Arabella joined Carlo and the family at Filomena"s for dinner that night. Since she and Gia had been friends for so long her presence was not unusual, but both Zia and her daughter noticed that Arabella was especially pretty that night and wondered if Carlo"s presence was responsible.
Cristiano also noticed the beautiful woman at the table, but from a careful distance since he saw that his adopted son was the focus of her attention. Everyone enjoyed a long and convivial meal, sharing platters of pasta alla catalogna – ziti cooked with chicory, then drained and dressed with garlic and tomato sauce, followed by agostinelle – floured and fried mullets served with lemon juice. All dishes enhanced by considerable quantities of Cristiano"s wine.
About midway through the meal, the discussion tu
