At our Cheapside house, I left Pearl and Susannah to gather the children while I hurried inside to find my mother. I had sent a brief letter from Florence telling her we would go on to Rome, where I hoped to see Luca before returning to London. When I met Giuseppe coming out of the workshop, his shock at the sight of me, told me she had not received it.
He pulled me hard into his arms. ‘Why you no say you coming? Your poor mamma, she die of shock to see you so sudden like this, you stupid bugger.’
mammaI hugged him, hoping I would not weep. I did a little, of course. So much had happened since I had last seen him. ‘I sent a letter. I’m not a compete i***t–’
‘She no get it.’ He moved away to look at me. ‘Pah. You send from Florence? Still on commissario’s desk, then.’
That seemed a dist
