A Tuscan Summer Romance

Chapter 1

Downhill

Before the outbreak of the war, Margherita Franceschini di Veraldo had everything that made her happy right by her side: her books, her poodle Leo and most importantly her beloved older brother Giacomo. She considered her brother to be her best friend. He always made her laugh and encouraged her to accept herself for the shy introvert that she was. "Never let people into your life that don't accept you for who you are," he would tell her. Margherita looked up to her brother. He was perfect. He was loved and supported by his friends and family and worshipped by countless girls. She envied him.

Belonging to one of the oldest and most respectable families in Rome, Margherita's life came with privileges and extravagance, that she considered unnecessary. Yet despite not particularly appreciating her family's status, nor having a great relationship with her parents or hardly any friends, Margherita still considered herself extremely lucky, simply because she had Giacomo in her life.

Very soon everything went downhill.

It was the horrifying year of 1944. The evening of her eighteenth birthday, Margherita was reading a poem Giacomo had sent to her as a gift entitled "Love is friendship that has caught fire". Leo had just fallen asleep on her lap when Margherita's parents came into the living room crying. Her mind went blank. Margherita did not remember what her parents exactly said that night, all she recalled was that a terrible void tore up inside of her.

For the next few weeks, Margherita barely ate, spoke, or moved.

Giacomo had been fighting as a partisan in Trentino for the past year. Margherita missed him terribly, every night she would desperately pray for his return.

However, faith soon turned against her.

On March 28th, 1944 Giacomo Franceschini di Veraldo was shot by a German soldier, near Rovereto. Hundreds of people showed up to his funeral and sent Margherita's family flowers and condolence cards. Giacomo had received so much love in his life, Margherita thought. She wondered whether anyone, besides her brother, had ever really loved her. Since Giacomo had always been her parents' favorite child, Margherita never received any true affection from them. Her friend circle was restricted to a few girls that occasionally talked to her, mainly to get closer to her brother. Girls always envied Margherita for her blond hair, emerald green eyes and skinny long legs.

Giacomo's death left Margherita feeling hauntingly lonely. Her parents sent her to see several therapists, yet nothing helped. At the beginning of June, Margherita's parents decided to send their daughter to spend the summer with her aunt Matilde in Tuscany. "The countryside will do you good, also it is safer to be away from the city in times like these," they reassured her. Margherita did not hesitate; she liked Matilde, as well as the idea of getting away from her parents for a bit. So, on July 3rd, 1944, she got into a train and left for the small Tuscan village of Monteriggioni. Glancing at her hometown slowly disappearing along the horizon, Margherita felt relieved. She would miss Leo but besides him, nothing was keeping her in Rome.

Chapter 2

Monteriggioni

Matilde came to the train station in her white Fiat 500. She greeted her niece warmly, complimenting her on what a beautiful young woman she had become.

A pebble road surrounded by Mediterranean cypresses led to the main entrance of Matilde's house, a beautiful 16th-century mansion. Lorella, the housekeeper, took Margherita's luggage up to her room, while Matilde showed her the magnificent garden where coffee and cake waited for them. "Have you been eating dear; you look so skinny?" Matilde asked concernedly. They talked for a while. Then Matilde looked at Margherita and sighed, "Will this damn war ever end? Just yesterday the town major's son died on the field. What a tragedy". Margherita felt a knot tighten in her stomach as she thought about Giacomo. She remained silent.