FATAL BEQUEST

From above, the graveyard looked like a sea of black umbrellas, clustered together, forming a tight circle around the descending coffin of Leonardo Morano. The rhythmic tapping of the rain on the fabric and the priest's voice rose and fell as he recited prayers in Latin and a chorused and sorrowful “Amen” from the crowd followed. As the priest finished his prayers, he made the sign of the cross and the crowd followed suit. The mourners sniffled and wiped away their tears as they walked away, leaving behind Camilla Morano, Leonardo's daughter. Wearing dark shades that did a poor job at covering her pale, tear-stained face and a simple but elegant black dress, her long dark hair pulled back in a bun. Her hand was clutching a single white rose which she threw into the grave. As the rose falls on the casket, she feels a gentle tap on her shoulder. She turns to see her Nonna, Adelaide, standing beside her. Nonna's slender fingers wrapped around Camilla's arm as she guided her away from the graveside.”Vieni, cara” she whispered, her voice barely audible over the rain. Camilla nodded as Nonna led her through the already dispersed crowd of mourners, revealing the sleek black Limousine waiting to take her back to the Morano estate. As the mourners trooped into the Morano family house, Camilla welcomed each guest with a gentle smile and a firm handshake. “Thank you for coming” she said, her voice low and a bit husky. Her elegance, grace and poise were palpable. She had this Je ne sais quoi about her that commanded respect and attention. Camilla's eyes met a stranger's from across the room, those deep blue eyes that crinkled at the corners as he smiled at her, they made her insides jittery. It was as if time had stopped as he made his way towards her, and all that existed was the two of them. “I'm so sorry for your loss” His voice was deep and sincere. “I'm Marco, Marco Santanio” stretching his hand towards her, “Camilla Morano” her voice barely a whisper and her heart racing as she took his hand. They hold a short gaze before a voice interrupts “I see you've met my husband” Anna Santanio, Leonardo's lawyer and legal adviser, walks up to them. “Your husband?” Camilla was clearly taken aback. Anna chuckled, a slight grin on her face “Yes, my husband”. Wow, might I say, you're one lucky woman to have such a dashing man all to yourself, he's a catch if I do say so myself.” Marco's face flushed as he cleared his throat. “Oh please, I'm the lucky one”, he puts his hand around Anna's waist, his eyes never leaving hers. “Trust me”, Anna smiled back at her husband, Camilla felt a bit jealous and her mind raced with questions why was she suddenly comparing herself to this woman? Why did Marco, a man she had just met make her heart beat so fast? She pushed the feelings aside, dismissing them as silly thoughts. Camilla's curiosity got the best of her, and then she asked “How long have you been together? Anna's smile fades for a moment and her gaze turns to Marco “ uh… let's see, we dated while I was in college sixteen years ago and got married five years ago” Camilla's eyes widened “wow, that's a long time” “Thanks Camilla, we make it work” Anna responded with a hint of possessiveness, maybe a warning in her voice. Just as Camilla is about to respond, a loud voice echoes through the room, drawing the attention of everyone, but he couldn't care less. Bruno Morano, Camilla's younger brother, enters the room. His bleached blonde hair was messy, his eyes glassy and his grin sloppy, He wore a bright-colored Hawaiian shirt and ripped jeans which were a stark contrast to the somber and black-clad mourners. The surrounding air reeked of alcohol and smoke and his presence disturbed the already tense atmosphere. Everyone in the room held their breath as Bruno walked past them and towards his sister, his arms open wide “Hey sis! Sorry I'm late and sorry about dad, he was a real piece of work, wasn't he?” Camilla's face tightened, her eyes flashing with embarrassment and anger. “Bruno, please not here, not now” Her pleas fell on deaf ears as he stumbled over to the bar, his movements unsteady and reckless as he poured himself a drink. The tension in the room increased and Anna's grip on Marco's arm tightened as she watched Bruno with a mixture of worry and disapproval. Camilla's face totally flushed with embarrassment as her gaze darted between Bruno and the mourners who were already whispering and murmuring among themselves, and just when you thought things couldn't get worse, Bruno raised his glass to a sloppy toast. “To dad! May he rot in peace!” The room fell silent and in that moment Camilla wished the ground would open and swallow him, her too. Bruno couldn't care less, he simply laughed at how tense and uncomfortable he made everyone. Camill looked at the butler and discreetly nodded towards Bruno. The butler, Alfred, well-trained at handling difficult situations, swiftly moved towards Bruno, his expression firm but polite “Sir, I think it's time for you to leave”. Bruno's protests were slurred and hostile, but the butler firmly grabbed his arm and led him away from the mourners. “Come on sir, let's get you some fresh air.” Bruno struggled and stumbled, but the butler's grip remained firm, his face impassive. His gaze turns to Anna,“And you lady-lawyer! You might want to read dad's will before this b***h starts playing Queen of the manor!” Anna looked at him with disdain and disapproval. As they reached the door, Bruno yelled out “This isn't over Camilla, you can't control me!” The door closed behind them and everyone let out a collective sigh of relief. Camilla held her composure, her voice calm and controlled, “I apologize for the interruption, please let's get back to paying our respects to my father”. The room slowly returned to normal and the whispers and murmurs resumed. Bruno's eyes groggily opened, his eyes met with a familiar ceiling, and his foggy mind struggled to recall the events of the previous day. As he sat up, a sharp pain shot through his head, making him wince. He spotted a glass of water and a bottle of Tylenol on his dresser and reached for them, grateful for the relief they would bring. As he swallowed the pills and sipped the water, he noticed Camilla sitting in a chair opposite him, her eyes fixed on him with an unnerving intensity. It was as if she had been waiting for him to wake up, her expression a mixture of anger and concern. Bruno's mind raced, trying to piece together the events of the previous day, but his memories were fuzzy and unclear. “Hey sis, what… what happened?” he stammered, his voice rough from sleep. Camilla's expression didn't change, "what happened? How lucky you are to have forgotten so easily the shame and embarrassment you caused this family yesterday. Well that's alright, I'm here to help you recall”, her voice laced with sarcasm. “You made quite a scene at dad's funeral, in front of people who respected and feared him, you made a mockery of dad!” Bruno's mind raced, fragments of memories coming back to him, the toast, the struggle with Alfred and yelling at Anna. “Oh s**t” Bruno muttered in realization “I'm so sorry, things just got out of hand yesterday and…” Camilla cuts him off “Out of hand? Well, that's the understatement of the century. It was a s**t show, Bruno, you came in high on God knows what and don't even get me started on…” Bruno's face reddened as he protested “I said I'm sorry, OK! I was just mourning in my own way, I had to calm my nerves, he was my dad too, incase you've forgotten” Camilla's voice rose, her tone scathing. “Yeah sure, use dad's funeral as another lame excuse to shoot whatever you can up your nose”. Bruno's defenses shot up “Enough Camilla! Enough of the nagging! In case you've failed to realize I'm the man of the house now, and I will not have you nag me in my own house! Camilla's expression remained unyielding, her eyes flashing with anger. “You're not a man Bruno, you're a spoilt, selfish child with no sense of responsibility or accountability”. Bruno's face reddened and his fist clenched. “How dare you? I'm the one running things now, so you do well to remember that or else I'll be forced to put you in your place". Camilla stood up, her voice cold. I'll remember Bruno, but you'll find that I won't be easy to control, neither will anyone in this household. And a piece of advice...., maybe you should start by controlling yourself”. With that, she turned and walked out of the room, leaving Bruno seething with anger and frustration.