by Liz Harris
And yes, she had seen Evie. In fact, they had just spent a very pleasant day together and were fast becoming good friends; she would be seeing her again the following day. And no, she hadn’t forgotten that he wanted her to try to encourage Evie to think seriously about his offer of a job. She obviously hadn’t had time to bring up the subject yet, and nor would it have been appropriate, but she would definitely approach it when the time was right.
Poor Eduardo, she thought, as she ended the call with an assurance that she’d speak to him again before the weekend. She could hear the emotion in his voice at the mere mention of Evie.
She slipped her phone back into her bag. What a relief it had been that Evie hadn’t been interested in Eduardo. For Eduardo, with his breeding, talent and good looks, to have allied himself with someone as paltry as Evie would have been completely out of the question, and the whole situation, had Evie felt differently about Eduardo, could have led to unpleasant dissension within the family.
Evie most assuredly did not have the style, education and background that were the prerequisites for anyone being admitted into the Montefiori family. Admittedly a sense of style could possibly have been taught to her – she was reasonably attractive and could have been shown how to carry off the right sort of clothes – but breeding was something that you either had or did not have, and Evie most definitely did not have it.
But it was, of course, too soon for Eduardo to be thinking about the realities and practicalities of the situation. He still imagined himself to be in love and was languishing in the knowledge that her interest lay elsewhere, but when his misery had passed – and pass it would – he, too, would see that such a union would never have been suitable and he would find a girl from among the best families in Tuscany and Umbria.
Now that Evie was back in England out of his sight, Eduardo would more swiftly come to his senses. She, Gabriela, would ensure that Eduardo’s healing process continued uninterrupted. Evie was never to be encouraged to consider for so much as one moment taking up the offer of a job made to her by her besotted brother.
She leaned back against the sofa and stared at the wall on the other side of the room. But it was more than just the Evie and Eduardo abomination that had brought her prematurely to England: it was also the situation between Evie and Tom.
After the night the four of them had had dinner together in Casigliano, high on the hillside, she had gone back with Eduardo to his house in Todi and he had told her that he feared that Evie had eyes only for Tom.
A shiver ran through her as she remembered how she’d felt at that moment.
To remove Evie from his thoughts, she’d encouraged him to keep on thinking this way, telling him that it was more than likely that someone like Evie would try her luck with such a rich, successful man in the week that they’d been thrown together. She had honestly believed that this might be so. She didn’t tell Eduardo, however, that she was confident that it would never be any more than a passing fling on Tom’s side, if, indeed, he had succumbed to Evie’s advances.
Evie was no more suitable to be the wife of a rich, successful lawyer like Tom, an intelligent, educated man, who had two homes, possibly more, with his main home being in one of the most desirable and exclusive parts of London, than she was for Eduardo. A man in Tom’s position could do so much better for himself, and he would be well aware of that.
Tom would be looking for an educated woman, well bred, with a natural elegance and flair, who knew how to dress and to move in the best of social circles; a woman capable of being a skilled hostess in his home and of presiding over elegant dinner parties thrown for friends and colleagues; a woman who was of the same intellectual level as he was. She knew exactly the sort of person that Tom needed.
The thought of him and Evie together on a permanent basis was ludicrous, and she was ninety-nine percent certain that this would never happen.
But there was one percent of uncertainty, and it was that one percent that accounted for her being in London sooner than she’d planned.
She impatiently kicked aside the magazines on the floor with a foot shod in a neat, black crocodile pump, stood up and went to the large, silver-framed mirror that hung above the mantelpiece.
Her reflection stared back at her. Her cap-sleeved designer black top was tucked into tailored black trousers that skimmed her slim hips, and a narrow, black leather belt encircled her waist, defining its slenderness. Her dark hair curved sleekly down the sides of her face, emphasizing her high cheekbones as it wound into a sleek black chignon that was coiled at the nape of her neck. She didn’t need to see the back of her head to know that not a single hair was out of place. Her mouth widened into a thin smile of satisfaction.
Yes, just as she knew exactly the sort of person that Eduardo needed to marry, she knew exactly the sort of person that Tom needed to marry. She’d known it from the moment that Eduardo had told her about his English client, and had shown her the photograph of Tom standing next to the Umbrian house he’d just bought.
So convinced had she been that Tom was the man for her that she had promptly set in motion a transfer to London for a year, confident that all she needed to do was put herself in Tom’s path in order to achieve the desired outcome.
Seeing Evie and Tom through Eduardo’s eyes had given her a jolt. It had shown her that she must not be complacent. If she was going to be sure of securing Tom for herself, she would have to remove Evie from his life. The only way she could do this was by getting to know the girl, finding the weak spot in her relationship with Tom, and exploiting it. It would be a kindness to Tom to do so.
Her eyes narrowed as she turned away from the mirror and looked around her. Nothing, and no one, was going to thwart the desires of a Montefiori.
Chapter Eighteen
If it’s Friday …
Evie sat back in her seat and watched in amusement as Gabriela looked around the restaurant, her eyes coming to settle on her paper place mat and the series of squiggles that the waiter had written on it.
‘It certainly is very different from any restaurant I’ve been to before,’ Gabriela remarked. ‘I like it very much. I don’t think we have such places in Italy, but we should. I like the way we sit at one long table and are given our food as soon as it’s cooked – it’s very clever the way they send the order to the kitchen. And the food was molto buono, as we say in Italy. It was very good.’
Rachel nodded. ‘We like it. I always have thin noodles, but Jess goes for the thick. And the white chocolate and ginger cheesecake is to die for. I swear I ate most of your half as well as mine, Gabriela. No wonder I’m larding it on and you’re dead slim.’
‘Larding it on?’ Gabriela repeated. Her forehead wrinkled. ‘What does that mean? I don’t know these words, I’m afraid.’
Jess laughed. ‘Rachel just means that she’s gaining weight. Don’t bother to learn it – it’s slang. You know, you speak brilliant English, Gabriela. Did you learn it at school?’
‘Yes, I did. I was very lucky – I was sent to an excellent school by my parents, who thought it as important to educate their daughter as their son. Not everyone with our social standing feels that way, but my parents did, and Eduardo and I had an equally good education. I enjoyed school, but he did not, and he was quite a naughty boy.’ Her voice softened and she smiled indulgently. ‘He was made to learn English, too, but he learnt very little and forgot it all as soon as he left the school. He is not a linguist, shall we say.’
‘It sounds as if I’ve got a lot in common with Eduardo,’ Jess said with a grin. ‘I hated school, too. And like Eduardo, I do a creative sort of job. Fingers crossed that he visits you soon and I get to meet him.’
‘Huh! You’ll have to join the queue,’ Rachel cut in. ‘I’m ahead of you. I work for a production designer, which is more creative than being an events’ planner, and it’s closer to what Eduardo does. Being PA to a production designer trumps events’ planning. So there.’
All three girls laughed.
/> Evie noticed that Gabriela’s smile narrowed imperceptibly. She was protective of her brother, she thought.
‘What about clubs in Italy? Do you go clubbing a lot?’ Rachel asked, turning her attention back to Gabriela. The red-lipped smile widened again.
‘There are clubs in Florence, as well as in other towns, of course. Many people go to them, although I think that the young Italians do not drink as much as the young English. As for me, though, I don’t really like clubs. They are very noisy and you cannot hear what people are saying when they speak to you.’
‘So what do you do when you’re not working?’ Jess asked.
‘I go to the theatre and to concerts. But I’ve been engaged in building up my career so there isn’t very much free time for me, and in the last year, I have spent any free time that I had with Alessandro.’
Rachel threw a surreptitious glance at Jess. ‘Evie told us about you and him. It must be minging to be away from him for a whole year. You know, unpleasant.’
Gabriela gave a slight shrug. ‘It is better to spend a year apart now than make a mistake that could last a lifetime, much better. And it will not be a year without seeing him – we will visit each other.’
‘Don’t you hang around with your friends like we do?’ Jess asked in surprise.
‘And talk clothes and share secrets with them?’ Rachel added.
‘No, not really. I don’t have friends like the three of you are friends. It is a big regret. My school was far from my house and I boarded there, and the other students also travelled a distance. We talked and played with each other and were friends during the school term, but in the long holidays we didn’t see each other, so I never made very close friends in my school years.’
‘That sounds dead sad,’ Jess said.
‘It is sad. I have always felt that I’ve missed an important part of life, and when I met Evie …’ she paused and turned to look at Evie, ‘… and when I met Evie, I knew that I’d met someone I could be a close friend with. I would have liked a sister very much. Eduardo is a good brother, but you can share so much more with a sister, and a really close friend would have been like having a sister. At least I’ve always felt it would.’
Evie felt a lump come to her throat. She reached across and hugged Gabriela. ‘You’re right about that, and that’s such a fab thing to say. I haven’t got any brothers or sisters, but I’ve never missed having any because I’ve known Rachel and Jess since school – they’re like sisters to me.’
‘This is where someone comes round with a violin, and we throw our arms around each other’s necks and burst into tears,’ Jess giggled.
Evie and Rachel joined in with her laughter, and the three of them did a high five. Gabriela glanced at them, bemused; then she, too, started laughing.
‘Let’s have a peach iced tea,’ Jess suggested when they’d settled down again. ‘You’ll love it, Gabriela, I promise you.’ She turned to Evie. ‘So, have you decided what you’re going to wear tomorrow night for your first date with Tom on home territory? You said you might get something new.’
‘I’m not sure that I can be bothered now. I kept my eyes open this week every time Gabriela and I went into a shop, but nothing really struck me as a must-have. You got a couple of dresses and a trouser suit, didn’t you, Gabriela, but I didn’t try on so much as one thing. I’ll find something in my wardrobe, and if not in mine, in one of yours, so beware.’
‘But you must get something new for this important first date with Tom,’ Gabriela insisted, her voice registering her astonishment that Evie could consider doing otherwise. ‘A woman feels special when she’s wearing a new dress. This is your chance to impress Tom, and you must take it. He’ll want to know that there’s more to you than what he saw in Italy. I know that from the way my brother speaks about the women he meets.’
Evie gave a deep sigh. ‘You may well be right. In fact, I’m certain you are. But I can’t face going into Central London again this week, unless that’s where Tom takes me tomorrow night,’ she added, laughing. ‘I wouldn’t exactly leap out of his car if I saw us following signs pointing in that direction. And going up to Hampstead is totally out of the question as everything’s mega expensive there.’
‘What about Camden Lock?’ Jess volunteered. ‘You’ve got loads of good things there in the past. That vintage shop is right up your street.’
‘Now, that’s a thought. Yes, I think I’ll do that, even though it means getting up horribly early for a Saturday – if I don’t get there soon after ten, all the best things will have gone. That’s a good idea, though. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it.’
‘If you are going to Camden Lock tomorrow, perhaps I could come, too.’ Gabriela’s face shone with eagerness. ‘I should love to see it. You mentioned it in Italy. It sounds a very interesting place, with shops that are much different from the shops we’ve visited so far. But you must say no if I would be in the way.’
‘Of course you wouldn’t be in the way. But do you really want to get up that early when you don’t have to?’
‘I always rise early. I don’t like to stay late in bed. If I’m awake, I get up. I would love to come with you. We’ve had such fun this week, and I know that this market will also be fun. And very English.’
‘And a few other countries as well. OK, then. If you’re sure you really want to come, I suggest we meet up near the market at about ten. How about in front of Camden Town tube station? We can’t miss each other there and it’s very close to the Lock.’
‘I’m very much looking forward to that. Thank you, Evie.’ Gabriela sent a bright smile around the table.
‘Be warned, it gets crowded,’ Evie added. ‘Wear something comfortable. For a start, I’d leave those killer heels at home if I were you. What about you two – are you coming tomorrow as well?’
Rachel looked questioningly at Jess, then back at Evie. ‘I don’t think we will, if it’s all the same with you. Jess and I are going on to a club when we leave here, and getting up at the crack of dawn after a night out on the town doesn’t exactly appeal. What say you, Jessica?’
‘Ditto.’
Evie started to stand up. ‘I suggest we skip the peach teas and hightail it to our various destinations. We’ve not ordered them yet and I want an early night. What about you, Gabriela? Do you want to go clubbing with Rachel and Jess or have you had enough for one evening?’
‘If you want to come with us, you’re very welcome,’ Rachel told her.
‘I don’t think so, thank you, but it’s very kind of you to ask me. I wonder if I could go back with you, Evie. I can take a cab from your house to my apartment. I’d like to see where you live, but not to visit as we both now have an early morning tomorrow.’
‘If you really want to. I won’t ask you in, though – it’s a bit of a pigsty at the moment and you might get a culture shock.’
They all laughed.
Gabriela looked round at the three of them, and smiled warmly. ‘How lucky I was to meet Tom, and through him to meet the three of you. I know that I’m going to enjoy being in England very much. Very much indeed.’
‘It’s only a few minutes from here,’ Evie said, as they turned off Camden Road. ‘It’s very convenient for everywhere.’
‘I can see this,’ Gabriela said with a smile. ‘You are fortunate to be living in such a place.’
‘It was Rachel who found it.’ Evie’s mobile phone sounded. ‘Sorry, it’s my phone,’ she said, taking it out. ‘It’ll be Rachel or Jess. We’ll have left something behind, you watch. Hi!’ she said into the handset.
Her editor’s voice was loud at the other end of the line. She abruptly stopped walking and listened, stunned horror on her face. ‘Of course. I understand,’ she gasped into the phone as the line fell silent. She clicked to end the call, stared at the handset, the blood draining from her face, then slid it into her pocket.
‘Oh, God,’ she whispered, and she cupped her hands in front of her mouth.
‘Ev
ie, what is it? You have gone so pale.’ Gabriela’s voice came through the drumming in her ears.
Oh, no! She’d forgotten about Gabriela in the panic of the moment. She must get rid of her fast so she could think clearly, decide what to do. If there was anything she could do. Her eyes filled with tears, and she pressed her knuckles to her eyes to stem the flow, but the tears fell over her fingers and trickled down her arm.
‘Evie? Evie, what is it?’ Gabriela’s voice rose a notch in alarm. She put her hand on Evie’s arm. ‘Has something happened to Tom?’
‘No, really, he’s fine.’ She tried to steady her voice. ‘At least as far as I know. It’s just that I’ve had a bit of a shock – well, a huge shock really.’ She pushed back the strands of hair that were sticking to her damp face and tried to smile reassuringly.
Gabriela opened her bag, took out a tissue and gave it to her.
‘I just need to clear my head and think what to do,’ Evie told her. She blew her nose. ‘I feel awful about this, Gabriela, but I may have to sort out some things in the morning. I don’t think I’ll be able to look for clothes tomorrow. Would you mind if we gave the Lock a miss? We can always go another time.’
‘Of course I don’t mind. You are obviously very distressed. You will find something beautiful in your wardrobe to wear tomorrow night, I’m sure. Tom will love you in whatever you wear.’
Evie broke out again into loud sobs.
Gabriela went closer to her and put her arm around her shoulders. ‘Do tell me what is wrong, Evie,’ she said gently. ‘We are like sisters, remember? You say you need to think what to do. Well, two heads are better than one, are they not? Let us put our two heads together and sort out whatever it is. It cannot be anything so bad that together we cannot put it right. You don’t want to be awake all night and too tired to enjoy your date with Tom, do you?’