"Nonno!" There before Mark stood a stout, late middle-aged man, whose hair was still almost all brown with grey inroads. He wore a smoking jacket with a solid white shirt and comfortable grey trousers. With the confidence of a Greek Hero, he reached out with his powerful arms for Mark.
Hugging and kissing Mark on one cheek and the other, he stepped back. "How is your father, Papa Costello?"
"He's mayor of Atlantic City and has interest in three casinos."
Smiling, his grandfather said, "Mama approves of gambling now?"
"No, Nonno, but she grins and bears it. During the week and twice on Sunday she says special Rosaries for Papa. She wants him to be ready for Saint Peter when his time com es."
"Who is this lovely lady with you?"
"This is Lucy, Nonno." Mark paused but hesitated. She is traveling as my wife"
Nonno's voice lowered. "You're here because of the war, aren't you?" He then stepped back and bade them to come in.
Grandfather Costello ushered Mark and Lucilla past his living room filled with antique lamps and slightly worn, overstuffed but comfortable brown print chairs and into his drawing room.
"Mama," he said on the way, "hot tea, cheese, and honey bread for our grandson and our guest."
He then sat down at a long desk with shelves of books behind him and seated Lucilla in one of the three wooden armchairs with cushions on the bottom.
"Now, Marcus," he said, as Mama was bringing in their snacks, "tell me about your mission here."
"You think I'm on a military mission?"
"We're at war with the United States. Of course, I'm not. Let's just say that you're traveling, touring if you please. That way, I can speak with honesty to the SS that I know nothing."
"Well Nonna." Mark looked at his grandmother with a smile. "We can't be specific but need your help."
Then Mark stood up. He had Lucilla stand while he hugged and kissed his grandmother. "Nonna, I want you to meet Lucy, who is traveling with me."
"She's like a wife? I've heard of Americans with women who are not married." She smiled at Lucilla.
"Nonna, she's special lady to me."
"A wife some day?"
"We hope, after the war."
With that Mark's grandmother gave Lucilla a warm hug and enthusiastic kiss on her cheek. She srepped back and said, "She has the hips for bearing strong children."
After a few minutes grandmother excused herself and returned to her kitchen.
"We have a problem with an agent cooperating with the SS. He's not German." Mark looked at Lucilla. "Lucy can fill you in."
Lucilla gave Nonno Costello a complete description and said he may answer to the name Petronius."
Grandfather Costello sat back with confidence. "My daughter, if I may call you that, nothing gets done in Salero unless I approve it." He laughed. "I've been mayor here for thirty years. Nothing happens here that I don't know about. No one comes and leaves here unless he has my permission."
Lucilla looked as if a thousand-year-old burden had been lifted from her shoulders. Her heart leaped. "Oh, thank you, Sejnore Costello!"
"My child, my aim in life is to serve God and take care of family, friends, and those under my responsibility." He rose and hugged Lucilla. "SS or no SS, Petronius will not harm you as long as you are in Salerno."
Sejore Costello picked up his ornate phone. He asked the opertor to connect him one of his associates. "Hey, Nino. get your men out and look for someone fitting this description. I want all the roads and pig paths watched for me. Watch him and then do not let him out of town. He may be in the company of German SS men."
Nonna looked back at Lucilla. "How would you and Mark like to shop the market this week?"\
Two days later Mark and Lucilla strolled past the German SS Headquarters. Now long after, Petronius and two SS men left the building behind them. They had gone but a hundred yards when two men in work clothes caused a distraction. They began to fight and brushed up against the SS men. While they had their attention, three other men blocked their view of Petronius. The SS men broke up the fight. The two men apologized for their rude and careless behavior.
The SS men then looked toward the place they had last seen Petronius. Since they were following him and did not know his destination, they returned to headquarters.
Mark and Lucilla past one after another of Nonno's men. Each time he would indicate that Petronius was following them. As they neared market, Lucilla said to mark, "I want you to pretend to be heading for a butcher shop while I continue to go straight."
So Petronius continued to follow Lucilla. As she reached the edge of the market, Nonno's man signaled to her that Petronius was about ten feet behind her. Meanwhile the other men one by one had continued to follow Lucilla or to continue cover the possible routes that Petronius could use to get away.
At length four of the men converged on Petronius and took hold of him. Three held onto him while one of them disarmed him.
"Look at the men waving their hands, Petronius. Can you fight off all of us?"
Petronius looked forward and behind him. "Okay, what do you want with me?"
One of them looked into his eyes and twisted his arm. "Does that hurt?"
Petronius nodded.
"First the lady wants to speak to you." The man shove his face into that of Petronius. "Then we have some final instructions before you depart Salerno."
Petronius knew not to take hold of Lucilla. Therefore, he stopped at arm's distance but out of the hearing of the others.
"Petronius, somehow you escaped death as well as I." She stood back. "I was beginning to love you. We could have escaped to Alexandria with my daughter. No one would have found us. We could have had a life together. Instead you helped kill my daughter and want my life too."
"Some day I will return to Emperor Commodus and be rewarded."
"Petronius." Lucilla spoke with supreme satisfaction. "The time portal works only for me."
"But I came through it with you."
"Nerva made the time portal so that only I can activate it. You are here only because you and the other centurion held onto me as I passed through. Kill me, and you will never get back to Emperor Commodus."
Lucilla nodded to the other men. They then surrounded him. One of them again put his face about two inches from Petronius.
"Petronius, we are escorting you out of the city. If you need a train ticket, we will buy one for you. You can call the SS men from Rome. Make up any story why you left Salerno." The man then twisted Petronius's arm. "If you harm that woman," he said, gesturing in Lucilla's direction, "or if you return to Salerno, you will be food for the fish in the harbor." He twisted Petronius's arm, causing it to pull his shoulder out of socket. "Understand?" His eyes grew big. "Oh, did I hurt you?"
At this four men held onto Petronius and escorted him down a lonely alley and made their way to the train station.
Lucilla and Mark continued to the market. There she hugged and kissed Nonno with extra warmth.
"Oh, thank you. May I call you grandfather too?" She held him at arm's length. "Petronius was trying to kill me."
Nonno hugged her. "My dear child. Petronius was once a part of your past life. I know people. Yet you are not safe with Marcus. Stay with him. Meanwhile, I am calling my daughters. After Marcus's father we had only girls. It's time for a family feast." Nonno paused, looking around. "As long as I give the word, no one here in Salerno has seen you or Mark."
Two days later, Nonno's daughters Antonia, Bianca, Francesca, Marcella, and their families came down and had dinner in a rented room in Ristorante Olive Branch. For the dinner party of they had had platters of Mushroom and Spinach Lasagna with various meats, Tricolore Salad With Parmesan, Garlic Bread, and Olive Oil Cake With Vanilla Oranges. For drinking they had soda pop for the kids, bottled water, coffee, tea, and wine for the adults.
The restaurant provided a play area with benches for the children and adults. Children loved Lucilla.
"When are you going to marry our Uncle Marcus? You look so pretty, Lucy."
"It's in God's hands," Lucilla said.
The next morning, the SS paid a call on Sejnore Costello at his mayor's office. He read a letter in his presence. In summary it said.
"Upon the future surrender of Italian armed forces to the Allies, you will prepare all Jews for relocation away from the areas of potential hostilities."
Sejnore Costello read over the letter without emotion. "I tell you this Herr Oberst. I do not think that there are any real Jews here in Salerno at all. Perhaps you can come and look for them if you wish when that day comes." He put the letter in a file drawer. "Now if you gentlemen will excuse me, I have a city to look after. It is a big responsibility."
The SS men saluted and walked in their rigid manner out of Sejnore's office.
Mark and Lucilla emerged from the adoining room.
"There's going to be trouble," Mark said. "Father, Lucilla and I have examined several suitable places for landing invading forces made up of British and American armies. Salerno is among them. I was not supposed to reveal those locations. Yet you are family and Salerno is your responsibility."
"Marcus, I have been planning on our evacuation for a long time. We have already begun to have families to bury or ship things of value to distant places for safe keeping."
"Nonno, the SS men will cart off the Jews, and they may well control the railroads after Italy surrenders to the Allies."
"I will do anything needed to protect them from extinction. Our bishop will provice certificates of Baptism, fake passports, or relocation to safe locations."
"General Kesselring will also help," Mark said.
"A German General?"
"When he faces an enemy, he is a formidable foe. When General faces the innocent, he is an honorable man."
"Lucilla and I will be making our way to Rome where I have a standing invitation to meet with Generali Kesselring on madders of protecting innocent civilians."
"Then when you leave, please appeal to him."
That night, Mark and Lucilla lay together. "Mark, your family is so lovely. I never experienced such love among the Romans who were of royalty. Your family here have something that royalty could never possess. I love it."
Lucilla held Mark's cheek with both hands and kissed him.
"And I love you like no other man."