you to the airport and got you on a plane, and my son made all the arrangements for you to get here from the airport. So basically, you have been sitting down. And you still are.’
Sylvia looked tragic, her voice quavering.
‘These days, at my age, even sitting down is a trial. My arthritis.’
‘We all have arthritis,’ Ceci fired back.
‘I don’t,’ Lucia said cheerfully. ‘I am blessed with our father’s genes.’
