‘Oh, but…I don’t think…’ Polly’s confused reply came to a halt when Jane smiled and laid a hand on her arm.
‘I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable, my love. Far from it. I just wanted you to know that Brian and I have no reservations—quite the opposite. You have our blessing.’
Embarrassed and unsure, Polly was saved from answering as the door opened and Luca stepped inside. ‘Are you ready to go?’ he asked.
‘Yes.’ Polly met his gaze, noting how his eyes narrowed as he studied her, as if he could read her agitation. ‘I was just on my way out.’
He stepped closer, resting a hand at the small of her back. ‘Is everything all right?
‘Fine,’ Polly answered, hoping her smile wasn’t as shaky as it felt.
‘I think I ran a bit ahead of myself,’ Jane admitted, her tone apologetic. ‘I was trying to reassure Polly that Brian and I are wholly in favour and supportive of you both.’
Luca gave her a gentle squeeze, keeping her close. ‘Thank you, Jane. I’m sorry to rush, but I arranged to meet Georgina at the riding stables at eleven,’ he explained, acknowledging his mother-in-law’s sentiments but neatly changing the subject, Polly noticed.
‘Of course, you must go. The girls are so excited!’ Jane laughed, giving Luca a kiss and hug. ‘I shall look forward to hearing all about it.’ Smiling, she turned her frame to a better angle and Polly found herself hugged again, then Jane rested the palm of one frail, papery hand against her cheek and shook her head. ‘You look so like your mother, it’s uncanny.’
‘Really? Oh, no, I don’t think so. Although maybe we had similar hair colour,’ Polly murmured in protest, unable to believe it. The features of her mother’s face had long been hazy, but she knew Yvonne had been beautiful—just as she knew that she, Plain Polly from Penhally, was not.
Polly’s mind was buzzing as they said their final goodbyes to Jane and Brian. She would have thought she had dreamed the last couple of days if they hadn’t been so real. Two nights running she had lain in Luca’s arms in his bed. As well as sleeping better than ever before in her life, she also felt jumpy and on edge…and finding it increasingly difficult to resist the temptation to either ravish Luca or beg him to ravish her—or both.
She had woken on Saturday morning to find herself alone in bed, but the girls had come running, clambering over her and bestowing hugs and kisses as they gave her a thirtyminute call for breakfast. They had all visited the farmers’ market together, and then Rosie and Toni had gone happily to the childminder, while Luca had accompanied her to the surgery for the clinic. It had been a busy but rewarding session, and she had been grateful for Luca’s help and admiring of his skill.
Nothing had been discussed or decided, but instead of returning to the flat as Polly had expected to—and, indeed, had told herself she must—Saturday night had found her back at Keeper’s Cottage. The girls had been adorable. They seemed to find nothing peculiar about her presence in their house—or their father’s bed. Luca didn’t make a big issue of it but remained open and truthful with them.
Polly had worried in case the girls mentioned it to anyone at school, or to their grandparents, concerned for any effect it might have on Luca more than herself, but he wasn’t bothered at all.
‘We have done nothing wrong, zingarella. It is no one else’s business.’
Luca had spoken the words more than once over the weekend and Polly knew they were true. They hadn’t done anything wrong. They hadn’t done anything at all—yet. A shiver of fearful anticipation rippled thorough her. She knew Luca was giving her time to feel comfortable, to be ready—knew, too, that it had been as long for him as it had for her since being intimate with anyone—but all that succeeded in doing was to ratchet up the tension and cause simmering expectation. Some time soon, the cauldron was going to boil over and that both scared and excited her. As much because she knew there were things she had not yet told him. And, when it happened, it meant facing another inner fear. Having Luca see the body she hated.
For now she was taking each moment as it came and marvelling how, in such a short time, she had become immersed in the d’Azzaro family’s lives. Things had changed so dramatically in a matter of hours, without her conscious thought or choosing, and it was almost as if she was living someone else’s life. A fantasy life that surely had to end, crashing her back to earth and reality with a bump.
A light touch on her arm pulled her sharply from her reverie and she turned to look at Luca. ‘Hmm…did I miss something?’ she murmured, warmth stealing through her in response to the slow-burn smile he sent her.
‘Which way, zingarella?’
‘Oh.’ She sat up straighter in her seat and looked around to see where they were, amazed to discover they had almost reached their destination. ‘Goodness, we’ve arrived in no time at all,’ she told him, thankful there was no other traffic on the road as Luca kept the engine idling and waited patiently at the crossroads. ‘It seemed to take for ever to get here in the old days when I had to pedal a rusty old bicycle!’ Embarrassed that she had been rambling on, and that the emotions the memories evoked were showing in the shakiness of her voice, she cleared her throat and gave him the information he needed. ‘Take a right here, and it’s about half a mile down on the left-hand side.’
‘Are you all right?’ Luca asked, lowering his voice so that the twins, chattering together in the back, could not hear him.
‘Fine,’ Polly managed, not at all sure that she was.
His fingers lingered a moment longer before he withdrew them and moved his hand to put the car in gear. ‘Is this the first time you have come out here since returning to Penhally?’
‘Yes. It feels strange,’ she admitted after a pause, her voice low.
‘If at any time it’s too much and you want to go, promise you will tell me.’
Luca’s husky demand took her by surprise. Her gaze met his, and she saw the understanding in deep brown eyes. His intuition was scary sometimes. They had met two weeks ago. But he knew her. How could he see inside her soul? ‘Luca, I—’
‘Promise me,’ he insisted.
The silent battle of wills didn’t last long. Sighing, Polly nodded her head. ‘OK.’
As Luca pulled away from the crossroads, Polly wiped suddenly damp palms down the thighs of the loose-fitting jeans she had worn, more appropriate for the occasion than her customary gypsy skirts. A knot formed in her stomach as they approached the entrance to the stables. The sign at the end of the drive was new—bright and informative without being ostentatious—and Georgina’s name now had pride of place along with her husband’s as owners and instructors.
A hundred yards down the unpaved track brought them to an extended parking area, a gate preventing people from driving to the yard itself. Polly climbed out, breathing in the country air and the familiar scents as they all walked towards the main yard.
‘OK, bambine. Team talk.’ Luca gathered the twins to him and hunkered down, causing the denim jeans to tauten over muscled thighs and taut rear, raising Polly’s temperature several degrees. ‘Do you remember what we said about the way to behave around animals and in the stables?’
Two dark heads nodded in agreement. Polly’s throat tightened as she watched the little tableau in front of her…caring father and devoted daughters at once angelic and mischievous. At the moment, the girls wore identical expressions, managing to combine solemn concentration as they watched their father through big brown eyes with the bubbling excitement at what was to come. She wanted to hug them. And Luca.
‘Yes, Papà. We’re to talk quietly and we mustn’t rush around,’ Rosie said, sending her father a sweet smile.
Toni shifted from side to side with pent-up energy. ‘And we do what you and Polly and the horse lady tell us to do.’
‘Good girls.’ Luca straightened and Polly met his gaze, her heart turning over as he winked at her. ‘Let’s go and meet Georgina.’
As they approached the yard office, a young woman c
ame out and told them that Georgina was on the telephone and would be out to greet them shortly. Polly used the few moments to look around her. There had been considerable improvements and upgrading since her last visit, but the core of the place was the same, and memories swamped her.
The yard was busy and Polly remembered what it had been like to work here. How she’d missed these surroundings…being around the horses, even mucking out stables and cleaning tack. If she closed her eyes she could almost capture the familiar scents of leather and saddle soap and neastsfoot oil.
‘All right?’
Polly turned and met Luca’s intense dark gaze, seeing the concern for her in the depths of his eyes. She hadn’t been sure how she would feel revisiting what had been her sanctuary and escape, but…Releasing a shaky breath, she nodded and managed a smile.
‘I’m fine.’
Luca held her gaze a moment longer, then nodded, apparently satisfied.
‘I’m sorry to keep you waiting, Dr d’Azzaro. I won’t be a second.’
Georgie’s voice, long unheard and yet familiar, came from inside the office. Feeling nervous, excited, unsure, Polly missed Luca’s reply. Her thoughts were on Georgina. They hadn’t been friends, exactly. Polly hadn’t had any friends. But Georgina had been the closest to one she’d. Outgoing, self-assured and popular, Georgina had always been kind to her, seeming to understand her need to be around the horses and making her feel welcome as she spent all the time she could there, doing any chores assigned her and earning herself the occasional ride or lesson which she could never otherwise have afforded.
As Georgina stepped out of the office, her attention was focused on Luca and the children. It gave Polly a moment to study her former classmate who was dressed in the ubiquitous jodhpurs, riding boots and a sweatshirt with the riding stable’s monogram on the front. Of average height, Georgina was slim but curvy, with shoulder-length, burnished brown hair and hazel eyes. She certainly didn’t look thirteen years older, Polly thought.
‘We’ll have a look round and introduce you to some ponies to see how you feel, and then we can discuss what you’d like to do riding-wise,’ Georgina suggested, smiling as the twins beamed and clapped their hands with glee.
‘That sounds good, thank you,’ Luca agreed.
Nodding, Georgina turned and looked at Polly, then did a double-take, surprise, disbelief and, finally, delight, crossing her face. ‘My, God! Polly…is that really you?’
‘Hello, Georgie.’ Polly’s throat felt thick with emotion.
Georgie closed the gap between them and enveloped her in a hug. ‘Oh, it’s so good to see you! You look great—barely a day older, damn you! And so pretty,’ she enthused, stepping back a pace to look at her.
‘Oh, I’m just the same old me,’ Polly dismissed, her smile faltering. ‘You, however, look amazing.’
‘Thanks. Luka adds the sparkle—’ She broke off and giggled as she looked at them. ‘My husband, I mean. Luka with a “k”!’ she explained, making them laugh with her and at the same time demonstrating the subtle difference in pronunciation between the two men’s names.
‘How are your parents?’ Polly asked.
‘They’re well, thanks for asking.’ Georgie’s smile was mischievous. ‘It took Dad a while to let go and get used to retire-ment—and to me marrying Luka—but he’s fine now.’
Malcolm Somers had run things with military precision, his fingers on the pulse of everything that went on, and Polly found it hard to imagine him relaxing.
‘They’ll be so delighted to have news of you,’ Georgie said, surprising her anew. ‘We all missed you. Oh, Polly, I had no idea where you’d gone or how to contact you. And I must admit I feared you might never come back,’ she told her, giving her another brief hug. ‘We must arrange to meet and have a really good talk—we have so much to catch up on. OK?’
Polly nodded. It would be good to rekindle a friendship with bubbly, generous Georgie—one of the few people who had been kind to her and of whom she had good memories from the past. ‘I’d like that.’
‘Excellent! As for now, would you like to have a walk around and explore? We’ve made a few changes in the last couple of years.’ A glint appeared in Georgie’s eyes. ‘Do you remember where Long Meadow is?’ she asked, and Polly nodded. ‘Well, you might enjoy a walk down there, too.’
Knowing Polly needed some time alone, Luca reluctantly watched her walk away, then turned his attention to his excited daughters and the purpose of their visit here, following Georgina and the girls into the office for a chat.
‘Three, nearly four isn’t too young to begin riding lessons?’ Luca asked, keen to assess the woman who might well be in charge of the safety of his children.
‘It’s never too young to learn to ride—or swim.’ Georgina smiled and looked at the girls. ‘My father will tell you I was doing both before I could walk! But it very much depends on the child, too. I don’t believe in forcing anyone, but I do believe in supporting and encouraging those who have a natural aptitude or who clearly enjoy it and benefit from it. And it is very soon apparent which children fall into which group.’
Luca nodded, liking her answer. ‘Rosie and Toni have been talking ponies for some time. I thought it best to wait and see how they get on before investing in hats and boots and things of their own.’
‘Very sensible. We have everything they need to begin with.’ She called one of her stable girls, who found the rightsized hats for the twins. Georgina smiled, curiosity in her eyes. ‘It’s fantastic to see Polly. How long has she been back in Cornwall?’
‘Since July, but from what I understand it has been difficult for her, so don’t be too hard on her for not coming to see you before,’ he suggested gently, seeing the play of emotions across Georgina’s expressive face.
‘No. You’re right. As I said, I never expected to see her again. It must have taken a lot for her to come back here. Why did she? What is she doing?’
‘Polly is a GP—an excellent one—and she is working at the Penhally surgery, like me. We only met two weeks ago, but I know she came here when she was young and things were difficult at home.’
‘I felt sad for her. There were rumours and stories about Reg Searle—his drinking, his gambling, his inability to hold down a job or care properly for Polly. She was always so lonely and unhappy,’ Georgina confirmed, breaking Luca’s heart anew. ‘She kept so much to herself, always in the background, losing herself in her books. When she started coming here and clearly enjoyed it, my parents and I did all we could to encourage her. My mother worried constantly that she was so thin, and we wanted to draw her into the family, at least to feed her, but we were afraid of driving her away, depriving her of the very thing she needed.’
Luca watched as Georgina rose to her feet and crossed to a large pinboard, which held hundreds of photos of horses, ponies and riders. Unerringly her hand went to one in particular and she took it down, smiling as she turned around.
‘Polly had one special friend here. I never let on that I knew, or broke her confidence, but I often heard her pouring out her heart to him. It nearly broke mine.’
‘Him?’ Luca experienced an uncomfortable moment of jealousy.
Georgina handed him the photo and he looked down, seeing a thin little girl with untidy long blonde hair, her arms wrapped round the neck of a chestnut pony. ‘Polly…’ He could see the loneliness in her eyes, and if he thought she was tiny now, she had been like a little waif when this photo had been taken.
‘Polly was about thirteen then. The pony, Copper Canyon, was five. I know because my father bought a lovely Irish mare, not knowing she was in foal, and Copper was born on my eighth birthday and given to me. I saw how Polly bonded with him and was happy to share.’
‘Thank you for being such a good friend to her,’ he said, his voice rough.
‘Copper’s twenty-two now, and retired from any ridingschool duties.’
Luca realised the significance for Polly. ‘But he’s here?’
So would he, Luca admitted to himself, as much to make sure Polly was all right as anything else. She had been through a great deal of emotional turmoil in the last few days and he was full of admiration for her courage and resilience, coping with each new surprise while still coming to terms with her past.
The weekend had been both heaven and hell. It was purgatory having Polly in his bed, snuggled up against him and wrapped in his arms. He could breathe in her scent—lilac mingling with her sweet femininity—feel her warmth and fragility, the beat of her heart, but not to be able to touch, kiss and make love to her as he so wanted to was driving him crazy. He had to slip from the bed each morning before she became aware of his aroused state. And he was fed up with cold showers. Yet on the two nights they had been together, he had slept better than he had in years.
Polly was also overcoming whatever hesitancy she had first exhibited with Rosie and Toni. That the twins loved her was obvious, and he thought back to last night when they had begged for her to put them to bed. Polly had looked startled, unsure, and he had feared she would say no, but she had agreed. After clearing up following the night-time bath ritual, he’d stood outside the girls’ room, leaning against the wall. Polly had been a revelation, and he’d discovered a whole new side to her, one which had seen his growing love for her expand even more.
It had been Toni’s turn to select a story and true to form it had both animals and an adventure in it. Polly had surprised and delighted him, displaying a natural gift for storytelling, getting involved and putting on different voices for all the characters. He hadn’t been able to tear himself away, enchanted by this fun side of her soft and gentle nature. The story finished, he’d peeped into the room, and his heart had clenched at the sight of both his girls cuddled up against Polly on Toni’s bed as she had stroked their hair.
‘Mamma died when we were born.’
Rosie’s sleepy words drifted to him and he drew back, holding his breath as he waited for Polly’s reply.
Caroline Anderson, Anne Fraser, Kate Hardy, Margaret McDonagh Page 61