Secrets on the Italian Island

by T A Williams

  Scott gave her a big welcoming smile. Absently, Anna registered that he was a very good-looking man, but she had other things on her mind at that moment. ‘Hi, Anna, Ruby’s told me so much about you. You’re the ace geologist, aren’t you? It’s a real pleasure to meet you.’

  He held out his hand and Anna shook it automatically, conscious that she still hadn’t been able to utter a single word. Finally finding her voice, she greeted him and then turned to Ruby.

  ‘Did you say fiancé? Does your father know?’ Somehow she would have expected to hear the explosion of anger from Sir Graham from a thousand miles away.

  ‘He does.’ Ruby grabbed hold of Anna’s arm and wrapped herself affectionately around her – in a way that was very similar to the hug Anna had spotted her giving Toby on his yacht last month. ‘I wouldn’t exactly say he’s a hundred per cent behind it, but he’s grudgingly given us his blessing. He flew over and we all met up in Cannes. That was quite some evening!’

  Anna nodded in agreement and glanced back at Scott who was standing looking at Ruby with an affectionate smile on his lips. ‘You’re a brave man, Scott. I’m delighted you emerged unharmed from the encounter. My warmest congratulations to you both.’ Things were beginning to slot into place in her befuddled mind by now and she even managed a smile for the two of them.

  Ruby beamed back ‘Anyway, look, I’m so sorry I bailed out on you like that last month, but Scott sent me a message telling me he was flying over because there was something he wanted to ask me. I had a feeling I knew what it was going to be and I’m afraid from that moment on I just couldn’t think of anything else. I suppose I hoped Toby might have told you. He and I were out for a sail on his yacht when the call came through with Scott’s flight plans.’

  ‘Sorry, Anna, I’m afraid I didn’t realise I was supposed to tell you.’ Toby sounded contrite. ‘I bumped into Ruby that morning while she was waiting to hear back from Scott. She was sitting right here, looking like a cat on a hot tin roof, and I thought it might take her mind off things if we went for a little sail. Of course, as soon as she got confirmation of Scott’s arrival time, we sailed back to harbour and she was off in a flash.’

  ‘I drove up to Nice like a maniac, but I’d have been even worse if Toby hadn’t calmed me down first.’ Ruby squeezed Anna’s arm and released it before transferring her attentions to Toby, giving him an affectionate hug. ‘This is one hell of a nice guy you’ve got here, Anna. Don’t let him go.’

  No sooner had she spoken than Toby blushed and looked across at Anna.

  ‘She doesn’t mean that, Anna. Not that you’ve got me. I wouldn’t want you to think I’ve given her the wrong idea.’

  ‘The wrong idea?’ Anna caught his eye and almost felt like bursting into song. ‘I wouldn’t say that.’

  The meal that followed was as excellent as the first one, but if asked, Anna wouldn’t have been able to remember a single dish. Her head was spinning with the ramifications of what she had learnt. Toby and Ruby hadn’t hooked up and hadn’t gone off around the Mediterranean together. Toby was not cut from the same dubious cloth as Marco, and she was guilty of seriously misjudging him by leaping to conclusions. What she had seen on the yacht had just been touchy-feely Ruby being Ruby. As she listened to Ruby’s non-stop chatter about all the places she and her husband-to-be had visited, her head slowly cleared even more. Toby was everything Marco was not and she knew she wanted things to develop between them – not in a hasty, irrational infatuation sort of way as she had felt in the presence of Marco but in a natural, spontaneous way between two people who could trust each other.

  After lunch they all went back to the Esmeralda for coffee and Toby gave her a tour of the yacht. It was far larger inside than she had imagined and the cabins were as luxurious as hotel bedrooms. Another stab of genuine remorse struck her at the thought of what she had missed – both the boat and the man.

  Ruby and Scott left at four to catch the ferry across to the mainland where they would continue their European tour with a visit to the wonders of Florence and Siena. Ruby was as affectionate as ever as she said goodbye and for a moment Anna felt almost sorry she had made the decision to leave the company and change her career path. It would have been fun to work with Ruby – certainly a lot more fun than working for her dad.

  Nice as it had been to see them, however, Anna was delighted to be able to spend some time alone with Toby. After Ruby and Scott had left, Salvatore the skipper took the yacht out for a gentle sail along the coast and back while Bruno the deckhand fished off the stern and Anna and Toby sat right up at the bow, bare feet dangling down into the spray thrown up by the little waves. She stared out over the deep blue sea back towards the verdant green island where so much had happened to her in such a short time. Elba, she told herself, had been a place of secrets, intrigue and lies, but she knew she would be very happy to come back here again just as often as she could. They sat there, chatting and catching up – although not quite about everything. For now, she made no mention of Marco but she knew she owed it to Toby to tell him how she had fallen under the spell of a self-centred, unscrupulous man who had proved to be a fluent liar. Marco’s behaviour didn’t excuse her for falling into his clutches, but it might go some way towards explaining it.

  When they got back to harbour that evening they ate on the yacht with the crew. After the big lunch, she politely refused the offer of Bruno’s signature spaghettini all’arrabbiata and just opted for a small plate of grilled sardines, freshly caught by him barely a couple of hours earlier. Afterwards she and Toby sat outside on the deck, looking up over the lights of the little town sprawled across the hillside, and she told him of her plan to give up her job and do a master’s degree in conservation. When she told him she was going to try to get a place at the University of Bristol and that would mean she could be near him, he looked delighted to hear the news but, typically, only wanted what was best for her.

  ‘Please, don’t just do this for me, Anna. You know the way I feel about you but I don’t want you to feel crowded or rushed. Take your time and see how you really feel about me. As you so rightly said a couple of weeks ago, we hardly know each other, and building a relationship takes time. I promise I’ll wait for as long as it takes.’

  She snuggled against him, stretched up and kissed him softly.

  ‘I promise I’m not rushing into anything. Believe me, I’ve been doing a hell of a lot of thinking and I’ve finally sorted out what I want to do with my life. Bristol’s got a great university, Mum and Dad are there, and you’re there. What more could I ask for?’

  As they walked back along the quayside she clung to his arm as though her life depended on it, and when she reached her hire car she turned towards him and they kissed warmly and passionately. Feeling his lips on hers she knew deep down that this just felt right, as if it was meant to be.

  Chapter 26

  The next months were eventful. On her return to the UK, she handed in her notice and was impressed to be told by Sir Graham that if ever she felt like returning, he would be happy to re-employ her. She was lucky enough to be offered a last-minute vacancy on the MSc course in Environmental Protection and Conservation at Bristol University and just five months later she moved into Toby’s lovely old Georgian house in Clifton, the windows of their bedroom looking out over Brunel’s famous suspension bridge. Things between them were going really well and they had been growing ever closer. Life was good: she was thoroughly enjoying her course and living with him, and she couldn’t have been happier.

  She had been in regular contact with Jack on the island of Elba and she and Toby were planning to go over to see him again in the summer. But in early July, barely a few weeks before they were scheduled to travel to Elba, she received a registered letter from a firm of solicitors in Florence with awful news. The letter informed her that her old Canadian friend had died, suddenly, of a massive heart attack.

  Anna was heartbroken. In the short time she had known Jack, she had formed a d
eep and lasting bond with him and it felt like losing a member of her family. The lawyer apologised for not having been able to contact her in time for her to attend the funeral which had taken place on the island the previous week and informed her that she had been mentioned in Jack’s will.

  In the envelope the lawyer enclosed a copy of the will, from which she saw that he had left bequests to Giovanna and various distant relatives in Canada, and had left his house to the Save Elba charity to be sold to provide funds for them to continue their fight to safeguard the island. The document then went on to inform her that not only was the Labrador now her property but, to her astonishment, along with George came ownership of the old stables. Anna stood and stared down at the letter, unable to believe her eyes. Of course this meant that Jack had left her not only his best friend and the little house, but the treasure that lay beneath it. If she so decided, she could become a billionaire. But she knew she would never do that.

  Although she had summoned up her courage back in the autumn of last year to tell Toby all about her infatuation with Marco – and received sympathetic understanding in return – she had respected Jack’s request to keep the existence of the gold mine secret from everybody, even including her parents and Toby himself. So this now meant that she was the only person on the planet to know about the mine and she felt a sense of awe. The gift of the old stables was amazingly generous and unexpected – even without the gold mine beneath it – and her affection for Jack only grew as a result.

  There was a personal message to her in the will. It was short and tender.

  To the geologist who saved my life and cheered my old age beyond belief: I wish you a long, happy and fulfilling life and hope you will love and protect my twin legacies to you as much as I did. Yours forever, Jack.

  No doubt the lawyer interpreted the twin legacies as being the house and the Labrador, but Anna knew the real truth behind Jack’s words. The letter was dotted with her tears by the time she finished reading it.

  They set off almost immediately in Toby’s car and two days later they were once more on the island. The solicitor had informed her that the dog was with Giovanna and her husband and had supplied their contact details. Anna had been in touch and as a result they drove direct to her house on the outskirts of Marina di Campo where Anna found the four-legged addition to her family. Even though many months had passed, as George saw her at the door he reared up onto his hind legs and greeted her effusively, making little whining noises as he did so, which resulted in her bursting into tears once more.

  Giovanna invited them in and bustled about making coffee while Anna collected herself, petted the dog and made small talk with Giovanna’s husband until she returned.

  ‘I thought you might like a little piece of freshly baked chocolate cake.’

  It came as no surprise to Anna to see George instantly transfer his attention from her to the far more important prospect of what lay on the tray on the low table. Giovanna knew him of old and wagged an admonitory finger at him.

  ‘You know dogs don’t get chocolate, George, but don’t worry, I’ve brought you a little something.’ Sure enough, she produced a large bone-shaped biscuit and the dog took it delicately from her fingers and then disappeared under the table. Conversation for the next few minutes was punctuated by sinister cracking and crunching noises from their feet.

  They sat and chatted, reminiscing about Jack. Giovanna told Anna how sorry she was that she hadn’t been able to contact her in time for the funeral and Anna reassured her it didn’t matter. They heard about the simple service at the crematorium which had been attended by a good number of local people, including many from the Save Elba group. This had taken place two weeks earlier and George had been living with them for three weeks now. Giovanna clearly had a soft spot for the dog.

  ‘I’m so glad you’ve agreed to look after him. I would have kept him but we both work and it would have meant him being alone much of the time. Besides, you’ve seen how busy the road is here. There’s no way we could let him roam about like he did over at Cala Nera. I’d be afraid he’d end up under a car.’

  Throughout their conversation Anna acted as interpreter for Toby who clearly made a positive impression on Giovanna. Taking advantage of a moment when he was leafing through a book of photos of the island shown to him by her husband, Giovanna gave Anna a surreptitious wink and lowered her voice. ‘He really doesn’t understand any Italian?’

  ‘Not a word.’

  Giovanna’s grin broadened. ‘Then it’s all right if I tell you I think he’s gorgeous, isn’t it? I think you’ve got yourself a wonderful man there.’

  Anna grinned back. ‘That’s what I think, too.’

  ‘By the way, you might be interested to hear that the villa’s been bought by a very nice elderly Swiss couple. As for him…’ She lowered her voice further even though she didn’t mention Marco by name. ‘…I haven’t heard a word since he left, not even to thank me for sending on his mail.’

  For a moment Anna found herself wondering if the new owners of the villa might even be the elderly Swiss couple with the canoe. If so, they deserved her thanks for inadvertently preventing her from making a big mistake that day last summer on the deserted beach. She gave Giovanna a little smile.

  ‘Somehow I think we’re all a lot better with him out of our lives.’ She caught Giovanna’s eye. ‘He’s certainly long gone from mine.’

  After a while, Giovanna went off and returned with a little cardboard box. Inside it were a bunch of keys and a sealed terracotta urn. Reverently, she passed the box across to Anna. ‘The keys to the old stables. I’m so glad this means you’ll still have a link to us here on the island. And in the urn are Jack’s ashes. He left me a letter asking me to pass them on to you. He said you’d know what he wanted done with them.’

  Anna nodded. ‘Of course.’

  Giovanna was understandably curious. ‘Will you be having a little ceremony or anything?’

  Anna had to do some quick thinking and produced a little white lie. ‘I don’t think so. He wanted me to take his ashes back to England and scatter them at a special spot he told me about. I don’t know any of his friends or relatives there, so it’ll probably be just a low-key affair.’ She sneaked a peek at Giovanna and saw that she appeared to have bought the hastily constructed story. At least this should also satisfy any other Elba residents who might have been wondering.

  Finally, they collected George’s basket and bowl, along with the remains of a bag of food and an envelope of documents relating to the Labrador. They packed everything into the car, followed by the dog himself, bade a warm arrivederci to Giovanna and her husband, and set off.

  ‘Where to now?’ Toby stopped at the road junction and glanced towards her.

  ‘The old stables. It’s not far. Left here and head east.’

  Barely ten minutes later they pulled up outside the old stables and Anna heard activity from behind her back as George recognised the familiar surroundings. They climbed out and the dog immediately made a beeline up the track towards Jack’s house. Anna and Toby followed him up the slope and found him on the loggia, his nose to the French windows, tail wagging hopefully. Anna dropped to her knees beside him and hugged him tight.

  ‘He’s gone, George, he’s gone.’ Her voice cracked as she spoke and the tears started all over again.

  As if he understood, the Labrador turned and buried his nose against her while she sobbed gently. She felt a comforting arm stretch around her shoulders as Toby squatted down beside them. It was a full minute before she felt able to speak.

  ‘He was such an incredible man; I wish you’d known him.’ She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and looked up at Toby. ‘He reminded me of my granddad. We both shared a love of geology, and he just immediately became my friend.’ She managed a little smile. ‘I knew him for such a short time but there’ll always be a place in my heart for Jack.’

  ‘He sounds like a very special person.’

  ‘He certai
nly was.’

  Toby squeezed her gently. ‘And where are you going to scatter his ashes?’

  In spite of the circumstances, her smile broadened. ‘Not scatter – bury. He wants me to bury his ashes somewhere very special.’

  ‘Whereabouts?’

  ‘Right here, under our feet. He wants to stay forever on the island. He escaped here to Tuscany to get away from his troubles and it’s up to me to ensure that’s what happens.’ She pulled herself back to her feet again and felt the Labrador do the same. Turning towards Toby, she pointed up towards the headland overlooking the sea. ‘The dog needs a walk. Shall we go?’

  They followed George up the narrow path through the pines until they reached the top and could look down onto Hotel Panorama and the little bay. The summer season was well under way and the beach was busy, and she wondered how Felice and the others were faring. She led Toby along the headland until they were standing right at the edge of the low cliffs, looking down into the transparent aquamarine of the sea as it lapped gently at the rocky shore below. She felt Toby’s arm around her and she nestled against him. A movement at her side told her the dog had nuzzled his head in between them.

  ‘Wow, this is quite some view.’ Toby sounded impressed. He reached down to ruffle the dog’s ears and received a lick in return. Anna was glad. What was that thing about ‘love me, love my dog’?

  ‘Well, I hope you’ll have every opportunity to get used to it. You’re going to see a lot of it. Promise me that any chance we get, we’ll escape from our daily lives and come back here. It’ll always be special to me.’

  Toby hugged her tightly to him and leant down to kiss her softly on the cheek. ‘And if it’s special to you it’s special to me. I’m in love with it already.’ He kissed her again. ‘And with you.’

  Just for a moment, Anna found herself remembering that day last year when she had found herself suspended halfway down a very wet Cornish mineshaft, wondering which direction her life should take. Now that was all resolved. She had taken a few wrong turnings on the way but here, right now, with Toby and George, she knew she had found the solution. She glanced up at him and smiled.