Leanne fiddled with the heavy silver cutlery. ‘No, I haven’t had the time to look at them. I will later.’
‘Good.’ Carlo passed her a huge platter with sliced beef and shavings of parmesan on a bed of lettuce. ‘Lunch. Bistecca from Florence.’
‘Fabulous,’ Leanne said and dug in.
‘And of course, red wine,’ Carlo continued and filled her glass. ‘But,’ he added, ‘I would like to know if you can use that famous nose of yours and tell us if this one is good or bad.’
Leanne smiled, feeling all eyes on her. ‘Okay,’ she said with pretend confidence, raising her glass to her nose, taking a little sniff. ‘Mmm… Yes. It’s good. I get blackberry and raspberry with a touch of liquorice…’ She took a small sip. ‘Nice little hit of vanilla and perhaps just a hint of caramel.’
‘Really?’ Carlo said, looking intrigued. ‘That’s amazing.’ He passed the bottle to Maddy. ‘You have to taste this.’
‘Wine at lunch time?’ Maddy protested. ‘But I’ll be falling asleep.’
Antonio laughed beside her. ‘Of course. That’s why we have the siesta, so we can sleep it off. Especially in summer. It’s too hot in the early afternoon to do anything but sleep.’
‘Some people do other things during the siesta,’ Carlo mumbled in Leanne’s ear.
Leanne couldn’t help laughing. ‘I can imagine,’ she replied. ‘Hot weather can make you feel quite…’ She giggled before stopping, noticing Antonio’s eyes on her. He was looking at her intently, smiling warmly. He had kind eyes and a calm, self-contained air. Their eyes met for a second, and then he looked away when Maddy asked him a question. Interesting guy, Leanne thought. The quiet, conservative type. Not the kind of alpha male she’d normally go for but there was something about him she instinctively liked.
As they ate and chatted, Leanne noticed Lucilla looking at the door, then at her watch, then back to the door again. She exchanged a look with Antonio and shrugged. ‘No idea. She said she’d be here for lunch.’
‘Who are you talking about?’ Leanne asked, intrigued. ‘Is someone late for lunch?’
‘My aunt Claudia,’ Lucilla said with a sigh. ‘Just arrived from New York. Fresh from her divorce. Recovering, she says. Needs a little r and r. We all know what that means, don’t we?’
‘It’s time she retired,’ Antonio remarked. ‘Isn’t she a little old for those shenanigans?’
Maddy put down her wineglass. ‘What shenanigans?’
‘Chasing men,’ said a woman, who had been introduced as ‘one of the cousins’. ‘She marries men with a lot of—’ The woman rubbed her fingers together, indicating money. ‘Then she has a divorce and gets all his money.’
‘Not all,’ Lucilla corrected. ‘You’re exaggerating, Maria. This is only the second time. She’s had bad luck with men. But she has a good lawyer.’
‘And good legs,’ Antonio said with a wink at Leanne. ‘Good – everything. Especially when she was younger.’
‘I’m not dead yet, Tony,’ said a voice in an accent that was pure Park Avenue.
All heads swivelled towards the door to the terrace, where a tall, elegant woman in white linen pants and cerise silk top stood as if posing for Vogue. Her eyes were hidden by huge sunglasses and her shoulder length dark hair was held back by a scarf.
‘Holy shit, Jackie Onassis has come back from the dead,’ Maddy said under her breath to Leanne as everyone rushed to greet the woman – who must be the famous Claudia.
When the excitement of the late arrival had died down, introductions had been made and Claudia had been served what remained of the delicious beef, the lunch party continued in the living room, with Claudia holding court, sipping wine and nibbling on a tiny slice of tiramisu. When there was a lull in the conversation she fixed Lucilla with her startling turquoise eyes. ‘So,’ she drawled. ‘What’s this I hear about a sailing trip?’
‘A few of us are hiring a sailing boat,’ Lucilla replied from the depths of a sofa, where she was cuddling Bridget and drinking strong espresso from a tiny, elegant fine-bone china cup. ‘And we’re spending a week cruising in the Dalmatian islands.’
Claudia nodded. ‘The new Riviera. I hear it’s incredible.’
‘Can’t wait,’ Lucilla said.
‘Who’s coming on this trip?’ Claudia asked imperiously.
Lucilla suddenly looked trapped. ‘Uh, just Carlo, me, Tony and our Irish friends, Maddy and Leanne. And their dear little dog, of course. Maddy and Leanne will be writing about the trip and taking pictures for their blog.’
Claudia’s eyes widened. ‘Really? What blog?’
‘It’s for Women Now magazine,’ Leanne said. ‘The blog is called “The Great Euroscape”.’
‘Oh. Haven’t heard of that one. Must have a look.’ Claudia picked up her phone. ‘I’ve been a little out of touch with my social media platforms lately. Divorce is so tiring, you know.’
‘No, I don’t,’ Leanne replied. ‘But Maddy does. She’s just broken up from her husband.’
Claudia’s eyes softened as she looked at Maddy. ‘Really? Sorry, darling. I know how tough that is. Have you got a good lawyer?’
‘No, not yet.’ Maddy shot an annoyed look at Leanne. ‘In any case it’s not going to be difficult. We’ve decided to stay friends. My husband doesn’t want to start any rows.’
Claudia lifted an eyebrow. ‘That’s what they all say. Then they run to a lawyer and grab all your worldly goods before you have a chance to hide them. It hasn’t happened to me, but many of my friends have been conned by the “let’s stay friends” men.’ She drew breath and turned to Lucilla. ‘Cara, your trip sounds fabulous. Any chance there is room for one more? It’s exactly what I need right now.’
‘Eh…’ Lucilla squirmed. ‘I’m afraid not. The boat we’re hiring only has room for five, and that’s with two people sharing the largest cabin.’
‘So hire a bigger boat,’ Claudia said. ‘I’ll pay the difference. What’s the point of a holiday if it isn’t comfortable?’
‘If she comes, it won’t be a holiday,’ Carlo muttered in Leanne’s ear. ‘It’ll be a torture in hell.’
‘Why?’ Leanne asked. ‘She seems like a lot of fun. Old, yeah, but a lot of older women can be incredible company.’
Carlo rolled his eyes. ‘Not Claudia. She is a pain in the behind. Excuse me, I have to talk to Lucilla.’
Leanne yawned. After the long drive and all the food and wine, a siesta would be heaven. She got up. ‘I’m sorry, I feel so sleepy. If someone can please show me my room, I’ll go and lie down for a bit, if that’s OK.’
‘Of course,’ Lucilla replied.
‘I’ll be right behind you,’ Maddy cut in, taking Bridget from Lucilla. ‘And I’m sure our pooch will want a snooze too.’
‘Okay.’ Leanne started to walk across the vast room. ‘So where…?’
‘I’ll show you where it is.’ Antonio followed her and opened the door at the far end of the living room. ‘Through here.’
‘Thank you, Antonio.’
‘Please, call me Tony,’ he said, as he led the way through a long corridor lined with yet more ornate mahogany cupboards. ‘Antonio sounds so formal. Everyone calls me Tony.’
‘Okay, Tony. What on earth are in all these cupboards?’
He laughed. ‘I have no idea. Old clothes and bedlinen from bygone days. The glory days, when they had an army of servants to run this house.’ They reached a series of doors and he opened the first one. ‘Here. This is your room. Maddy’s is next door with a bathroom between you.’
‘Thanks.’ She paused in the doorway. ‘Is Claudia really that bad?’
He shrugged. ‘Yes, if you let her. But I bet you one thing; she’ll be pulling out all the stops to come with us on the cruise. And she’ll succeed.’
‘Sounds like it’s going to be an interesting holiday.’
‘That’s for sure.’ He leant against the doorjamb, studying her. ‘So… What’s a girl from north Dublin doing in Florence?
I mean, how did you get from there to here, if you know what I mean?’
‘Oh, well…’ She met his eyes and smiled. ‘Long story. And a weird one.’
‘I like weird stories. The weirder the better.’
Leanne laughed. ‘In that case, you’ll love this one. But I’ll make it short because I could fall asleep any second.’
‘That’s fine. I’m a little sleepy myself,’ he confessed. ‘So, the short version, then?’
‘Okay.’ Leanne took a deep breath. ‘In a nutshell; about a month ago, Maddy and I won a bit of money in the Lotto. More than a bit, actually, but whatever. We decided to take a break from teaching surly teenagers at an Irish girls’ school and being there for other people the whole time and go on a trip of a lifetime in a red convertible.’ She paused. ‘But we both had issues and stories from our past that we’ve had to deal with along the way. I won’t go into that right now though. Too much to tell.’
‘Later perhaps?’
‘Yes.’ Leanne stifled a yawn. ‘When there’s more time and we’re conscious. So, winding the story forward,’ she continued, ‘we met Lucilla and Carlo at my long-lost dad’s house in Vence and they invited us to come on this cruise in Dalmatia.’
‘I see.’ Tony paused. ‘I’m looking forward to the long version of this. I feel there is much more to what you’ve told me.’
‘Oh, yes. Heaps.’ Leanne supressed another yawn. ‘But I need my siesta.’
‘So do I.’ He smiled sleepily. ‘Just one thing before I go; what was that about your nose? And the wine?’
Leanne laughed. ‘That’s just a little party trick. I have a very keen sense of smell, just like my dad, who is a perfumer. But I was having you all on. It was just a very ordinary plonk, to be honest. All I could smell was red wine with a touch of vinegar.’
Tony burst out laughing. ‘Thought so. But they all believed you, including me. Well done.’
‘Thank you.’
‘But you’re tired, so I’ll leave you. See you later. Sweet dreams,’ Tony said, closing the door behind him.
Leanne took off her shoes, pulled the silk curtains across the tall windows and padded across the carpet to the ornate double bed with its carved bedhead and deep blue silk cover. She lay down and pulled her phone from her bag, intending to look at the clothes she and Carlo were supposed to wear in his marketing campaign – if she agreed to do it, that is. But her eyes wouldn’t stay open and she reluctantly put away the phone. Sleep first, then work. Maddy was probably on her way to her room and would be asleep soon, too. They needed a rest before they went sightseeing.
Before she drifted off, Leanne thought about Carlo and his campaign. She knew she’d agree to do it. It was the best chance to get close to him.
A sharp knock on the door jolted her awake. ‘Come in, Maddy,’ she mumbled drowsily, ‘I thought you’d be asleep by now.’
But the woman sliding into the room was not Maddy, but Claudia. ‘Are you alone?’ she whispered, looking around and closing the door softly behind her.
Leanne sat up. ‘I think so. Haven’t checked under the bed or in those massive wardrobes over there. They’re big enough to hide half the Italian army so you never know.’
Claudia’s smile was pale. ‘Very funny.’ She hovered in the middle of the floor, her slim form silhouetted against the dim light from the windows. She crept closer to the bed. ‘I just want to ask you to do me a favour.’
‘Okay,’ Leanne said, feeling she’d agree to anything so she could go back to sleep. ‘Go on, then. Shoot.’
Claudia jumped and looked behind her. ‘What?’
‘I mean, tell me what you want.’ Leanne stared at Claudia, trying to figure out why she was so tense.
‘Right. Okay… uh…’ Claudia stood there, wringing her hands. ‘It’s about your blog. The Great Euroscape thing?’
‘Yes? You want to be in it?’ Leanne asked, confused.
‘No!’ Claudia hissed. ‘Quite the opposite. I want… I need you to never mention my name or take any photos.’
‘Oh. Okay,’ Leanne sighed and lay down again, waves of exhaustion washing over her. ‘No problem.’
Claudia fixed Leanne sternly with her turquoise eyes. ‘You promise?’
‘I swear on my grandmother’s grave,’ Leanne muttered and waved a limp hand at Claudia.
‘Thank you so much.’ Claudia breathed and tiptoed to the door. ‘I’ll let you sleep now.’
‘No problem,’ Leanne mumbled.
Claudia left, closing the door softly, leaving a whiff of fancy Acqua di Parma cologne behind her.
Peace at last. For now, Leanne thought, wondering who or what was haunting that strange woman. Was it her imagination or had the panic in Claudia’s eyes been very real?
Six
Maddy was not sleeping. Lying on an identical bed next door with Bridget curled up at her feet, she was just about to drift off after having closed the curtains when her phone pinged. Another text from Erik. He had been messaging her since they parted with sweet messages, jokes and photos. It was nice to be courted like this – it had been so long. Maddy smiled and picked up her phone. She’d just look at it before she drifted off to sleep. But the message was not from Erik, it was from Sophie, her daughter, who at twenty-one was taking a gap year in Australia after finishing her degree at Trinity College in Dublin.
Suddenly wide awake, Maddy sat up and read the message. Sophie wanted to FaceTime with her. But what time was it over there? Must be the middle of the night. Something had to have happened. Imagining the worst, Sophie ill or injured, Maddy dialled her number with shaking hands. A fuzzy image of Sophie’s sleepy face came into view.
‘What’s happened, Sophie?’ Maddy exclaimed. ‘Are you OK?’
Sophie smiled and yawned. ‘Hi, Mum, I’m fine, honest. I just wanted to talk to you. I spoke to Dad earlier and he told me what’s going on with you two and then I couldn’t sleep afterwards.’
Maddy felt hot rage rising in her chest. ‘He told you? But I was supposed to talk to you first. That’s outrageous!’ Her angry voice woke Bridget, who jumped up and started to bark.
Sophie sighed. ‘Calm down, Mum. It’s okay. I’m glad he told me. I had to know.’
Suddenly weak, Maddy lay down against the soft pillows, gathering Bridget in her arms. ‘Of course. But I was going to call you tonight. When it’s morning over there. And I was going to tell you my way. I want you to know all is well and that Tom and I are friends and that—’
‘I know,’ Sophie, interrupted. ‘Stop feeling guilty.’
‘How do you know how I feel?’
‘I know you. You always take the blame for everything. Even when we were kids and we misbehaved or someone hurt us. But never mind all that. I was lying here, worrying about you. Wondering if you were okay. I’ve been following the blog and I love it! I love that you’re finally having fun. I also love that you and Dad have finally realised that you’re incompatible and that you’re better off apart.’
‘What?’ Maddy nearly shouted. ‘Incompatible? What do you mean?’
‘Yeah, well I came to that conclusion a while back. You two haven’t been having much fun together for years, have you? Especially you. I meant to talk to you about it before I left, but I didn’t want to upset you. And now you’ve seen the light all by yourself. And that’s a very good thing.’ Sophie drew breath. ‘You might think that I disapprove of my mum having fun and being famous, but I don’t. You’ve earned it after all the years of looking after us, when Dad was off pursuing his career.’
Maddy shook her head and smiled, realising how much she missed her daughter. ‘I know you have a degree in psychology, Soph, but I’m not sure you can do long-distance therapy like this. You can go to sleep now. I’m happy and having fun. There’s no need for you to worry.’
‘Great! So proud of you, Mum. You look so pretty in all the photos. Hey, how about coming out here for Christmas? Now that you’re single, I mean. Perth is a fantastic town. I’d love to show you
around and then you can meet Chris.’
‘Christmas?’ Maddy asked, feeling it was light years away. ‘And who’s Chris?’
Sophie laughed. ‘I’ll tell you later. I’m so glad you and Dad are friends. He said he was happy too and that when you’ve sorted out the property and asset stuff you’ll be splitting everything in half. Even the cash you won, which I think is incredibly generous of you.’
‘What?’ Maddy exclaimed, shock rippling through her.
But the signal faded and the image of Sophie’s face disappeared. ‘Night, Mum,’ she shouted. ‘I’ll email you with my own news.’ She waggled her fingers. ‘Say hi to the cute doggie.’ The screen went blank.
Rigid with shock and outrage, Maddy lay against the plump pillows and stared blankly at the ceiling. What that woman – Claudia – had just said popped into her mind. ‘They grab all your assets before you have a chance to hide them.’ She hadn’t given the question of divorce proceedings a thought, even after her meeting with Tom in Nice. They had parted friends, dear, close friends, even, with a lot of history and a promise to make the divorce as amicable as possible, and not to rush it. But now Tom had mentioned her money to Sophie. Was it true? Could he grab half of it? And what about her other account? And the furniture, some of which had belonged to her mother… Hide it, Claudia had said.
There was only one thing to do. Spend as much of it as she could.
* * *
Later that afternoon, when Leanne and Maddy were about to set off for their sightseeing tour of Florence, they heard loud voices coming from the living room.
‘They’re fighting again,’ Leanne remarked. ‘Or discussing the weather.’
‘Let’s just go out,’ Maddy suggested. ‘Must be some kind of family thing. None of our business.’
Leanne pricked her ears and listened. ‘It’s Claudia,’ she whispered. ‘She’s speaking English. They’re discussing the cruise.’
Maddy walked toward the hall. ‘Why not let them sort it out?’
‘But it concerns us too.’ Leanne opened the door to the living room and peeked in. ‘Hi,’ she said. ‘We’re off to see the town. We’ll be back for dinner.’
A Holiday to Remember: An absolutely hilarious romantic comedy set under the Italian sun Page 5