Chapter 2

Caterina didn't want to stop and get the tour from the student guide, instead getting Audrina up to her suite.

"Mamma," Rina said, "we have to do the tour first."

"You go ahead, Audrina. Giuseppe and I will wait," Caterina said.

"Ma'am, the tour is for both the student and her parents. It's required," the student guide said; "especially since Audrina is an international student."

Caterina only glared at the girl, then looked at her daughter. She saw the disapproving look in Audrina's eyes and relented. Only Giuseppe stayed behind to wait for the Contessa to return.

"That's not your father, Audrina?" the guide asked.

"No," Rina said; "He's my mother's personal, um, assistant. My father died several years ago."

"I'm sorry to hear," said the guide; "My dad died shortly before the Occupation ended. I never knew him."

"I'm sorry," Rina said; "Your mother raised you alone, then?"

"My grandmother did. My mother is deceased as well. Cancer."

This is what my mother doesn't understand, Audrina thought. That there are real people outside the walls of our villa. I can't live like she does. I need to be with real people.

The tour, thankfully, was short. Just pointing out the various amenities that Mathison Hall had. Audrina looked over at her mother and saw that she was bored. Audrina couldn't wait to get settled and have her mother and Giuseppe leave.

"We go up to my daughter's suite now?" asked Caterina.

"Yes," the guide replied. They then headed over to the elevator to go to the third floor. Giuseppe joined them there.

"Your suite number is 313, and two of your suitemates have already moved in and are getting settled. They're anxious to meet you," the guide said as they approached the door of the suite. The guide then knocked. There was no answer.

"They might be out," the guide said. "You're a little early. I was told that you'd be here around 1pm, so that's what I told Ms. Summers and Ms. DeWitt."

DeWitt? Audrina thought. That was Papa's name. The one that Mamma won't let me use.

The guide unlocked the door and ushered Audrina, Caterina and Giuseppe inside. The first thing that Rina noticed were the flowers on the table in the common area.

"What beautiful flowers!" she exclaimed. "Mamma, aren't they lovely?"

"Yes, Audrina, they are," Caterina said, agreeing with her daughter for the first time since arriving on campus.

"Ms. Summers brought those in this morning," the guide said; "She had to borrow the vase from the living room downstairs."

"She has good taste in flowers," Giuseppe said.

The guide said nothing. She had already taken a dislike to Audrina's mother and her personal assistant. Audrina was a nice girl who needed to get away from the emotionally absent mother.

"There are two other rooms on the other side of the suite," the guide said. "The one closest to the windows has a nice view of the courtyard. The other one has a nice view of the building next door, Cambridge Hall. It was being built as a twin to this one. Cambridge Hall won't be open to students until spring."

Audrina was looking at the cards on the other doors and noticed that her suitemates were named Jameson Summers and Helene DeWitt. Their majors were Biology and Dance respectively.

"What are the other girls like?" asked Rina.

"Well, I just met them yesterday, so I don't know what they're like on a personal level," the guide said; "But they both come from well known families. The Summers family owns and runs Summers Tech Systems in Belvidere. They're known mostly for software that caters to the government. Jaime's sister graduated from here last spring with a degree in graphic design.

"Helene's family is in manufacturing, and her father still runs the day to day operations. Her older half brother is poised to take over the business at some point. Helene is a Dance Performance major. She's danced with Ballet Syracuse in New York, and has gotten stellar reviews for her performances. The Chicago Ballet is very interested in her and will be watching her progress here."

"I hope they return soon," Rina said; "I can't wait to meet them!"

Audrina chose the room opposite of the rooms that Jaime and Helene had chosen with the view of the courtyard. She then had Giuseppe place her luggage and belongings inside.

About five minutes later, voices could be heard down the hall.

Jaime and Helene came in at that point with enough groceries to keep the three of them well fed for the next month. They had to take a taxi back to the dorm because they couldn't carry it all from the store.

"I thought we were going to just get snacks, Jaime," Helene said; "How did this turn into a shopping trip?"

"Because we kept telling each other 'we don't have milk, we don't have bread, we don't have anything!'" Jaime said, laughing. Then she saw the student guide with a girl about their age and her (Jaime assumed) parents.

"Oh, hello," Jaime said, putting the groceries down so she could greet their new suitemate. "Are you Audrina?"

"Yes, I am," Rina said. "Are you Jaime or Helene?"

Jaime laughed. "I'm Jaime Summers from Belvidere, Illinois. I'm a Biology major with a concentration in Veterinary Science."

"Pleased to meet you, Jaime," Rina said.

Helene came in from the kitchen and introduced herself. "I'm Helene DeWitt from Syracuse, New York. Dance Performance, Ballet is my major."

Off to the side, Giuseppe whispered to Caterina, "She has the same name as Charles. Could they be related?"

Caterina replied, "Capisco che è un cognome comune."

"Ah," was all that Giuseppe said, then, "Jaime bei capelli rossi, no?"

"La ragazza dai capelli rossi non è bella come la ragazza dai capelli gialli," replied Caterina smugly.

Audrina shot her mother a dirty look, then told Helene that she was pleased to meet her as well. "I hope we will be great friends," she said sincerly.

"Me, too," Jaime said. I wonder what the problem with her parents are, though, she thought. They seem so stuck up, and Audrina seems so down to earth.

"Perhaps, Audrina, we should go so you can get settled and get to know your suitemates better," Caterina said. "I'll call you when I get back to the villa."

"Mamma, take Giuseppe with you. I don't need a babysitter. I'm a college girl now," Audrina said.

Caterina only sighed. She gave her daughter a hug, then left Audrina alone with the two American girls who were her suitemates.

As they got back to the car, Caterina told Giuseppe, "I hope I'm not making a big mistake allowing Audrina to stay here."

Giuseppe said nothing. Neither of them knew that Audrina had her own plans for them.

Just as she had with her father. Caterina didn't know that Charles was still alive; hiding in plain sight.

Audrina would find him. Everyone left an electronic trail.

Even dead men.


===


"I hope I'm not being out of line, but what is your parents problem?" asked Helene.

Audrina sighed. "First of all, Giuseppe isn't my father. He's my mother's assistant. My father died nearly five years ago in a car accident outside of Rome."  

"Oh!" Jaime said; "I'm so sorry. We didn't know. My father died when I was nine, so I understand."

"My mother can come off as being uppity and, what's the phrase you use here? 'Stuck up'? I don't like it when she thinks she's better than everyone else. God may have blessed her with an aristocratic background, but He forgot to give her compassion and tact," Audrina said. "If she said anything you took offense to, I apologize."

"It's not your fault," Helene said. "I just noticed the hate/hate relationship. You don't like your mother at all, do you?"

"Not really, no," Audrina said. "She's never been a mother in the real sense, perhaps like your mothers are. I was primarily raised by a governess. My brother and I both were afterthoughts in our mother's life. Our father was more hands on with us. He took my brother hunting, and encouraged my love of technology. I don't think they ever loved each other."

"How sad!" Helene said; "My parents were never shy in showing us  how much they loved each other.

"My parents were the same way," Jaime said. "Let's talk about something pleasant, okay? Audrina, do you have a nickname?  Jaime is mine. My given name is Jameson. I was named after my dad's grandmother."

"Your great grandmother was named Jameson, too?" Helene asked.

"Yep."

"To answer your question, Jaime," Audrina said; "My father called me Rina, and when I went to this horrid boarding school in Vermont, I had what few friends I had call me that. I'd like to be called that."

"Then 'Rina' it is!" Helene said; "My mom calls me 'Leenie'. It's kind of a private thing, but my close friends called me that, too."

"Rina, we bought groceries," Jaime said; "Is there anything you just won't eat, can't eat, don't like?"

"Brussell sprouts!" Rina said; "I dislike them immensely!"

"They are kinda nasty," Jaime said, and Helene nodded in agreement, saying, "I'll eat them, but I don't really like them that much. My dad loves them though!"

"Why don't we get you settled in your room, then we can talk more," suggested Helene.

"I'd like that," Rina said.

As the girls helped Rina get her things together and settled into the room she chose, Rina thought, I think I'm going to like it here.

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