Page 47 of Broken Hearts of Sin

It takes about half an hour to get to the church, and Father Lorenzo is waiting for us at the door. He smiles at me and then reaches out and gives me a hug. I'm not expecting it, but I cling to him, nevertheless. He is a port in the storm. A place of peace in the madness. I pull back and look him in the eyes, letting him see all the turmoil in mine.

“Father, do you know where Romano is?”

He sighs, “Come into my rectory. Let us have a cup of tea and talk.”

He pulls me along, although I'm following him quite willingly with Aunt Ludovica in the rear. He leads us down a narrow corridor which opens up into a cozy room with a fireplace, a kitchenette, and the round wooden table with five chairs around it.

Father Lorenzo gestures for us to sit down, before making himself busy at the stove. Soon there are steaming cups of tea in front of us, and the priest has produced a marble cake from somewhere. He sits down across from me, staring intently into my eyes. “This must be deeply worrying for you,” his voice is low with concern.

I nod slowly, “I don't even know what happened.”

He takes my hands in his, “That I can tell you. Mark and Benedetto went to a party. They were not expecting to see Tiziano there, but from what I can gather, he went there looking for them. He was extremely pissed that your husband had kidnapped you to teach him a lesson. He was also extremely pissed,” the priest grinned sheepishly, “if you will excuse the double entendre.”

I frowned in puzzlement and then I got what he was saying, “Oh you mean he was drunk too.”

“Yes.”

I nodded in understanding. Tiziano was well known for being unable to hold his liquor.

“Words were exchanged. A scuffle ensued. Tiziano produced a gun.” Father Lorenzo gave me a loaded glance, “Some witnesses claim that the gun went off accidentally. Others say that Tiziano shot Mark at point blank range. In any case, Mark was hit, and he died immediately or very shortly after. In a rage, Benedetto apprehended Tiziano and his companion, Rose. He took them both away, as well as Mark’s body, to an unspecified location. He called Romano to come, only telling him that Mark was dead.”

“So, he called Romano after everything had happened?” I ask, wide eyed.

“Yes.” The priest nodded. “When Romano arrived at the location, Benedetto explained exactly what had happened. Romano asked Benedetto to take Rose away. When Eric arrived after being summoned by Romano, he found Tiziano dead. He made arrangements to take the bodies - Tiziano’s and Mark’s - to their respective families. At the same time, he exiled Romano from the city. He was ordered to leave at once.”

I gasped, finally understanding why Romano had just left without a word. “But why hasn't he called me?”

“Eric took his phone.”

I jump because I hadn't realized that I asked the question out loud. I stared at Father Lorenzo. “So now what? Am I just supposed to forget him?”

The priest shakes his head, “No. I have spoken to both Eric and Romano–”

I surge forward grasping his arm, overeager, “You have? What did he say?”

Father Lorenzo sighs, “My dear, if you are patient, I will tell you everything.”

I snatch my hands away, “Sorry.” I whisper contritely.

“Think nothing of it. Now, where was I? Oh yes, I have spoken to both Eric and Romano. Eric tells me that despite what he told your family, Romano’s exile is only temporary. Once the heat dies down, he is free to return.”

How long will that take?

“And what about Romano? What didhesay?”

“He asked me to explain to you what happened, and to assure you that he has not forgotten you and that he is working on a plan for the both of you to be together.”

I was already shaking my head before he finished the sentence, “That won't work Father. For one thing, my parents expect me to marry Patrizio next Saturday. I can’t do that because I don’t want to, and also because it would be bigamy – which I’m pretty sure is still illegal.”

Father Lorenzo frowned, “Why do they want you to marry so fast?”

I dip my head in shame. Even knowing that it wasn’t my fault, I still feel responsible for what happened to me. My aunt’s hand appears in my peripheral vision, reaching out to cover my hands, which are grasped tightly in my lap. She squeezes hard, trying to give me her strength.

I am grateful. “Patrizio and I were engaged before Romano abducted me. Now that I have returned to him, he wants to make sure nothing takes me away again. He… he put his hands on me in a way that I did not consent to, and when I tried to tell my parents about it, they refused to believe me. Instead, they have used it to hasten my marriage to that oaf.”

The priest makes a tsking sound. “That is unfortunate news. Can you do nothing to stop it, if only temporarily? Just long enough for Romano to get here?”

“I am afraid the date is quite set. I don't know what I can do to delay it.”

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