Chapter 19
Andrea’s POV
To say I was excited for the ball tomorrow was definitely an understatement, I was ecstatic, I had never been to a ball before and I had always wanted to attend one, I had always wanted to attend one, the Severino family parties were dull and filled with old Italian music, they were usually for father’s friends and to build alliance between the families.
But if this particular ball was anything like the helps were saying then it was definitely something to look forward ro.
“Everyone wears pretty clothes, looking like one of the many paintings in the huge gallery, oh Donna, I truly a thing of wonder” Julie had said excitedly when she informed me about the ball early this morning.
“The Ferrari renaissance balls are always the talk of town and everyone looks forward to them and to think Don Ferrari had thrown this particular one just for you, oh my God Donna, that is so romantic” Julia said happily as she brushed my hair in the morning.
As I sat here in the garden sipping tea and reading my book, I could not help the smile that tugged at my lips.
Thinking about it now, it was actually very nice to have a ball thrown in your honor and the fact that he was throwing it for me made me feel a little special.
Julia had said there had not been a ball since the last one Donna died in childbirth, this was the first one in 23 years hence the reason everyone was going crazy about it.
For the first time in my life, I was excited to go shopping for my clothes, I had never been bothered because I never saw what I was wearing anyways.
Wilma had informed me that we will be going shopping to pick out my dress, we were supposed to leave by noon so I was waiting for her to come get me.
She had told me we were going to get the most beautiful dress and everyone’s attention had to be on me because I was the star of the party.
I was looking forward to the whole masked part because of the mystery it brought along with it.
I found myself wondering if I was going to get a chance to dance with Emil Ferrari, I was not sure why the thought of dancing with Emil Ferrari made me blush.
“A penny for your thoughts Donna Ferrari” I heard an unfamiliar male voice say.
I had never heard this voice before I was a little confused.
“Who is it?” I asked.
“We have not been properly introduced, I am your brother in law, Marco, Marco Ferrari” the man said.
Marco Ferrari was the second of the four Ferrari brothers, I had not met anyone during the wedding because the ceremony had happened in a blur and Emil and his brothers had left immediately.
“Oh hello, mice to meet you” I said because I was not sure what to say to him.
“Do you mind if I join you?” he asked me.
I was not sure why he wanted to sit with me and honestly I was not sure if I wanted him to join me at all but still, I smiled at him and said “I do not mind at all”
“Wonderful” he said and then I heard movement and then I heard movement and then I felt a presence in the chair beside me.
“So tell me dear, how are you finding the Ferrari mansion so far?” he said.
I smiled at him and said “I am still getting used to it actually but I do love the gardens and the library”
“The gardens and the library are truly great places in the Ferrari mansion, you definitely have great taste” he said from his voice, I could tell me he was smiling.
Marco Ferrari had a narrator’s voice, he spoke in a slow and relaxed manner, there was something lazy about the way he spoke but he also had a very pleasing presence and energy surrounding him, he had the type of energy that allowed people relax around him, he was very unlike his brother in many ways.
I smiled and said “Thank you for your compliment”
“No, no, no you should not thank you Cara, I should actually apologize to you, I should have paid you a visit to welcome you the moment you arrived but we unfortunately had to leave for London immediately after ceremony and when we returned, well we have been a little preoccupied with things here at the mansion” he said.
“You do not need to worry about that, you do not owe me any welcome” I said with a smile because truthfully, I had expected no warm welcome, I had married into the house of my enemies after all.
“But I do and I apologize for my delay in doing so” he said.
Something about his felt genuine and I was grateful for that so I smiled and said “Thank you very much”
“You are very welcome Cara” he said and I could feel the smile in his words.
“So are you excited for the ball, I hear it has been a while since it last held” I asked.
“I am indeed, I am looking forward to music and dancing within the walls of this house once again, my memories of the renaissance ball are very faint you see” Marco said.
“Yes, I heard the last one was held 23 years ago” I said.
“That is true Cara, the last ball was 23 years ago before we lost our mother while she was birthing Enzo to this world” Marco said and I felt a tinge of sadness in his voice as he spoke.
Enzo Ferrari, youngest son of the Ferrari household and he had died at the hands of my brother, Lucca had murdered him and that was the singular event that led to my being here in the first place.
“I am sorry about your brother and mother” I said, there were no perfect words to say in this situation I realized.
“I don’t remember my mother much, I just remember her being very beautiful and wearing the most beautiful of dresses, I remember her laughter faintly but that is all but Enzo” he paused here and I could hear the pain with he said his brother’s name, I remained quiet and let him continue.
“Enzo you see, was for lack of better words, a ray of sunshine, the boy loved life, he saw beauty and colors in everything, he was born an artist, he loved art, music and dance, simply put, he was the joy of the Ferrari family, we all loved him, we really do but Emil, he loved him the most, Enzo was the one who could really make Emil laugh, he tried to protect him from all this you know but I guess, we cannot really run away from our blood” he concluded and the sadness was evident in every word that he spoke.
I had not known Enzo Ferrari but I was feeling like the worst of people because I knew that they lost their brother because of my family.
Lucca and I had not been very close, he hardly spoke to me and he avoided me most of the time and we finally speak it was shallow but I still felt sad and cried for him when he died so I could only imagine what the Ferraris were feeling at the loss of their brother.
“I am so sorry Marco, I am sorry Enzo died because of my brother” I said.
“My dear, you should not apologize, you lost a brother as well and both families have incurred losses that can never be replaced so I am sorry that you lost a brother because of my family” he said.
I smiled, Marco Ferrari was a good man, he gave me the feeling of a friend and I had never really had a friend before.
“Thank you Marco” I said with a smile.
“And thank you too sister in law” he said and I could tell he was smiling.
I smiled at the title he used.
“It was really nice to meet you brother in law, I said with a smile.
“And it was nice to meet you too Cara” he said.
And it really was a nice thing to have met Marco Ferrari.