"Who does Serafina Corsetti think she is? All she has is a reputation as the sharpest woman in the old borough. Other women would kill to stand beside Dominic Valenti, and she's been sitting on that engagement for years. Now she breaks it off in front of everyone? Who is she trying to impress?"
"Dominic Valenti earned his name young. A seat on the Commission is right around the corner. The Corsettis are going to regret this until their guts turn green."
...
I listened to all of it. My heart was still as dead water.
Giulietta's little face flushed scarlet with rage. "They look down on you, Sister. They look down on our whole family..."
I patted her head. "Giulietta, what other people think doesn't matter. What matters is that our family stays together, safe and sound."
Giulietta sniffled.
Then her eyes lit up.
"Father!"
She threw herself into our father's arms the moment he stepped through the gate, still wearing the dark suit he kept for sit-downs at the social club.
The complaints poured out of her in a torrent: everything that happened outside the compound with Dominic, every snide remark from every fair-weather visitor who'd turned tail and left.