‘Come over? To see me here?’
‘It’s not such a weird concept!’ Anna replied, laughing lightly. ‘When’s good for you?’
‘Well. . . My diary isn’t exactly full but even if it was I’d move everything to fit you in. There’s not much room at the flat but—’
‘Don’t be daft. We wouldn’t hear of putting you out. Christian and I will be just fine in a hotel somewhere nearby.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Of course. Besides, you might find it a bit tricky to fit Lily and Joel in too. . .’
‘They’re coming too!’ Kate squeaked. ‘When was this decided?’
‘We talked about it last night – thought it was about time we came to your new home and saw what all the fuss is about.’
‘Oh, I can’t wait! How long will you come for?’
‘I’m not sure yet. We’re going to put our heads together, check out the flights and hotels and base it on the costs. The cheaper we can do it for, the longer we can stay. Mum says she’s going to try too, but I don’t know whether she’ll make it as our hypochondriac stepdaddy Hamish has been suffering with his gout again. You know how it is, so we won’t make any promises there. I’m really looking forward to meeting Alessandro’s family too. . .’
Kate’s smile slipped. She’d forgotten about that little scenario. Under normal circumstances she’d have been excited about that too, but after today? With Lucetta’s wedding around the corner and the chance that represented to smooth things with Signora Conti and Maria, it was too early to tell yet how a meeting with her own sisters might go. Perhaps it wasn’t worth worrying about yet. But she was looking forward to showing Anna and Lily the sights. They wouldn’t take much convincing about the beauty of Rome, and they’d understand once they saw it for themselves just why Kate had fallen in love with the city.
‘There’s so much I want to show you, it would be great if you could do the whole week. But whatever you manage we’ll cram in as much as we can.’
‘I’m looking forward to a bit of sister time.’
‘I’m not sure Christian will be with you on that.’
‘Oh, he can do whatever he wants. I expect he’ll find a bar to prop up somewhere. Maybe Alessandro can take him out to do blokey stuff.’
‘I’m not sure they’ll be into the same blokey stuff, but that’s not a bad idea.’
‘Italians love their football. So does Christian. They’ll be absolutely fine.’
An unexpected yawn suddenly erupted from Kate.
‘I heard that,’ Anna said drily. ‘Am I keeping you up? Or has Alessandro been doing that?’
‘No, cheeky. It’s just been a long day.’
‘Early start tomorrow too?’
‘Yes.’
‘I’ll ring off, let you get ready for bed.’
‘I’m not going to bed this early, no matter how tired I am. Please. . . don’t go yet. Talk to me for a while – tell me what’s going on there.’
‘Are you sure you want me to? It hasn’t got any more exciting than it was before you left.’
But it’s safe, Kate thought. Boring, but safe: no boyfriend-stalking, bunny-boiling Amazonian policewomen hiding around every corner and waiting for the first opportunity to trip you up and steal your man. No watching the money in the bank drain away while you struggled to get work in a city that had enough workers of its own. No constant fear that you’d made a huge mistake. Nice and safe.
‘I can take a bit of boring,’ Kate said. ‘Hit me with your worst.’
Chapter Two
Kate reached across the bed. Empty. She’d been dreaming that Alessandro was there and had woken, convinced she could hear his voice. But the sun slanted through a gap in the curtains and lit up crisp white sheets, untroubled by the presence of anyone but herself. Flipping herself over, she squinted at the clock on her bedside cabinet. It was almost six, and her alarm was set to go off in a few minutes anyway. Switching it off, she rolled onto her back with a deep sigh and stared up at the ceiling.
Lucetta’s wedding day had arrived, and although part of her was excited for the spectacle and glamour of an Italian wedding, the rest of her was rather more apprehensive. She had no need to be – Alessandro, Lucetta, Abelie, Anna and Lily had all told her she had nothing to fear and no reason not to gain the approval of Alessandro’s wider family. But it wasn’t easy to feel as confident as they all did.
Her dresses hung on the rickety old wardrobe doors. She turned onto her side and gazed at them. At least she was happy with those, and perhaps, when she told people she had made them herself, they’d be impressed enough to want her to make things for them too. . . and actually get paid the going rate for her work. Reaching for her phone from next to the clock, she checked for messages.
Are you awake?
Kate smiled.
Yes. Are you excited for today?
Lucetta is. She woke everyone at four thirty. Mamma is tired and unhappy.
Oh dear. Are you tired?
I am never tired. I am like a horse, remember?
My Italian stallion – yes!
Kate giggled. It was a private joke, something she’d said the very first time she and Alessandro slept together.
I will come for you soon.
Kate tapped out a reply:
I can’t wait. Give me a clue, though. How soon is soon?
Alessandro and his entire family had this annoying habit of making social arrangements without any sense of a schedule whatsoever, and they seemed to assume that everyone else could just fit in with it. At least it would have been annoying if there hadn’t been something quite carefree and endearing about it. How on earth Lucetta was going to be standing at the altar within any kind of chronologically accurate timeframe was a mystery for the greatest minds of the age, but Kate was curious to see if she would manage it or not. And if the extended family were as bad, it would make for a very interesting day indeed.
One hour.
Great. She might have known that six wouldn’t be early enough. Why didn’t she learn to iron these things out beforehand? But it was pointless and a complete waste of precious time sitting arguing about it.
OK. See you in an hour. x
Locking the phone, Kate scrambled out of bed, now wide awake and full of nervous energy. She had an hour to make herself presentable – it looked as though breakfast was going to have to wait.
As she opened the door to her apartment, smoothing down her dress, the smile on Kate’s face turned into a frown. The man made a little gesture, as if tipping an imaginary cap.
‘Buongiorno. I have come to take you to the wedding.’
She had never seen this man before in her life. Instinctively, she backed away slightly, retreating into the safety of the doorway with a hand firmly gripped on the door, ready to slam it shut. ‘Where’s Alessandro?’
‘He sends apologies – he could not come. Signora Conti needs help.’
‘What sort of help?’
He shrugged. ‘She wobbles.’
‘Wobbles?’
‘Sì. . .’ He did a little mime, as if he was feeling faint. Kate could only assume that the stress of the day had already got to her, but in all honesty, it could have meant anything. If Signora Conti was wobbling, didn’t she have plenty of other children in the vicinity to help her out? Why did it have to be Alessandro?
‘Is she alright?’
‘She needs to rest. But the church is not ready.’
‘But I thought they did all that yesterday,’ Kate replied obstinately. ‘Why couldn’t somebody else do it? He said he would come for me this morning.’
‘Sì. . . he sends apologies,’ the man repeated. ‘But I can take you now.’
‘I’d rather call him first,’ Kate replied. ‘Wait there.’
Shutting the man out, she dug in her clutch bag for her phone and dialled Alessandro’s number. It rang out. Typical. Why did he have to be so frustrating? What was Kate supposed to do? What was so important that he couldn�
��t come? And who the hell was this man standing in his place? Was she just supposed to get into a car with him? How did she know he was who he said he was? Come to think of it, he hadn’t said anything about who he was at all. Her mind was in a whirl, and she was beginning to feel as if she’d somehow stumbled into the plot of a thriller novel. Who else could she call to verify the new arrangements? Lucetta and her sisters would all be busy getting dressed and pampered and she doubted they would answer their phones. With a mental shrug, she tried Abelie anyway, and then Jolanda and Isabella, but, as she suspected, they didn’t answer. As for trying Maria, Kate decided that she would rather fight off a potential abductor than phone her.
‘This is ridiculous,’ she muttered to herself and opened the door again to the man, who simply stood smiling at her. He looked harmless enough – in his late forties to early fifties, slightly built, a good head of curly hair and eyes that reminded her an awful lot of Alessandro. Come to think of it, now that she looked closer, he did bear a resemblance. A relative?
‘Are you a wedding guest?’ Kate asked, the question rather stupid considering the suit he was wearing. But it seemed politer than asking Who the hell are you?
‘I am Marco. . . Alessandro is my nephew.’
Kate smiled. It would have saved a lot of time if he’d simply told her that at the beginning instead of being so vague. And as for trusting him, she didn’t see that she had a lot of choice. Refusing his lift would probably be an insult if he was Alessandro’s uncle, and she didn’t want to start her introduction to the extended family that way. Although none of this changed her vexation at Alessandro for dropping her at the last minute without any warning or letting her know what plan B was.
‘I’m Kate.’
He nodded amiably. ‘I know this.’
‘Of course you do,’ Kate said. ‘Silly, aren’t I?’
Sweeping a hand towards the corridor, he beckoned her out. ‘Please, we go. The wedding is early; there is much to do.’
There was nothing else for it. Kate locked the door of her apartment and followed him to a white car waiting outside. It looked as if it was at least thirty years old, but it seemed in a good condition nonetheless. It seemed loved too, waxed to a finish so mirror-like that the early morning sun bounced from its bonnet, gleaming chrome wheels and immaculate tyres. Marco opened the passenger door for her.
‘Grazie,’ Kate said as she got in. She watched as he got into the driver’s seat and started the engine
‘Are we going to the church straightaway?’ Kate asked.
‘Yes. Alessandro is there now.’ Marco shot her an appraising glance, and then quickly shifted his attention back to the road as they pulled away from the kerb. ‘You are the English woman who has stolen Alessandro’s heart?’ he asked, staring straight ahead.
Kate paused. Was he going to add more to that statement? Say he was glad, express disgust, ask her more about her intentions for the future? But he offered nothing else.
‘I suppose so,’ she said lamely.
‘Maria does not trust you, and Giuditta wonders if you will run away to England.’
‘Giuditta?’
‘Alessandro’s mother.’
‘Oh!’ Kate couldn’t help a smile. It was like being back at school and finding out the teachers had real names other than Sir or Miss. She had always known Alessandro’s mother as Signora Conti and couldn’t imagine calling her anything else. For a start, it would seem discourteous, but other than her children, it was all anyone she had encountered so far called her. It was weird to imagine her as a girl, running the backstreets of Rome with her friends calling her proper name. But the smile faded. What exactly had Maria said? She made no secret of her dislike to Kate, but prejudicing her family before they’d had a chance to meet Kate for themselves wasn’t helpful, even though she probably should have expected it. And for someone who had only just met Kate, Marco was being very open about their discussions. No messing, straight in, this is what we think of you.
‘I think you will be good for him,’ he said into the gap. ‘You want to stay in Rome?’
‘That’s the plan.’ Kate looked at him, but he was still staring at the road ahead, and his expression gave nothing away. ‘I love it here.’
‘You may want to go home when it no longer feels like a vacation.’
‘I’m not here because it felt like a vacation in the first place. I’m here because I want a new life, not an extended holiday.’
He nodded. ‘Va bene. Then you will be good for Alessandro. Giuditta is afraid for him.’
‘She is?’
‘She does not want to die and leave him alone.’
‘But that’s silly! She’s not going to die any time soon and he has lots of family and friends.’
‘Not the same. She wants him to have a good wife.’
Kate frowned. ‘Abelie isn’t married yet.’
‘Abelie did not lose the love of her life; she has never had her heart broken. She will make a good match because her heart is not injured.’
‘And you think Alessandro’s is?’
‘Giuditta does.’
‘He’s always seemed happy to me. I know about Heidi, of course, but I thought he was over that.’
‘Yes. He acts well, no?’
‘You mean he’s still mourning?’
He shrugged. ‘Perhaps.’
‘He’s never said anything to me.’
‘He is a man.’
Oh, well, that explains it, Kate thought wryly. But was Alessandro still scarred by the death of his first love, Heidi? The woman he’d planned to marry had drowned in a Swiss lake. That had been eight years ago, but perhaps you never really got over something like that. Kate and Alessandro, though – they were happy, weren’t they? He wasn’t looking at Kate and wishing she was Heidi, was he? It didn’t feel like it, but over the last few days, it seemed as if she couldn’t be certain of anything between them.
‘You will marry him?’ Marco asked.
What was it with this family and marriage? They were obsessed by the idea and seemed to be arranging the church the minute someone of age looked at a member of the opposite sex. ‘I don’t know. Maybe in time.’
‘Maria says you do not want to marry anyone. She says you told her this.’
Kate grimaced. It was only a matter of time before her flippant comment came back to bite her on the bottom, and Maria had made sure to spread it as quickly as possible. It was a fair bet she’d embellished it a great deal along the way too. But did the fact that she had told her uncle mean that she had also told Signora Conti?
‘That wasn’t exactly what I meant. I just meant it’s too early to think about marriage.’
‘So you will? In a year perhaps?’
‘I don’t know.’
They lapsed into silence again. As introductions to the family went, this was a strange one. Kate had imagined them standing around outside the church, kisses and smiles, not an interrogation during an unexpected car journey.
For the remainder of the journey, Kate desperately tried to instigate more fluffy small talk, but though they both engaged, covering the weather, new taxes and good places to eat, it felt like hard work. The creams and greys of Rome flashed by, the streets strangely subdued so early on a Sunday morning. She could almost imagine the city in reflection – thinking back on the week just gone and looking ahead at the week to come.
Marco found a space a few streets from the church and parked up.
‘We must walk a little,’ he said, hopping out and racing around the car to open the passenger door for her.
Chapter Three
It was the first time Kate had seen the church of Santa Maria in Trastevere. More like one of Rome’s many tourist attractions than a church at first glance, the approach was through a piazza, a beautiful raised fountain at its centre adorned with decadent detail and the lifelike figures that were so commonplace around the city they became almost unremarkable. The stonework of the church itself was in faded pastels,
glittering mosaics depicting holy figures drawing the eye upwards to their eaves, symmetrical arches marking the entrance and a great bell tower standing sentry over it all. The sun skimmed the rooftops, sending blades of light to the ground, the shadows dense where they fell. Something about it felt so holy, so special, that the sight made Kate’s neck hair stand on end.
Without even realising she had, she stopped and stared.
‘Beautiful, no?’ Marco said with a faint smile.
‘Gorgeous.’ It was a far cry from the poky registry office where she had married Matt. She shook herself, her gaze drawn to a group of figures at the entrance. There were seven or eight men in suits, Alessandro standing a head taller than them all. Throwing a glance across to where she stood with Marco, he handed a huge swathe of what looked like white ribbon to one of his companions and jogged over.
She had been prepared, determined even, to show him how annoyed she was about the unexplained change of plans, but seeing him looking so handsome in his black suit, his expression bright with anticipation and pleasure, the irritation melted from her and she couldn’t have held onto it if she’d tried. He pulled her into a kiss, no care for the fact that Marco was standing watching.
‘I am sorry I could not come this morning,’ Alessandro said. ‘The church. . .’ He tilted his head to the group behind him, now swelled by the arrival of three women from inside the building. ‘So much to do before Lucetta and Gian arrive.’
‘Hmmm,’ Kate replied, forcing a frown, but it clearly wasn’t very convincing because Alessandro simply smiled. ‘Lucky for you your uncle looked after me because I could have been quite upset about being abandoned, you know.’ It had crossed her mind that Marco could have undertaken the duties that Alessandro had been tending to all morning, but she supposed there might be reasons she didn’t know about for this not happening.
A Wedding in Italy: A feel good summer holiday romance (From Italy with Love Book 2) Page 4