by T A Williams
‘You’ll see her again soon, Luke. Don’t worry.’
* * *
When Bee got in to work on Monday morning, she was feeling remarkably fresh for somebody who had flown halfway across the globe and back in the space of twenty-four hours. This was just as well, as she and Virginia were called into a top-level meeting at nine o’clock. Bee was impressed, and a bit intimidated, to see everybody there, right up to the CEO himself. Once everybody was settled, he announced the importance of this meeting to the assembled executives.
‘Today is September twenty-nine. HOWTV goes live the day after tomorrow and I want to wish you all well.’ He looked around the room shrewdly. ‘I also want to hear from you that everything’s in place and we’re good to go.’
There then began a series of reports from the heads of the different divisions, but it was only when they got to Legal and Property that Bee suddenly sat up to attention. The short, chubby, lawyer in charge of that department broke the news to the room that a final decision had been made on the European headquarters.
‘We’ve decided to go ahead with setting up a European branch office. Initially, this will be a fairly small affair, headed up by…’ He checked his iPad. ‘… Ms Kingdom, Beatrice Kingdom.’
The CEO cut in. ‘Stand up and give us all a wave, Beatrice. I want everybody to get to know you before you leave us and head off to Rome.’
Bee pushed her chair back and got to her feet, smiling nervously around the room. All the while, her brain was trying to process what she had just heard. Had he really said ‘Rome’?
Unaware of her bemusement, the lawyer carried on in his deadpan voice.
‘We’ve taken premises in the centre of Rome and we plan to begin with just a skeleton staff headed up by Ms Kingdom. She will be responsible for ensuring that everything’s up and running by the end of November at the latest.’
Bee suddenly realised she was still on her feet, grinning stupidly around the room, so she hastily sat down again.
That evening she couldn’t wait to give Mimi the good news, but she soon discovered that Mimi had some fascinating news of her own. After Bee had revealed that she would be living and working in Italy, and Mimi had given her congratulations, Mimi went on to tell her something just as amazing.
‘It’s official, Bee. I’m going to be you.’
Bee took a mouthful of Prosecco and gave her a puzzled look over the rim of her glass. ‘You’re going to have to explain.’
‘I signed the contract this afternoon. Pan World have bought the rights to your boyfriend’s… your ex-boyfriend’s screenplay. And I’m playing the part of Dee.’ She held up her glass and clinked it against Bee’s. ‘Cheers, Bee, or should I say Dee? I’m going to be you.’
‘Wow!’ Bee really didn’t know what to say. ‘Does Jamie know?’
Mimi nodded. ‘My agent and his agent set the whole thing up, so he’s been kept in the loop. Apparently when she called him today with the confirmation, the line went silent for so long she thought he’d had a coronary.’ She grinned. ‘But he’s fine, just amazed and very, very happy.’
‘I bet he is. Well, good for him.’ Bee was genuinely pleased for him.
‘But, coming back to you, Bee, have you called Luke yet to give him the good news that you’re going to be living and working only a couple of hours down the road from Montegrifone?’
Bee shook her head. ‘It’s the middle of the night over there right now. I’ll send him an email after dinner.’
‘You’re sounding very calm and relaxed. If I were you, I’d be jumping up and down with delight. You’ll be able to see him every weekend, maybe even work from Montegrifone some days. This has to be the best news you could have possibly hoped for.’
Bee took another sip of wine. ‘It is, of course… It’s just that this changes everything.’
‘In what way?’
‘Up till now, I’ve known, and he’s known, that there could never be anything serious between us because of the sheer impossibility of the distances between us. Now, suddenly, I can be with him. What if he doesn’t want me?’
Mimi reached across and caught hold of Bee’s hand and squeezed it.
‘Beatrice Kingdom, the Americans have an expression for what you are, you know. You realise you’re bat-crap crazy, don’t you?’
Bee smiled in spite of herself at the expression as Mimi expanded.
‘I’ve told you before and I’ll tell you again. Take it from me, he’s crazy about you – in a good way, not in a bat-crap way. You tell him you’re coming to live in Italy and he’ll be down on one knee with a ring in his hand before you’re out of the airport. Trust me, Bee. I know what I’m talking about.’
Bee found herself blushing. She wasn’t so sure. But Mimi hadn’t finished yet.
‘So when are they sending you back across to Europe?’
‘At the end of this week.’
‘A hundred dollars, no, a thousand dollars, says Luke invites you to Montegrifone.’
‘I won’t take your bet, but I hope you’re right. I’m just afraid he’ll be scared off, now that the impediment has been removed.’
‘Don’t you believe it.’
Chapter 24
Bee was right not to take Mimi’s bet. Luke was waiting for Bee at Rome Fiumicino airport and as she spotted him amid the crowds of the busy terminal, her whole being lit up as she felt a wave of joy spread throughout her. Whatever his feelings towards her might be, there was no doubt in her mind that she loved him dearly and it was useless to try to hide this from herself any longer. As he saw her, he ran towards her and caught her in his arms, lifting her bodily off the ground. He drew her to his chest and hugged her tight for several seconds before sweeping up her bags and carrying them out to the car park. They chatted in the car, but not about anything really personal. She heard about the latest exploits of Berlusconi the goat, who had managed to get into the kitchen and, to Ines’s annoyance, eaten a freshly baked apple tart. She also heard about the results of a concerted attempt by local hunters to cull the marauding wild boar population. In consequence, everybody in the area had been eating wild boar pâté, wild boar sausage as well as roast, and boiled and grilled wild boar for days now. She asked about Ines and Umberto and received his assurance that they were both well and waiting to welcome her to the villa.
It took a couple of hours to get back to Montegrifone and the sun had just set as they drove in through the gates. As the car tyres crunched up the hill on the strada bianca, the cypress trees alongside the drive looked for all the world like an honour guard of soldiers on parade and Bee felt a rising sense of homecoming. Somehow she knew she belonged here.
They emerged from underneath the massive umbrella pines and drew up on the gravel outside the villa. As Luke switched off the engine, Bee unclipped her seat belt and leant across towards him.
‘It’s really good to be back, Luke.’
‘It’s really good to have you back.’ And he kissed her.
She had no idea how long she was in his arms, but they were finally interrupted by a heavy thud against the side door and a scrabbling of paws at the window. Bee relinquished her hold on Luke and turned to find herself looking straight into the eyes of the Labrador. She was already smiling, but her smile broadened as she saw him. She pushed the door open and did her best to fend off his friendly assault. Finally, she stepped out of the car and stood silent for a few moments, scratching the dog’s tummy with her toe as he lay on his back at her feet, grunting happily to himself.
The impressive bulk of the villa stood out against the purple of the evening sky before her. Bats wheeled in and out of the trees above her head and somewhere in the distance she heard an owl hoot but, apart from that, it was as peaceful as she remembered. She heard footsteps behind her and then felt Luke’s arm grip her shoulders and pull her to him. She let her head rest back against his chest as she savoured the moment. Then, as she looked up, the front door opened wide, spilling a shaft of light along the path towards t
hem. Three figures appeared on the steps to greet them. To Bee’s delight, she saw that these were Ines, Umberto and, along with them, Riccardo. Importantly, there were smiles on all three faces.
She swivelled round and raised her eyes towards Luke, smiling at him in the twilight. He was looking down at her with an expression of adoration on his face. He lowered his lips towards hers and, just before they touched, he whispered softly.
‘Welcome home, Bee.’
She savoured his kiss and then they headed for the front door hand in hand. As they walked up the path, she looked up at him and whispered in her turn, ‘I never want to leave.’
‘You never need to.’
Epilogue
‘The baby’s crying.’
Umberto’s voice resulted in both Mimi and Bee jumping to their feet. Here inside the villa it was cool, while outside in the mid-August sunshine, little moved as the temperature climbed once more.
‘I’ll go.’
Bee headed for the door, but Mimi beat her to it.
‘You stay with Joey. I’ll go.’ She shot Bee a happy smile. ‘She is my daughter after all – although she gets her powerful lungs from her father.’
‘I’ve heard you scream even louder than that.’ Joey looked up from the lounge floor where he was on his third set of one-arm press-ups. ‘What about that time I spilt ice down your back?’
Bee grinned at the two of them. Mimi and Joey had arrived with four-weeks-old Siena at the beginning of August, and Montegrifone had already worked its magic upon them. The stress of work, of their celebrity wedding and of the birth of their child had swiftly slipped away and they both looked much more relaxed, even though Mimi had insisted she intended to do without the services of their newly engaged Scottish nanny for this month. Fiona, the nanny, had gone to visit relatives in Scotland while Mimi and Joey had come here to Montegrifone to look after their child all by themselves. As Mimi had told Bee with a smile, ‘Just like real parents’. Little Siena certainly had good lungs, and the ability to employ them to the full most nights, but the new parents were managing fine with the willing help of Bee and Ines.
As Mimi disappeared, Bee glanced out of the window and spotted a silver tractor coming down the track through the vines. She recognised Marco at the wheel and wondered idly where Luke might be. He had promised to join them for afternoon tea any time now and later on, they were having a barbecue in the garden to celebrate his thirty-seventh birthday. Later still, Bee had planned a very personal birthday treat for him, but only he would get to experience this particular present. A sensation of erotic excitement had been building in her all day and she could hardly wait.
She returned her attention to the inside and once more surveyed the painting occupying pride of place over the mantelpiece. It was uncanny. She wondered whether Simone Martini himself would have been able to tell the difference. Riccardo really was a very talented painter. He had made this perfectly faithful reproduction in secret and had presented it to Luke on the night of the sale as they celebrated here in this room with champagne. Bee had taken a day off from work in Rome and had come up to join them, and the atmosphere had been euphoric.
The other cause for celebration that November evening had been, in Bee’s eyes, far more important than the Martini selling for an amazing eleven million euros at auction. That evening, Luke had gone down on one knee, as Mimi had predicted, and proposed to her. She hadn’t hesitated for a moment. The wedding had taken place in Newbury in June, and Bee’s parents had welcomed Luke and his father into the family with open arms. Her mother had even taken her to one side after first meeting Luke and whispered in her ear.
‘I like this one even more than the last one.’
‘This one is going to be the last one, mum.’
As for her previous boyfriend, Bee received regular bulletins via Mimi and her agent. He had also married, to Bee’s amazement, and his wife was apparently steering his writing career with considerable success. The movie of his original screenplay, starring Mimi, was due to start filming this autumn and Bee had been helping Mimi learn her lines this month. It had been bizarre to hear Mimi saying things that she recognised as having originally been said by her to Jamie.
Suddenly a happy Labrador nosed the door open and came over to greet Bee before turning his attention to Joey, who was still stretched out on the floor and this soon developed into a cheerful wrestling match. Behind the dog came Bee’s husband.
‘Hello, gorgeous.’ He came across and kissed her. ‘The decorators have finished for the day. By the end of the week the Grifoncella should be finished and we can move back in.’
Bee had managed to reach a highly satisfactory agreement with her employers where she worked in Rome from Tuesday to Thursday and from home in the Grifoncella on the other two days. Not far from the office in Rome, she had found a sweet little pensione, run by an elderly couple not dissimilar to Umberto and Ines, where she stayed during the week. It was all working out really well, and she was able to spend four full days each week by Luke’s side. And there was nowhere she would rather be.
‘I can’t wait.’ She kissed him back. ‘Have you heard from your father?’
‘I got an email half an hour ago. It sounds as if he’s having a whale of a time in New York. The exhibition’s going well and his agent’s been taking him to a load of galleries and art events, and he’s even met a few familiar faces from years ago.’ He smiled at her. ‘That psychiatrist really knew his stuff. What an amazing improvement in less than a year.’
Bee, too, had seen and applauded the change in her father-in-law. Apart from the almost immediate physical improvement brought about by his hip operation, over the months since his rapprochement with his son, he had blossomed mentally, coming out of his shell and his house, and beginning to live a normal life again after a quarter of a century of miserable solitude.
The door concealed in the bookcase opened and Ines came in with the tea tray. Behind her, Umberto was carrying another tray, this one with an ice bucket and champagne.
‘Happy birthday, Luke.’ Ines set the tray down and went over to give him a hug and a kiss.
Bee saw how warmly he hugged her in return. As he had said, she was the closest thing to a mother he could remember.
‘Grazie, Ines.’
‘It’s a pity your father isn’t here. It would have been the first of your birthdays he’s celebrated with you for twenty-seven years.’
‘He’ll be back soon. Once his exhibition’s finished.’
The other major change in Riccardo had been the increase in his artistic output. After his painting of Bee’s face had achieved remarkable critical acclaim, demand for his work had increased and his agent had convinced him to stage a one-man show in Manhattan this summer.
Umberto opened the champagne bottle while Ines disappeared back to the kitchen. Moments later, Mimi reappeared, this time cradling little Siena in her arms. At the same time, Ines returned with a wonderful iced cake decorated with thirty-seven candles. She set it down on the coffee table and gave Romeo a stern stare.
‘No, Romeo, this is not for dogs.’
The Labrador made no attempt to approach the table but never took his eyes off the cake for a second, even while Joey squatted on the floor alongside it and set about lighting every single little candle. When they were all lit, Umberto distributed the glasses of champagne and proposed a toast.
‘As the oldest person here, it falls upon me to wish you, Luke, a very happy birthday. I can’t tell you how happy it’s made Ines and me to see you once again with a smile on your face and a spring in your step.’ He turned towards Bee and held out his glass. ‘And we all know who we have to thank for that. And I’m not talking about your wonderful discovery, Bee. I’m talking about the joy you’ve brought to all of us.’ He clinked his glass against hers as she blushed red. ‘Here’s to you, Bee and to your husband. Wishing you both every happiness.’
Everybody joined in the good wishes.
‘Happy birthday,
Luke. What present did you get?’ Mimi kept her voice low so as not to wake the baby.
Luke stretched his free arm around Bee’s shoulders.
‘This lady here is my present. I can’t imagine anything better.’
And he kissed her.
Acknowledgements
With warmest thanks to Michael Bhaskar, Kit Nevile, and all the team at my wonderful publishers, Canelo. Thanks also to all my friends in Tuscany for their input, advice and help. Thanks, as ever, to my wife for putting me straight on matters of Tuscan art and architecture, not to mention cuisine.
First published in the United Kingdom in 2019 by Canelo
Canelo Digital Publishing Limited
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Copyright © T.A. Williams, 2019
The moral right of T.A. Williams to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN 9781788630962
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places and events are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
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