Dreaming of Verona: An enchanting, feel-good holiday romance

by T A Williams

  Alex glanced across to where the two men were still deep in conversation and lowered her voice. ‘And what about you and Michael? How have you and he been getting on today?’

  Suzie answered in guarded tones. ‘I’ve had a great afternoon windsurfing with a friend. What more could a girl ask for?’

  ‘What, indeed?’

  Suzie didn’t meet Alex’s eye.

  Chapter 17

  The week passed very pleasantly, even though the weather was no longer perfect. James went back to the UK, still hopeful that things would work out between him and Alex, while she spent the days at her art course and returned to the hotel each evening positively glowing with enthusiasm. On Thursday Suzie did indeed take the train to the delightful little city of Mantua and spent the day ducking in and out of the vaulted medieval walkways, dodging the showers as she walked around the ancient centro storico. The setting, surrounded on three sides by the broad expanse of lakes carved by the river, could have come straight out of a Shakespeare play, and she couldn’t forget that Romeo himself had been exiled here. The ducal palace and its surroundings were delightful and positively exuding history, from the cobbled streets to the trademark splayed crenellations, and Suzie would have had a wonderful day except for two things.

  None of her attempts to find work had so far amounted to anything and it now seemed definite that her return to England in just over a week would mean a return to unemployment. And, if that wasn’t bad enough, there was also the fact that Michael hadn’t been back in touch since their afternoon on the lake on Monday. He had spent half an hour talking to James that day before coming to say goodbye to her. He looked a bit uncomfortable when she kissed him on the cheeks, but his parting words were heartening.

  ‘I haven’t had an afternoon like that for a long, long time, Suzie. That was lovely, thank you.’

  Since he had freely acknowledged that the sail he had had with Beppe the previous week after the big storm had been awesome, she took this to mean that he was somehow indicating that her presence had meant something to him, not just the windsurfing conditions. She had seen him hesitate, searching for words, but then he just gave her a little smile and waded into the water with his board. As she watched him sail off to where he had left his car she had felt that same lasting sense of regret she had been feeling ever since the evening of the concert, maybe just tempered by the glimmer of hope his comment had aroused in her. Still, she told herself, as she ate a sandwich under a damp parasol in Mantua’s Piazza Sordello, in just over a week there would be a thousand miles between them.

  And that would be that.

  That evening, she and Alex met up for dinner and the mood was sober in spite of the bottle of wine they split between them. Alex had loved every moment of the short course and was looking forward to the day of free painting tomorrow. Suzie could see how much she had enjoyed herself at the Academy and how badly it hurt that she wouldn’t be able to stay on and do the full diploma course. As the meal progressed, she made another attempt to get Alex to see sense.

  ‘That promise you made to your mum, I’ve been thinking about it. I’m sure she can only have meant while you were a little girl. Any mother would want her child to be happy, wouldn’t she? I’m sure you’d be doing the right thing if you decided to tell your dad to stuff it and then stayed on here.’

  Alex looked across the table with a rueful smile on her face. ‘And what would I live on? What would I pay for the course with? Where would I live, for that matter? There’s no way I could continue to stay here in this hotel, or any hotel.’

  ‘Haven’t you got any savings?’ Suzie was amazed.

  ‘There’s less than a thousand pounds in my bank account. My allowance comes in every month and I spend it. It’s as simple as that. That’s what my father expects of me, so I do it. This holiday’s all being charged to the family credit card and my father told me on Sunday that he intends to put a stop on it if ever I disobey him.’

  ‘Bugger.’ Suzie took a mouthful of Prosecco and shook her head sadly. She couldn’t help letting the thought of Lord Capulet, Juliet’s father, come to mind. In his own way, Lord Tedburn was being almost as radical as the man who had ruined his daughter’s life, and unwittingly shortened it, when he told her to obey him or she could hang, beg, starve, die in the streets. Alex’s father wasn’t going that far, but he was still behaving like a tyrant. She reached over and squeezed Alex’s hand, doing her best to be encouraging. ‘It’ll sort itself out.’

  Alex didn’t respond, but her expression showed how little she thought that likely to happen.

  Things began to look a bit more hopeful, at least for Suzie, when she got back to her room and checked her emails. Along with a rejection by a university for a lecturing position, she found one that sounded really rather intriguing. It was from Professor Macgregor-Brown and it contained another invitation to his house – this time to afternoon tea on Saturday. In the email he included these tantalising lines:

  I would like to talk to you about a little project I’ve been working on for some years now. Having met you, I think this might be the perfect moment to embark upon it.

  What, Suzie wondered to herself, could this mean? And why was it significant that he had met her? Did he maybe want to talk about another book about his beloved Shakespeare, or was there likely to be more to it than that? Was he even looking for her collaboration, maybe? Being linked, even in a minor way, to such an iconic name in the world of English literature would be an amazing step up for her and would, without question, increase her chances of finding a position at a UK university. Shaking off her gloom, she went to bed in a more optimistic mood.

  After spending the whole of Friday wandering around Verona looking – with mixed results – for the sycamore trees mentioned in Act One, Scene One of Romeo and Juliet, she returned to the hotel to find Alex on her knees on the terrace, doing her best to sweep up broken pieces of fine china with her bare hands. Worryingly, she was red in the face and there were fresh tears on her cheeks. Suzie went straight across to her.

  ‘Dropped a cup? Never mind, room service will take care of clearing up the bits.’

  Still on her knees, Alex looked up and the anguish on her face was clear to see. ‘Not dropped, smashed.’ She wiped the back of her hand across her eyes. ‘It was a stupid thing to do, but I was so furious, I threw the bloody thing across the terrace.’

  Suzie crouched down and helped her pick up the last pieces of china and then they perched side by side on the slightly damp wicker sofa. The sky was overcast and although it was barely six o’clock, it was already quite dark. The sky matched Alex’s mood.

  ‘It’s just so bloody unfair!’ She retrieved a tissue from her jeans pocket and wiped her eyes angrily. ‘I’ve really loved these last few days at the Academy, and Professor Milanese tells me he thinks I’ve got real talent. He insists I should carry on to the diploma course. I’ve just phoned my father to make one last plea and all that achieved was to make me break a perfectly good cup and saucer.’

  Suzie laid her hand over Alex’s. ‘Still no?’

  ‘Not only a firm no, but strict instructions to be on the flight back to England next Saturday or else he’ll put a stop on my card and my allowance, and I’ll be broke.’ She suppressed a frustrated sob. ‘It’s so unfair.’

  Suzie gave her a reassuring pat on the arm as she reflected on the best course of action. She had no doubt at all what she would do if she were in this position – but then she wouldn’t be breaking a promise made to a dying woman or turning her back on untold wealth. Even so, she told herself, Alex was right. Her father – for whatever reason – was behaving in a heartless way and was demonstrating a total lack of consideration for his daughter’s feelings, hopes and aspirations. However, she kept this firmly to herself for now. This wasn’t her decision to make. It had to come from Alex. She offered a bit of gentle encouragement.

  ‘Maybe if you try talking to him again face-to-face when we get back to England next weekend. You
never know, if he sees you in this sort of state it might finally get through to him how strongly you feel.’

  ‘The course starts the Monday after. I suppose I could miss a few days…’ Alex’s voice tailed off hopelessly. ‘But anyway, there’s no point. He won’t let me do it. Like I’ve told you before – once he’s made his mind up about something, that’s that.’

  Suzie was determined to do her best to shake Alex out of her depression. ‘I could do with a drink. Come on. I’m buying. Let’s go to one of the bars in Piazza delle Erbe.’

  It took a bit of doing but, eventually, she managed to convince Alex to dry her eyes and follow her out into the twilight. By now the market stalls had miraculously disappeared and it was possible to see all the way down to the far end of the square over the heads of the crowds, whose voices echoed around the piazza. A group of Latin American musicians supplied a charming soundtrack of panpipes and drums, lights had come on all round the sides and the mood was romantic – but neither of them was feeling in a romantic mood tonight. Yesterday’s rain had dried up and it was quite a warm evening so they sat under an awning and Suzie did something she had never believed she would ever do again. When the waiter appeared, she ordered two shots of grappa. Then, to be on the safe side, she also ordered two glasses of mineral water. After Alex – at Suzie’s prompting – had downed her glass of the powerful spirit and was gasping for breath, Suzie resumed their conversation.

  ‘So, apart from stopping your credit card and allowance, what else do you think your father might do if you aren’t on that plane next Saturday?’

  ‘He’d be furious, so who knows?’

  ‘But he wouldn’t go all Shakespearian on you, would he?’ The thought of Lord Capulet was still at the forefront of her mind. ‘He wouldn’t disown you or cut you out of your inheritance or banish you or anything of that sort, surely?’

  Alex did her best to smile at the thought, but Suzie could see it was a struggle – grappa or no grappa. ‘I have no idea. I’m sure he wouldn’t go so far as to disown me. Apart from anything else, that would be likely to cause a scandal and he’s far too proud of the family reputation for that. But financially, I suppose he could do anything; maybe even cut me out of the will and leave the lot to Rafe.’

  ‘But you and your brother are close, aren’t you? He’d sort that out if it ever came to it, surely?’

  Alex took a mouthful of water and nodded uncertainly. ‘In theory, yes, but money does funny things to people. I wouldn’t like to count on it. Besides, hopefully my father isn’t going to die any time soon and, in the meantime, I’d be on the breadline.’

  Suzie reflected to herself that ‘the breadline’ to somebody with Alex’s background would probably be not having enough money for First Class and having to slum it in Business Class, but she didn’t comment. Instead, she started doing some hasty mental arithmetic. She knew from her own personal experience how little it was actually possible to live on. If only Alex could find cheap accommodation and maybe even a part-time job. The image of James’s villa with all its empty bedrooms came to mind and she realised that he would no doubt leap to her assistance if she asked for it. But, from what she had said, that wasn’t likely to happen. Still, she risked floating the idea.

  ‘Have you considered asking James if you could stay at his villa? There’s a pretty good bus service to and from Verona. It would mean an hour’s commute each way, but that’s not the end of the world, is it?’

  Alex looked up. ‘And the quid pro quo? He’s a nice guy, but it’s only human nature to want something in return for a favour.’ She shook her head. ‘I couldn’t do it, Suzie. It’s too weird.’

  ‘I still think he’ll understand if you talk to him straight about the way you feel. You are the best of friends, after all, and have been for ages. I’m sure he’d let you stay there if you ask – with no strings.’

  Alex shook her head. ‘There’s another reason it’s a non-starter. If he offers me accommodation, it would be helping me to stay here, which is going against the express wishes of my father. I feel sure my father would then speak to James’s father – and don’t forget, the villa belongs to him – and then, hey presto, I’m kicked out and James is in the shit as well. It’s hopeless.’

  ‘Well, then the answer is to find somewhere dirt cheap here, even if it means getting a part-time job to pay for it.’

  ‘A job? I hardly speak a word of Italian. What sort of job could I get? Not even washing dishes, I expect. And, remember, Italy’s in all sorts of financial trouble these days. I bet it’s almost impossible to find anything.’

  ‘What about asking at the Academy? Couldn’t they help with accommodation?’

  ‘I asked this afternoon. They gave me a list of places, but even the cheapest of rooms would be more than I can afford and I would soon be broke.’ She pulled out a tissue, wiped her eyes and blew her nose before catching Suzie’s eye and shaking her head. ‘It’s no good. He’s won.’

  Suzie’s heart went out to her friend and, as it did so, she realised that Alex really had morphed into a very close friend. And friends need to help friends. She had been mulling the problem over for some days now and had gradually been moving towards a decision. Now, she told herself, it was time to go with it.

  ‘No, he hasn’t won. Listen, he deposited four thousand pounds into my bank account for this month in Italy with you and I’ve hardly spent any of it. If we’re careful, that should give us enough to put down a deposit on a little flat out in the suburbs and survive at least until Christmas. By that time, you’ll know if you want to keep going at the Academy and maybe we might both be able to find jobs. More to the point, if your father sees you getting stuck in and proving you can work hard and stay out of trouble, he might change his tune. I speak reasonable Italian. I’m sure I should be able to find something in hospitality or tourism that would generate enough money to keep us going.’

  Alex’s eyes looked as if they were about to pop out of their sockets. ‘You would do that for me? Suzie, that’s crazy. What about your career? You’re worth so much more than some part-time job. I couldn’t possibly ask you to do something like that for me.’

  ‘I’d be doing it for myself as well. I like Italy. I love Verona. I have nothing to go back to in the UK – at least for now – so why not stay here and see what happens?’ She held up her hand. ‘And before you say it, this isn’t about Michael. I know what the situation is with him and I accept that nothing’s going to happen there – at least not for a long, long time. It’s a pity, but that’s the way it is. No, this is about trying something new and giving a friend a helping hand.’

  Alex threw herself into Suzie’s arms and dissolved into tears. As heads turned towards them, Suzie’s cheeks inevitably started to burn, but she let Alex sob herself to a standstill all the same. When Alex finally raised her head from Suzie’s shoulder, she was still crying, but a smile had formed on her face as well.

  ‘I don’t know what to say, Suzie. Nobody’s ever offered to do something like this for me before, but I can’t accept. It’s just too much to ask of any friend.’

  ‘You can and you must accept. And, apart from anything else, I feel I owe it to you.’

  ‘You owe me?’

  ‘Yes, for misjudging you. I just accepted your father’s verdict on you from the start, without considering how things were from your point of view. That was a big mistake and I’m very sorry. Now that I’ve got to know you, I realise he’s got it all wrong and if I can help to prove that to him, so much the better.’ She gave Alex’s damp cheek a little pat. ‘Like I say, I’m happy to stay here and I know we’re doing the right thing for you… and maybe for me too, who knows?’ She pulled a handful of paper napkins out of the dispenser on the table and passed them across. ‘Here, dry your eyes, drink up and let’s go and eat.’

  ‘Suzie, I can’t thank you enough.’

  ‘Don’t bother. It’s fine, but there’s one stipulation. Promise me you’ll work your socks off and try to be
come the best bloody painter in the world.’

  ‘Better than your Michael?’ Alex managed a little grin.

  ‘He’s not my Michael.’

  ‘Says who?’

  ‘Says Michael.’

  Chapter 18

  Next morning at breakfast, Alex showed Suzie the email she intended to send to her father outlining her plans and informing him that she was fully prepared for whatever retaliatory measures he might decide to adopt. The email made it clear that Alex knew she would have to do this without his money or his help, but she had decided to put her future career ahead of his wishes. She even included the line I’m sure this is what Mother would have wanted if she had still been alive. Suzie was also impressed that Alex insisted upon getting her to go through it line by line with her, adding and subtracting as she saw fit. There was no doubt about it. This relationship, which had started on such rocky foundations, had blossomed into real friendship and Suzie had no doubts about the wisdom of what the two of them were setting out to do. Alex needed to realise her potential, and friends need to help friends.

  Alex then went on to prove that she wasn’t as wet behind the ears as her father might think.

  ‘While the credit card’s still functioning, I’ve already paid for the full academic year online this morning so Father won’t be able to stop that. And I’m not going to send him the email until Monday, so if there’s anything you want, just say the word and we’ll get it for you this weekend.’

  Suzie grinned at her. ‘I’ve got all I need, thanks.’ In fact, now that she had taken the decision to stay on in Verona there was one thing she did intend to buy, but it was only fair for her to use her own money. This was a wetsuit. She would be happy to keep using borrowed windsurfing kit, either from James or from Michael – if he ever contacted her again, and it had been five days now – but, with winter on the way, she knew she would need a good warm suit if she wanted to be able to carry on sailing.