“There absolutely isn’t. Speaking of which, Lorenzo—the ring. Where’s the damned ring?”
“You want to rob Valentina of the privilege of being the first one to see it?” he asks with a teasing smile toward his mother.
“We’ll see,” she says with the expression of someone prepared to cancel the engagement if the ring does not meet her approval. “After breakfast, girls, I’ve reserved an entire wing of the house so we can look impeccable tonight! Boys, you’ll probably work, but if you dare arrive late, I swear I’ll lock the good witch in the closet and hunt you across Sicily, understood? Don’t think I didn’t notice Francesco disappearing this morning!”
“I think there’s a new broom in the closet,” Arturo adds, and several people burst into laughter while Fiamma glares at him murderously.
The f
