by T A Williams
‘Nothing’s easy, is it, Soph?’
* * *
That evening at the cafe Sophie and Rachel insisted on paying as they were celebrating. Among all the bits and pieces on the top floor, Chris had discovered a real treasure. Rolled up in a dusty blanket and tucked away in the far corner of the furthest room, he had come upon a sinister-looking weapon. It was a very old, very heavy, stubby musket, embossed and engraved with animal figures, including a vicious-looking snake and a remarkably friendly lion, and it was in excellent condition. Although it was a Saturday, Chris immediately phoned a colleague from their Milan office in order to discuss it with her, and the result was a ‘cautious’ estimate in excess of ten thousand euros, possibly more. The lady from the auction house indicated her willingness to come down on Wednesday to inspect it in person with a view to putting it into their autumn antiques sale and Sophie immediately agreed.
In consequence, the mood of the evening was buoyant. The bar recommended by Romeo, the hair stylist, was in a village on the other side of the valley, which didn’t look dissimilar to Paradiso – but without the castle. It was reached up a steep, winding road and was perched on top of a wooded headland above the sea. From there you could even see Paradiso itself on the opposite hilltop above Santa Rita. The bar was in the main square, the chairs and tables set on the paving slabs sheltered from the evening sun by the tall stone buildings all around but, unlike Paradiso, the place was humming with life. Motorbikes and scooters were parked right in front of the bar and vehicles kept arriving and departing – mostly with a screech of tyres – almost without a break, spewing out a never-ending stream of noisy people.
Sophie and the others were fortunate to arrive just as one group got up and left and so were able to grab a table. The average age of those around them was probably five or ten years younger than they were and Sophie might have been feeling a bit out of her depth if it hadn’t been for the boost she had received from Chris with his great news about the musket. He, on the other hand, was clearly feeling his age.
‘Blimey, guys, what a racket! Do you think people live in these houses? I just hope the bar closes at a reasonable time or they aren’t going to get much sleep.’
Rachel grinned at him. ‘Listen to you, Chris. You sound like an old man.’
‘Compared to most of the people around here, I feel it.’ He glanced across at Sophie. ‘I can’t tell you how happy I am we aren’t going clubbing.’
She was quick to reassure him. ‘Me, too. I don’t know why, but I feel quite tired today. I think I’m going to be happy with a quick drink, something to eat and early to bed.’
And this looked likely to be not only on her own, but also without getting any nearer to any sort of closure as far as things between her and Chris were concerned, unless she could find a way of getting him on his own between now and then. It was frustrating in the extreme. Certainly, this weekend wasn’t turning into the sort of cathartic moment in her relationship with him that she might have hoped.
When the cocktails appeared, accompanied by a dish of salted biscuits which immediately had the dog looking up, tail wagging hopefully, she sat back and did her best to look on the bright side. So what? She was comfortable, she was surrounded by friends and she had her other best friend – the four-legged one – sitting at her side with his head on her lap. Paradiso might be on top of the next hill, but this place was pretty good all the same – give or take a bit of noise. As for Chris, time would tell. She wasn’t in a hurry after all.
Was she?
The cocktails proved to be rather less amazing than Romeo had indicated – more like a colourful exotic fruit salad with the addition of a whole lot of vodka. Dan had once more volunteered to drive the Mercedes and opted for the non-alcoholic version. Sophie tasted his glass and secretly preferred it. By the time she had finished hers, she wasn’t feeling any less tired – very much the opposite in fact. Nevertheless, she and Rachel insisted on buying dinner for everyone and they asked Chris to choose what he wanted. His answer came back immediately.
‘I still don’t think it’s fair for you girls to pay but, if you insist, I’d really like a pizza.’ He smiled across at Sophie. ‘I know it sounds a bit boring but I love pizza and there’s nothing to beat a real Italian one.’ He caught Dan’s eye. ‘All right, you Americans have some good pizza houses over there too, but don’t forget that it all started here in Italy.’
The pizzeria they went to – on Dan’s recommendation – was as good as any Sophie had been to before. When she received her massive thin crust Quattro Stagioni, she felt sure she wouldn’t be able to eat even half of it. It was so big it was overflowing off the plate onto the tablecloth. To her surprise, however, she managed almost all of it and had to agree that it was excellent. She even found room for a small lemon sorbet afterwards but then called it a day and felt sure she wouldn’t eat for a week.
On their way back up to the castle, they could see the lights of the towns along the coast flickering in the distance. It was still warm out but now that the sun had gone down the temperature was a bit more bearable. Dan drove up the hill slowly with the windows open and the scent of pine tree resin filled the car. When they got home he kissed Sophie and Rachel on the cheeks, thanking them for the meal, before shaking Chris’s hand.
‘I’d better get off. I have a Zoom session coming up with my head of department and he never remembers the time difference. Chris, good to meet you. Will I see you again? Are you planning on coming back over?’
Sophie waited with interest for his answer. She had already mentioned that he was very welcome, but no date had been fixed.
‘Good to meet you, too, Dan, and thanks again for your help with the Doge painting. I’d love to come back. I’ll check with my line manager and take a look at my schedule for the rest of the summer and see what I can arrange. I’m going to be tied up in August but I think September’s looking a bit clearer. It would be great to come back and see everyone again.’ As he spoke, his eyes met Sophie’s and held them for a second or two. She took this as a positive sign and struggled not to blush.
Once Dan had departed, Rachel diplomatically told them she had to rush inside to check her emails while Sophie announced she was taking Jeeves for his walk. She hoped Chris would take the hint – she wasn’t going to have many more chances to get him on his own before he left next morning. To her relief, he immediately offered to come with her. They went out through the front gates and set off along the path towards the headland. By now the stars were beginning to shed enough light to make it quite easy for them to see where they were going. When they emerged from the trees and the track widened, Sophie went across to him and caught hold of his arm with both of her hands, appreciating the solid feel of his biceps as she did so.
‘Thanks for coming to see us, Chris. I hope you’ve enjoyed yourself.’
‘It’s been great, Soph. I love the castle and I love Paradiso. I’m so pleased things seem to be working out between you and Rachel.’
‘And will you come back again, for longer? We’re here at least until the end of September.’
There was a momentary pause. ‘If you’d like me to.’ He sounded quite tentative.
She had no hesitation. ‘I’d love you to. You are my closest friend, after all.’
‘And I’ll always be your friend; you know that.’ He leant across and deposited a tiny little peck on her cheek before stepping back. ‘I’ll do my best to come back to see you here in September – but no more of you two paying for everything. Fifty-fifty, right?’
‘We can argue about that when you get here. I just hope you can make it.’
‘I’ll do my best. Of course, by that time you and Dan may be madly in love and you won’t want to be bothered with me.’
This time there was no stopping her cheeks from flushing and was thankful it was night-time. ‘I’ll always want to see you, Chris. Besides, nothing’s going to happen between me and Dan. He’s a good friend. That’s all.’
‘Sort of like me, then.’
‘Something like that.’ She repressed the overwhelming urge to scream in frustrated annoyance, this time at herself, but it was a struggle. Surely this would have been the moment for her to give him at least a bit of encouragement but, oh no, sensible Sophie, the teacher’s pet, had done it again. She had been waiting so long for him to make the first move, she had missed the opportunity to give her own input to resolve the dilemma.
She could still feel his touch on her cheek as they turned and walked back to the castle. It had felt good, but there was no getting away from the fact that this had been a potentially romantic moment and all that had emerged from him, and from her, had been gestures of friendship but nothing more.
Chapter 16
On Wednesday Sophie drove down to the station at twelve o’clock to collect the antique weapons expert from Milan. Chris had told her this was a dark-haired woman in her early thirties who would be carrying a brown briefcase, but he had omitted to say that she was extremely beautiful. She was wearing a stylish two-piece grey suit over a white blouse but didn’t look in the least bit hot – even though Sophie was boiling in just shorts and a T-shirt. This woman also had the enviable ability that had always eluded Sophie of walking confidently and steadily even though she was wearing shoes with three-inch heels. Sophie went up to her and held out her hand.
‘Signora Lombardi? I’m Sophie Elliot.’ She addressed the lady in Italian but the answer came back in fluent American-accented English.
‘Miss Elliot, hi, it’s a pleasure to meet you.’ Signora Lombardi extended a slim, manicured hand, her fingers adorned with cherry red nail varnish to match her lipstick, and gave Sophie’s a firm, business-like shake. Sophie gave her a welcoming smile and was pleased – and relieved – to receive a very cordial smile in return.
‘Please call me Sophie. Did you have a good journey?’
‘Fine, thank you and do call me Paola.’ The woman was looking more relaxed now. ‘I had a long video call with Chris yesterday and he’s told me all about your remarkable piece of good fortune in inheriting what sounds like a magnificent property full of all sorts of treasures.’
Sophie accompanied her across to the Mercedes – thankful she hadn’t brought her own little car with its lingering doggie smell and intrusive black hairs floating about everywhere – and they conversed politely on the drive up the hill to the castle. She went in through the rear gates and parked round the back from where she led Paola in through the kitchen door. Rita had already left for the day, but Rachel was in there preparing lunch under the unblinking scrutiny of the Labrador. Even so, as Paola walked in, the dog abandoned the lovely foodie smells to come over and greet the new arrival. Sophie wasn’t surprised. He had always had an eye for the ladies. This particular lady obviously took an immediate liking to Jeeves and bent down to pet him, thus going up in Sophie’s estimation.
After introducing Rachel to her, Sophie wasted no time in taking her through and showing her the musket which was lying on its old blanket on the dining room table. Paola gave it a thorough investigation – without damaging her nails – before setting it back down again and turning towards Sophie with a look of satisfaction on her face.
‘It’s a stunning piece. It’s what’s known as a Miquelet rifle and to find one in such good condition is rare, particularly one of such high quality. It’s old – maybe even late sixteenth century. The breech, lockplate and sideplate have been engraved by a skilled craftsman and the barrel and breech even look as if they could still be fired.’
‘So you think it might do well at auction?’
‘I think it should do very well indeed. We have an auction coming up in our London salerooms in mid-September which will include a number of other items of antique weaponry, but this is head and shoulders above almost all the rest. If you’re happy to let us include it in the sale – and these six-monthly events normally attract considerable interest among the arms collector community – I would suggest we put a reserve of twenty thousand euros on it.’ She gave Sophie a smile. ‘But I wouldn’t be surprised if it were to go for twice that, maybe even more. It’s a unique piece.’
‘That’s fantastic news.’ And it really was. ‘Would you like to take it away with you today?’
Paola shook her head. ‘If you and I do all the paperwork today, I’ll arrange for it to be picked up in a few weeks’ time and taken straight to the UK.’ She straightened up. ‘Now, Chris also mentioned your having a mace.’
‘A mace?’
Seeing the blank expression on Sophie’s face, Paola dug in her bag and produced an iPad. She swiped through it until she found what she was looking for. This was a photo of a steel poker, a couple of feet long, with a nasty spiked end to it. Sophie nodded immediately.
‘I know what you mean now. I think it’s with some other bits and pieces he rescued from the pile I was going to dump in the bin.’
She led Paola back through to the kitchen and located the poker along with everything Chris had salvaged. When she handed the remarkably heavy metal rod to Paola, she saw her eyes light up. Once again Paola subjected this item to close scrutiny before announcing the unexpectedly good news.
‘Don’t be put off by its condition. What you have here is even rarer than the musket. It’s a Gothic mace – a close combat weapon – almost certainly dating back to the fifteenth century. I’m sure it’s originally German and we sold one like this last year for… just let me see…’ She checked through her files before finding what she wanted. She handed the iPad across to Sophie and Rachel and pointed to what was demonstrably a remarkably similar weapon, albeit in perfect condition. ‘You can see from the figure below that it sold in London for fifty-two thousand pounds.’
‘Blimey.’ Rachel caught Sophie’s eye. ‘Who would have thought it?’
Sophie was genuinely gobsmacked. ‘And I was all set to throw it out.’
‘If you’d like us to include it in the next auction along with the musket, it’ll need to be cleaned and restored first. We can arrange that for you if you’re agreeable and I’ll get you an estimate for the work. It shouldn’t be a particularly big job but it’s essential for a good result in the sale.’
After concluding all the formalities, they sat down to lunch. Paola gradually loosened up in the course of the meal, removing her jacket and chatting amicably to Sophie and Rachel, with Jeeves stationed adoringly at her feet. Sophie suppressed a little feeling of jealousy by telling herself this was just because he had identified a potential new source of illicit titbits from the table. As the conversation proceeded, things suddenly got interesting as it became clear that Paola’s affections didn’t just extend to Jeeves. She had been with Chris on Thursday evening and it quickly emerged that she liked him, too. A lot.
‘He’s such a knowledgeable man as well as being such fun. What I like most about him is the way he’s so unassuming, quite shy really, in spite of his good looks.’
While Sophie agreed with her, she struggled with conflicting emotions. Of course, this stunner might well be the woman Chris had mentioned as being somebody he liked but with whom nothing could happen – presumably because they were colleagues, as well as living a thousand kilometres apart? If so, should she give him a call and tell him what Paola had just said about him? At the same time, by doing this she would be pointing him in the direction of this other woman, just when she herself was beginning to think of him as something more than simply her best friend. This was a crisis of conscience she hadn’t been expecting. She tried to sound nonchalant as she replied.
‘I’ve known him for years and years. He used to go out with my flatmate at university. He’s a lovely guy.’
Paola nodded in agreement. ‘He is, isn’t he? I think he likes me – although it’s difficult to tell with him.’ Now that she started to unwind, sophisticated professional woman Paola was sounding more like one of the lovelorn princesses in Sophie’s book. ‘But at least we’ve got our annual company retreat in the Pyrenees comin
g up next month and I know he’ll be there. Hopefully I’ll be able to find out what he really thinks of me.’
Sophie was feeling increasingly awkward by this time and was struggling for words. Thankfully her sister took up the conversation.
‘What happens at a company retreat?’
Sophie wasn’t sure she was going to like the answer but when it came it sounded innocent enough. At first.
‘It’s a week-long stay in a luxury hotel in the high mountains, in what becomes a popular ski resort in winter. In the mornings we have a series of lectures and presentations as part of our CPD strategy – you know, professional development; updates on everything from health and safety to sexual harassment in the workplace.’ She looked up and there was a distinct twinkle in her eyes. ‘It all gets far more informal in the evenings. It’s amazing what a few glasses of wine can do to a bunch of men in suits – and a surprising number of the women.’
‘Sounds like the ideal opportunity to get to know Chris better.’ Rachel gave her sister a cheeky grin, seeing her squirm. ‘But haven’t you both been there in previous years?’
Paola nodded. ‘Yes, but he was always with his girlfriend, but then they broke up and he came on his own last year. Only last year I was there with my boyfriend of the time. That all fell apart a few months later so this year I’ll be there all by myself.’ She beamed at the two sisters. ‘I’m looking forward to seeing what develops.’