This time a few minutes elapse before my determination evaporates into thin air. I swing the keyboard across in front of me and begin typing.
The email did what I needed it to do, but it didn’t reflect what I really wanted to say. I knew that you would be able to read between the lines. I can’t do this because it’s ripping me apart. Something that happened to my daughter today made me realise that if my attention wanders for even a moment, the ones I love will suffer. That doesn’t mean I don’t care, because I do. You will always be in my thoughts.
My finger hovers over the return key for a moment and then click, it’s gone. In mere seconds it will appear on Max’s screen. He will be sitting alone somewhere, probably on the terrace with the gloom gathering around him. Feeling isolated and helpless. For such a vibrant and strong-willed man, that’s a devastating situation to handle.
I reluctantly slip the iPad into the top drawer. Tomorrow Bella will be here and I’ll share whatever I can in the hope that she can help Max in some way.
Why? Why me? Why Max? I know that tonight a part of me will, once more, visit the terrace in my dreams. I’ll hear the incessant chirping of the tree crickets and breathe in the warm air that carries the sweet scent of the oleanders. Max will be sitting opposite me and I will make my peace with him.
Chapter 27
Dawn offers to take Rosie to school and as soon as they leave I set Hettie to work again. I tell her I want the mountain of clothes she has sorted out for the charity shop neatly folded and put into recycling bags ready to go. Today she’s going to clean her own bedroom window for the very first time and I can see her visibly sag at the prospect.
‘I expect this room to sparkle,’ I add, as I close her bedroom door behind me.
Walking into the study I know it’s going to be a long day. I’ll stop to make lunch for us both and at the same time I’ll put a casserole in the slow cooker, so at least dinner tonight will be easy. I know Hettie will no doubt tire after an hour or two and probably watch a DVD. But she didn’t start the fight and, from what I gather, it wasn’t until she was punched in the face that she threw a punch back. We’ve had the talk and she’ll have it again at the weekend with her dad, so I think from here on in I can ease up a little and let her do battle with her conscience.
I have a mountain of work to get through before Bella arrives. And then I need to sit down and think about what I’m going to tell her. When she tells me what she’s found, unless it’s really significant, or some sort of proof of his innocence, then what Max has told me has to be treated in confidence. I can only breach that for the right reason and it has to be something that will help Max in the long run. It’s a judgement call, but one that comes with nothing but good intentions out of my respect for him. However, Aunt Clare’s words of warning still ring in my ears.
And last night, in my dreams? Italy did not disappoint. The stars seemed to wrap themselves around the night like a blanket and Max was there, smiling. Telling myself it’s a big mistake, I pull the iPad from the drawer and open it up.
There is a new message from Max, sent several hours ago.
You were in my dreams and we were on the terrace. There were a million stars above us and I realised how insignificant this life probably is in terms of our existence. One thing of which I am sure is that you will always be in my dreams.
I reel with shock. Is it possible for two people, so far apart, to share the same dream? I Google it, wondering if it’s a question many people ask. Of course it is; an endless number of pages come up. One of the short descriptions seems to leap off the page.
It has been known for twins, for example, to share common dreams. Often occurring at the same time.
My eyes eagerly move down the entries, looking for anything linked to research, real evidence to support the theory. One such paper talks about people who have learnt to control their dreams by maintaining a degree of awareness throughout. It says it is possible for people to share the same dream, where two parties have a link and goes on to talk about psychic awareness and telepathy. Is that the link I feel with Max that threatens to overwhelm me? Or is this to do with the twin I never knew existed? The only thing I know for sure is that, whatever the reason, I’m the one who has to deal with it.
I long to talk to Max about it, but the line has already been drawn. What happens in my sleep isn’t something I feel I can consciously control, or maybe Italy has become my guilty pleasure.
I close the iPad and place it back in the drawer.
~
‘Your girls are amazing, Ellie. And Josh is such a sweetheart. It was lovely to meet him, even if it was virtually. I hope some day I’ll have a family around me who don’t drive me crazy,’ Bella says.
‘They always drive me crazy, but they were on their best behaviour this evening. Hettie is still very quiet and feeling guilty about being suspended. Rosie is always bubbly; at thirteen they are fun to have around as they want to share everything with you. They simply have a million questions, for which you are expected to have instant answers. On the other hand, getting anything out of Hettie is particularly hard work these days. But our pre-dinner family chats via FaceTime actually bring us all together, which is really special.’
Bella chuckles.
‘You should meet my mother. She’s either criticising or complaining. The moment I walked through the door the hot topic was why I haven’t found a man yet. To which the answer was, of course, that I’m not ready. It wasn’t what she wanted to hear.’
I look at her, noticing a hint of something in her face.
‘Come on, you can tell me.’
‘Well … Piero and I have grown very close. Eduardo and his wife, Cristina, are thrilled. My mother would be appalled for all of the wrong reasons.’
‘Oh, Bella, that’s wonderful news. Is that why Max pushed to get the land, so they could extend the workshop and build Piero a bungalow?’
Her face breaks out into a beaming smile.
‘Yes. When he found out, quite by accident, he didn’t say anything at all, but within a couple of days he had everything sorted.’
‘What will you do about your mother?’
Bella nestles back into the cushions, stretching her legs out along the sofa.
‘We’ll get married first and then I’ll break the news over the phone. At some point Piero and I will fly over for a visit so my family can meet him. I’m teaching him English as he wants to impress my father. I’ve tried to warn him about my mother, but I’m not sure he understands. At least he’ll get one tick, as he’s Italian. Piero is a hard worker and between us we’ll be able to manage once the bungalow is finished. Max insists we have the ceremony on the terrace at the villa and the Ormannis have offered to lay on a wedding banquet. We can’t believe it, it’s like a dream. I wish you could be there.’
I sigh, because a part of me wishes that, too.
‘I’m stuck behind a desk now and it’s where I’m at my best. Livvie is an experienced traveller and takes it all in her stride. For me, family always has to come first.’
Hettie traipses through in her PJs to grab a bottle of water from the fridge. I glance at the clock and see that it’s gone nine.
‘Are you settling down now? I think Rosie is asleep.’
‘Yes, I’m tired. Goodnight Bella, ’night Mum.’ She leans over me to give me a kiss on the cheek. I don’t always get one nowadays; sometimes it’s a passing hug that lasts for mere seconds, other times I get a high five.
As she disappears upstairs I turn to look at Bella. ‘Don’t be fooled. It isn’t usually as quiet as this. Rosie has been on a field trip and all that fresh air seems to have zapped her energy. And Hettie, therefore, has no one to argue with.’
I’m impatient to find out what Bella has discovered and am tempted to start talking about Max. But one look at her face tells me she’s ready to drop into bed.
‘Come on, let’s get you settled for the night. I’ll grab a bottle of water and then I’ll show you to your ro
om. It’s tiny, I’m afraid, but the bed is comfortable,’ I laugh. ‘Welcome to hotel Maddison. Actually, that sounds rather posh.’
‘And it’s wonderful of you to invite me here, Ellie. In the morning, when I’m refreshed, I have quite a lot to tell you. I think you’ll be shocked.’
As I give Bella a goodnight hug, my head begins to buzz. What could Bella possibly have found that made her sound so upbeat and excited? It’s going to be a long night and, for once, I hope it’s a dreamless sleep, because I feel tomorrow’s conversation might shake everything up.
Chapter 28
I awake refreshed, no memory whatsoever of having had a dream. Maybe, by cutting myself off from Max, the disconnect has already begun. With no moments of flashback to contend with, we breeze through breakfast and I head out to drop Rosie off at school. I leave Hettie and Bella at the breakfast table, chattering away about funny things they’ve seen on YouTube.
When I return, Bella is in the bathroom and Hettie is already dressed.
‘What do you want me to do today, Mum?’ She asks, waiting to hear what mundane task I have in store for her.
‘As you did such a good job with your bedroom, I thought today you could tackle the black hole.’
She looks at me as if I’m joking.
‘But that’s not my mess. It’s everyone’s mess. I mean, all those games in there and probably a few spiders too.’
I give her a look that makes her hang her head. ‘Okay, Mum.’
‘You know which games we play regularly and which ones we haven’t touched for years. Some of them you girls have now outgrown. The cupboard needs to be emptied out in neat piles in the hallway and vacuumed. If you sort out a pile of things you think can go to the charity shop, we’ll go through it together, later today. Bella and I are going to be up in the study for a bit, talking about work.’
‘But what about all the other stuff?’
‘Hettie, I have no idea what’s in that cupboard and I haven’t seen the back of it for years. Try using your common sense. If it’s something useful, it stays. Wellington boots definitely stay, but if there are a ton of recycle bags we don’t use, those should be … recycled. You’ll figure it out.’
There are a few snorting noises as I leave her to it and climb the stairs to the study. Bella is standing on the landing, trying not to laugh. I put up a finger to my mouth and point in the direction of the study. Once inside I close the door and we both burst out laughing.
‘The black hole?’
I nod. ‘It gobbles everything. Seriously, I can’t remember the last time it was emptied out. Goodness knows what she’s going to find, but it will keep her busy.’
‘It’s not easy having kids, is it?’ Bella muses, a frown settling on her forehead.
‘No. It changes everything and your life is never, ever the same again. But in the best way.’
I move a second chair across in front of the desk and we sit down.
‘Did you manage to talk to Max about Trista?’ Bella enquires.
This is the point of no return. I wasn’t going to say anything to begin with, but Bella’s face tells me this is big and we have to begin somewhere.
‘Yes. We spoke on the phone and it turned into a rather lengthy chat. There wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, only that Trista had begged him to stay and continued to hold out hope that Aletta would return some day. I thought that was rather odd as time went on, but he did it out of respect for her. Maybe hope is all she has left.’
I’m not sure if Bella is expecting more, but I want to hear what she has to say before I share anything further.
‘That’s something, then. I wanted you to focus on Trista, as when you hear what I have to say your opinion will help determine what I do next. I’ve always been very protective of Trista in the past. You know, the sadly dignified, grieving widow who lost her daughter. Everyone wondered if Stefano would have rallied and even recovered if it wasn’t for Aletta’s disappearance. The double tragedy seemed too much to bear for anyone and she’s always had this air of fragility. But do you know something? I’m beginning to think she’s more of an ice queen. So far removed from her emotions that to her, few of us represent a relationship. We are merely here to serve a purpose. If that purpose changes and we are no longer useful to her, she casts people off.’
I do a double-take, rather shocked at Bella’s attitude.
‘What on earth makes you say that? I mean, I admit my initial opinion of her has changed. But I know Max is still fiercely protective of her. None of this can be construed as her fault and now she’s the head of the family. It’s a lot for one woman to bear.’
‘Ha! See? No one ever really questioned Trista about it because it was all “poor lady, how sad her husband is so unwell. It’s all so unfair”. People treat her as this fragile, lonely woman, but what if she’s just aloof and uncaring by nature?’
‘I think maybe you are being a little harsh, there, Bella. Unless there’s any real evidence to confirm your suspicions, then it’s nothing more than a theory. You could be very, very wrong about her.’
‘Just hear me out. After you left, Max became very withdrawn. Oh, he continues to run everything as efficiently as usual, but in quiet moments the despair he’s feeling is tangible. It was Trista’s reaction that astounded me. I assumed she’d rally round him but, on the contrary, it seemed to unsettle her. I noticed it because I’d begun to watch her and monitor her reaction to things. She goes on and on about family, but to her they are little more than servants. And, what’s more, they seem to know that and accept the situation without question. She’s never kind to anyone; she simply tells them what she wants them to do. Did you ever notice that?’
Something stirs in the pit of my stomach and I’m pretty sure it’s unease.
‘Yes. The only person she seemed to fuss over was Max.’
Bella nods in agreement.
‘At first, I wondered if there was something going on between them.’ She looks me firmly in the eye and my brow lifts, my eyes showing the surprise I feel.
‘What do you mean, at first?’
Her face begins to colour. ‘Having grown close to the Camilluccis, I’m aware there is a lot of support for Max. What wasn’t so apparent is that there are still a handful of people who feel justice hasn’t been served and they’re pushing to have the case reopened. People who feel Max must be responsible for Aletta’s disappearance and as the Ormannis’ business interests grow, it serves only to strengthen his motive.’
‘But he stands to gain nothing, other than the income he earns. Max told me that Gianni will inherit everything when Trista dies. And it’s funny you should begin by looking at Trista, because I was uneasy around her. There was something not quite right about her reaction to what had happened. I mean, Aletta is her only daughter and yet, with the mystery still unsolved, she treats Max better than if he’s her son. Wouldn’t a mother harbour a tiny seed of doubt about him, until the truth is known?’
Bella gives a satisfying grin.
‘Exactly my point. But it wasn’t obvious until I watched her reaction to Max’s recent descent into what I think is a form of depression. It’s clear to me now that there is no romantic association between them, even though for a while I feared that might be the case. He’s so overly protective of her and the age difference isn’t that great. He’s what, early forties and she’s not yet fifty, having has Aletta in her early twenties.
‘Anyway, as Max’s emotional well-being plummeted, everyone was worried about him, except Trista, who seemed to be increasingly irritated by it. To the extent that she moved her desk out of the office they share in the villa and into her private sitting room. She said the reason was that it was more convenient, and no one questions Trista’s actions.’
This seems to mirror my appraisal of Trista, but there isn’t anything Bella has said that changes anything.
‘Eduardo and his family weren’t able to add anything to the story?’ I wondered if there was hope from that d
irection.
‘No, not really. But Eduardo and a group of the cooperative members rallied together and pressed upon me that there must be something that was overlooked at the time.’
‘You’re investigating it for them?’
She looks smug.
‘I’m the insider. But you said that Max had no motive because he has nothing to gain from Aletta’s disappearance. Shortly after Stefano died, Trista had her will drawn up. The Testamento Pubblico is drafted by an Italian notary and in the case of a formal will, which is then lodged with the notary, the process requires it to be read out in front of the witnesses.’
Bella looks at me and nods. ‘Yes, the notary brought someone with him and Trista called me into her room to act as the second witness. After the reading, Trista then had to confirm her agreement to the content, and we witnessed her signature. At the time most of it went over my head, because all I could think about was the loss of Stefano and wondering when Aletta would return.
‘Having done a little research, I now realise that Trista could simply have hand-written her will. But there is always the chance it could get lost, or be disregarded in favour of the Italian intestacy laws, which follow the blood lines. Obviously the fact that she sorted this so quickly, bearing in mind this was very shortly after the funeral, was a clear indication of how important it was to her. What was particularly shocking was that the police were still talking to Max about Aletta. Max will get everything and if he dies leaving surviving children, then they will inherit the estate. If not, then it all goes to Trista’s parents, or her siblings, should they not have survived. Not only was Aletta cut out of the will, but so were the Ormanni family.’
I inhale deeply, realising that at the time it was much too soon for Trista to give up on the chance of Aletta returning. Particularly as she herself had asked Max to promise he wouldn’t do the exact same thing. How would the wider Ormanni family react if they knew about the will? And why would Trista have done this and not informed Max of her decision?
The Secrets of Villa Rosso Page 17