by T A Williams
‘I’m fascinated by this new research centre you’re setting up. Tell me, have you got enough money for everything?’
‘We’re doing fine at present, although all the renovation work and buying new equipment and resources has stretched things a bit. The plan is to wait until it’s up and running and then start looking for sponsorship.’ She gave him a grin. ‘I was thinking about maybe approaching some of the big grappa companies.’ She cast another fruitless glance around the room.
‘I was wondering if I might be able to save you the trouble. Maybe I might be allowed to help?’ Suddenly Suzie’s attention returned to Lord Tedburn. Seeing the expression on her face, he elaborated. ‘As I think I told you, I have a deep love of English literature and Shakespeare in particular. I would be honoured if you felt like accepting me as a sponsor of this new endeavour.’
‘You want to be our sponsor?’ Was she hearing what she thought she was hearing?
‘Yes, I would love to contribute towards this remarkable new venture. Do you think Professor Macgregor-Brown might be prepared to consider my offer? I would ask for nothing in return.’ He smiled. ‘I’m not asking for the place to be renamed in my honour or anything. I just think it would be a worthwhile use of the funds at my disposal. And according to my accountants, it could work out to be beneficial to me from a tax point of view anyway. Do you think you could use the extra financial support?’
‘Lord Tedburn, that’s incredibly generous of you.’ Suzie was genuinely stunned at his generosity – tax deductible or not. ‘I don’t know what to say. Could I talk it over with the professor and get back to you? Thank you so much for the amazing offer.’ She let her eyes flit around the room once more and prepared to launch into her apology at having to leave him, but Lord Tedburn hadn’t finished.
‘Not at all. Please talk it over and let me know what you think. And, Suzie, there’s something else. Now, please don’t get upset, but I’d like to give you a present.’ Suzie started to protest, but he carried on. ‘Let me finish, please. I can’t begin to tell you how impressed I am at the way my daughter has grown up and blossomed, and so much of it’s thanks to you. I know you didn’t do it for money, but I’d be grateful if you would accept a gift from me just to say thank you. And, besides, it is Christmas, after all.’
At that moment a waitress came round with a magnum of Prosecco and paused to replenish their glasses. As the girl moved on again, Lord Tedburn demonstrated that he had been doing his homework.
‘I’ve spoken to Rafe about this idea and he tells me he thinks you might like a new sailboard and rig. Apparently James has been lending you his equipment, but it would be good for you to have your own kit, wouldn’t it? Please humour me. It would mean a lot to me to be able to demonstrate how grateful I am to you.’
Suzie put up token resistance, but ended up accepting his generous offer. As he had said, it would be good to have her own kit. In spite of her anxiety to get away, she forced herself to be patient and they continued to talk for a few minutes before he told her something that almost took her breath away.
‘You may have been wondering why I’ve proved to be such an inflexible – some might say interfering – father.’ She saw his eyes were no longer fixed upon her or the painting. They were staring out of the window into the beautiful courtyard of the castle. It was still freezing cold outside and there were even little dry snowflakes in the air, whirling and dancing in the floodlights. ‘It’s all because of a promise I made to my dear, departed wife. A matter of days before her death, she asked me to promise to keep a close eye on both children and see that they did well and made successes of their lives. Of course I promised I would – I would have done so anyway – but it’s only over the past few weeks that I’ve come to realise that my concern for their well-being has led me to be far too prescriptive. Both Rafe and Alexandra are adults now and, as such, it’s only fair they should make their own decisions.’ He turned back towards Suzie with a gentle smile on his face. ‘And as I’ve told them both, the decisions they’ve been making recently strike me as eminently sensible. I’m proud of them.’
Suzie was genuinely amazed. So Lord Tedburn had also been tied by a promise made to a dying woman. Without wanting to, Alex’s mother had almost brought about the opposite of what she had sought to achieve. Instead of the happiness of her children, relations had soured until a break-up of the family had loomed large. Not for the first time, she found herself reflecting on how much Shakespeare would have loved the Tedburns. Thankfully, in their case, tragedy had been averted and things had finally worked themselves out. She smiled back at him.
‘And you’re right to be proud. Rafe’s a good man and his future wife strikes me as ideal for him. And, as for Alex, I just know she’s going to have a brilliant future, and it’ll be all the better now that she’s got the full support of her father.’ She held up her glass and clinked it against his. ‘And now, Lord Tedburn, if you don’t mind, I must go and look for Michael, the portrait painter.’
Michael was standing in front of the second of Alex’s paintings, arm in arm with her, clearly congratulating her. As he caught sight of Suzie, a smile spread across his face and a corresponding hot flush crossed hers. It was really, really good to see him again. Alex looked round and grinned.
‘Surprise, surprise. You didn’t know he was coming, did you?’ She was looking positively mischievous. ‘I did. In fact, I was the one who insisted he absolutely had to come to my first ever exhibition.’ Suzie was still just standing there, gawping. ‘I only found out he was definitely coming this afternoon and I should have told you, but I wanted to surprise you, and the expression on your face is priceless.’ She took a big mouthful of Prosecco and disengaged herself from Michael’s arm. ‘And now I’ll leave you two and go and talk to my father.’
As she walked off, Michael stepped towards Suzie and stopped, a foot or so from her, a nervous smile on his lips. She could see him studying her battered face intently. The blue of the bruises had started to disintegrate into multicoloured patches, the colours now less intense. The scar above her eye had closed up and she no longer needed the strips of tape. She still felt she looked like a zombie, but definitely better than before. She saw him nod to himself a few times before speaking.
‘You look breathtaking, Suzie.’ There was emotion in his voice. ‘The bruises are much, much better. And that dress is perfect. Yes, you look amazing.’
‘You look very good, too, Michael.’ He was wearing a very smart midnight-blue dinner jacket with a crisp white shirt and bowtie. He looked every inch the sophisticated man she had first seen in Venice. She remembered her initial impression of him as being way out of her league and, as the thought crossed her mind, she suddenly felt less secure. ‘How wonderful to see you. I had no idea you were coming.’
‘It was a last-minute decision. I knew I had to see you.’ The nervous look was still in his eyes and she wondered what was coming next.
Initially, it was a hug. He moved the remaining few inches towards her and, hesitantly, opened his arms and caught hold of her. He stared down into her eyes for a moment before pulling her towards him and hugging her so tightly, her feet almost came off the floor and she felt a warm glow spread throughout her whole body. If he had released his grip on her, she would probably have collapsed in a heap on the floor – a very happy heap, but still a heap. He didn’t kiss her, but he didn’t need to. Somehow she could sense a major change in him and her heart began to beat more rapidly.
‘We need to talk. I think there are benches in the museum. Shall we go and sit down?’
She nodded and followed him out of the exhibition area into the main part of the museum. A few people were wandering around the exhibits, but it was very quiet and very private. He led her to a wooden bench set among a collection of suits of armour, where they sat down side by side and he took her hand in his. Here, after a long period of silence, he slowly started to speak.
‘I got to Malcesine last Saturday just after the Ice R
ace started and I watched your progress from the shore. When I saw you disappear into the water and not emerge, for a moment I thought you were dead. All I could see from the beach was the upturned board and the half-submerged sail and, of course, I was powerless to help. It was then that the realisation started to dawn on me. I thought I’d lost you, too, just like I lost Grazia, and it broke my heart. Life is for living and time’s too precious to waste.’ He was staring down at her fingers, entwined with his. ‘And then, in that First Aid post, with you shivering under a blanket, your arms round Tommy’s neck, suddenly my head started spinning. It was as if a lightning bolt went right through me. From then on, I was in a daze.’
Suzie could hardly believe her ears. She was finally hearing what she had been waiting so long to hear.
‘But, tell me, why did you run off? There’s nothing between me and Tommy.’ She produced a little smile. ‘Apart from the fact that he saved my life, of course.’
He hung his head. ‘I know. Beppe told me. And, for that matter, so did Alex. I’m sorry I chickened out and ran off without talking to you, but I had so much going through my mind, I knew I wasn’t going to be coherent.’ She saw him take a deep breath. ‘Back in October, when I told you I was leaving Italy and returning to the UK, I said it was because of memories of my wife, but that wasn’t really the whole truth. You see, what made me make that decision was a conversation I had with my brother-in-law, Grazia’s brother. He and she were very close and the accident hit him hard… probably as hard as it hit me. Anyway, I had dinner with him back in early October and I told him I’d met this girl – that’s you – and I liked her a lot. He almost had a fit and he told me in no uncertain terms that I owed it to Grazia to get as far away from you as possible.’ He looked up, straight at her. ‘So I took his advice. I know now that it wasn’t good advice.’
She gave his hand a squeeze, but he didn’t seem to notice. His eyes dropped once more as he continued.
‘October and November have been miserable months for me, constantly thinking of you but feeling I owed it to Grazia to stay clear of you, not even to contact you, although I longed to hear your voice. And then, when I came back last weekend and realised I’d almost lost you, I knew I had to do something. I sat down with Beppe and asked for his advice. He told me to talk to Giovanni – that’s my brother-in-law – and get him to see sense, and then to talk to you and see if you’ll have me. I flew back to England and I spent a miserable few days trying to get my head straight.’ He looked up from the floor. ‘And then last night the mists finally cleared. I got yet another text from Alex – she’s a persistent little devil, isn’t she? – and I realised I needed to see you to explain, but first, I needed to go to Brescia.’
Suzie tightened her grip on his hand, but didn’t interrupt. She noticed for the first time a light mark on his ring finger. His wedding ring was no longer there.
‘I got the early morning flight to Bergamo today and went straight to my in-laws’ house in Brescia. I called Giovanni and he came round and we sat down together. I told them everything, from first setting eyes on you to thinking that you’d drowned, and her parents understood. I’ve always got on well with them and in many ways, especially since the accident, they’re almost like real parents to me. They understood and, bit by bit, they managed to convince Giovanni.’ He stared straight into her eyes. Suzie could see the hurt still lurking there but there were no tears. His tone became firmer as he continued. ‘What they told me is that life goes on, Suzie. I know that now. One chapter of my life is over and a new one has started. One doesn’t diminish the other. I suppose, deep down, I’ve known it since I saw you in Venice, but the thing is, I’ve finally got my head – and my heart – straight. The mists have cleared and I know I want to be with you… if you’ll have me.’
She had absolutely no hesitation. ‘Of course I’ll have you, Michael, but only when you feel the time is right. I’ll wait for you. For as long as it takes.’ She could feel her eyes stinging, but she steadfastly refused to let tears run.
Funnily enough, she found that she wasn’t blushing. In spite of the emotions swirling inside her, she suddenly felt reassured and an inner calm descended upon her. She saw an expression of relief on his face and noticed for the first time that the dark rings under his eyes were far less pronounced now. He looked a new man and a much happier man. As their eyes met, he managed a little smile.
‘The time is right now, Suzie. Of that, I’m sure.’ He hesitated and glanced around. ‘Do you think there’s a no kissing rule in this museum?’
Suzie leant towards him, feeling her normal reticence start to ebb away as she realised a whole new chapter was opening in her life as well. ‘Rules are made to be broken.’
Chapter 27
The grand opening of the Macgregor-Brown Research Centre on the twenty-third of January went really well. Both of the large rooms downstairs were packed with people and Suzie even had to open the French windows to allow some overspill into the garden, in spite of the frosty night. The professor gave a little speech in English and immaculate Italian, followed by the head of the famous Biblioteca Capitolare. After these two august gentlemen had spoken, Suzie had to give her own welcome to the crowd. She had been dreading this, but Michael had schooled her well, making her recite the bits in English as well as the bits in Italian until they were engraved in her memory. He had taken his job so seriously that he had even made her recite parts of it while lying in bed with her, although the touch of his hands on her naked body had not made the task any easier – definitely a lot more pleasant, but not easier.
The speech was very well received and she felt she had managed to get it right, surprising herself by getting through it all without blushing, and she caught his eye as she reached the end. He was beaming and she beamed back. Mind you, she thought to herself, she had had a permanent smile on her face for weeks now.
Alongside him in the front row, she saw another smiling face. Alex, too, had been looking very happy ever since moving into the villa with James a few weeks back. James had managed to organise his business affairs so as to allow him to take a six-month semi-sabbatical and he and Alex had set up home together at the villa by the lake. While Alex went up to Verona every day to do her course, sporting her new engagement ring on her finger, he worked from home, honed his windsurfing skills and practised his Italian with Roberto and Rosa.
Between Alex and Michael was another happy face. Sitting at their feet was Dogberry, with a canine smile on his face as his nostrils had already picked up the alluring aroma of the canapés being readied for the guests. Knowing him so well by now, Suzie had no doubt he had already worked out that in a crush like this, it was almost inevitable that succulent mouthfuls would end up on the floor. In true Labrador tradition, he would be only too pleased to provide an efficient waste-disposal service.
Once the speeches had finished, the guests were invited to inspect the other floors, the resources at the disposal of academics and all the other facilities available. Suzie and Alex had both moved out of the top-floor flat in early January and this had now been transformed into a relaxing area with tea- and coffee-making facilities, periodicals and a large television screen. With the aid of Lord Tedburn’s generous cash injection, there were now more easy chairs and sofas up there and the scruffy old terrace from where you could see across to the Scaliger castle had been cleared, restored and rendered serviceable once again.
Lord Tedburn himself was waiting for Suzie as she stepped down from the little dais they had erected for the speeches. He, too, was beaming.
‘Excellent speech, Suzie. Thank you for mentioning my contribution, but like I told you, there was no need. I’m just happy to see Professor Macgregor-Brown’s dream come to fruition.’
Suzie grabbed two glasses of Prosecco from a passing tray and handed one to him. ‘Well, I meant it. With your support, the centre’s future is secure.’ She clinked her glass against his and they toasted each other. ‘And that means mine as well.’
Suzie nodded, doing her best to swallow her fizzy mouthful cautiously before risking a reply. As of three weeks ago, she and Michael were officially cohabiting and she couldn’t have been happier. He had told her of his plans in her bed the morning after Alex’s triumphant exhibition back before Christmas.
‘I’ve been thinking.’ At the sound of his voice, she had turned towards him and rested her bruised cheek against his bare chest, letting her hand run gently over his skin. ‘My decision to move back to the UK was a big mistake. There’s so much I miss over here in Verona. I left a lot of friends behind and coming back to see the Ice Race reminded me of them all. But of course, the main person I knew I’d miss would be you – and I’m not going to let that happen. I’ve made up my mind. I don’t want to be separated from you any longer.’
That had sounded perfect to her and, as a result, she now found herself living in the Old Stables with him, and both he and she had settled in just fine. Any lingering memories didn’t appear to trouble him any longer. Cat had mysteriously reappeared the very first day and had plonked himself down in proprietorial fashion on her lap and she had felt completely at home from the off.
She gave Lord Tedburn a smile. ‘I love the place. It’s a real home in a gorgeous position and it even comes complete with its own cat. And I’ve got a dog only five minutes away if I ever feel like going for a walk. The lake’s just down the hill and the ski slopes are little more than an hour away. What more could I ask for? You must come out and see us sometime. Please give Mel and Rafe my love. Tell them I’m looking forward to seeing them at the wedding.’