Secrets on the Italian Island

by T A Williams

  They started chatting and Ruby brought Anna up to date with what had happened the previous night. As expected, she had gone straight up to her room and collapsed on the bed, only waking again at eleven o’clock. At that point her priorities had been a shower, some food and a sample of the nightlife of Portoferraio, such as it was. Of the three, the shower had proved the most successful.

  ‘After just a banana and an ice cream all day I was famished, but trying to get something to eat at midnight was almost impossible. In the end I found a bar full of drunk Germans and managed to get what looked like a two-month-old Bratwurst, but I had to fight my way out of there. I thought the Germans were polite, reserved people. Not that lot. It was like being in the middle of a group of groping octopuses.’

  Anna giggled. ‘And the nightlife?’

  ‘What nightlife? About all I could find was a bunch of fifteen-year-olds having a party on a scruffy bit of beach. So much for the high life. I was back in my room within half an hour.’

  Anna was secretly quite pleased that Ruby hadn’t managed to discover a den of iniquity where she could dance the night away – or worse – but she thought she had better offer her condolences.

  ‘Never mind. You’ll be back in London in a few days’ time and you’ll be able to get all the high life you want there. Just take it easy while you’re here. A rest will do you good.’

  ‘Looks like I have no option.’ Ruby settled back against the rock. ‘And what about you, Anna? What did you do last night?’

  ‘I went for a swim with my very handsome new best friend and then I had dinner with my lovely next-door neighbour who’s in his late seventies. I was in bed by ten.’

  ‘Tell me more about the new best friend you went swimming with. Is he that good-looking?’

  ‘He’s gorgeous. He’s got the most beautiful glossy fur coat and a long, waggy tail. His breath’s not great, but a girl can’t have everything.’

  Ruby laughed. ‘And apart from this lovely-sounding dog or wolf or whatever it is, any other men on the horizon?’

  Anna smiled at her. It was fun to have a girlfriend to talk boys with. It was almost like being back at school and she missed that in her mainly male-dominated job.

  ‘Yes, unusually for me, there are actually two. Here on the island there’s a guy called Marco.’ She went on to tell Ruby the circumstances surrounding their first meeting in the sea. ‘I only met him a week ago but here’s the weirdest thing: although everybody tells me he’s a womaniser, when I’m with him I feel really attracted to him. But nothing can ever happen there for another reason.’

  ‘Why not? Is he married or something?’

  Anna shook her head. ‘He was, but he’s divorced. It’s not that.’ She went on to explain Marco’s involvement with the Save Elba group and read sympathy in Ruby’s eyes.

  ‘And he’s the guy who told you they knew about your presence here on the island? I see the problem.’

  ‘It gets worse. The lovely man who’s letting me stay at his place knows Marco well and he told me part of the reason for the divorce was Marco’s obsession with saving the planet. When you were talking about your father yesterday and how the company took priority over everything and everyone in his eyes, it all sounded very familiar. The thing is, I know there’s no future for me with him but somehow I still can’t get him out of my mind.’

  ‘I’m sorry for you, but didn’t you say there was another guy?’

  ‘Yes, and he’s lovely. His name’s Toby and he’s sailing all the way from Sardinia to see me, arriving today. I’m having dinner with him tonight which would have been perfect except for this whole Marco thing. In a way, in the short time I’ve been here on the island, I seem to have managed to get myself just as obsessed with Marco as he appears to be with the environment and it makes me feel so disloyal to Toby.’

  ‘So what you’re saying is that you like both of them, but you like the Italian windsurfer more?’

  ‘Right now, sitting here with you, absolutely not. I get on really well with Toby and although we’ve only been out together a few times, there’s a real connection there. The trouble is that as soon as I find myself alone with Marco, logic deserts me and I struggle not to jump on him and tear the poor man’s clothes off. It’s the weirdest thing.’ She caught Ruby’s eye and grinned. ‘He’s got a body to die for… or under.’

  Ruby giggled in return. ‘I can see the problem. But it’s only a temporary problem, isn’t it? Marco lives here and you’re going to be leaving on Saturday.’

  ‘Precisely. Irrespective of the whole work, environment thing, I’m on a hiding to nothing. I have to leave and I don’t even know at this stage where I’m going next.’

  ‘And do you think Marco feels the same way about you?’

  This was the sixty-four-thousand-dollar question and Ruby had homed straight in on it. Anna gave a helpless shrug. ‘I honestly don’t know, but all my instincts are telling me no. He’s not said anything. I’m sure he likes me, but I have no idea how much or whether there’s anything more to it than a physical thing. He seems to know a hell of a lot of other girls and from what I hear he has a bit of a reputation… well, more than a bit really. Anyway, it doesn’t matter because nothing can ever happen there, seeing as he is who he is, does what he does, and I’m who I am, and do what I do. I’m the enemy, remember?’

  ‘So Toby’s the one for you, then?’

  ‘I hope so. I barely know Toby but, like I say, there’s a real connection there. In many ways, the sooner I get away from Elba and Marco, the better. It’s not fair on Toby. He’s such a nice guy but I just can’t shake Marco out of my head. Once I’ve moved on geographically, I’ll be able to move on with Toby, I’m sure.’

  Keen to change the subject, she queried Ruby on the men in her life and suddenly her future boss’s reluctance to come to the island became clear.

  ‘There is a man, but there’s a big problem called the Atlantic Ocean. I’m here and he’s in New York.’

  ‘And did your father know that when he told you he was sending you over here?’

  Ruby’s expression hardened. ‘He knew all right. In fact, I’m sure that’s why he did it.’

  ‘Why? Doesn’t he like your man?’

  ‘He’s never even met Scott, my guy.’ Ruby shook her head sadly. ‘It’s like we’ve been saying, all that matters to my father is the company and I just know he’s afraid things between me and Scott might get serious – they already are – and that would take my eye off what he’s convinced should be the most important thing in my life: NMM.’

  ‘Are you saying he deliberately split you up?’

  ‘That’s exactly what I’m saying.’

  ‘He doesn’t want his only child to be happy?’ Anna could hardly believe it.

  ‘He thinks running the company will make me happy. Nothing else.’

  ‘Blimey.’ Words failed Anna and a wave of sympathy swept over her.

  As they rode back down again in the cable car, squashed in among happy holidaymakers, Anna was still coming to terms with the fact that she wasn’t the only one with problems – and Ruby’s were far bigger than hers.

  Chapter 17

  That evening Anna drove to Portoferraio at just before seven and made her way through crowds of tourists along the harbourside to the restaurant Toby had mentioned. This was right on the quay and she walked past a succession of big flashy motor yachts – some of them absolutely massive with two or even three decks – moored stern-on to the shore. She checked them out as she walked along, wondering which one he had chartered. It certainly looked as though her mum had been right: if he had arrived in one of these, Toby must be doing really well to afford a holiday in such luxury.

  She found him already waiting for her at the restaurant, sitting at a table for two on the terrace alongside a flourishing pink oleander in a hefty terracotta pot. As he caught sight of her he jumped to his feet and came across to greet her and Anna couldn’t suppress the immediate spark of attraction she fel
t at seeing him again.

  ‘Hi, Anna, I’m so glad you could come.’ She kissed him on the cheeks and enjoyed the sensation she got from the contact. He was looking good. He was wearing an immaculate blue polo shirt with a little crocodile on the left breast and, unlike most of the other people in the area, he had on long trousers, rather than shorts. These were dark blue cotton and they were perfectly pressed. Clearly they hadn’t just been dragged out of a kitbag. Presumably there was at least an iron, if not a chambermaid, on board his yacht.

  ‘Hi, Toby, it’s great to see you again.’ Genuine pleasure lent warmth to her voice and she saw Toby’s eyes flash in response. ‘I’ve been admiring the beautiful yachts as I walked along the quayside. Which one’s yours? The one with girls in gold bikinis or the one with the swimming pool, the twin jet skis hanging off the stern and Middle Eastern music booming out of the loudspeakers?’ She was delighted to find she was still able to talk to him easily and without any of her usual shyness. Maybe she really was changing at long last or maybe it was just that being with him made her feel so relaxed.

  He grinned and indicated she should take a seat at his table outside under the awning. ‘Nah… those aren’t yachts.’ He sounded like her old sailing instructor who had had very strong views about the superiority of sails over engines. ‘I’m on a real yacht with sails. It’s the only way to travel. She’s called Esmeralda and she’s moored a bit further along. You can’t miss her; she’s a fifty-foot ketch and she’s a beauty – red hull, twin masts, white sails and a huge saloon.’

  Anna sat down alongside him, their backs to the restaurant, facing out over the harbour which appeared almost as full as it had been just a week ago although it was now mid-September. Beyond all the boats on the far side were cream-coloured buildings with the deep green tree-covered hills rising behind them. It was a charming, if bustling, little place. The waiter appeared and handed them menus which, helpfully, were printed in Italian and English. As far as she knew, Toby didn’t speak Italian.

  ‘What would you like, Anna? I see they’ve got lobster.’

  This was presumably his way of telling her she could choose whatever she liked, irrespective of cost. Although she loved lobster, she didn’t want to appear too greedy.

  ‘I’ve been eating far too much since I got here so I think I’ll just go for something simple.’

  Together they scoured the menu and finally decided they would both have the same thing: half a dozen oysters followed by a mixed seafood grill. To drink they opted for some of the local white wine which arrived in a silver ice bucket that the waiter hooked to the side of the table. He poured the wine and as he retired with a little bow Toby picked up his glass and clinked it against hers.

  ‘Cheers, Anna. It’s really good to see you again. Thank you so much for coming to meet me.’

  ‘I only had a half-hour drive. Thank you for coming all the way across the sea, and cheers.’

  They chatted about everything from old friends back in Bristol to the big upcoming rugby match in October between England and New Zealand. One of the advantages of working in a mainly male environment was that Anna was well clued-up on rugby and football, and she soon relaxed in his company. He told her about his holiday so far, sailing up from Sardinia over the weekend through rain squalls and heavy seas and she could tell that he had really enjoyed the experience although she hadn’t had him pegged as a hardy old sea dog. It turned out he had done a lot of sailing and she was impressed. He sounded almost disappointed when he told her the weather had set fair again on Sunday night.

  For her part, she told him how she had been chugging around the coast of Elba and digging in slagheaps looking for minerals, but without success, and how Charlie had been replaced by Ruby and that, to her surprise, she found she was getting on well with her. She went on to recount how she and Charlie had helped Jack after his heart attack and how he and his dog had now become such good friends. She described the lovely old stables at Cala Nera where she was staying, however, she did not mention Marco.

  They were interrupted by the arrival of their oysters. She was surprised – and a bit alarmed – to find that the chef had placed a strawberry on top of each open shell, but the combination of flavours turned out to be far nicer than she had feared. The two very different tastes actually complemented each other. She sipped white wine with her meal but was determined to limit the amount of alcohol she consumed, partly because she was driving, but also because she was in the tricky position of having another man over on the south of the island for whom she had feelings – however doomed they might be – and she didn’t want to do anything silly, even though Naughty Anna appeared to have transferred her affections to Toby now.

  As they ate and chatted, she turned the conundrum over and over in her head, inevitably making comparisons between the two men. Toby was attentive, interesting and interested, and it seemed obvious that things were going very well with his career. It also looked very much as if he liked her a lot. She could almost hear her mother shouting ‘You could do a lot worse’ from the sidelines. The sad fact, however, was that she knew deep down that before anything could happen between them she needed to get the other man out of her head and out of her life. Easier said than done.

  Their main course was served on square pieces of slate and it looked wonderful. Everything had been cooked on the charcoal grill. There were langoustine halves, skewers of prawns covered in a spicy sauce, fillets of three different types of fish, squid rings and wonderfully tender octopus tentacles, charred at the ends. Along with all this was a mixed salad but Anna barely managed to get halfway through the fish before she started filling up. She looked across at Toby who was making better progress with the contents of his slate.

  ‘Wow, Toby, this is amazing, but there’s so much…’

  ‘I know. It is good, though, isn’t it?’ He shot her a grin. ‘It beats the hell out of cod and chips from Benny’s fish and chip shop back home.’

  She smiled back at him, enjoying the sense of familiarity she felt with him. ‘And it was nice of them to serve it on a slab of stone. They must have known I was a geologist.’

  They both returned to their grilled fish platters until Anna really couldn’t eat another thing. Finally, she pulled her napkin from her lap, wiped her lips and sat back. ‘Basta, basta. That’s all I can manage.’

  ‘I know what that means: “enough, enough”. The cook on the yacht always prepares loads of food and basta was just about the first word I had to learn.’

  For some reason at that precise moment Anna looked up. There, only twenty paces from her was Ruby, all alone, walking along the quayside amid the throng of tourists. Anna called out to her, waving to her to come and join them and saw her turn. When Ruby got to their table, she immediately gave Anna a hearty hug and kisses and when she had extricated herself, Anna made the introductions.

  ‘Toby, this is my colleague, Ruby. Toby and I used to live next door to each other twenty years ago and we met up again recently and he told me he was coming on a fabulous cruising holiday. He’s going to be sailing all over the Mediterranean.’

  Ruby immediately went over to Toby and kissed him on the cheeks and Anna smiled to herself as she saw the surprise on his face. Yes, Charlie had certainly been right about her being touchy-feely. Recovering his aplomb, Toby gallantly invited Ruby to sit down and have a glass of wine with them. Anna was delighted to see the two of them appear to make friends instantly and they were soon chatting freely. Toby told her all about his yacht, the Esmeralda, and all about what he was going to be doing during his month’s cruise. In return Ruby told him about the hotel where she was staying and where she claimed to be very comfortable, and the time flew by. Anna was really pleased. This was serving two purposes. Not only was it keeping Ruby and her spray-on shorts from getting into what her father would no doubt have identified as ‘more trouble’, it also provided a welcome buffer between herself and Toby while she attempted to sort through her confused feelings.

  T
oby persuaded Ruby to have dessert with them and ordered a half bottle of champagne to go with their choice of homemade tiramisu. Anna was too full for dessert after all the fish but she accepted a dribble of champagne and looked on benevolently as the other two spooned up their pudding. After a cup of coffee, Ruby got up and took her leave. Anna wasn’t at all surprised to see her kiss Toby on the cheeks again, and Toby looked as if he enjoyed it. Needless to say, Anna received a big hug and kisses from Ruby in her turn.

  After she had left, Anna told Toby a bit more about her future boss. He listened with open curiosity, nodding his head from time to time.

  ‘Yet another one too tied up with her job to have a relationship. She sounded a bit lonely underneath the flamboyant exterior.’

  Anna nodded. ‘I think she probably is. Charlie, my old partner, described her as being very touchy-feely and you can’t have failed to notice that for yourself. I’m no psychologist, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that indicates a lack of parental love. But she’s a good-looking girl and she’s bright, not to mention heir to a fortune. I’m sure she’ll be fine. Mind you, from what she told me, her father keeps her hard at it, sending her off all over the world at the drop of a hat.’

  Toby nodded ruefully. ‘It must sound all too familiar to you.’ He gave her a smile. ‘I suppose it’s just the nature of the job.’

  He paid the bill with his gold card and they stood up to leave. Anna glanced at her watch and saw that it was already past eleven. ‘I suppose I’d better make tracks. I’ve got an early start tomorrow but first, I’d love to see your yacht. Is it far from here?’

  He shook his head. ‘A hundred metres at most. Come on, I’ll show you.’

  ‘When are you leaving again? Tomorrow?’

  ‘That’s the plan. From here we turn west and head for Corsica and then on up to Monte Carlo. I’ve always wanted to see the Côte d’Azur.’

  ‘It sounds like an incredible trip.’ She felt a real sense of sadness that she wouldn’t see him again for quite some time. The more time she spent with him, the more firmly convinced she became that Charlie had been right all along: Toby was the one for her. If only she could rid herself of the memory of the other man still stubbornly lingering in her mind. Of course, there still remained the question of just how deep Toby’s feelings for her might be. He looked as though he had enjoyed himself with her tonight but he hadn’t said anything particularly tender. Maybe it was his natural shyness or maybe he saw her as just an old friend.