by T A Williams
Marco led her to a table overlooking the water. Taking her arm in his hand, he pressed her gently into a seat facing out over the bay. When he removed it again, she felt almost abandoned. There was something captivating about his touch. Unaware of all these emotions coursing through her, he gave her a few words of explanation.
‘I often come here. Sorry it’s a bit noisy, but the restaurant we’re going to afterwards is very different. You’ll love it there, I promise you.’ As he spoke, he looked deep into her eyes and she could feel the magnetism they radiated. Was she somehow bewitched by him? Was he able to transform normal, sensible women into devil-may-care libertines? With a conscious effort she resisted the temptation to lean forward and kiss him. Instead, she did her best to sound cool, in spite of feeling anything but.
‘I’m sure I’ll love it, but here’s great, too. I like the sixties/seventies vibe. I expect to see the Beach Boys themselves roll up in a big old Cadillac any moment.’ In fact the way she was feeling tonight she probably wouldn’t have minded if the music had suddenly changed to punk rock or Beethoven. She was enjoying being with this remarkably desirable man – as long as she was the one doing the desiring, not some of the bikini-clad sirens milling around him.
‘What can I get you to drink?’
His voice stirred her out of her introspection and she looked around to see what other people were drinking. As she did so, she was vaguely surprised not to see everybody drinking beer from the bottle which was more what she would have expected in a place like this. Instead, there appeared to be everything from red wine to Prosecco on the tables, so she opted for one of her favourites. ‘Could I have an Aperol spritz please?’
Marco waved to a passing waiter and ordered her drink, plus an ice coffee for himself.
Anna glanced across at Marco. ‘Are you staying off the alcohol?’
He shook his head. ‘For now. I’m driving, so I’ll take it slow.’ He gave her a grin. ‘The restaurant we’re going to is up in the hills and the road’s narrow and a bit tortuous. I imagine you wouldn’t appreciate it if I drove us over the edge and into a ravine.’
Anna was impressed at his unexpectedly responsible attitude. He might have a body to die for, but he clearly wasn’t just a brainless hunk. Mind you, she reminded herself, Toby had also gone easy on the wine on Saturday night so he, too, qualified as responsible, although she couldn’t comment on his body at this stage. She gave Marco an answering grin, feeling remarkably relaxed with him now – apart from the lingering desire to ravish him right here, right now, on the table. ‘And, of course, crashing into a ravine might damage your lovely car, and we wouldn’t want that to happen, would we?’
‘She’s a lady and she deserves to be cherished. Like you…’ His eyes were still looking deep into hers and she was suddenly glad she had the support of the chair beneath her. What was happening to her?
They sat and chatted about everything from windsurfing to the history of the island but by the time they returned to the car she was no nearer knowing what had happened between him and his wife, or indeed any significant personal information about him, apart from the fact that he clearly knew a lot of people and an inordinate number of those were wearing bikinis. Still, she told herself, it didn’t matter. This was just a dinner date, after all.
Wasn’t it?
For her part she told him about some of the places she had visited all over the globe, her love of the water, and about growing up in Bristol. She made no mention of her geology studies and gave no details of her job. The main problem that rapidly emerged was that as the evening progressed and she got to know and like him more and more, she found herself feeling guilty at having to deceive him about exactly what had brought her to the island. However, the wisdom of not having revealed her current occupation was brought home to her on the drive up the mountain road to the restaurant.
As the old car climbed steadily up the very narrow road, he waved out over the empty hillside. ‘This is a very precious island. One of the main reasons I decided to come here was because it’s so unspoilt – not everywhere, of course, but I’m pleased to say my group’s been able to keep any terribly damaging new development of the countryside to a minimum.’
‘Your group? Who are they?’
‘The Save Elba group. We’re a group of environmental campaigners based here on the island. I joined up as soon as I got here and now I’m part of the steering committee.’
‘Oh, right, that sounds interesting.’ Anna swallowed hard as the little semi-erotic bubble in which she had been cocooned suddenly burst. She could hardly have picked a less suitable man to whom to be attracted, given her real reason for being here. While Sensible Anna celebrated, Naughty Anna was wringing her hands, but she knew she had to do her best to act as if all was well. ‘And what sorts of things does your group do? Do you organise demonstrations and protests?’
He gave a little laugh. ‘We don’t go in for rioting or burning effigies or anything like that. We’re mainly active checking planning applications and objecting to anything that, in our opinion, might damage the atmosphere of the island. We also regularly lobby the government and the local administration.’
‘Is there much to object to?’ The answer when it came was brutally specific.
‘Mainly obscenely rich people trying to build grotesque millionaires’ pads for themselves on unspoilt headlands, or mining companies hoping to restart excavating some of the old mine workings.’
Anna took a few seconds before replying. A shaft of bitter disappointment ran through her. Although Charlie might be relieved, she couldn’t help a deep sense of regret. There was no doubt about it: his comment was very definitely too close for comfort and she would do well to keep her distance from him – muscular thighs or not.
She was still trying to think of a suitable reply when they went round a corner and Marco suddenly slammed on the brakes. Barely twenty yards ahead of them was a most impressive animal strolling across the road apparently without a care in the world. It looked like a large sheep, with a rust-coloured fleece, and it was sporting massive curled horns, the size and shape of handlebars on a racing bike. As it saw the car it jumped nimbly onto the low stone wall alongside the road and from there it disappeared into the scrub.
‘That’s a mouflon, and a handsome mature ram by the look of him. They’re a type of wild sheep that were introduced onto the island some years back and they’ve settled in very happily.’
‘So your group doesn’t object to them?’ She was glad of the change of subject.
He grinned at her. ‘No, we have no objections to animals. It’s humans we object to mainly, although, come to think of it, there’s a non-native colony of seagulls over to the east of the island that are causing trouble for other species.’ He started off again and pointed to a building a few hundred yards ahead of them. ‘See that old farmhouse? That’s where we’re headed.’
As he had said, the restaurant, La Brace, was very different from the beach bar. It had been created from an old stone farmhouse and behind it, in the shade cast by the building and a cat’s cradle of vines trained over a wooden trellis, were tables set out on a stone-paved terrace. It was almost full and Marco assured her that the previous month, Italy’s main holiday season, it had been jam-packed every night and booked up weeks in advance. He placed a hand lightly on her back as the waiter led them to their table and, in spite of what he had just told her and in spite of her decision to keep her distance, she enjoyed the feel of him against her. Somehow, she had a feeling she was going to find herself locked in a struggle between her sensible and her animal instincts.
Once they were seated, Anna looked around, particularly up the slope of the hill towards the bulk of Monte Capanne above. Compared to the coast, it felt completely different up here and, indeed, it was probably a degree or two cooler than down at sea level – not that it was cold by any means. The only chill was in the pit of her stomach, and it was the result of the disappointment caused by his revelations.
The restaurant owner came over to their table and greeted Marco warmly, as did the occupants of two other tables. Here, too, her dinner companion appeared to be well known and Anna began to realise that he had to be some sort of local celebrity – either famous or infamous. In particular, two girls at a nearby table actually stood up to kiss him full on the lips as they spotted him and the looks he gave them were far from innocent. In fact, this helped Anna a lot. Surely she hadn’t seriously been thinking of hooking up with a womaniser like this. Her head was still spinning with the ramifications of just who he was and the Save Elba group when the restaurateur came along to take their order and she just nodded her agreement to having what he referred to as the menú toscano. She had visited Tuscany only once before, just for a short weekend break to Florence and Siena with her mum, while her dad was on a golfing trip to the Algarve with his male friends, and she had eaten very well, so she felt sure here would be no exception.
The meal started with hand-carved cured ham and fresh figs along with crostini. Some of the slices of toasted white bread had been topped with chicken liver pâté, while some had chopped tomatoes drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, and others an interesting mix of chargrilled aubergine and goats’ cheese. It was all excellent and Anna worked her way through it willingly. To drink, the waiter brought a bottle of very good local red wine and a jug of cold water from the nearby spring. As they ate, Anna learned more about the activities of the Save Elba group and felt increasingly uncomfortable, like a spy in Marco’s presence. She came close to owning up, but caution – and her boss’s words – prevailed and she said nothing, meaning that by the end of the meal she was feeling very guilty, increasingly depressed and, the more she glanced across the table at his strong forearms and broad shoulders, frustrated, whatever Sensible Anna might be screaming at her.
The meal itself was excellent, as the antipasti were followed by a wonderful seafood risotto and then a mixed grill – cooked on the charcoal grill, or brace as in the restaurant’s name – that consisted of steak, coils of spicy sausage and grilled pecorino cheese. The meat came accompanied by a huge dish of rosemary-flavoured roast potatoes and by the time the waiter arrived to ask for their choice of dessert, Anna could barely move. She shook her head at tiramisu, chocolate mousse or apricot tart, but finally allowed herself to be persuaded to have a simple but wonderful small blackcurrant sorbet, followed by a much-needed espresso. By this time dusk had fallen and the only lights were the flickering candles on the tables. On the hillside above them there wasn’t a single light to be seen. It really was wonderfully remote and unspoilt and she had to admit that an island like this deserved to be preserved. She looked across at Marco with a weary smile.
‘Thank you so much. That was one of the best meals I’ve ever had, and this is one of the loveliest settings of any restaurant I’ve ever been to.’ And if she ever told him just what she was doing on the island it would no doubt be the last meal she would ever share with him.
She saw him smile. ‘So does this mean you aren’t going to report me to the police after all?’
She reached across and squeezed his hand on the tabletop for a moment. ‘You have my word on it.’
Chapter 6
Next morning at breakfast, she told Charlie all about it – or at least about the Save Elba group. She decided to leave out the fact that Marco had kissed her first on the cheeks and then on the lips when he had dropped her off near the hotel last night and she had thoroughly enjoyed herself. Only the thought of Toby and the realisation that she and Marco were polar opposites had given her the fortitude to remove his hands from her body – albeit reluctantly – kiss him softly on the lips and bid him goodnight, before climbing out of his car. Yes, she had had fun, but she knew there could be no more of that. Even so, the big question rattling around in her head was whether she would see him again and, if she did, what might happen. Thinking about it, they hadn’t even exchanged phone numbers, so maybe the decision had been taken out of her hands anyway.
When Charlie heard about the conservation group, he shook his head soberly. ‘Well, I’m sure you’re better off without Windsurfer Guy anyway. Apart from my concern that he’s just out for what he can get before dumping you, this conservation business means he’s definitely not ideal as a choice of boyfriend. But what were the chances you’d run into somebody like him in the middle of the sea?’
‘It was actually the other way round – he almost ran into me – but, yes, when he told me about the conservation group, it was a real kick in the guts.’ She gave him a rueful smile. ‘Needless to say I didn’t tell him why you and I are here and I felt such a fraud, having to lie to him.’
‘I’m sure a guy like that lies all the time. Trust me; he’s bad news.’
She and Charlie knew each other well enough for her to be honest with him. ‘I know what you think of him, and I know there’s Toby back in the UK, but I still can’t help feeling attracted to him. I know it sounds crazy, but it’s almost as if he’s got some sort of hypnotic power over me. Sitting here now I’m sure you’re right about him – you should have seen all the girls buzzing around him last night – but when I’m with him I still find myself drawn to him like a fly in a spider’s web. Besides, to be completely honest, as far as the environment’s concerned, I admire him for taking a stand for something he believes in. The fact that I have to lie to him doesn’t feel good at all. But let’s face it – this means that any chance of this proving to be a relationship worth hanging on to is out of the window.’
‘When you say relationship, what sort of relationship? Surely you can’t think this is the Real Thing?’ He was teasing her but it focused her mind.
‘No, of course not, at least, probably not. After all, I’ve just met the guy, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t fancy him. A lot.’
‘Take it from me, Anna, the most you can hope for from him is sex, followed by abandonment. You don’t deserve to be just another one of his conquests.’
‘So not even a little fling?’
‘That’s up to you but if you were my sister I know what my advice would be: no fling.’
Anna dropped her head in resignation. Her body had been reminding her ever since her first meeting with Marco in the water that she hadn’t been ‘flung’ for quite some time now, but deep down she knew that what Charlie was saying made sense. ‘I know you’re right, but that’s easy for me to say right now because he’s not here. It’s like I was telling you: it’s as if he somehow has some sort of magical power over me. Besides, there’s Toby to consider. Here, now, in the cold light of day, I can’t believe I could possibly let myself be beguiled like this but when I’m with Marco it all changes.’
‘Then just steer clear of him. Remember there are two very good reasons why you should keep away from Windsurfer Guy: first, he’ll sleep with you, dump you and break your heart, and second, he and you are on opposite sides. For my money, he’s best avoided.’
After breakfast they drove back to Marina di Campo and picked up the RIB again. This time they set off in the opposite direction, heading towards the southeast corner of the island which had seen most serious mining activity over the years.
Their route this morning took them back past their hotel and as they reached the headland before their bay, she studied the handful of houses scattered amongst the trees, wondering which of them belonged to Marco. She even checked out a couple of windsurfers through the binoculars in case one of them might be him, but there was no sign of him or his red sail and she couldn’t fail to notice the feeling of disappointment that ran through her.
They carried on at speed, ignoring two big bays where the tourist trade was clearly up and running with quite a bit of development visible, until they reached the coast near Capoliveri and came upon the devastation wreaked on the no doubt formerly beautiful scenery. The hillside around the broad headland was predominantly a rusty brown colour, a desert of scrub and dust, with equally rusty old mine buildings and machinery gradual
ly rotting away, surrounded by slag heaps devoid of any vegetation, forming a real blot on the landscape. Once again, Anna’s conscience pricked her. What if their dreams came true and they found palladium or rhodium, both as valuable as gold? The ensuing rape of the island would result in devastation like this, quite possibly on an even larger scale. She had no doubt what Marco would think of that – and of her for making it happen.
‘They’ve certainly made a bit of a mess.’ Clearly Charlie’s mind was working on similar lines to her own.
‘A bit of a mess? You want to know something, Charlie? This is one trip where I really hope we don’t find anything. Elba’s too beautiful to spoil like this. I know it’s what we’ve been employed for, but it bothers me all the same.’
‘Be that as it may, we’ve got a job to do and it looks to me as though we should come back in the car and hit this area for signs of interesting metals. Apparently this part of the island is the richest source of magnetite in Europe. And where there’s magnetite, there might be…’
‘Yes, I know.’ She gave a resigned sigh. ‘You’re right, of course. But first we’ve got to check out the east coast and the north coast by boat.’
They carried on round the coast, turning northwards and stopping for a snack lunch in Porto Azzurro with its beautiful sandy beach and small ferry terminal. The further north they travelled, the less promising the terrain became from a mining point of view, and by the time they turned back and headed for home, they had decided to write off the eastern coast of the island as far as their prospecting was concerned.
As they came past the hotel once more, Anna deliberately slowed down so as to study the houses on the far side of the headland more closely, wondering once again which might belong to Marco. There were only five houses altogether. The biggest and most impressive-looking one was set a little away from the others, in its own large grounds, surrounded by trees. Three others were together in a little valley that led down to the water, while the fifth – which had maybe started life as a farmhouse – was also in its own grounds along with a separate stone barn which looked as if it had been partly built into the hillside. These two fine-looking stone buildings were positioned quite high up on the side of the headland and the views from there must have been gorgeous. There was no sign of any human life at all and Anna was just about to drop the binoculars and open the throttle once more when she spotted something unusual down by the water’s edge.