Maddy looked sullenly back at Leanne. ‘Okay. This’d better be good.’
‘It is.’ Leanne stood over Maddy, her arms folded. ‘I wasn’t with Carlo. I was with Tony. We had a date for dinner, and then… things just kinda happened and—’
‘What?’ Maddy gasped, her eyes widening. ‘You were with – TONY?’
‘Yes. No need to shout. I thought, with your astute antennae, you might have picked up the vibes between us… They’ve been there for a while, you know, only I didn’t see it. I think it was on the ferry when he was looking after everyone that I discovered what a kind heart he has. I was so blinded by my stupid infatuation with Carlo but it slowly dawned on me. And when we went out sailing just the two of us, we connected in a way I can’t describe. It just happened.’ Leanne couldn’t help letting out the buzz of happiness and her face broke into a wide smile. ‘I think I’m in love. Really, truly, madly. I don’t care how little time we’ve known each other for or how long this will last but I just adore him. I’ve never felt like this in my whole life, not even when the captain of the rugby team at Trinity asked me for a date.’
‘Or when Carlo was all over you that night before—’
Leanne snorted. ‘You had to bring that up, didn’t you? No, Carlo never made me feel like this. With Tony, it’s deep down in my soul. Sounds mad, I know, but…’
‘No,’ Maddy mumbled, looking down at her feet. ‘I know what you mean. That’s how I felt about Erik.’
Leanne sank down beside Maddy. ‘Oh, Mads, I’m so sorry. Maybe you’ll get back together again?’
‘No. Don’t think so. Not after what I said. His silence said it all.’
Leanne sighed. ‘That’s sad. For both of you. But most of all for him.’
Maddy patted Leanne’s arm. ‘Thank you. But now about you and Tony. I would never in my wildest dreams have imagined you with him.’
‘Why? Oh, I know, he does look a little nerdy at first. And forbidding, the way he studies people and seems to be able to see into their minds. He’s serious but he has a great sense of humour too. And he’s so romantic. He got up early this morning and cooked sausages for me and then he played a beautiful Irish love song on the tin whistle. You have no idea how amazing it was to sit there on the deck and look over the still water and the boats and the islands while he played that gentle, lilting music.’ Leanne sighed deeply. ‘He has such depth and soul.’
‘I can see that.’ Maddy smiled. ‘You look so happy. As if you’ve landed somewhere nice and safe. That cheers me up.’
‘Oh, that’s good.’ Leanne got up. ‘But there’s something else. We have another day here and then…’ She paused. ‘I hope you won’t take this wrong, but Tony wants me to sail back with him to Trogir tomorrow. Is that okay with you?’
‘Oh. Of course. But what about Carlo?’
‘He and Lucilla will be on the yacht. They’ve decided to get back together. Again.’
‘I see.’
Maddy’s sad face made Leanne feel guilty. ‘Please don’t be upset. I know we should be doing this trip together to the end, but now…’
Maddy nodded. ‘It’s okay. I had made other plans in any case. Claudia has asked me to fly back to Florence with her and stay for a week or two. I thought it sounded fun and just what I need after…’
Leanne laughed. ‘Brilliant! And here I was agonising about how to break it to you.’
Maddy smiled. ‘And I was worried you’d be upset.’
‘But there’s one person we haven’t considered – Bridget.’
Maddy sighed. ‘I know. I’d take her, but it’d be a little complicated to get her on a plane.’
‘Well, we want her!’ Leanne exclaimed. ‘I was going to ask if you’d be able to bear parting with her. Tony adores her and she’s so used to boats now. She’ll love being with us.’
Maddy let out a sigh. ‘Oh, that’s wonderful.’
‘And I’ll continue the blog and wind it up during the sailing trip back. Everything’s solved, then,’ Leanne said happily.
‘Except my love life,’ Maddy said glumly. ‘I don’t think I’ll get over that. Ever.’
Leanne put her arm around her friend. ‘I know. But if he let you go that easily, he doesn’t deserve you. I know he’s my dad, but I’m disappointed in him.’
‘So am I,’ Maddy whispered, wiping away a tear. ‘But life goes on. I’ll just have to try to get over it.’
‘With Claudia in charge, I think you’ll soon be thinking of other things,’ Leanne remarked. ‘Talk about a party princess. She won’t give you a chance to mope.’
Maddy got up. ‘You’re right. Come on, let’s get this new chapter started.’
‘That’s the spirit,’ Leanne laughed. ‘Don’t let men crush you.’
‘Never,’ Maddy declared with fire in her eyes.
Thirty-One
After a day’s sightseeing with Claudia, Maddy returned to her room to put up her aching feet and rest her stiff back. Hours of walking on the cobblestones in the ancient city, visiting churches and museums had helped her turn her mind away from her sorrow. And how could this city not blow her mind, with its stunning architecture and history oozing out of every stone? She found Dubrovnik to be a friendly, open-hearted town, where every narrow street opened up to the glittering sea and the horizon beyond. It had been fun to browse in the little shops full of quaint crafts and cute trinkets. But now, exhausted, as she lay on her bed with the French windows open to let in the cool evening breeze, she felt the pain in her heart return with full force. She tried to think about all the interesting sites, the history, the artefacts that she would share with her students when the new school year started in September. She’d put the photos and brochures together into a slideshow. That’d be a good start to the term. Hopefully, by then, she’d have put the hurt of the break-up behind her and started to move on, building a new life for herself.
She felt her eyes close and drifted off for a moment, the knock on her door not quite registering until it rose to an insistent crescendo. She sat up. ‘Leanne, please go away. I want to rest for a while,’ she called. But the knocking continued.
Maddy slowly got up. ‘Okay, I’m coming,’ she grumbled. ‘Stop that racket.’ Irritated and sleepy, she pulled the door open. ‘What do you want?’ she snapped at the tall figure. It took her a second before she registered who it was. She gasped and felt her knees wobble. ‘Erik?’ she whispered.
‘Yes.’ He looked at her for an instant before he came inside, letting the door slam behind him. ‘It’s me.’
She stepped back, staring at him. ‘What… I mean how…?’
‘By plane. Two planes, actually,’ he said. ‘I had to fly to Rome and change planes there.’
She suddenly noticed his pale face and the bags under his eyes. ‘You look wrecked.’
He pinched the bridge of his nose. ‘I haven’t slept since… well, since you hung up on me yesterday. And then I had to get here as fast as I could. I didn’t even bring as much as a toothbrush.’
‘Oh.’ She didn’t know what to say. He looked worn out. His crumpled white shirt and creased jeans were far from his usual cool elegance. ‘But… why?’ Her legs weak, she sat down on the couch by the window.
‘I…’ he started. ‘So much to say. May I sit down beside you?’
‘Of course.’ She shifted over to the other side of the couch.
He sat down beside her and took her hand. ‘Maddy, why did you just hang up like that? Why didn’t you give me a chance to respond?’
She shrugged. ‘I knew what you would say. I knew you wouldn’t want to change your plans for anyone.’
‘But you’re not anyone. You’re you, Maddy, the woman I love.’
‘Yes, but you looked so cold and angry. I thought…’
‘I was just a little shaken up. You made me realise there had to be two people in this, two points of view and that we’d have to meet somewhere in the middle. Until then it was all me, me, me and that was wrong, I realis
e now. It was a hell of a wake-up call for me.’
‘Oh.’ She stared at him not knowing quite what to say. She hadn’t expected this at all. ‘Maybe I should have told you all this from the start.’
‘Maybe you should have. But better late than never.’ He took her other hand and kissed it. ‘You know, when you got all uppity and angry yesterday, I think that was the moment I truly fell in love with you. I wished we could have been together in real life so we could have a rip-roaring row, throw things at each other and then fall into bed and make love. I’m not used to people saying no and I loved that.’
Maddy smiled. ‘That’s mad.’
He laughed. ‘Isn’t it? Totally mad. And that’s what I want us to be. We have to dare get angry and lose it with each other and be honest and never hide our feelings, if we’re to continue this… this thing we have.’ He took her in his arms. ‘Please listen. I know you and everyone else will think it’s crazy to talk of love so soon. But at my age, it begins to dawn on you how very short life is and that you have to grasp every chance of happiness. Carpe diem, as the saying goes. And I intend to carpe the hell out of every diem I have left. With you.’
‘Oh, Erik,’ Maddy whispered, tears welling up in her eyes. ‘That makes me so happy.’
He squeezed her tighter still. ‘Is that a yes-I-want-to-make-up? Or…’
She pressed her face to his chest, breathing in the special lemon and verbena scent, so unique to him ‘It’s yes,’ she mumbled. ‘But only if we – you – can budge a little to suit us both.’ She looked up at him. ‘Can you?’
‘I can, sweetheart. I haven’t told you this yet, but I also had a little chat with Leanne on the phone just now, during which she gave me hell for being so rigid and for risking losing you by being selfish. She hung up on me too. But she sounded weirdly happy.’
‘Ah, that’ll be to do with the man in her life.’
‘A man?’
‘You’ll love him. Responsible, kind, considerate.’
He pulled away and looked at her. ‘Is it Carlo you’re talking about?’
‘No. Carlo and she… didn’t quite click in the end. I’m talking about Tony. Lucilla’s cousin. A doctor and—’ She stopped and laughed. ‘I’ll let you make your own mind up when you meet him.’
‘That doesn’t sound like the kind of man I thought Leanne would fancy. Isn’t she usually after the wild and free ones?’
‘That’s what I thought, too. But it appears we’re both wrong. I’m very happy for her.’
‘In that case, so am I.’ He kissed the top of her head. ‘Maybe we could discuss this further when I’ve rested? I don’t have a room yet, so maybe you’d let me lie down?’
‘Of course.’ She got up and went over to the bed, folded the cover down and fluffed up the pillows. She walked to the window and started to close the curtains but he stopped her.
‘I want to look at you.’ He came closer and slid the straps of her dress off her shoulders, lifting her hair and kissing the back of her neck. ‘You’re wearing the perfume I made for you.’
His warm lips on her skin made her shiver. ‘I wear it every day.’
‘Come to bed, will you?’
She turned and put her arms around him while he slid her dress to her waist. She opened his shirt and pressed herself against him, before they took off the rest of their clothes and lay down, kissing, touching and whispering things that couldn’t be said out loud. They made love quietly, lovingly, perfectly in tune with each other.
They showered together and then got back into bed and started to talk. Erik told her how he had lain awake all night thinking about what she had said. ‘What a fool I must have seemed to you. Arrogant and selfish. I don’t blame you for getting angry. And I also realised how silly I’ve been, thinking the little farm was such a paradise, which it is – in the spring and summer. I spoke to a few locals up there and they confirmed what you said. The winters up there are harsh.’ He put a hand to his head. ‘What was I thinking?’
She took his hand. ‘It was a lovely dream, and it still could be – in the warmer months.’
He rolled over and looked at her. ‘Exactly. And this is what I was thinking; we’d lock it up in the autumn and spend the winter at the house in Vence. And we’ll go to Nice for shopping and the theatre and concerts. I’m going to appoint an assistant to manage things at the firm when I’m away. But you must come and go as you please and see your children and friends in Ireland. You should really have a little flat in Dublin too.’
Maddy laughed. ‘I might. Later. But I think you should slow down. Let’s just live for the moment and not plan anything further than Christmas – which I will spend somewhere you won’t have thought of. And you can come with me if you like.’
‘Christmas? Where?’
‘Australia. Perth, to be precise. My daughter lives there and she appears to have a new boyfriend called Chris and I want to meet him.’
‘Australia?’ Erik said. He ran his finger from her neck all the way down to her stomach. ‘Why not? You know my daughter, and now I want to get to know yours. What’s her name?’
‘Sophie.’
‘Nice name. I bet she’s a nice girl too. Will she like me?’
‘I’m sure she will. If you behave.’
‘I’ll do my very best.’ He closed his eyes. ‘And now I think I’ll sleep for a bit. Will you wake me up in time for dinner?’
‘I will,’ she promised, snuggling up to him. Closing her eyes, she wondered if it had all been a dream. She touched his shoulder to reassure herself. It was true and she couldn’t be happier.
Thirty-Two
Early that evening, Tony waited for Leanne on the boat. When she arrived by taxi at the marina, he helped her with her bag while she carried Bridget, who whined and wagged her tail, trying to lick Tony’s face.
‘She loves you already,’ Leanne said.
He patted her head. ‘I love her too. As long as she doesn’t pee on the boat or chew on the ropes.’
‘She won’t. She’s a lady.’
Tony laughed and helped Leanne on board. ‘So what did Maddy say when you told her you’d be going back to Trogir with me?’
‘She was completely gobsmacked.’ Leanne laughed at the memory. ‘She thought I ‘d spent the night with Carlo, so she started to rant about how awful he is and how I was making a big mistake that I’d regret for the rest of my life. Then she told me she had broken up with Dad, and that we were one and the same – rigid, selfish and pig-headed, or words to that effect. I finally managed to get a word in and tell her about us, and then she looked like she’d been hit by a brick wall. She’d never imagined in her wildest dreams you and I could fancy each other.’
‘Neither did you,’ Tony remarked drily. ‘Even though I’d been drooling over you ever since you stepped onto that terrace in Florence.’
‘You drooled so discreetly.’
‘But I was secretly panting for you.’
‘And then it happened for me too. When we were out sailing together. And then, when you took my hand in the restaurant, it was like an epiphany.’
Tony burst out laughing. ‘You’re a delight, my sweet.’ He kissed her, jumped into the cockpit and held out his hand. ‘Give me Bridget. I have some Guinness in the fridge and I got us some food. The others will be here for a drink and a bite before we head off.’
Leanne handed him the dog and jumped into the cockpit. ‘I didn’t tell you the rest. Dad arrived earlier and now he and Maddy have made up. They’ll be going back to Trogir on the yacht and Claudia’s flying to Florence early in the morning. So the yacht will turn into the love boat with two romantic couples on board. Poor old Nico will be the fifth wheel.’
‘We should give him ear plugs.’
Leanne rolled her eyes. ‘Oh, please. I don’t even want to think about it. It’s my dad, after all.’
‘I know. But parents do have sex lives you know. Mine do. Very loudly. When they’re not throwing things at each other. That Irish-I
talian passion is wild. I can’t wait for you to meet them.’ He winked.
‘You’re having me on.’
‘Yes.’
Leanne laughed, but it dawned on her that she had never asked about Tony’s family. She knew he had a sister and a brother but not much else. ‘You haven’t told me much about them,’ she said. ‘What do they do? And where do they live?’
‘My dad’s a doctor but now he’s retired and writes medical books. My mother is a piano teacher. They live in the hills above Florence. A lovely villa with a huge garden they bought when Dad retired. I’ll take you to meet them when we get to Florence.’
‘I’d love that,’ Leanne said with a happy feeling. He wanted her to meet his family. This was getting serious and she liked it.
‘My dad will be delighted to meet you. He’s secretly yearning for me to have an Irish girlfriend.’
‘What about your mum?’ Leanne asked with a pang of nerves.
‘She’s Claudia’s sister and Lucilla’s aunt. Very much cut from the same cloth. But she has her own quirks and charms.’ Tony suddenly laughed. ‘Can’t wait to pitch the two of you against each other.’
‘Can’t be scarier than mine,’ Leanne countered. ‘I can’t wait for you to meet the Irish mammy from hell.’
‘There’s no way she could be scarier than my mum,’ Tony said, putting Bridget down.
‘Ha, just you wait.’ Leanne grabbed her bag. ‘But in the meantime, I’m going to enjoy our sailing trip. Where do I put this?’
‘In the smallest cabin. That’s where I put all my stuff. We’ll sleep in the other, bigger one. More space that way. This isn’t a five-star yacht, so you’ll have to get used to slumming it.’
‘Slumming it?’ Leanne laughed as she looked around the small but comfortable saloon with its gleaming mahogany panelling and swish galley. The large cabin she was going to share with Tony had a comfortable double bed, mahogany panelling and a porthole trimmed with brass. This boat was a little gem and she knew they’d be cosy and happy.
A Holiday to Remember: An absolutely hilarious romantic comedy set under the Italian sun Page 23