Il Segreto

It was a complicated arrangement getting Mamma to give evidence to the court. Her English was quite good and she insisted that she would reply to the questions in English. However there was still going to be someone wired up and communicating with Mamma in Italian to make sure that she fully understood the questions that were being put to her. On the crucial day the person who was supposed to act as an interpreter was taken ill and could not attend. There was a danger that the jury would have to be sent home for the day but I volunteered my services to the court and there was no objection by either prosecution or defence. Everyone was relieved that the trial could continue. I sat behind a screen that had been specially set up. As it turned out I didn’t have to come to her assistance very often. This phase of the trial took up a lot of time because the proceedings had to be conducted with an immense amount of patience. The Judge was very kind and sympathetic towards Mamma and very courteous towards me. I ventured to suggest to his Honour that things might even go a bit smoother because my mother would now not be so nervous and he thanked me for pointing that out. Questions came first from the prosecution side. “Signora Ongaro, did your brother-in-law Charles Court continue to visit your family after your sister’s murder?” “Yes he did. He came to see us every year. When he remarried he also brought his children with him when they were old enough.” “What was he like as a man?” “He was kind and generous. He paid for my wedding and helped my father out in other ways with money. He was a very kind and loving uncle to my children. He treated them as if they were his own children. When he died he left money to all of us – about £10,000 each to four of us – that was a lot of money twenty years ago or more.” “Quite so. Why did he do all this?” “He always said to me that he wanted us all to feel that as far as he was concerned we were part of his family. When he arrived there was always a party after he had paid his respects to my sister’s grave. He would as a matter of principal always go out to my sister’s grave when he came over. This involves getting on a boat and going out to the island of San Michele in the Venice lagoon. It takes a lot of effort to do that but he would always do it. I loved him for that.” “I see. What was your reaction when you heard during these proceedings that he might have been involved in a conspiracy to murder his wife, your sister?” “I simply do not believe it.” Perhaps Mamma had already had enough of conspiracies. “I feel angry that people who do not really know Carlo could say such things.” “Thank you Signora Ongaro.” The defence would now put Mamma under some pressure I’m sure. I hoped she would withstand it. There was a silence for a couple of minutes, which added to the tension of the moment. “Signora Ongaro, did Charles Court ever make any sexual advances towards you? I do not mean to be offensive but you were and still are a very beautiful woman. He paid for your wedding and also paid you a lot of attention. I am trying to establish that after your sister’s murder if his intentions were entirely honourable and not motivated by the fact that he was attracted to you and indeed hoped you would return his feelings.” It took a long time to translate the meaning of this to Mamma and I was very keen to make sure that she did not respond very angrily to these suggestions. I felt very offended by what had just been said so I could imagine Mamma’s blood boiling over. “I really resent what you are saying about Carlo. I remind you that he married again after my sister was murdered. What you are suggesting – I never was aware that anything like that was on his mind. All he ever said was that I reminded him of my sister. We were very much alike in looks. Also to give a man hope you have to return the feelings. He may have liked me a lot but the feelings were not returned.”