by T A Williams
He nodded. ‘That’s the plan. I was watching a discussion programme on TV last night and the idea came to me. There they were, talking endlessly about all the problems in the world, and it occurred to me that groups of people have no doubt been doing that very same thing throughout the whole of history, but to no effect. I thought I might call this one: History Teaches us Nothing.’
Bee nodded approvingly. ‘You’re dead right there.’
They sat for a few more minutes before Riccardo gave the conversation a startling new direction.
‘So, what did your boyfriend think of Montegrifone?’
Bee looked up in surprise, wondering how news of Jamie’s visit had percolated through to this hermit.
‘He’s not my boyfriend.’ For some reason she definitely wanted to make that clear – to everybody on the estate. ‘He used to be, but it all fizzled out a few months ago.’
‘A-ha, so, don’t tell me, he came here to try to woo you back? I spotted you talking to him by his car just before he left, and he looked a bit forlorn.’ He added a word of explanation. ‘I’ve started taking a few walks. I’ve been shut up in here for too long.’
Bee found herself smiling at him. ‘I’m delighted you’re getting out and about. That’s great news. As far as Jamie’s concerned, he wouldn’t know the first thing about wooing, but I think you might be right. He did sound a bit nostalgic. But that episode of my life is closed now, so I sent him packing.’
Riccardo was still smiling. ‘Ah… to be young and beautiful. You women don’t realise the power you have over us men. You beguile us, use us, and then discard us at will.’
Bee found herself smiling back at him. ‘I’ve never ever set out to beguile any man, least of all Jamie. No, it had to be done and I feel all the better for it.’
‘So you’re footloose and fancy free once more. Or do you have another poor unsuspecting victim in your sights?’
‘Right now, I’m just fine as I am, Riccardo. This way, I can concentrate on my career without relationship complications.’
The look he gave her was highly sceptical. ‘And your career is so important to you?’
‘Yes, of course. I’ve been studying all my life to get to this stage. I’m at a crossroads at the moment and I need to concentrate all my efforts on sorting out which direction to go in.’
‘Romance isn’t high on your list of priorities, then?’ The sceptical look was still on his face, but he moved on. ‘And when does your work restart?’
‘Not long now. Probably in September.’ She went on to tell him about what had happened at work and how she was actively looking around for a different job. He shook his head ruefully.
‘So, one way or another, you’ll be leaving Montegrifone?’
‘I’m afraid so.’ She distinctly got the impression he was sorry she would be leaving. His next words confirmed it.
‘I’ll be sorry to see you go.’
‘And I’ll be sorry to leave this wonderful place and all of you.’
She meant it.
Chapter 15
The following afternoon, Mimi was tied up again on the phone to the US, so Bee decided to go for another good long walk, in spite of the heat.
When she went to the kitchen to collect the ever-willing dog, Ines had a suggestion for her. ‘Have you been to the little church yet?’ She called it the chiesetta and Bee dimly remembered seeing that name on the map Umberto had given her.
‘No, I haven’t. Hang on while I dig out Umberto’s map and you can show me where it is.’
The little church was perched on the flank of the hillside on the other side of the road down which they had driven to the villa just over a month earlier. She had got so used to living here at Montegrifone by now, it seemed even longer in the past than that. Certainly, her ‘normal’ life back in London felt much further away. She hadn’t explored that side of the valley yet, so she readily agreed to Ines’s suggestion.
She decided she could just wear her sunhat, rather than adding the scarf to help hide her face. At least from a distance, it really didn’t look too bad at all now. From close up, of course, the damage to the skin was still visible, but even these marks were starting to fade and smooth themselves out a bit. An email that morning had confirmed the follow-up appointment with Doctor Bianchi at the hospital the following week and she was nervously awaiting his verdict on her progress and the long-term prognosis.
She and Romeo set off at half past two. The sky was cloudless, the late July sun scorching, and the temperature very high. She had spread sun cream all over her exposed skin and she was grateful for it. They both hugged the shade as they made their way down through the vines to the river and along towards the bridge. The river itself was now little more than a miserable trickle and they crossed it without even bothering to use the bridge, Bee stepping easily across without getting her trainers wet and Romeo deliberately looking for one of the few remaining little pools and flopping gratefully into the water to cool down. Bee looked on enviously. Yes, she thought to herself, the one thing missing from this gorgeous valley was a swimming pool. Maybe she would take Mimi up to the one she had discovered on her first walk. And, of course, if she were to find Luke there…
She was lost in her thoughts as she reached the road. These thoughts mainly involved Luke in tight-fitting swimming trunks, climbing out of the clear water towards her, dripping wet, a broad smile on his face and love in his eyes. As daydreams went, it was pretty damn good, but she was suddenly snapped back to the here and now by the sight of a wedge-shaped animal, roughly the size of a spaniel, scuttling across the road in front of her. She stopped dead and, beside her, the dog did the same. She stared blankly, blinked a few times, wiped her eyes and stared some more. There was no doubt about it. What she had just seen could only be one thing. She glanced down at the dog who had made no attempt to chase the animal.
‘Did you see what I saw, Romeo? That was a porcupine. I didn’t know they had porcupines here in Tuscany.’
From the expression on the bewildered dog’s face, neither did he.
As they crossed the road without encountering any cars, Bee was presented with irrefutable proof that her animal recognition skills were faultless, at least on this occasion. There, lying at the side of the road was what could only be a porcupine quill, almost a foot long. She picked it up and studied it. It looked for all the world like the central shaft of a bird’s feather, the top half black, the bottom half white, and the pointed black end was as sharp as a needle. Very carefully, she stuck it into the side of her straw sun hat, feeling rather proud of her trophy. She looked down at the Labrador.
‘You’re not silly, are you, dog? You wouldn’t want to catch one of those on the end of your nose.’
They began the steep climb to the little church. It was higher up than it looked and by the time they got there, Bee was perspiring freely. The church really was little. In fact, it wasn’t much bigger than an average house. She was fascinated to see that the windows and doorway were formed of rounded Roman arches, rather than the more recent Gothic ‘broken’ arches. It had to be early medieval, probably at least eight, maybe nine, hundred years old. It was a sobering thought. So much had happened in the world since this humble little church had been built and, no doubt, it would still be here long after Beatrice Kingdom, Romeo the dog, and all her current companions in the valley were dust.
The walls were made of local stone, and the roof of sun-scorched terracotta tiles. Bee and Romeo headed gratefully for the shade of the porch and stopped for a breather. The door in its arched stone frame was made of solid timbers, pinned together with huge dome-headed nails. The old planks were wide and weather-beaten, the sturdy iron latch worn smooth by the touch of a multitude of hands over the years. It all looked very, very ancient and Bee loved it.
She shrugged off her little backpack and felt the sweat cold against her back. She retrieved the big bottle of water and took a drink. It was already tepid. Leaning against the wall of the porch, she
looked out at the view before her. They were now considerably higher even than the villa on its hill, and it seemed absurd that she had been unable to spot the church from there, but the stone was the same colour as the soil around it, and a few cypress trees on the slope in front of her served to add further camouflage to the little building. She took a few photos of the scene with her phone and sent one to her mother. Up here there was an excellent mobile signal, so she phoned home to tell her about Jamie’s visit and the way things had ended up. Predictably, her mother was saddened.
‘So it really is all over? You made such a lovely couple.’
Bee made no comment and fortunately the conversation turned to less contentious issues. After she had described her day out with Mimi the previous day, her mother must have heard something in her voice.
‘You know something, Bee, you’re sounding really happy. The Italian air must agree with you.’
‘I think you’re right, mum. It’s such a wonderful place here and I’ve met some lovely people. And my furry friend at my feet is delightful.’
‘And is there maybe a special someone there for you?’
Ever since her teenage years, Bee had always hated having conversations about boys with her mum. Now, almost twenty years on, it wasn’t any easier. She did her best to nip it in the bud.
‘There’s nobody here, Mum. The place is virtually deserted apart from Umberto and his wife.’
Maybe Jamie had been right about her being a poor liar, as her mother carried straight on with her cross-examination.
‘No nice boys looking after the vineyards?’
‘There are the farm workers and the estate manager, but I’m just fine on my own, mum.’
‘Anything you say, dear. Anyway, you’ll find someone soon, I know. After all, it’s about time you started thinking about settling down, you know.’
‘Mum…!’ Bee’s voice tailed off in frustration. Doing her best to keep her voice level, she changed the subject. ‘Anyway, you’re right about my feeling better. Maybe it is the Tuscan air.’
After ringing off, she took a photo of Romeo as he lay sprawled on the worn flagstones of the porch and sent it to her mum as a peace offering. She added a few words of description: the only male in my life over here. It wasn’t strictly true, but it was all her mother needed to know – at least for now.
Pocketing her phone, she reached for the heavy iron ring of the latch and twisted it. She pushed with her shoulder and the door opened with an eerie creak, but the blessedly cool air that came out from there more than calmed any nerves she might have had. She felt a movement at her feet as Romeo jumped up, nosing his way inside, and she followed him, closing the door behind her.
It was very dark in the church after the brilliant sunlight outside and pleasantly chilly. As her eyes began to get used to the gloom, she started to make out a few rows of pews, an altar at the far end and a handful of statues lining the walls. The narrow windows – only one of them boasting stained glass – shed enough light for her to be able to make her way around the building, marvelling at how tiny it was. At a push, probably no more than thirty or forty people could have squeezed inside. Everything was ancient and dusty, and the place smelt of mould. However, halfway along one wall, she came upon something more modern. A stone slab was set in the wall and it was clear that the inscription had been carved quite recently, as the outline of the letters was still crisp. She took a closer look. The heading was familiar:
Famiglia Negri di Montegrifone
Beneath this was a long list of names and dates, going back all the way to 1513. She scanned through them all until she crouched down to read the last name on the list and felt a twinge of sadness.
Cosimo Negri 1932-2017
This had to be Luke’s grandfather. No doubt in years to come, the names Riccardo and Luca Negri would also be added. She was in awe of a family that could trace its roots so far back, but this only emphasised the fleeting nature of our time on this earth. She sat down on one of the pews, feeling remarkably contemplative. Seconds later, a warm furry head landed on her knee as Romeo came to offer comfort. She stroked his ears as she sat and reflected, not only on the history of this illustrious family, but on her own life. Maybe her mum was right after all. Maybe it was time to think about settling down.
She sat silently for a good few minutes, thinking about her life to date and her probable future, until the unmistakable high-pitched whine of a mosquito by her ear stirred her. She stood up, rousing the dog who had by now stretched out on the cool flagstones at her feet, and made her way back out into the sunlight. As she closed the door behind them, she resolved to come back up here again. There was an uncommon tranquillity to the place and she had felt comfortable here, even on the hard wooden bench.
She slipped her sunglasses back on, retrieved her backpack and stepped out of the shade of the porch and into the sun. The air was dry and hot enough for her to feel the heat in her throat as she breathed in. She made a decision and glanced down at the dog.
‘You know what you need, Romeo? A swim.’
He wagged his tail hopefully and she set off with him down a track that curled across the hillside back to the road, heading in the direction of the little pool she had found on her first longer walk. With the aid of Umberto’s map and Romeo’s local knowledge, it took less than half an hour to get there, but she was bathed in sweat by the time she finally heard the waterfall and saw the pool. As she reached it, there was a loud splash as the dog plunged straight in, surfacing a few moments later with an expression of delight on his face. You didn’t need to be able to speak Labrador to understand his message, ‘Come on in. The water’s fine.’
Bee took off her backpack and felt her T-shirt sticky against her skin. She sat down in the shade of the trees and watched as the happy dog splashed about in the cool, refreshing water. Once he had climbed out, shaken himself, and sprawled out on the rock at her feet, she listened hard for any other sounds of life, but could hear nothing. No voices, no footsteps, no tractors. Just birds singing, the ever-present bees, and a distant cow lowing. She hadn’t thought to bring a costume, and for a naughty moment she even considered stripping off her damp clothes and plunging naked into the pool, but natural caution prevailed, so all she removed were her trainers and socks so she could dangle her feet into the remarkably cold water.
As it turned out, it was just as well she had resisted the temptation to go skinny dipping. She had only been sitting there for a few minutes when Romeo raised his head from the rock, pricked up his ears and then jumped to his feet, nose pointing downstream, tail wagging. By now, Bee could hear rustling in the bushes and the sound of cracking twigs as somebody approached. She took heart from the fact that Romeo was wagging his tail, but even so, it was a relief when she saw who it was. She sat up and beamed at him.
‘Hi, Luke.’
‘Hi, Bee. Hot enough for you?’
‘It’s boiling. In fact, I’ve just been toying with the idea of stripping off and diving into the pool. It’s just as well I didn’t.’
He grinned and she was delighted to see the lines around his eyes soften. ‘Speak for yourself.’ For a moment, she sensed his eyes on her body and there was no doubt in her mind, she rather liked the sensation. ‘Anyway, to be honest, that’s what I’ve come to do.’
He squatted down beside her, making no attempt for the moment to discard his shorts or his T-shirt. He was close enough to touch, and memory of her recent daydream almost made Bee’s cheeks flush, but she controlled it this time. She wasn’t a giddy teenager, after all.
‘I thought you said you hadn’t been here for a while.’
He nodded, the sombre expression back on his face.
‘Not for almost a year. Not since… you know the story of Dawn, I imagine. Umberto told me he’s given you the potted history of Montegrifone, so I assume you got the bit about the heartbroken farmer losing his Australian fiancée. She and I used to come here a lot. It was sort of our special place.’
; She could hear him trying to sound upbeat, but his eyes betrayed him. She felt like reaching over and giving him a hug, but, of course, she didn’t. Instead, she just nodded.
‘He told me a bit, but I only discovered who you really were by reading your father’s Wikipedia entry.’
His eyes narrowed.
‘Umberto told me you’ve been speaking to my father.’
‘You don’t mind, do you?’
‘Of course not. You’re free to talk to whoever you like.’ His eyes dropped. A long pause followed, but she made no attempt to break it. Finally he looked up again. ‘How is he?’
‘He’s fine, I think. He said he had a doctor’s appointment today, but that was probably just routine. He’s a bit slow on his feet, but he looks and sounds fine.’
‘Good.’
That was all he said. Bee deliberated whether to ask him about his relationship, or the lack of it, with his father but decided it wasn’t her place to intrude. The fact that he was even talking about him was, she sensed, a major development, so she left it at that and turned to a safer topic.
‘Umberto and Ines are lovely, Luke.’
‘They certainly are. I don’t know what I’d do without them.’
‘There’s a real family feeling when I see you with them. If I didn’t know differently, I would have imagined they were your parents or your grandparents.’
‘They’re the closest thing to family I’ve got left. I was really close to my grandfather, and when he died I was really devastated.’
‘And your mum died before that?’
She saw him nod his head. ‘While I was still quite young. It was cancer. My grandparents brought me up, helped by Umberto and Ines. That’s why I’m so close to them even now. I still think of Ines as sort of my surrogate mum.’
‘And your father?’
Bee held her breath as she posed the question. All she got back from Luke were six words.
‘My father’s a waste of space.’