The Complete Legacy Series: Books 1 - 6

by Paula Kay

  “What a lovely dinner. Thank you so much for doing this,” Lia said to Gigi and Douglas.

  “It’s our pleasure. You’ve served us so many wonderful meals over the span of the last year, it’s a delight to be able to treat you to one. I only wish that I could have made it myself, but we all know how that would go.” Gigi laughed and Douglas chimed in right after.

  “Oh, darling, your scones and Italian coffee are to die for. Keep on making me those for breakfast and everything is okay in my world.” Douglas leaned over to kiss his new bride on the cheek.

  Lia couldn’t help but grin as she saw the two together. What a journey they’d been on; it was wonderful to see them so in love and happy, right here in Arianna’s garden and the home that she’d loved.

  Gigi looked pointedly at Blu. “Now speaking of good-looking young chefs…” She winked, and Blu nearly choked on the wine she was sipping.

  Lia laughed. “Great minds think alike. I was just asking her about Chase a few minutes ago.”

  “I like Chase really a lot,” Jemma chimed in. “He builds sand castles with me and makes me the very best grilled cheese sandwiches.” She stopped to take a bite of the sandwich on the plate in front of her. “Better than these.” She wrinkled her nose and pushed the plate to the side a little bit.

  “Jemma Lynne.” Blu glanced toward the kitchen as she gave the little girl a stern look. “That is very impolite. And I think you know better than that.”

  Jemma looked down at her plate and picked up her sandwich again. “Sorry, Mom.” She looked over at Lia and whispered, “But it’s true.”

  “Jemma.” Blu raised her voice a tad.

  “Well, it is,” Jemma said a bit defiantly.

  “Just eat your dinner.” Blu looked at the others and gestured towards the sky as if calling on heaven. “That girl.”

  “Mom, it’s not nice to talk about me when I’m right here,” Jemma piped up in an exaggerated tone.

  “Okay, that’s enough now.” Blu turned towards Lia. “As you were saying?”

  “Oh, well, we were just talking about your love life, weren’t we?”

  All of the adults burst out laughing, even Blu, who was blushing at this point, trying to recover; Lia guessed she was trying to think of a way to change the topic of conversation, which was going nowhere fast.

  “Well, it is worth saying—that you and Chase were also one of Arianna’s matchmaking projects. Isn’t that right, Blu?” said Gigi. “Actually, I remember when she was arranging the chef for that first weekend she took you to the beach house.” She winked at Blu. “She really did think that the two of you would hit it off.”

  “And I guess she was right,” Lia said.

  “Well, I’m not sure about that. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. As I was telling Lia, we’ve only spent a little time together and it’s far from anything serious. I really don’t have time for much more than that right now anyways. Now, not to change the subject, but how about let’s—” She laughed. “Lia, let’s talk about your love life or lack thereof.”

  Now it was Lia’s turn to choke on her wine. “My love life? Well, that’s a very boring topic. Not even worth mentioning, in fact.” She noticed Gigi and Douglas exchanging a look. “Now, what’s that, you two? You really need to cool it on the secretive looks, which are really not quite so discreet.” Lia laughed, hoping to lighten the mood, which suddenly seemed to be going in a more serious direction.

  Douglas cleared his throat, as he often did when he was slightly uncomfortable about what he was about to say. Lia had come to know this about him.

  “Well, we were wondering—about Ari’s birth father.”

  Gigi said, “We know it’s none of our business, but Ari did share with me a few things that you had told her about her father. It was lovely really. Please don’t be angry.”

  “I’m not angry.” Lia sighed. “It’s just an absurd thing to think about, really. It was ages ago, and Antonio doesn’t know anything about me.” Lia looked down, trying to hide the tears that had suddenly sprung up. “He doesn’t even know anything about Arianna.” Lia couldn’t hold back the sob that was caught in her throat. What kind of person does that? He didn’t deserve any of that. “I should have told him, regardless of the circumstances.” Lia’s voice was very quiet. “Maybe things could have been different, if I’d told him all those years ago, but it’s too late now.”

  “But what if it’s not too late?” Gigi said quietly.

  “Sometimes we’re allowed second chances in life,” Douglas said as he tenderly looked at Gigi beside him.

  “You did have a second chance with Ari,” Blu said. “Maybe Antonio still thinks about you. Young love can be quite powerful, and from what Ari told us, it seems that you two never really fell out of love when you left Italy.”

  Lia was taking it all in as she dried her tears on her napkin. “The thing is, I know he’s moved on. When I was there before to visit my parents—before they passed away—I did ask about him. He had moved to Rome and he was engaged, so it’s not as if I haven’t thought about him. But yes, it’s too late for us. And besides, what would I even say to him about Ari? The thought terrifies me, quite honestly. I doubt he could ever forgive me for that.” Lia sighed, because she knew that it was something she’d never be able to make amends for. Another cross for her to bear and a reason for the guilt that always seemed to be there, haunting her, just under the surface of any happiness that touched her.

  Gigi was nodding her head slowly. “I’m sorry that we’ve upset you, tonight of all nights. It’s time to enjoy this dinner and our last evening together until Tuscany.” Gigi raised her glass as she spoke. “Here’s to Lia and her big adventure ahead.”

  The others raised their glasses and smiled as they toasted their friend.

  Chapter 7

  Lia woke up early the next morning and, as she pulled the heavy down comforter closer around her, had to think for a moment where she was. She had stayed in this room upstairs, just down the hall from Arianna’s, many times.

  She got up, crossed the room, and opened the curtains, taking in the first early morning signs of the day to come. She smiled as she saw the spectacular bridge in the distance through the misty morning haze that enveloped it.

  Sitting in the comfortable chair by the window reminded her of the first night she’d spent here with Arianna. They’d sat together admiring the view as Arianna told her bits and pieces about her childhood here, how she’d come to really appreciate the home and life her parents had created for them. Even then, she knew they were growing closer, as Arianna was finally opening up to her about the things that had first seemed off limits, the things that would only serve as a reminder to Lia of what she’d lost when she signed away her rights all those years ago.

  Lia got up and walked quietly down the hallway until she stood in front of Arianna’s door. Her heart pounding, she slowly turned the knob, entered, and quietly shut the door behind her. She couldn’t help the sharp intake of breath that followed as she took in the room, the place where she’d last seen her daughter alive.

  She walked over to sit on the carefully made bed, the decorative pillows arranged just the way Ari anna had liked. She smoothed the bedspread and let herself lie back against the pillows in the hopes that she could smell her daughter’s perfume, in the hopes that the memories that came flooding back would be happy ones and not of their last goodbye.

  But it was hard to have good memories here, in this room, where Arianna had taken her last breath. All at once Lia felt a flutter of something deep inside. It was as if Arianna was reminding her of where the best memories were—and to follow them.

  Lia smiled because she knew that her leaving was what her daughter would have wanted. She would refuse to be sad and would look forward to the memories of their time together in Italy.

  Italy. She couldn’t believe that she was finally making the trip today. It had been a long time coming, and her friends were right in their pushing of it, even
though Lia still felt unsure about it all. But she was going. There was no backing out now.

  She looked up suddenly, hearing a small tap at the door.

  “Come in.”

  “Ah, I though it might be you I heard,” Gigi said, entering the room. “Are you okay?”

  Lia noticed the worried crease on her friend’s forehead. “Si, yes, I’m fine. Just getting a little lost in memories, you know?”

  Gigi came over to sit on the bed next to Lia. “Yes, I do know. I’ve spent a bit of time in this room myself over the past year. It’s still strange to me. Sometimes when I come up here, I almost forget as I wait to knock on the door. It’s still hard to believe all of the loss this house has seen.” Gigi’s voice grew quieter. “Sometimes I’m not sure if it’s right being here, if I’m being honest.”

  Lia looked at her friend and wondered about the things that maybe she hadn’t been telling her. On the surface, it seemed that she was doing well, and Lia suspected that her love affair with Douglas had helped her a lot through her grieving process. But it would be hard to live here in this house with all of the memories. And even more so for Gigi, who hadn’t lost just Arianna, but the entire family that she had looked after for so many years.

  Lia reached out to take her friend’s hand. “I’m sorry, Gigi. I’ve been so wrapped up in my own feelings that I’m afraid I’ve not been a good friend to you lately. Of course it must be hard for you here. I can’t even begin to imagine.”

  Gigi was quiet, and Lia guessed that she was trying to be careful of the words she chose.

  “It’s not so much how hard it is. It is hard sometimes, but having Douglas here helps, and Ari had taken so much care in planning everything that I know there’s no issue with the fact of the house being given to me.”

  Lia nodded in agreement.

  “It’s just that I don’t know what the future is for Douglas and me here. It won’t be long before he’s thinking about retirement; and quite honestly, most days I don’t quite know what to do with myself, putzing around this big house alone. I’ve actually been contemplating getting a job with another family, but Douglas doesn’t like the idea.”

  “Do you think it’s something that would make you feel good?” said Lia, knowing full well the odd feeling of suddenly not having to work; she had been struggling with this herself over the past year. Taking care of people was something Gigi and Lia had in common. They’d both worked at managing the households of other, wealthy people for years. It was what they knew. And abandoning it was a hard adjustment to wrap one’s head around at times.

  “I do in some regards, but I also understand what I think is turning into real frustration for Douglas. He’s a proud man and he wants to take care of me. Well, he knows that Ari has left me in a good place financially; but more than that he just wants me to be the one taken care of for once, I think.” Gigi laughed, and Lia got the sense that the shift in her expression was a bit forced.

  “Oh, enough about all of this. Douglas and I will figure it all out. We’ve got plenty of time.” Gigi grinned. “Now how about a fresh batch of scones and some nice Italian coffee? The one thing that I can confidently treat you to.”

  Lia smiled and got up off the bed. “Your scones are as delicious as anything I’ve had in Italy, and I thought you’d never ask. I’ll come to the kitchen with you.”

  The two women made their way to the door, and there Lia turned for one last look around the room. She couldn’t help but feel that she might not be seeing this room or this house again. It wouldn’t be something she’d ever fault Gigi for, but she felt the need to emotionally prepare herself for the possibility. She took a deep breath, closed the door quietly and made her way downstairs to the kitchen.

  Shortly after she was settled at the breakfast table with Gigi, Lia heard shouts coming from the guest room down the hall. “What’s that all about?” she asked Gigi, who was shaking her head in what looked like disapproval.

  “I’m telling you, I do love that child, but I have my fears that Blu has a problem on her hands if she doesn’t do something soon. The last few times that I’ve seen her, I’ve noticed a change in her attitude; and if you ask me, she’s too young to start going down that road. She used to be very respectful of her mother and suddenly she’s lost a lot of that.”

  Lia nodded. “Blu touched on that with me the other night, but we didn’t really get a chance to get into it. Do you suppose it’s just all of the changes, what with the move to San Diego and everything? I would have thought that Jemma would adjust pretty well to living there, from what I’ve heard about how much she loved her times at the beach house.”

  “Oh, I don’t know that the change in location is necessarily the issue, although I’m sure it could be part of it.” Gigi looked thoughtful as she continued. “I suppose it probably has a lot to do with how hard Blu’s been pushing to complete her clothing line. Jemma’s probably not used to having to share so much of the time that the two of them used to spend alone together. Blu did work a lot when she lived here, but anytime she wasn’t working, she was with her. I’m not sure that it’s the same now. Or at least Jemma probably sees her around home and her studio a lot but the attention is more divided on Blu’s part. Between you and me, I get the feeling that Blu is feeling pretty stressed and overwhelmed these days.”

  “It’s the same thought I’d been having,” Lia said, lowering her voice when she saw Blu walking in their direction from down the hall.

  “Morning, sunshine,” Lia said to Blu, who was looking more than a little frazzled as she reached for a coffee mug.

  “The rebels are up. That’s for sure.” Blu laughed. “That child of mine.”

  “What’s going on?” asked Gigi. “Anything I can help you with?”

  “No, thanks. She’ll be okay. She’s just angry about having to head back home tonight. For some reason, she has it in her head that it’s perfectly okay to miss the next week of school and that I should take off from work to play hooky with her while we are away.” Blu laughed again, but Lia noticed that she did look more stressed out than usual.

  “Well, put the hammer down,” said Gigi. “As much as I’d love to have you both here for the week, the child needs to be in school.”

  Blu sighed. “To be honest, I’ve been thinking of pulling her out of school and hiring someone to come in to teach her. A private tutor of sorts, who can also travel with us.”

  Lia’s eyes met Gigi’s over her sip of coffee. “Hmm.” It was out of her mouth before she could even realize it.

  “What’s hmm?” Blu said, and Lia thought she detected more than a bit of annoyance in her tone. “Do you think it’s a horrible idea? Honestly, it’s that or I’m going to have to hire a nanny, which I’m even more reluctant to do.”

  Lia knew how protective Blu had always been when it came to Jemma. Arianna had shared with her that it was one of those things that she just didn’t push with her best friend, that in the years that Ari had known her, she could easily count on one hand the people that Blu had trusted to spend time caring for her daughter. And Lia had seen that as well during the time she knew them.

  “Oh, I’m sorry. Don’t mind me,” Lia said quickly. “I’m obviously the last person to give advice about parenting.” The remark seemed to sting everyone sitting at the table, and now Lia felt bad for taking the conversation in this direction. It wasn’t how she wanted to leave them all this morning.

  Blu was quick to give Lia a hug. “No, no worries at all. I’m sure that I need to think about it more. And I’m not giving up, in terms of figuring out this attitude of hers that seems to need a little adjustment these days. It’s just that with my new clothing line coming out in a few months, I have a lot of shows lined up—that means either I’m taking Jemma with me or she’s going to have to stay behind with someone, a thought which terrifies me, quite honestly.”

  Lia hugged her back. “I’m sure that you’ll work it out, and you know that I—” She looked at Gigi, who was nodding in agreem
ent. “—that we are here for you if you need to talk, vent, or bounce some ideas around. Well, I’ll be a phone call away, I should say, but definitely available to you—to both of you.” Lia was shocked at the tears that suddenly threatened. “Oh God. What am I doing, moving so far away from the only real friends I have?”

  Gigi laughed and hugged her close. “Oh, don’t be silly. We’re going to be fine and so are you. And we can’t wait to see you in Italy in just a few months. I’m already imagining the trip and all of the gorgeous food you’re gonna feed me in that lovely little restaurant of yours.”

  Blu was nodding her head in emphatic agreement. “It’s all that Jemma’s been talking about. Actually, I need to remind her about the time off from school she’ll be taking when we go. Maybe that will be reason enough for her to pipe down about school tomorrow. Thanks for the reminder. And, I totally agree with everything Gigi just said. We’ll all be fine. Better than fine, really. Especially you, Lia. I already can’t wait to talk to you about your new home.”

  It was Blu’s turn to reach over to Lia for a big hug as the women finished their coffee. Lia got up to go find Jemma for a goodbye hug before she was due to leave. Douglas had popped his head in earlier to say that they’d be leaving for the airport in just a bit, so Lia knew that it was time to start saying her goodbyes.

  Chapter 8

  It seemed all too quickly that Douglas was putting Lia’s luggage in his car; and Lia, walking arm-in-arm with Gigi, Jemma hovering at her leg, was ready to say her final goodbyes. There was no brushing the tears aside at this point, as they were now flowing freely. Even Jemma was sobbing into Lia’s sweater as the adult pried the young girl’s hands from around her waist to hoist her up to eye level.

  “Don’t you cry, sweetie. You’re gonna come see me real soon, right?”

  Jemma wiped at her face as she turned to glance at Blu, who was nodding her head and crying too. “Yes. We’ll come see you real soon. We promise. Right, Mommy?” The child turned once again to get the assurance from Blu.