Dreaming of Verona: An enchanting, feel-good holiday romance
Page 18
Alex passed her iPad over and Suzie read the email carefully. There was no doubt that he was annoyed, angry even, but she was pleased to see that he made no dire threats to throw her out of the family or anything equally draconian. He repeated his warnings about cutting off Alex’s money supply and it was clear that he assumed this would mean a rapid return to the fold for a chastened daughter once the cold hard reality of poverty struck home. Suzie glanced up from the screen.
‘To be honest, it’s not as bad as I was fearing. Yes, he’s annoyed, but we’re certainly a long way away from anything too Shakespearian.’
‘Wait for it. Did you see what he says at the bottom? Rafe’s on his way over on Wednesday; no doubt to give me the third degree.’
Suzie did her best to sound supportive and optimistic. ‘That’s all right. You can explain everything to him and he’ll understand, I’m sure.’
‘I wish I had your confidence.’
Suzie took the bus down to Bardolino in the afternoon and spent two hours talking to the professor about their new project. When he finally indicated that he was feeling a bit tired, she stood up to go and he made a suggestion.
‘You’ve been sitting down all afternoon, Suzie. Why don’t you go for a walk?’
Suzie glanced at her watch and shook her head. ‘The last bus is in fifteen minutes. I need to catch that and then I’ll have a walk around Verona this evening.’
‘Don’t worry about that. I’ve been thinking about the buses. It’s very awkward for you to have to spend so much time on the bus in order to come and see me. I don’t really like driving any more, but my car’s in the garage and it’s still insured. Why don’t you borrow it and use it for travelling to and fro?’ Seeing the expression on her face, he continued. ‘Really, I don’t use it at all these days and it would make me feel better about asking you to keep coming here to see me. You can drive, can’t you?’
‘Well, yes, but I can’t take your car…’
‘It’s not being used. Take it.’ He smiled. ‘Now that that’s settled, I think I’ll go and have a little snooze. Would you like to take Dogberry with you on your walk? He so rarely gets a chance to stretch his legs these days, now that I’m less mobile. He pulls a bit on the lead, but he’s not too bad.’
Suzie and the dog had a lovely walk. After a bit of a tug of war to start with, she soon reached an agreement with him that he wouldn’t try to pull her arms out of their sockets as long as she let him stop, sniff and mark interesting spots along the way. They had never had a dog at home, but she soon got the hang of it – even the little poo bags – and she enjoyed the company. The sky was quite overcast today and the wind had picked up again. She tried to remember the name of the afternoon wind blowing from south to north, but she had forgotten. There were a number of kite and windsurfers out on the water and she stopped for a rest on a bench and watched them while the dog sat at her side, leaning heavily against her knee and panting. It was a delightful scene with the multicoloured sails and kites standing out clearly against the dark hillsides beyond. She was totally unsurprised to realise that her eyes were searching for Michael, but it was impossible to recognise anybody at this distance.
As she returned to the professor’s house, she stopped off at James’s villa to say hello to Roberto and Rosa and found herself invited in for tea and homemade biscuits. Dogberry was delighted to be offered a whole biscuit all to himself, although it disappeared down his throat without him making any attempt to pause and savour the taste. Roberto repeated James’s offer to use the windsurfing kit and informed her that he had had an email that morning informing him that James and some friends were coming over later in the week. Suzie’s ears pricked up and she resolved to let Alex know. Maybe this would provide the opportunity for her to finish her conversation with him. Also, it suddenly occurred to her, it might mean a return visit from Tommy. How, she wondered, would she react to seeing him again?
The professor’s car proved to be ideal. She had been slightly worried that it might turn out to be some massive old classic car, but in fact it was a fairly new Mini. She had learnt to drive in just such a car and so it felt really quite familiar, even though the steering wheel was on the other side. She bade farewell to Mack and the dog and drove back without incident, arriving at the hotel in the gathering dusk. A porter came out, relieved her of the keys and took the car off to the hotel’s private garage so that Suzie was able to stroll into the hotel feeling quite relaxed. Needless to say, in a few days’ time, once they had been forced to give up this expensive hotel, she felt sure she wouldn’t find parking so easy. She remembered Michael telling them how hot the police were and how hefty the fines could be, but for now, that wasn’t a problem.
When she got up to Alex’s room, she found her looking concerned, but not downhearted.
‘My father’s sent me no fewer than five emails today and we’ve spent half an hour on the phone. Like he said before, he’s going to put a stop on all money – including the card – as soon as Saturday comes along if I’m not on the plane home. I’ve tried and tried to make him understand how badly I want to do this, but I get the impression he’s backed himself into a corner and he’s not a man who likes admitting he’s wrong. Anyway, although he’s sure I’ll come running home with my tail between my legs, it sounds as if he’s not too terribly angry any more. In fact, his last words to me on the phone were for me to look after myself and take care.’
‘Well, that’s good to hear. And here’s something else you need to hear – James is coming over later this week. I stopped off at the villa and Roberto told me.’
Alex nodded. ‘I know. He sent me a text. He’s coming over with a couple of others and we both know who’s going to be with them – Rafe.’
Suzie smiled sympathetically. ‘Sounds like you’re going to have your work cut out this week. Still, that means you can get all the talking out of the way before your course starts next Monday.’
‘Oh, and I’ve had a reply from Michael at last. He’s been in Switzerland for a portrait commission.’ She gave Suzie a grin. ‘So he wasn’t trying to avoid me… or you.’
‘I never thought that for a second.’ She avoided Alex’s eye. ‘Did he say anything special?’
Alex shook her head. ‘Sorry, not really. Just wished me luck with the course and asked me to say hi to you.’
Hi. That was pretty much what Suzie had been expecting, but it was disappointing all the same. Still, doing her best to sound confident, she launched into a report of her afternoon, including the walk with the dog and the drive home. Alex didn’t comment any more about Michael, and Suzie was glad.
* * *
Rafe arrived early on Wednesday evening with James and along with them was Tommy. All three greeted Suzie with kisses on the cheeks and she felt distinct warmth from Tommy. This display of affection had the inevitable result and she felt the colour rush to her face.
They all went out for dinner together and, as it had been a sunny day with little wind, it was very comfortable to sit outside one of the restaurants opposite the imposing bulky outline of the Arena. As they ate, they chatted, mainly about uncontroversial matters like Alex’s first Italian/English conversation exchange with Beppe and his wife, which had ended with red wine and lasagne. At least, Alex explained with a grin, even if her Italian prowess had a long way to go, she had apparently found an abundant source of excellent free food.
As this meal progressed, Rafe finally came to the point.
‘Father’s hopping mad, Al. Are you still dead set on doing this art thing?’
Alex nodded. ‘Yes, Rafe, it’s all been decided.’
‘Even though father’s said no.’
‘Afraid so. I’ve finally found something I’m good at and I know the right thing’s for me to do the course.’ She looked across at her brother. ‘I’m sorry Father’s taken it the way he has, but I’m not a child any more. I have my own life to live.’
‘You know he’s going to stop your allowance?’
Rafe turned his attention towards Suzie. The expression on his face was hard to read – part curiosity, part respect. ‘I must say it’s great that you’re going to be here alongside Alex. Father’s very pleased, I know. So, what’s the job? Does this mean you’re going to be staying on in Verona indefinitely?’
Suzie gave them a brief summary of the professor’s proposal and she spotted particular interest on Tommy’s face. When she reached the end of her exposé, he surprised her by being the first to react.
‘That sounds amazing, Suzie. You never know, I may be one of your first customers.’ He then went on to tell her that he had come out of the army a year earlier and was now studying for a PhD in American Studies at Nottingham University, and the subject of his doctoral thesis was none other than Ernest Hemingway, for whom Italy had inspired such classics as A Farewell to Arms. Suzie looked at him with increased interest. Good looks, money and a brain added up pretty much to the complete package. And if he was still hooked on her, how did this make her feel? Doing her best to banish any such conjecture – at least for now – she summoned her most enthusiastic voice.
‘Terrific, Tommy. Make sure you spread the word throughout your university. Give me your email address and I’ll let you know how things progress.’
‘I’ll tell everybody and I guarantee I’ll be here, knocking on your door, as soon as the research centre’s up and running.’ His eyes caught hers for a moment and she couldn’t miss the eagerness in them – not necessarily for the research centre.
‘I’ll look forward to seeing you.’ And she realised she meant it.
‘So you’re going to be here over the winter, Suzie?’ James sounded pleased. ‘I’ll be coming back as often as I can to see Alex. Hopefully we can get out on the lake for a windsurf together again. And of course there’s your friend, Michael. He’s hooked on windsurfing as well.’
Suzie just smiled and nodded, unsure if she would ever see Michael again – or, indeed, whether James would in fact be coming back to see Alex once she had explained the way she really felt about him.
Rafe and Alex continued to talk about her decision to stay in Verona and by the end of the meal Suzie got the impression that her brother had finally got the message that she was serious. While the others talked, Tommy devoted his attention to Suzie, asking her more about the research centre and then chatting more generally. At one point, she caught Alex’s eye and saw her nod imperceptibly in his direction and wink at Suzie, who realised what she was signalling. There could be little doubt that handsome Tommy fancied her. As the thought crossed her mind, she saw Alex grin and the inevitable blushes flooded Suzie’s face.
The three men were all staying at James’s villa and, as they left, Suzie could see the regret in James’s eyes that he had to abandon Alex in Verona. He insisted that the two of them come to the villa the next day and offered to send Roberto in the Rolls but, seeing as Suzie had a meeting with the professor in the morning, she said she would come in the Mini, drop Alex off at ten o’clock and then join them for lunch after her session with Mack.
Just as Suzie got back to her room, her phone bleeped and she was surprised and delighted to see that it was a text from Michael. So maybe he hadn’t forgotten about her after all.
Hi Suzie. Good forecast for tomorrow. Fancy a windsurf? Afternoon probably best. Michael.
She read it through a few times. One thing was perfectly clear: there was nothing in the message that even vaguely hinted at any kind of connection between them apart from friendship. She felt a little stab of disappointment, but hastily did her best to suppress it as she replied.
Great. I’m having lunch at James’s villa. Shall we meet at his jetty at, say, 3? S
She specifically avoided inserting a little x before the S. As she dropped the phone and sat back, a thought crossed her mind. If the text had been from Tommy, would he have included a little x? The answer was almost certainly yes.
Chapter 20
Suzie and Alex drove to Bardolino on Thursday morning through light rain and, as the lake came into view, the grey clouds ringing it confirmed what she had already suspected. When Michael had talked about a good forecast, he hadn’t meant it in the traditional sense. To a mad keen windsurfer, sunshine was unimportant. What counted was the wind and, by the look of it, it was going to turn out to be a good afternoon for a sail. She had brought her newly purchased wetsuit with her and looked forward to trying it out. Hopefully it would keep her warm over the next few months when the water temperature would begin to plummet as autumn turned into winter.
She left the car and Alex at the villa and made her way to the professor’s house next door where she received a rapturous welcome from the big black dog and a warm, but slightly less energetic, greeting from the professor, who was looking a bit weary today. She and Mack had a good planning session over fresh coffee and Paolina’s homemade biscuits – with Dogberry snoring at their feet – and the time flew by. It was almost half past twelve when she returned to James’s place.
Everything appeared fairly normal at the villa and, for a moment, she wondered if Alex’s nerve had deserted her at the last moment. The rain had stopped some time ago and the sky was clearing fast. James was out on the lawn, practising putting with Tommy, while Rafe was sitting down at the end of the jetty, looking out over the lake, his phone clamped to his ear. They all looked happy enough, but there was no sign of Alex at first. Then, just as Suzie was starting to get worried, the sitting room door opened and Alex appeared. There was a smile on her face – not a broad smile, but nonetheless a smile.
‘Alex, hi.’ Suzie glanced round to check that James and the others were still outside before lowering her voice. ‘Did you set him straight, and how did he take it?’
‘I told him, but it was water off a duck’s back. He told me he loved me – seriously, that’s the word he used – and he didn’t care. I’m the only woman for him and he feels sure that sooner or later I’m going to realise that too, so he’s prepared to hang about for as long as it takes.’ She shook her head slowly. ‘I don’t know what else to do. It’s like having a little dog. I’m sure I could kick him and he’d still come trotting along after me.’
‘Wow! That’s impressive.’ Suzie shot Alex a little grin. ‘I’m sure Shakespeare would have approved. That sounds like good old-fashioned infatuation. You’ve got to admire his commitment. You’ll have him lurking around in the bushes beneath your window before long.’ Her grin broadened as she made a little alteration to one of the most famous quotations from her beloved Romeo and Juliet.
‘“But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?
It is the east, and Alex is the sun.”’
She was still grinning as a voice interrupted their conversation.
‘Hi Suzie, how did it go with the grumpy old professor?’
They both turned their heads in unison to find James at the French doors with a putter in his hand. Behind him was Tommy, and a smile lit up his face as he spotted Suzie. This only served to redden her cheeks and she turned away in frustration. At the same time she found herself questioning why his smile should affect her in this way. How was she supposed to react? How did she want to react? To further confuse her, both he and James came over and kissed her on the cheeks. As Tommy stepped back again, he was still smiling and she was still blushing.
How much James might have heard of her doctored quotation was hard to tell, but he continued as if he hadn’t a care in the world.
‘Hi Suzie, Alex tells me you’re going windsurfing this afternoon with your friend Michael. All right if Tommy and I tag along?’
‘Absolutely, guys, that sounds great. And the
professor’s not in the least bit grumpy. I find myself thinking of him as the brainy grandfather I never had.’
James went across to Alex and stretched his arm affectionately around her shoulders. ‘Pity you aren’t interested in trying it, Alex. I’d love to teach you.’
She shook her head at the idea of windsurfing. ‘No thanks. Neither Rafe nor I have ever had any great interest in water – unless you count lying on a beach and swimming in the lovely warm sea like we did back in Venice.’
Suzie glanced down towards the jetty where Rafe was still talking on his phone. He was turned side-on to them and she could see he wasn’t smiling any more.
‘That looks like a serious phone call.’
Tommy answered for them. ‘In the words of the Bard, they’re “star-cross’d lovers”. He’s having girl trouble.’ He grinned. ‘Or, rather, his problems aren’t with the girl, but because of the girl.’
Suzie exchanged glances with Alex. This was the first time she had heard of Rafe’s girlfriend. Alex added a brief comment.
‘I’ll tell you all about it later on, Suzie. He’s just spent all morning telling me.’ She smiled ruefully as she slowly shook her head. ‘Definitely one for your Mr Shakespeare.’
Suzie was intrigued, but at that moment Roberto appeared and announced that lunch was served.
It came as no surprise to her to find Tommy seated alongside her, very attentive and very talkative. He kept offering her more wine but, with the prospect of windsurfing that afternoon, she limited herself to just one glass of the very good red. After another excellent lunch, this time of mushroom risotto followed by bistecca alla milanese – thin slices of beef fried in breadcrumbs and accompanied by roast fennel dusted with Parmesan – they retired to the living room for coffee. By now the northerly Pelèr wind had changed to the Ora and was blowing from the south and, from what Suzie could see of the white-capped waves further out, it promised to be a really good afternoon on the water. As she sipped her coffee, she glanced across at Rafe, who had been unusually silent over lunch. From the strained expression on his face, it was clear to see that all was not well in paradise.