by T A Williams
Although it had been getting ever colder day by day since mid-November, and there was frost in the air this afternoon, she and Dogberry had a lovely walk. It was a dry day and the air was clear. Walking along the lakeside, she could see the considerable quantities of fresh snow cloaking the mountaintops and for the first time it occurred to her that she might be able to go skiing or snowboarding this winter. She had had a couple of skiing holidays with Rob in the past and had enjoyed herself immensely. This reminded her of the skis she had spotted amid all the other junk underneath Michael’s studio. However, once she had started thinking about him, she found it hard to stop. By this time she and the dog were almost level with the narrow lane leading up to his house and so, on impulse, she set off up the hill, soon identifying a path that led them away from the road and through the vines.
She was boiling by the time they reached his house and the dog was panting like a steam train. She stopped by the gate and looked into the courtyard. A flashy-looking Mercedes with Swiss plates was parked there and it was pretty clear that the rental agency had been doing their job well and had wasted no time. She glanced across at the studio, but it was all locked up. Presumably Michael had decided not to include it in the rental agreement. She hoped any local burglars wouldn’t get wind of this as there were no doubt some valuable paintings in there. She stood there for a few minutes, looking across the courtyard to the vineyards – the bare vines now surrounded by a copper-coloured mass of fallen leaves at their feet – and down as far as the lake, her mind remembering how much she had enjoyed that one day she had spent here. Finally, with a shrug, she turned and set off back down the hill again, sadly reflecting that this might well be the very last time she would ever come here.
Back at the lakeside she stopped for a rest and sat down on a bench. Now that most of the leaves had fallen, the view out over the water to the mountains beyond was uninterrupted and she savoured the scene, although she couldn’t rid herself of the familiar sense of regret for what might have been. A moment or two later, she felt a big heavy canine head land on her thigh and she looked down into soulful brown eyes.
‘Ciao, Dogberry. Enjoy the walk?’
His head didn’t move and his eyes remained fixed on hers.
‘I wish he was here, dog.’ She let her hand rest on his big hairy head and stroked him softly. ‘I really do.’
* * *
James arrived early on Saturday morning to collect them both and bring them back to the villa for the weekend. When he saw Alex, his eyes lit up and he kissed her warmly on the lips and, as far as Suzie could see, Alex managed to respond. There didn’t appear to be any risk of a repetition of her nausea from before. Whether this signified any significant development in their relationship remained to be seen.
It was a very cold day and the sides of the roads were white with frost, but the heavy car was sure-footed. Suzie glanced up at the cupola on top of the sanctuary of Nostra Signora di Lourdes on the hill to their right and saw that it already had a light covering of snow. It was the end of November and winter was very definitely not far away down here, and no doubt was already in full swing in the high mountains. She was quite relieved to hear James say that there was no wind at the lake and so he had no intention of going windsurfing that day. The very prospect made her shiver.
When they got to the villa, Rafe was waiting with a surprise for them both. Alongside him was a very pretty dark-haired girl with a smile on her face. Alex went over and hugged both of them, after which Rafe greeted Suzie and introduced his companion.
‘Suzie, this is Melanie, my fiancée.’
Both Alex and Suzie did a double take as they heard this, and Suzie saw James smiling as the secret was revealed.
‘You’re going to be married?’ Alex got there first. ‘That’s tremendous. I’m so, so happy for you guys.’ And she hugged them both warmly. Suzie waited until she had released them before adding her congratulations.
‘I’m delighted for you both. How exciting! Have you named the day?’
Melanie shook her head. ‘That all rather depends…’
Suzie and Alex exchanged glances. No prizes for guessing the identity of the potential stumbling block.
‘So you’ve spoken to Father?’ Alex was hanging onto her brother’s arm, looking up anxiously at him. ‘How did he take it?’
Rafe sighed. ‘How do you think? I’m the worst son in the history of the world, I’m irresponsible – by the way, he informed me that’s always been your prerogative up till now, but I’ve just replaced you in his bad books – and he can’t believe our heritage means so little to me.’ He gave a wry grin. ‘But I gave him the one argument he couldn’t possibly refute.’ He glanced across at Melanie before continuing. ‘You see, Mel and I are expecting a baby.’
‘A baby?’ Alex looked surprised, but delighted. ‘That’s wonderful. When’s it due?’
‘The end of May.’ Melanie clutched Rafe’s hand and gave him an affectionate look. ‘Rafe took me up to see my parents in Bristol last weekend and I saw a specialist on Monday. She’s confirmed I’m three months into the pregnancy and all’s well.’
‘And your father, Rafe? How did he take the news? Was he even more furious when you told him?’ Suzie had a feeling she might know the answer, but she was wrong.
‘No, surprisingly, he wasn’t. He didn’t say very much, but it certainly took the wind out of his sails. When I left his study, he was speechless, but not in a bad way, if you know what I mean.’
‘So do you think he’s happy for the wedding to go ahead?’
Rafe smiled and shrugged. ‘I wouldn’t go so far as to use the word “happy”, but resigned maybe. He gave up trying to talk me out of it, so when we go back on Monday, we’ll sit down with him and talk it through. It’ll be all right, I’m sure. He just needed to let off steam.’
‘Well done, Rafe.’ Alex looked justly proud of her big brother. ‘You did it.’
‘I think it was the toughest thing I’ve ever had to do. He was really livid at first. Thank goodness he calmed down again. For a moment there I thought he was going to explode.’
Suzie nodded quietly to herself. There was no doubt about it; Shakespeare would have had a field day with Lord Tedburn.
They had a very good morning together. Although Suzie was the odd one out in the middle of the two couples, Rafe and Melanie chatted with her while James monopolised Alex. Suzie learnt more about Melanie and her work at the hospital and gave her a brief résumé of the progress of the research centre and was able to confirm that they now had all their papers in order and planned to open for business sometime in February. Just before lunch, she popped next door to say hello to the professor and his lovely dog and to pass on news of the arrival of the final permit from the town hall and he was delighted. He asked her to lunch the next day and she said yes without hesitation. James, she felt sure, wouldn’t mind.
Back at the villa, Rosa had produced a slap-up roast with all the trimmings and Suzie made a point of going through to the kitchen to congratulate her. They drank champagne first and then moved on to some excellent Nebbiolo from the Piedmont region. If she had let herself go, Suzie could have drunk herself into a stupor, but she decided to keep a clear head. The mood around the table, now that Rafe had finally summoned up the courage to speak to his father, was buoyant. Suzie herself was very pleased at the way the research centre was proceeding and she was maybe even beginning to find herself thinking about Michael a bit less.
That afternoon the two couples disappeared in different directions so Suzie popped next door and collected Dogberry to take him for a walk. She headed down the lake this time, away from Bardolino, walking past the little cafe where she and Tommy had come on their paddleboards back in early October. Unsurprisingly on a cold late autumn day like today, it was all locked up and there were few people out and about, compared to two months earlier. The view with the snow on the hills was, if anything, even more stunning, and she sat down on a bench and breathed it in. The
sky was a cloudless pale blue and the air clear and still. Without the wind, the surface of the lake was like a mirror, with the image of the mountains on the other side inverted in it, every detail perfectly reproduced. She could pick out the occasional house and farm scattered on the hillsides opposite quite easily and she was just wondering what the view would be like from up there when her phone started ringing. She pulled it out of her pocket and saw it was Tommy’s mobile.
‘Tommy, hi. You’ll never guess where I am.’
‘Well, you can’t be windsurfing if you’re speaking to me on the phone. I’d guess Verona somewhere.’
‘I’m down by the side of Lake Garda, at that little cafe we came to on our paddleboards, and I’m with Dogberry, my four-legged friend.’
‘So how come you aren’t windsurfing?’
‘Simple; no wind.’
‘So, apart from a lack of wind, how’s life?’
They chatted for five or six minutes. She told him more about the research centre and he repeated his determination to be there as soon as it opened.
‘We’re still on target to be up and running by February. I look forward to seeing you then.’
‘You’ll see me before… that’s if you’d like to see me.’
‘Of course I’d like to see you. When’s that going to be?’
‘Next weekend. I’m coming over for the Ice Race on Saturday, a week today. James is going to do it, too. Has he told you about it?’
‘So far we’ve only been talking about Rafe and Melanie. So, there’s a race next weekend, is there? Great. Although Ice Race is a forbidding-sounding name.’
‘It’ll be fine, I’m sure. Apparently the first weekend of December every year the Ice Race takes place at Malcesine, up near the top end of the lake. James has done it before, but this’ll be a first for me. Why don’t you come up and join us? Maybe take part?’
Suzie’s eyes focused on the dog’s breath still pumping clouds into the near-freezing air. Of course she had her nice new wetsuit that should be warm enough, and she should be able to afford to invest in some boots, gloves and a hood. Maybe she would join in.
‘If I can get hold of all the winter gear in time I’ll seriously think about taking part. But, either way, of course I’ll come up to see the race.’
‘Terrific. We’re all staying in the same hotel. James’ll let you have the details. And Suzie, I’m really looking forward to seeing you again.’
After he had rung off, she sat back and did her best to analyse her feelings.
She had enjoyed the sound of his voice and she had meant it when she had told him she was looking forward to seeing him again. The sad fact of the matter, however, was that the voice she would have preferred to hear was that of her heartbroken artist and he hadn’t spoken to her now for weeks and weeks. Was it maybe time to forget him and move on?
Chapter 24
Malcesine had a very different feel to it, compared to the south of the lake. Up here, the mountains plunged steeply down to the water and, starting only a few hundred metres above the town, everything was already covered with a blanket of snow. Although little more than half an hour up the lake from Bardolino, Malcesine was quite plainly in the high mountains. As Suzie drove into town late on Friday afternoon, she could see people carrying skis and snowboards returning from the cable car station that linked the little town with the snowy slopes above. Dusk was falling, it was bitterly cold and everybody she saw was wearing thick anoraks, hats and gloves. Earlier on, when she had collected the car from the professor’s house, she had had to scrape thick ice off the windscreen and she was having serious second thoughts about the wisdom of venturing out onto the lake the next day in potentially sub-zero conditions.
It was almost completely dark by the time she managed to squeeze the car into the crowded hotel car park and checked in. She left the board and rig she had borrowed from James’s collection securely strapped to the roof of the Mini. When they had spoken about the Ice Race last Sunday after Tommy’s call, James had spent half an hour talking her through the triangular course that ran right across the lake to the chic resort of Limone and back again, warning her about possible wind shifts and tricky currents. Suzie was very grateful for the help, particularly as this had taken him away from Alex’s side for just about the first time that weekend. She had been unable to judge from Alex’s expression whether this was a blessed relief or a disappointment, but when they left the villa, Alex had spent considerably longer in James’s arms saying goodbye than previously and had admitted back at the flat that she and he were getting on really rather well.
Inside the hotel, the first person Suzie saw was the bulky figure of Beppe. As he caught sight of her, he came striding across and embraced her.
‘Ciao, Suzie. I hear you’re going to take part in tomorrow’s race. Is that true?’
Suzie kissed him on the cheeks. ‘Ciao, Beppe. I think so, but I’ll make a final decision tomorrow. It depends what the weather conditions are like. I don’t fancy windsurfing in a blizzard.’
‘It’s a good forecast. A good, strong wind from the north all morning and from the south in the afternoon – just like it should be here. It might be a little chilly, though.’
‘A little chilly? It’s freezing out there!’
‘Ah, yes, but you’ll soon warm up. I do this race every year and I lose two or three kilos each time just because I sweat so much.’
Suzie wondered whether to believe him, but made no comment. Instead, she turned the conversation onto another subject.
‘Have you heard from Michael recently? I haven’t had any news from him for quite a while now.’
She saw Beppe nod. ‘He called me earlier this week. He’s over in Italy this weekend and he said he’s going to try to get up here to see the race. He won’t be taking part as he’s got stuff going on and he won’t be able to get here in time.’ His friendly face broke into a broad grin. ‘That’s good news for those of us who’d like a chance of winning. He’s won so many times, it’s getting boring.’
Suzie was torn – on the one hand she was glad Michael was coming, but she was a bit miffed that he hadn’t thought to tell her. Doing her best to hide her feelings, she smiled back at Beppe.
‘So there’s hope for the rest of us.’
She lugged her bag up to her room and dumped it there along with her jacket. The room was small and far less luxurious that any of the hotels where she had stayed with Alex, but it would do fine. She had asked for a single room and this was indisputably that. From the size of the bed, there wouldn’t be room for more than one person here – and not a very big one either. As the thought crossed her mind, she did her best to banish the image of Michael and herself squashed together in a lovers’ embrace on the narrow bed. That wasn’t going to happen and it would be better if she didn’t have any more ideas like that. She went into the little en-suite shower room, washed her hands and splashed some water on her face. Contact with the cold water reminded her of the following day’s race and she wondered, yet again, whether she really would be brave – or stupid – enough to take part. She was just drying her face when she heard a knock on the door.
It was Tommy, with a big smile on his face.
She smiled back at him and kissed him on the cheeks. ‘Hi, Tommy, it’s so good to see you again.’
‘And you, Suzie. You’re looking great. No glasses tonight?’
She shook her head. ‘Alex has been bullying me into wearing my contacts more so I’ve been trying, even though I still feel more comfortable with glasses. When did you get here?’
‘We’ve just arrived. Coming down for a drink?’
Downstairs he led her into the large bar and they were immediately swallowed up in a noisy mass of humanity. She clung to his arm as they squeezed through the crowd towards the bar, but before they got there James appeared with a bottle of Prosecco and a handful of glasses hanging down from his fingers. He kissed Suzie on the cheeks and dispensed the Prosecco.
‘Drin
k as much as you can. The more I can get you and Tommy to drink, the more unfit you’ll be tomorrow.’
Suzie found herself smiling back at him. ‘Does this mean you’re scared I’ll beat you?’ She knew this was a forlorn hope.
He grinned back. ‘Terrified, but I’m counting on it being too cold for a little girl like you tomorrow. Hopefully you’ll leave the serious stuff to us men and watch from the sidelines.’
‘I’ve never been much good at watching from the sidelines. You might do well to look over your shoulder when you’re out on the water tomorrow, James.’
He gave her a wink. ‘At least if I’m looking over my shoulder, it’ll mean you’re behind me.’
Tommy joined in. ‘And I’ll be way behind her. Suzie’ll be back here sipping champagne while I’m still only halfway back across the lake. You wait and see.’ He held out his glass of Prosecco and clinked it against theirs. ‘May the best man, or woman, win.’
It turned out to be a fun night. Tommy stuck to her side like a limpet and she was pleased to see him drinking sparingly. Whether this was because of the following day’s race or so as to show her how well-behaved he could be, she couldn’t tell, but she found him very pleasant, intelligent, attentive and handsome company. From the looks she intercepted from some of the other women there that night, she was pretty obviously not the only one to like what she saw. As the evening progressed, she couldn’t help thinking that she could do a lot worse.
She finally headed for bed around eleven. The party downstairs was still in full swing for the hangers-on, but the serious competitors were clearly making sure they got a good night’s rest. The course the following day would be almost ten kilometres and, with a strong wind, the waves and the near-Arctic temperatures, it would no doubt prove to be gruelling. She walked up the stairs to her floor with Tommy and James and bade them good night without any preamble. For now, she told herself, all her attention had to be focused on tomorrow’s race. After the race, there would be time to think of other things – like men.