A TWIST OF FATE
Chapter Fifty
Jack broke away from Theresa.
"They’ll be looking for us," he
explained, their foreheads touching. His intense blue gaze searched her face.
He was looking for an answer of some sort. Her face was shining with happiness.
Jack realized just what he had done.
"I want to dance some more anyway,"
she smiled. Hitching her long dress a little she ran towards door, Jack close
behind.
"Theresa," he called. She stopped
and looked back.
"Ah nothing," he replied. He
thought it best to leave it for a minute.
They ducked back through, Theresa going
straight to the floor, but Jack waved his hand and went to get a drink. He was
almost pounced on by Fabri.
"I saw you!" he winked.
"Saw what?" Jack asked playfully.
"You and Theresa."
"It was just a kiss Fabri. Nothing
more." Jack picked up his glass and pushed back through the queue of
people.
Fabri laughed and followed him.
"I tell you, you two would make a good
couple. How do you fancy being my brother in law eh?"
"Whoa hold on there." Jack put his
hand up. "Let's take this a step at a time shall we?"
Maria came over to them. She gave a new
husband a kiss on the cheek.
"Now that my sister has finally left you
alone. May I have the pleasure of the next dance?"
"How could I refuse?" Jack gave his
glass to Fabri and taking Maria’s hand, escorted her to the dance floor.
"So how has your special day been?"
he asked.
"Beautiful, like a fairy tale!"
They began to dance. Maria being as light as a feather, she almost floated
around the floor.
"I don’t want it to end. Ever!" She
laughed.
Fabri watched them as they laughed and
danced. He was so very proud of his new wife and equally concerned about the
welfare of his best friend. They had been so many places together and through
so much. At times he felt Jack was the brother he never had. It was for this
reason he still worried about him, despite the fact he was well old enough to
look after himself. Fabri knew that Jack carried a shadow of sadness with him.
Whenever this shadow seemed to come forward, Jack would do something wild or
crazy as though to make it go away. This was the reason for business with the
girl Rose, he was sure. What other explanation was there for such mad behavior.
Theresa. There was another challenge for Jack. There was not a great age
difference between Maria and Theresa, but they were totally different in
character. Theresa was far more willful and flighty. She would certainly be a
handful for Jack. It could work if Jack came back.
What do you mean "if"? asked Fabri
of himself. It was almost a certainty that Jack would get the job. Joe was a
very big friend of the family and Fabri had put a very good word in for Jack.
Jack would be coming back soon. He knew it.
A few of the guests were starting to drift
away now. The children had worn themselves out playing, dancing and eating.
Maria and Fabri had to go and say their
good-byes. Jack went and sat down. He hadn’t seen Theresa for a while; first
she had been dancing, then talking to a couple with a baby. But he guessed she
wouldn’t be too far away. She soon appeared. Jack stood up politely and went to
fetch her a drink.
She took the glass and sipped it.
"This is lemonade!" she protested.
"Well your Father said that was all you
could have!" Jack held his hands up in protest. Theresa was very annoyed.
"How dare he treat me like Gianni,"
she said angrily. "Excuse me Jack." She stormed off to find her
Father much to Jack’s amusement.
The band stopped playing and Benito came onto
the platform, announcing it was time for Fabri and Maria to leave too. As a
surprise, her parents had booked them a hotel room not far away. The carriage
had arrived to take them, so they were in a hurry to say their good-byes and
leave.
Fabri shook Jack’s hand and reminded him he
was invited over Monday night, as Jack was leaving Tuesday and he wanted to see
him before he went. And then they were gone, heading off for the first night of
their new life together.
The party was still in full swing, several of
the men in very good voice, singing along in Italian. The mood was very light
and happy. Theresa had got round her Father who allowed her another glass of
wine. She flitted between sitting with Jack, dancing and talking to other
friends. Since they had kissed, they had said little to each other. Jack not
knowing really what to say and Theresa seeming not to want to say anything,
other than smile at Jack.
Jack watched her for a while. She was very
pretty, but he had enough problems at the moment. To let Theresa think there
was more to it than just a kiss would be wrong. He had to sort it out. She kept
glancing over to where he was, as though to make sure he was still there.
She came over again.
"My Father is in very good voice,"
she laughed. Guiseppe and Benito were on the platform, holding onto each other
and singing loudly.
"Your Mother doesn’t look too happy
though," Jack noticed.
"It is because he gets very loud when he
is drunk and makes a fool of himself. He is forgetting, we have to do some baking
tomorrow."
"You are open tomorrow?" Jack was
surprised.
"We have a limited baking to do. One of
the other bakery’s is helping out a little, but can’t afford to lose a whole
day."
Jack looked at the time on his watch.
"I have quite a few things to do
tomorrow too."
"Let me have a look at your watch,"
Theresa asked. Jack took it out of his pocket and let her see it.
She looked at it and turned it over in her
hands seeing the initials on the back. She didn’t know a lot about watches, but
she realized it was quite expensive.
"That is a beautiful watch Jack. Did you
buy it?"
"No," he replied putting it back in
his pocket. "It was a gift from a friend."
Theresa noticed a slight shift in Jacks
expression and tone of voice.
"It is getting a little late." Jack
looked at Theresa. "I have quite a bit to do, so I’ll make my excuses and
start back." He suddenly realized it sounded like an invitation to walk
her back too and he could have kicked himself.
"I’ll tell Mama I am walking back with
you," she replied, quite pleased and dashed off. Jack picked up his coat
and followed after her, to say his thanks and farewells.
Theresa was not looking very happy.
"Mama says I can’t walk the streets with
you this late," she protested to Jack.
"It’s not a problem," he replied,
relieved. "You stay here and enjoy the rest of the party."
Jack went over to Mrs. di Rossi. Out of
Theresa’s earshot he told her he entirely agreed that Theresa would be better
off with them. Mrs. di Rossi was pleased that Jack didn’t seem unhappy about
it. She thought maybe Jack had planned it so they could be alone, but maybe she
had been wrong. Fabri’s friend seemed a very, genuine and nice young boy, for a
non-Italian. She reminded him he was welcome to come up to the kitchen for
breakfast. Then she watched him say his good-byes and watched Theresa too. She
did seem very put out that she wasn’t going home with him. Maybe it was Theresa
who had the ideas. She would have to keep an eye on her.
Jack took Theresa’s hand and kissed it.
"Good night. I’ll see you
tomorrow," he promised.
"See you tomorrow Jack," she
replied, disappointed. But with her Mother there, she could hardly throw her
arms around him.
Jack threw his jacket over his shoulder and
escaped into the night. The walk home would help clear his head. He had another
direction in life to pursue tomorrow.