‘Yesterday. He’s decided to move back to Positano for good. Apparently when he told Jules she offered to fly over and be with him there, but he said no. He had grown tired of the relationship, surprise surprise, and so that’s that! Luca goes back to his old ways and Jules is left alone…’
‘Well that certainly is a turn-up for the books.’
‘I know. I wonder if Jules will get in touch with you now that she is on her own again. She had better not try and get hold of me. I hope she got the message the last time she showed up out of the blue.’
‘I need to talk to her anyway,’ Angus said. ‘I need to tell her that I want a divorce.’ They had discussed this last night, and Libby agreed that it was the right thing to do, to give him the clean slate he so clearly needed and deserved. Libby didn’t know quite how she would feel about the two of them seeing each other. She realised it wouldn’t be easy, though she wasn’t sure why it bothered her so much.
Sure enough, later on that week Jules telephoned Angus telling him that she needed to talk. He agreed to meet up with her, just the two of them, the following month. He wasn’t going to drop everything and see her immediately. She could wait until he was ready.
When the day came that Angus and Jules were scheduled to meet, Libby woke at the crack of dawn with a knot of dread in the bottom of her stomach. She was worried that seeing Jules might have a strange effect on him; that he might suddenly change his mind about their business plans. She had no doubt that now she was single and alone, Jules would try her very best to wheedle her way back into Angus’s life. What if he suddenly realised that he still loved her, that he wasn’t over her? What if it really was Jules he was meant to be with all along? What would she do then? The thought of him getting back together with Jules was so unbearable she felt her eyes fill with tears. She knew she could never forgive her, so where would that leave her in terms of her friendship with Angus?
She phoned him that morning.
‘What time are you meeting?’
‘At one thirty,’ Angus said. ‘What have you got planned for today?’ Having left Digby and Edwards the previous week, she was still getting used to her unemployed status. It felt strange being able to choose what to do with her days once again.
‘I’ve got an agent coming around to value the flat at midday. Shall we meet this afternoon to finalise the paperwork and start arranging some viewings?’
‘Good plan.’
‘See you later then,’ Libby said. ‘I hope it goes well with Jules.’
‘So do I. I’m not exactly looking forward to it.’ She could tell he was anxious.
‘It’ll be fine,’ she said. ‘Stay strong.’
The agent came around to view the house. Libby found herself buzzing with excitement: the plan was actually in motion once and for all. He told her his valuation and she was pleased with how much the flat had gone up in value since she had bought it. It wasn’t far off her estimate, and the money she could get from selling it, coupled with the money Angus had proposed to invest, would give them a substantial deposit. She couldn’t wait to start viewing some real properties. She wished Angus would hurry up and get here so they could get the ball rolling.
She knew that she watned to find a place relatively near the coast, that there needed to be space for Angus’s studio, and that she would rather inherit a business that was already set up and running than start one from scratch.
Time seemed to be moving painfully slowly. She kept checking her watch. Why hadn’t he called? She couldn’t stop thinking that Jules had got her way; that Angus had capitulated and would soon be ringing her to tell her that they were back together. The thought made her feel anxious. She didn’t know what was wrong with her. Why was she having such a strong reaction to the idea?
Libby’s nerves were so on edge that she decided to get out of the house as a distraction. She took Izzy to the park and walked around it, trying to stop the onslaught of images that were running through her mind: Jules declaring her undying love for Angus. Jules pleading for forgiveness, telling him it had all been a moment of madness. Jules begging him to stick to his wedding vows, promising to give him the baby he had always longed for… Her head spun. She tried to focus on the scenery around her instead. She checked her phone frequently in case Angus called her. She hoped that he would ring straight afterwards, just to put her mind at rest.
She walked all the way around the park and then via the shops on the way home, picking up some groceries. She set Izzy on her play mat and unpacked the shopping.
Just then she heard a knock on the door. She opened it and Angus walked in.
‘So how was it?’ She felt her breath catch in her throat as she waited for his response.
‘It was weird seeing her after all this time. She looks terrible. She has moved back into our old house and she’s found a job. She tried to tell me that she had ended things with Luca, that she had realised it had all been a big mistake and that she wanted to try and work things out between us.’
‘Oh my god, she is such a liar!’
‘Thankfully I already knew that it had been Luca’s decision, so knowing that she was lying to me yet again just made it easier to ignore her fake tears and ask for a divorce.’
‘You asked her?’
‘I certainly did.’
‘And what did she say?’
‘She tried her very best to talk her way out of it. There were lots of tears, apologies, and undoubtedly more lies, but I stuck to my guns and remained unmoved. I think she was quite shocked at how insistent I was.’
‘Did you tell her about the B & B?’
‘Yes. I actually thanked her for leaving me for Luca, for making it possible for me to have a new life without her.’
‘How did she react?’
‘You should have seen the look on her face: it was priceless!’
‘I bet! What did she say?’
‘That was when I stood up and said goodbye. I told her that I wished her the best of luck, that there were no hard feelings, and then I walked out. I left her speechless sitting at the table, mouth open.’ Libby couldn’t help but giggle at the thought.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Angus had shelved plans for any future exhibitions for the time being, in order to focus on the B & B project. His newfound success meant that his last three exhibitions had completely sold out, and he still had plenty of commissions to keep him ticking over in the meantime. The following week Libby and Angus travelled from place to place, viewing a variety of properties. They particularly liked an old mill house in Sussex, not far from the coast, which had a functioning water wheel. Libby and Angus had decided that they were happy to invest in a property that needed some work, so long as it was structurally sound. It was more important to them that the location was excellent and that there was plenty of potential.
On Thursday they visited a charming old farmhouse in Kent, not too far from the Saunders’ family home. This had predictably led to huge levels of excitement from Miriam. Unfortunately it was a complete shambles. There was a roof partially missing in one of the outhouses, it hadn’t been running as a B & B for years, and the whole place would need gutting. It had been a fairly immediate no for both of them. They had driven straight over to have lunch with Miriam and John after the viewing, still in high spirits despite their unsuccessful morning.
‘I’m glad it’s a no,’ said John. ‘If it had been a yes I was banned from saying what I’m about to tell you.’
‘John, I never said you were banned. I just wouldn’t want to encourage my daughter and my granddaughter to be so far away from me if they had liked the B & B down the road!’ Miriam laughed but Libby could tell John was probably telling the truth, though about what she had no idea.
‘This sounds most intriguing!’ she laughed.
‘Do you remember a while ago I told you about my sister-in-law Lizzy?’ asked John.
‘About her B & B near Positano? Where was it again?’
‘Yes that’s r
ight, in a village called Tremento. Well sadly her husband, Giuseppe, died last autumn. She closed the bed and breakfast when he died, and it has remained closed ever since.’
‘How awful,’ said Angus.
‘He’d been unwell for quite some time,’ said John. ‘She is all right, but she has decided to sell up and move back to England. I just thought I’d mention it in case it would be of any interest. It’s quite a successful business, from what I hear. It’s just too much for her to manage on her own and she thinks the time has come to find someone to take over.’
‘Wow. Italy!’ Libby exclaimed. She hadn’t even thought about that as an option. ‘It would certainly make sense for me and Izzy in terms of Luca…’
‘But Angus, you wouldn’t want to be involved in a business in Italy, would you?’ asked Miriam, an element of pleading in her voice.
Libby looked at Angus, intrigued to see how he would react to the idea.
He paused for a while before answering. ‘It wouldn’t actually be a bad idea. I can see how sensible it would be for you, Libby. And I’m slightly running out of beautiful locations to paint here. It could open up a whole myriad of possibilities for me in terms of my work. In fact, I’ve been dying to paint the Amalfi coast for years – never more so than after having seen all Libby’s photos from her time there. It’s certainly an interesting thought…’
They discussed it as much as they could with John’s fairly limited knowledge. It was called The Lemon Tree – L’Albero di Limoni – which Libby loved. They all peered at the screen of Miriam’s laptop and scrutinised as many photographs from the website and TripAdvisor as they could. It looked idyllic. Libby could feel the excitement levels begin to build within her. She had a really good feeling about this. The best thing was that Lizzy hadn’t put the business on the market yet. There would be no competitors; Libby and Angus could have first refusal. They arranged to call Lizzy the following day to talk things through in more detail.
Back in London, Angus and Libby had written a long list of questions to discuss with Lizzy. They called her on Skype from Libby’s kitchen and spent over an hour on the phone. She sounded absolutely charming and answered all of their questions patiently and thoroughly. It was clear that she had run the business side of things herself and she was extremely clued up on profit margins, incoming and outgoing costs, and the legal requirements of running a guesthouse. Libby started looking into the legal aspects of buying property in Italy and made some phone calls to several ex-colleagues to make initial enquiries. Once again she was grateful she had stuck out her training contract. Her legal background was going to come in useful time and time again, of that she was sure.
Convinced that the business would be a viable opportunity for them both, and drawn to the idea of relocating to Italy, Angus and Libby decided to book flights to go and see the B & B for themselves at the beginning of March. They left Izzy with Miriam and flew to Naples before hiring a car and driving through the picturesque countryside to Tremento.
It was a cool but crisp day; the sky was perfectly clear and a bright, cerulean blue. Angus marvelled at his surroundings. He seemed inspired already, and Libby could tell that he was experiencing the same sense of building excitement and nervous anticipation as she was. They followed the instructions from the website to find L’Albero di Limoni, a short drive from the centre of the village. As they wound their way up the twisting track, the guesthouse slowly came into view. It was everything it had appeared to be in the photographs online, and more.
‘I love it!’ squealed Libby, as she drank in the golden stone, the rambling wisteria that climbed up the sides, the slightly topsy-turvy-looking walls and painted window shutters. Lemon trees lined the driveway, and brightly coloured flowers spilt over the sides of terracotta pots of all shapes and sizes. The guest rooms, in a separate block from the main house, were covered in tumbling bougainvillea. To the back was an enormous barn that they were hoping would be perfect for Angus’s studio.
‘It looks even better in real life,’ agreed Angus, unable to stop grinning with enthusiasm.
Lizzy welcomed them into a large farmhouse-style kitchen. Libby noticed photographs of Lizzy with a handsome man on the large wooden dresser that stood to one side of the room. Presumably it was her husband, Giuseppe. Libby couldn’t imagine how awful it must have been to lose first her sister and then her husband. Her heart went out to her as she realised how emotional the thought of selling this place must be.
‘Thank you so much for having us to stay,’ Libby said.
‘It’s a pleasure!’ said Lizzy. ‘You have to test out the rooms for yourself, naturally… and it’s far too far to come for a day trip.’
They chatted easily, passing on news of John and Miriam to John’s sister-in-law as they sipped cups of tea and ate some delicious homemade lemon drizzle cake. Libby was dying to have the grand tour, but she was also intrigued to meet Lizzy, and was more than happy to enjoy a tea break after their early start that morning.
Afterwards, Lizzy showed them around the rest of the house, opening each room and every door, allowing them to explore each nook and cranny. She showed them the guestrooms as well as the extensive grounds. Finally they visited the barn. Angus could immediately see the potential for a studio… it was a vast space, but they would need to ensure that it was structurally sound for conversion. It had to be north-facing, and large panes of glass would need to be installed to allow the controlled, indirect light to stream in. Lizzy had organised for a local architect to meet them at the house that afternoon to discuss the possibilities. Luckily he seemed to think there would be no problem converting the building into the studio Angus described. He said he could draw up some initial plans and send them electronically back to England over the course of the next couple of weeks.
Lizzy left Libby and Angus to explore the house again, this time unaccompanied, and they took their time revisiting each room, discussing options for décor, layout and any work that would need to be done. They decided it would probably take a few months to get the property fully into shape, as they wanted it. They were both happy to get stuck in with painting, and they had budgeted enough to employ local carpenters, electricians and decorators to help them as needed. Like any house that had been lived in for years and years, there were areas that would need touching up. They would need to replace carpets and some of the bathroom fixtures and fittings, which could do with updating.
The whole place seemed to be continually flooded with light that streamed through the windows. It had such a wonderful, homely atmosphere. Giuseppe and Lizzy had clearly been extremely happy and settled here, and Libby could imagine herself and Izzy being very happy there too. And Angus – for as long as he stayed with them.
The best thing about being on the Amalfi coast was the guarantee of a constant stream of tourists. It was such a popular tourist destination, and the village of Tremento itself was becoming firmly lodged on the tourist track as the secret of its existence slowly spread. It was a small village with a couple of local shops and one or two trattorias. Just enough to keep the bed and breakfast guests happy and well fed.
Over dinner, Lizzy explained how they had found the place back in the seventies; how they had lovingly built it up into the successful business it had become. They hadn’t been able to have children, which had always been a huge regret for Lizzy. She was clearly delighted at the prospect of Izzy growing up in the home she had always known would be ideally suited to the pitter-patter of small footsteps.
The next day, as they made their way back home, Libby and Angus talked and talked and talked. They discussed all their options in minute detail. Angus played devil’s advocate and Libby explained any legal ramifications of a move abroad, compared with staying in England. They thrashed out ideas and debated the pros and cons of all the places on their shortlist. It became very clear to them that L’Albero di Limoni was their outright favourite. They would be hard pushed to find something more ideal. Libby hadn’t wanted to get Luca’s h
opes up, so she hadn’t discussed the idea with him yet, but she had to admit it made perfect sense. When they finally made their minds up to go ahead with the sale, she phoned him. He was absolutely over the moon. He couldn’t believe his luck, that Izzy would be so close to him. It was almost as though everything was working out somehow – that from the wreckage of her failed relationship, she was managing to make a life for her small family unit, a good life for her daughter. She knew that it was largely Angus that had given her the confidence and the strength to make these momentous decisions. She was so grateful to him for being by her side. As she looked at him sitting across the table from her, talking to Lizzy on the phone, her heart swelled to bursting point with emotion. She felt like crying. She didn’t know what she would do without him. He had been her best friend for as long as she could remember. As she drank in his familiar features, his handsome, rugged face with those deep blue eyes, she had a sudden urge to jump into his arms and hold him close.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Libby found a young, newly married couple to buy her flat. After thirty-odd unsuccessful viewings she had begun to give up hope until they suddenly appeared on her doorstep. They had clearly loved the space and she had managed to negotiate the full asking price out of them. The sale was able to move fairly swiftly, thanks to Lizzy’s flexibility with the purchase of L’Albero di Limoni and the couple being chain-free. She was glad that she liked the look of the buyers. There was something strangely personal about selling your home. She hoped that they would be happy there, that they would enjoy living in her home as much as she had. Angus had terminated the contract on his flat and they had started researching moving companies that would come in and pack up their possessions to send them ahead to Italy. The paperwork for the B & B was coming along nicely, and soon they found themselves signing on the dotted line. It was all happening very quickly. Libby had never felt so excited about anything before. She felt energised and full of life, her imagination spilling over with ideas. She had to keep turning her bedside light on in the middle of the night to scribble them down on her notepad lest she forget them. It was wonderful to feel so inspired. She had never experienced it before, so used to being either in a dead-end job with no prospects, or lately bogged down in a world of terminology and paperwork that made her see stars in front of her eyes. She and Angus were never far apart; they plotted and schemed together with Izzy by their side.
It Was Always You Page 22