by T A Williams
‘I haven’t made up my mind. Probably another two or three days.’
‘And then where are you heading?’
‘Suzie, where would you like to go next?’
Suzie was quite taken aback to be consulted. This was just about the first time Alex had asked for her opinion on anything. Things were definitely looking up. She gave Alex a big smile as she replied.
‘Before I went to university I spent some time in Tuscany but I’ve never been to this region. Venice is fabulous but – I don’t know if your father told you – the place I’ve been dreaming of has to be Verona. After all, it’s not that far from here.’
Rafe looked mildly surprised. ‘Why Verona in particular?’
‘All sorts of reasons; history, culture, scenery, but mainly Shakespeare.’
‘Shakespeare?’ Brother and sister responded in unison and Suzie found herself grinning.
‘I’ve always been fascinated by Shakespeare and by the fact that he set no fewer than ten of his plays in Italy, not counting his ancient Roman plays like Julius Caesar or Coriolanus. And Verona pops up in a number of them, most importantly The Two Gentlemen of Verona and, of course, Romeo and Juliet. Who wouldn’t want to visit the setting of what’s been called the greatest love story ever told?’
A beaming smile spread across Alexandra’s face. ‘Then that’s your answer, Rafe. Next stop, Verona.’
He was also smiling by this time. ‘Excellent. A happy coincidence. Father was talking to James’s father before I left and he’s invited you to stay at their villa. It’s on Lake Garda and he says it’s less than half an hour from Verona. It’s right by the water and there’s a pool. Sound good?’
From the expression that appeared on Alexandra’s face, this idea didn’t sound good at all.
‘Oh God, Rafe, do we have to?’ The familiar petulant note was back in her voice. ‘You know I’m trying to stay away from him.’
‘Come on, Alex, you’ve known him for years. As kids you were inseparable. Besides, he’ll be there with a bunch of your friends. You’d enjoy that, wouldn’t you?’
Alexandra snorted. ‘The thing is, you know what he’s like. All he’ll want to do is to proposition me again.’ She glared across the table at her brother. ‘I’ve lost count of the number of times he’s asked me to marry him and I’ve said no. Most recently at my going-away party in London the other night. Everything was going swimmingly and then he comes up to me and tells me he can’t live without me. It totally spoilt my night. Can’t the man take a hint? Marriage is all he talks about, apart from when he’s talking about sailing, shotguns and bloody pheasants.’
‘Well, Father thinks it’s a wonderful idea.’ There might even have been a flicker of sympathy in Rafe’s eyes now. ‘You know he and James’s father fully approve of the idea of the two of you getting together.’
‘For God’s sake!’ Alexandra’s snort of anger was loud enough to attract the attention of a number of other diners and Suzie glanced across at her with an admonitory shake of the head. It worked and Alex grimaced, but lowered her voice. ‘Suzie, you might have thought that arranged marriages were just the preserve of the Indian subcontinent, mightn’t you? Well, you’d be wrong.’
Suzie thought it best not to respond. She had been trying to remember which of Alex’s friends had been introduced to her as James back in Knightsbridge, but there had been so many of them. Just about the only man’s name she remembered was Tommy, the birthday boy.
‘Don’t be silly, Alex. He isn’t trying to marry you off. He only wants what’s best for you.’ Even Rafe himself must have heard the insincerity in his own voice.
The expression on Alexandra’s face made clear the disdain with which she chose to treat that comment. ‘As long as it’s what’s best for him.’
Fortunately the uncomfortable silence that followed was interrupted by the arrival of a waiter bearing a silver platter piled high with risotto, laced with pieces of prawns and scallops. It tasted as good as it looked. As Suzie came to the end of her helping and refused the offer of any more, she decided to introduce a lighter note to the evening.
‘Are you coming out for a walk around Venice with us before bed, Rafe? You’re only here for such a short time, you need to see as much as possible.’
He looked up from his food and shook his head. ‘Maybe a quick drink somewhere. I’ve got an early start in the morning and a long day ahead of me.’ He glanced across at his sister. ‘Father wants me to have lunch with his lawyers in London.’ He finished his risotto and took a mouthful of wine. ‘But, seeing as I’m not in Venice every day, then maybe I should at least have a quick look round.’
‘I know, why don’t we go for a cocktail at Harry’s Bar?’ Alex was looking and sounding more enthusiastic now. ‘You know, the place where Hemingway used to drink. What about it, Suzie? Are you in?’
Suzie felt conflicting emotions. On the one hand, she was pleased to be included in the decision-making process, however, on the other hand, she had a feeling the Hemingway place might be posh and she wasn’t sure if the dress she was wearing would be sufficiently smart.
‘That would be lovely, but I’m not sure I look presentable enough.’ She felt Rafe’s eyes on her and flushed as Alexandra reassured her.
‘Don’t be so silly, Suzie. You look fine, more than fine.’ This was the first time Suzie had heard anything even vaguely approaching a compliment emerge from Alexandra’s lips.
‘Yes, you do indeed.’ Suzie’s blushes intensified as she heard Rafe add his support. ‘That’s a beautiful dress, and you’re looking lovely.’
‘Well, if you’re sure…’
The rest of the meal was as excellent as the first courses. Suzie and Alexandra refused any meat and chose turbot, cooked with lemon and coriander. Rafe, as predicted by his sister, opted for a massive T-bone steak and demolished it with obvious enjoyment. He drank Barolo, but he insisted upon ordering a bottle of really good white for the girls to have with their fish and Suzie couldn’t fault his choice. It was a Soave from near Verona and Rafe pointed out that this was a very good sign. If the wine was this good in Verona, he informed them both, then it was definitely where they should go – James or no James.
By the time Suzie reached her dessert of pistachio soufflé with white chocolate ice cream and a mango coulis, she was beginning to regret agreeing to go to for a walk, having serious doubts as to whether she would be able to raise herself from her seat at the end of the meal after all she had eaten and drunk. But, with the aid of a strong espresso coffee, she managed it.
Outside, it was still warm, although night had fallen and a light breeze was blowing in off the sea. As they walked along the water’s edge towards St Mark’s Square, Suzie found herself smiling. Her stay in Italy looked like it wasn’t, after all, going to be curtailed and, even better, her irascible companion was showing definite signs of warming to her. She breathed deeply as she looked across the waters of the Grand Canal towards the twinkling lights on the other side. Yes, it was good to be here and, before long, she would finally realise her dream of visiting the setting of the greatest love story ever told.
Chapter 5
Next morning, after a very light breakfast, Suzie decided to take the vaporetto across to the Lido and go for a swim. There was no sign of Rafe, and Alexandra hadn’t surfaced yet, so Suzie texted her to say where she was going and went out. It was another fine, cloudless day and last night’s breeze had died away completely. The trip across the lagoon to the long thin island between Venice and the sea was a delight and she spent the whole time at the stern of the ferryboat, looking back in awe at the jumble of terracotta roofs, cupolas and towers of this unique city on the water. The water itself was alive with all manner of craft from an absolutely massive ocean-going cruise ship to fishing boats, yachts and the iconic gondolas. Although she was still dreaming of going to Verona, she had to admit that Venice took some beating.
The southern side of the Lido was a long strip of sand and she easily
found the immaculately raked piece of private beach belonging to the hotel. She was escorted to a sunbed and parasol where she slipped out of her dress and left it in the shade, tucking her glasses into her bag and pushing it safely out of the way inside the rolled-up towel. She hopped gingerly over the already hot sand to the sea where she was pleasantly surprised to find the water warm. There weren’t many people about at this time of the morning and it was delightful to be able to wade in and float about lazily, swimming a few strokes and then lying back, gazing up at the sky.
As she was slowly making her way back to the shore another swimmer came out past her, head buried as he did a stylish front crawl that took him far out to sea. When she reached the shallows, she sat down with the water up to her waist, and settled back on her elbows, idly playing with little blue shells she retrieved from the sandy seabed.
Twenty minutes later, the man who had passed her returned from his energetic swim and waded the last few metres to the shore, emerging from the water. Without her glasses and with the sun behind him, she couldn’t see the features of his face too clearly, but what she could make out of his body was impressive. She was surreptitiously counting the ridges of muscle across his abdomen as he came past when she saw him glance across at her, do a double take and then stop. Unexpectedly, he spoke to her in English.
‘Good morning. You’re the Prosecco girl, aren’t you?’
Suzie blinked in surprise, feeling suddenly very exposed with just a few ounces of cloth covering her body.
‘I’m not sure what you mean…’ Although she did.
‘The Prosecco-in-the-face girl, the other night in the restaurant. I was a couple of tables away from you and I saw and heard the whole thing.’
Suzie was unsurprised to feel her cheeks glowing – not just from the early autumn sunshine. ‘That was me, all right. I hope the commotion didn’t put you off your food.’
‘Not at all. I was alone and bored. Your friend’s exploits made me smile… although I imagine the same can’t be said for you.’ He hesitated before moving a few steps towards her and she took a better look at him, instantly registering that he was way out of her league. Apart from the fact that he was presumably a guest in their five-star hotel – which she most certainly couldn’t have afforded under normal circumstances – he was tall and good-looking in a careless way and she felt sure he wouldn’t have been interested in somebody as ordinary as her. Besides, she noted, there was a wedding ring on his finger. She nodded to herself. Like all the good ones, he was pretty clearly already taken. She suppressed a silent sigh and introduced herself.
‘I’m Suzie. I’m here as companion to the girl who threw the wine over me.’
‘Michael. I’m pleased to meet you.’
He leant forward and held out his hand. As she shook it formally, rather incongruously as they were both half-naked, she felt a little shiver of attraction run through her body that she immediately did her best to suppress. Apart from being in another league, he was a married man, after all. She did her best to keep the conversation low-key.
‘Are you British? You sound it. And are you here on holiday?’
‘Yes, and no. I am British, but I’m here on business.’ He stepped back as if regretting getting so close and, for the first time, she noticed the dark rings and a network of lines around his eyes. Clearly something was bothering him and she felt an immediate spark of sympathy. He squatted down at the water’s edge, a non-intimidating distance from her, and, after a few seconds, addressed her once more. ‘And you and your companion? Business or pleasure?’
‘Pleasure. We’re on a four-week Italian holiday. And I’m pleased to be able to tell you that Alex and I have buried the hatchet and we’re friends again.’
‘So this means your holiday’s back on track and you can settle down and enjoy yourself. I’m very happy for you. And the hotel we’re in is about as good as it gets.’
‘I know, but…’ She turned towards him and concentrated on his face rather than his well-honed body, noticing that his eyes were the exact same pale-blue colour as the sea here by the shore. ‘To be totally honest, it’s all a bit much.’ She hesitated, well aware that he was apparently living the good life every bit as much as Alexandra and her brother. ‘I’m just not used to all this.’ She waved vaguely back in the direction of the hotel. ‘Forgive the pun, but I feel a bit of a fish out of water.’
A little grin spread across his face and it took years off him. Then he surprised her. ‘You and me both.’
‘You?’ She couldn’t keep the amazement out of her voice. ‘But surely if you’re staying in our hotel… How come you feel you don’t belong?’
‘Firstly, I’m only in the hotel because somebody else is paying for it. I shudder to think what it’s all costing.’
‘On business, you said? May I ask what it is you do?’
‘I’m an artist. I’ve been commissioned to paint the portrait of a very beautiful lady at the request of her very wealthy fiancé. I’m afraid I’m not at liberty to reveal his, or her, identity. He chose the hotel and he’s picking up the tab and I’m not complaining.’
One thought was uppermost on Suzie’s mind. She was genuinely surprised that an artist could be doing so well. If the accommodation provided for him was five-star, goodness only knew how much he was being paid for the portrait. He must be very, very good at his job. She did her best not to sound too amazed as she replied.
‘So we’re both impostors. That does wonders for my self-confidence. I thought I was the only pauper here among the princes.’
‘Don’t you believe it. And we’re not the only ones, I’m sure. Very few people have the money of my current employer or yours.’ He caught her eye momentarily. ‘Besides, you look like a princess, even if you haven’t got the bank balance to match.’ After speaking, he hastily looked away again, as if regretting the compliment.
As her cheeks coloured once again, Suzie felt a little shiver of disapproval. This was quite evidently flattery, and a little bit flirty at that, and he was a married man. And her sense of right and wrong knew what it thought about that. Maybe this handsome Englishman was no better than two-timing Carlo. Fortunately, before she got round to reacting, a shadow fell across them and she heard Alexandra’s voice.
‘Hi, Suzie. Is the water warm?’
Suzie looked up with a feeling of relief. The thaw in Alexandra’s demeanour didn’t appear to have dwindled overnight.
‘Hi, Alex. The water’s like a warm bath. This is Michael. He’s staying in our hotel.’
As Alex made her tentative way into the shallows to shake hands with Michael, Suzie studied the bikini she was wearing in awe. It was tiny, really tiny, and it left little to the imagination. It wasn’t that it was obscene, but to describe it as minimal was to overstate its dimensions. No doubt it had cost a fortune and Suzie found herself reflecting that the price of designer clothes, just like designer food, was often in inverse proportion to the quantities involved.
Seeing Alex dressed like this, leaning down to shake hands with Michael, suddenly aroused an unexpected feeling in Suzie. She could only explain it as jealousy. Why she should feel jealous about Alex and a married man they had only just met was something her subconscious refused to consider – at least for now – and she did her best to shrug the thought away as Michael replied.
‘Good morning. Suzie’s been telling me you two are on a wonderful holiday. Are you staying in Venice for long?’
Alex shook his hand and settled down into the water with an appreciative sigh. ‘A few more days and then we’re off to Verona.’
‘Ah, my favourite city in all Italy.’ Suzie was pleased to see him looking and sounding more animated. The worry lines around his eyes were smoothed by his smile and, whether he was married or not, Suzie couldn’t help another surge of attraction. ‘Have you been before?’ Both girls shook their heads. ‘Well, you’ve got a treat in store.’
‘Michael’s an artist. He’s here to paint the portrait of somebo
dy rich and famous, but he can’t tell us her name. All very secretive.’ Suzie saw renewed interest on Alex’s face.
‘How exciting. And where’s your studio? Are you based in the UK or Italy?’
‘Over here now. I’ve got a place in the hills a couple of hours’ drive away – not far from Verona in fact.’
‘That all sounds idyllic.’
‘Idyllic, yes…’ The bleak expression that appeared on his face for a split second was at odds with his words and was unmistakable. It was patently clear that all was not well with him. As if realising he had given himself away, Michael pushed himself to his feet and bade them both farewell.
‘Anyway, I’m afraid I have to leave you now. I need to get some work done before this afternoon’s session. I may see you again if you’re planning on eating at the hotel tonight.’
Suzie saw Alex drag her eyes off Michael’s body and glance across at her in mock desperation. ‘Oh God, don’t mention food after the massive feast we had last night. What do you think, Suzie? Shall we try the hotel restaurant again?’ She grinned. ‘I promise not to throw any wine around this time.’
Suzie smiled back and agreed, looking forward to seeing Michael again this evening, although she decided she had better warn Alex that he was married first just in case she had designs upon him. When all was said and done, she reflected, that ring on his finger would at least prevent her and Alex from coming to blows about the same man – although if it were to come to a contest, Suzie knew she wouldn’t stand a chance anyway. It was hard to compete with unlimited wealth, beauty and a bikini as tiny as hers.
‘I look forward to it. Goodbye, Michael.’
‘It was good to meet you, Suzie.’ For a second their eyes met. ‘Really good.’
After he had left, Alex waited until he was out of earshot and then gave Suzie a broad grin.
‘I thought you said Verona was the city of love. Venice seems to be working well for you. I wonder what Juliet would have made of your Michael.’