Still Falling

by Costa, Bella

  “You’re a fashion designer, not a shrink. Now let’s eat!” Grumbled Serena.

  Chapter fourteen

  The squeals of a young boy could be heard across the courtyard and Josephine rose from her chair grinning from ear to ear as her nephew came racing around the tables.

  “Micky, you little monster! Come have some cake with your favourite aunt.” As Micky tore past their table, Jo swept him onto her lap. Three year old Michael was adorable with dark eyes, darker eyelashes and long soft curls framing his round dimpled face. He was obviously quite taken with his aunt.

  “Okay Jo, confess, how did you get him loving you so much in such a short space of time? He’s known you what? Two days?”

  “Must have been something to do with the lorry load of presents which arrived at about the same time as me!”

  “You’re incorrigible but heck it’s worked!” laughed Serena as the young lad was almost tickled out of his clothes.

  Placing Micky more comfortably on her lap, Jo straightened up and took a sip of her coffee. Suddenly her face took on a very mischievous look over the top of her cup. Slowly she put the coffee cup down, still smirking.

  “Um, don’t look now but a rather interesting couple has decided to drop in for coffee. Oops and they’ve seen us, here comes at least one of them.........nope both of them.”

  “Who is it for heaven’s sake?” Asked Serena, not wanting to be caught peeking over her shoulder.

  “Good morning Josephine. Serena.” The deep rumble of his voice sent the hairs on her neck and scalp tingling, and for reasons known only to her body, Serena started to blush. It crept up through her neck into her cheeks and ears until her whole head felt aflame. Serena slowly looked up with a sheepish grin.

  “Marco. And that must be Michelle you’re with?” smiled Jo.

  Serena’s eyes took in Michelle’s perfectly trimmed hair, professionally applied makeup and one of Roberto Spinozzi’s afternoon cocktail dresses which hugged her sculpted curves as if painted on. So this was his current plaything? Then again she remembered the rumours circulating in Milan that these days, Marco had at least three playthings on the go at any one time.

  “Serena how did you get here?” asked Marco, brushing aside the small talk and taking control of the conversation.

  “I took the ferry like most people.” She snarled angry at being questioned. “Or did you think I swam?”

  “You know exactly what I mean. Did you drive or did you catch an over taxi........ Over dry land?” he added.

  Serena continued to stare defiantly at him, looking defiant but truthfully, lost for words and guilty as hell.

  “Josephine? Do you know how Serena got here?” he said, directing his questions where he might actually get answers.

  “Marco, I’m not sure what it has to do with you but Serena drove. Why?”

  Michelle excused herself, already bored with the tense conversation and went to powder her nose.

  “Serena honestly!” Marco shouted in total amazement. He crouched down beside her. “What are you thinking? Have you forgotten how you ended up in my bed last night?” His voice was lower now but somehow that just made the resentment he was exuding more apparent.

  Now it was Josephine’s turn to display surprise as she almost choked on a sip of coffee.

  “Micky go see where your Papa has put our cakes” she said putting the little one onto the floor and scooting his bum in the direction of the kitchen. “Right. It’s time someone told me what was going on here!” Josephine turned her attention to Marco first.

  “It seems your employee has developed a habit of passing out all over the place. If she passed out behind the wheel of the car, who knows what damage she could cause or who she could hurt.”

  Jo glanced at Serena, with concern before turning her attention back to Marco.

  “Excuse me if I’m missing the obvious, but what has that got to do with your bed?”

  “That’s where most of my women end up!” He said rising. He spun around and left their table before any further questions could be asked.

  “Don’t, it’s a long story and no it’s nothing like that.” Groaned Serena.

  Finally after a bit of nagging Serena filled Josephine in on the whole story and admitting she hadn’t felt completely comfortable driving, had been reckless; Josephine sat silently for a while.

  “Oh come on Jo, it’s not that bad that you have to stop talking to me now,” wailed Serena.

  “Wait my dear. A plot evolves in this distorted old mind of mine!” Grinned Josephine.

  Serena listened to the plot intently, admitting that it was a good idea, but suspected there was more to the plot than Josephine was telling. Leaving her car at the Bistro, Josephine drove Serena back home and while on the ferry, the finer details, of Josephine’s plot was embellished with Jo swearing there were no more hidden details. Serena had learned long ago that with Jo, there were always hidden details.

  Chapter fifteen

  The next week or so passed without incident. Marco was away, Serena had no more fainting spells and other than a bit of fatigue even managed to keep very light meals down, and her daily walks went without a hitch. She did get the impression that the ground keeper had been charged with keeping an eye on her because where ever she went on the estate, he was never far away, not that she minded.

  She rose from her bed and looked at the bedside clock. Another hour and Tony would be here to fetch her. Tony was Jo’s adolescent brother, who fresh out of school had nothing better to do.

  “The more you keep him busy and occupied the less trouble he’ll be getting into.” Jo had told her. “You’ll be doing my whole family a favour.”

  Her doctor had arranged for her chemo sessions to be done at a private clinic in Napoli to avoid the long fortnightly journey to Milan. Serena dressed and wandered over to the window to see if Tony had arrived yet. She noticed a lot of activity up at the main house. That meant either Marco was back or would be back soon. She sighed. This was his home after all.

  Tony pulled up to the front of the cottage in Serena’s car. Serena stifled a giggle as Tony leapt from the driver’s seat with a flourish and bounded up to the front door. He bowed with dramatic flourish and wished her good morning before he escorted Serena down the stairs to the passenger side of the car, opened the door and got her settled. He then dashed back to the driver’s seat and settled in with a huge grin, flashing perfectly straight teeth and amazing dimples.

  He pulled out slow and steady as if driving royalty in a Rolls Royce. Still staring, open mouthed at Tony, Serena studied his very proper looking chauffer outfit, complete with hat and gloves. It didn’t escape her attention that her car had been fully cleaned inside and out. “OK Tony. Spill the beans. What’s this all about?”

  “I thought my sister had told you!” said Tony, pretending to look hurt.

  “Josephine only told me you would be driving me to the clinic and on Sundays to the Bistro.”

  “Actually, I am at your beck and call,” said Tony. “Only I would need a bit of notice because of the ferry you see.”

  “My beck and call?”

  “Yes. Shopping, dinner, clinic anything at all.”

  “And what is this costing your sister?”

  “Err nothing actually. She promised you would give me a shining reference. It’s hard to get a job without relevant experience and even worse when you are straight from school like I am.....it’s hopeless.” He pouted.

  Serena laughed, stole his hat and ruffled his hair.

  “Of course! Provided you don’t get any tickets and there are no marks on my car by the end of this!” she said sternly. And if you are going to be at my beck and call I will even pay you a proper wage.”

  “Really?” he said grinning even wider.

  “Don’t get too excited. That’s only so you have money to pay me back if you do damage something.” She said leaning over to peck Tony on the cheek as they pulled out of the estate. Serena didn’t notice the l
ooks from the first driver of two cars pulling into the estate just then.

  Chapter sixteen

  The nurses at the clinic had warned her that this round of chemo might have more intensive side effects than the last but she should not expect them to really take effect for several hours yet. She discussed the bouts of unconsciousness she had experienced the first few days after her last Session and the nurse assured her it was nothing more serious than her body telling her to rest and her brain telling her it didn’t want to deal with it. If she insisted on ignoring the fatigue her body would find a way to force her to take time out.

  “Everybody reacts differently to Chemo and some are lucky enough not feel anything more than a little nausea. We’ll see how you do after this session. At least you’re holding onto your beautiful hair.” The nurse said smiling kindly.

  Serena still managed to laugh and joke around with Tony on the drive back to the island. It was only when Tony finally opened the door for Serena to climb out of the car, did Tony get serious.

  “Serena, I am here for you. Jokes aside if you need anything at all, please call me. Apart from really wanting to do this for you, Josephine would have me for breakfast if anything happened to you.”

  “Tony, that is really sweet. But aside from driving for me, there is really nothing I need.”

  “Jo said you would be stubborn.”

  “What, now you’re all ganging up on me? I promise. I will call if I need you.”

  She stood at the top of the stairs watching Tony negotiate the dozens of cars parked on the drive near the main house.

  Party tonight? I guess Mama will be working late!

  Serena ambled into the house and turned herself in, for a short mid afternoon nap.

  By six o’clock that evening, Serena was feeling rough. The nausea and fatigue had her fighting between the bed and bathroom and eventually she met halfway and took her pillow to the bathroom. Her mother had still not come home and the party noise from the main house told her that her mother would be busy keeping an eye on the hired caterers for some time yet.

  Serena sank down onto the carpeted bathroom floor, thankful that her mother had insisted on carpets not tiles when the estate had been redecorated last year. As she worked on her breathing, slow and not too deep, to control the nausea, she took in some of the details of the room in an effort to distract herself from the building flood.

  The walls still had the border which Serena had stencilled when she was in her last year at school. The rows of diving dolphins, intertwined to look like a twisted rope had been sponged in a delicate light blue on the white background. The decorator had somehow found a tile in the same shade of blue and tiled the wall just up to the border and again from above the border up to the ceiling. Serena’s stencil on its white background was the only strip of un-tiled wall around the room. The effect was impressive.

  A hot flush brought her attention directly to the bath suite. Plain white was about all she noticed as the dam broke and nausea overwhelmed her, again. It was several hours later when her mother found her curled up on the bathroom floor, fast asleep and covered her with a warm throw.

  When Serena awoke in the early hours with a punishing thirst she found her mother propped up against the bathroom wall with a cushion and a shawl.

  “Mama? What are you doing here? Go to bed!”

  “Shush child. When my baby is ill my place is next to her. You should have called me last night.”

  “Mama the worst is past now, really. And there isn’t much you could have done last night. I’m okay now, just thirsty.” Actually Serena’s mouth was so dry and sandy she was surprised she could talk.

  She made to rise and was caught short by the stiff muscles in her chest and mid-drift. Groaning she slowly completed the relatively simple motion of standing up and helped her mother up off the floor as well.

  “I’ll go boil up some ginger tea to sooth that stomach of yours while you tuck yourself into your bed.” I’ve already put a jug of fresh water there for you.”

  “Oh Mama,” sighed Serena giving her mother a hug. “You always know just what I need.”

  “Someone has to. Even you don’t seem to know what you need half the time.” With that her mother plodded off to the kitchen. Serena brushed her teeth before hobbling to her bedroom.

  Throwing her pillow onto her bed Serena crossed to the window to see if there was any sign of daylight in the sky yet. The clouds hung low and any hint of sunrise was well hidden. She glanced at the clock. Too early yet. Wondering what time the party had finished last night, Serena noticed a few cars still remaining. Must have been a good party then if so many ended up sleeping the night.

  She was about to close the blinds when her attention was drawn to a couple on one of the garden paths. The figures were entwined in an embrace that made Serena blush guiltily for staring. Then she heard Michelle’s high pitched twittering laugh and Serena pulled the blinds shut with a snap. Her mother brought the tea through a short while later and unable to get back to sleep the two of them sat in Serena’s room until long after sunrise, catching up properly. Marco never came into the conversation once.

  Chapter seventeen

  Tony arrived later that afternoon to Chaperone Serena on her walk to the beach.

  “Tony this is too much really.” Said Serena in despair

  “These orders are from a higher authority.” Replied Tony sternly. “I am to chaperone you to the beach, and either sit with you for company or stay a respectable distance. Whichever is your preference?”

  “Let me guess.” Jo is your higher authority?

  “Si and I think your mother had a part to play as well. All poor Tony knows is that every day at this time of day, unless your mother tells me otherwise, I am to come over and take you for a walk.”

  “Tony! I’m not a dog!”

  “No..... but you’re not a spring chicken either?”

  “Grrr I’ll get you back for that, you little runt.”

  Long before the beach came into view, Serena had started to feel grateful for Tony’s presence. The young man was stronger than he looked and supported her weight easily over the rocky ground down the hill to the beach. It was Tony’s first visit to the private beach and he was amazed. The beach was truly private, flanked on either side by large rocky outcrops which did an effect job of keeping walkers from neighbouring tourist beaches out and blocked any view of the beach other than by boat. Surrounded on three sides also sheltered the beach from much of the cooler autumn breeze.

  “This must be the quietest beach on the planet!” said Tony in awe. “And look at that sunset. I see now why the estate is called Tramonto. Sunset Estate!”

  Serena was watching him with amusement.

  “Sorry I lost my marbles there for a minute. Would you like my company or should I wait over there?” Tony said seriously, pointing at a log where the path joined the beach.

  “You can stay with me” she laughed. “I would be glad for the company.” Serena tried sitting down but the pain in her ribcage and mid-drift reminded her to take it slow.

  “You are in pain?” asked Tony looking worried.

  “Just stiff muscles”

  “Do you mind if I try something?”

  “Sure.” Replied Serena, looking for all the answers she could find.

  Tony sat down behind her and straddled his athletic legs on either side of her hips. He gently pulled her back against his chest raising her arms and asking her to hold them around his neck so that her stomach muscles were slightly stretched. Slowly Tony began to massage the tortured muscles with his finger tips. Starting with her lower ribs, careful not to tickle her, then her sides and her belly. It felt so good. Tony seemed to know exactly where to apply the most pressure and how long to concentrate on particular spots.

  “Tony you are going to make some woman very, very happy one day.”

  From his platform above, Marco watched; the muscles of his jaw working overtime. So this was definitely the father then. C
onveniently back. Marco was obviously far too old for Serena’s tastes then. She appeared to prefer young boys. And on his property as well!

  “Tony where did you learn this?” She mumbled.

  “Remember Bella?”

  “The redhead part timer who modelled for the summer collection?”

  “Bella had a lot of talents.” Grinned Tony.

  “You didn’t! She was twice you age! Does Jo know?”

  “Are you kidding? She would skin me alive.”

  “Do you still see Bella?”

  “Nah. After the last show she moved to Paris and I came home to Napoli.”

  “Well if anything, you’ve come away from the experience with one amazing talent.”

  “We’ll keep this one secret though?”

  “Mum’s the word.”

  Tony saw to it that Serena made it back to the cottage, and arranged to pick up Serena the following morning for a day out and a light lunch. Serena’s mother agreed to ring if Serena was too ill to go out.

  Chapter eighteen

  As it was Serena managed to get through the night with no major problems and was bright eyed in the morning. Under duress Tony had arrived dressed in jeans and an open neck shirt with a leather jacket. “I’m not having lunch with my chauffer!” Serena had insisted. Marco had watched Tony arrive and then watched the two of them leave a short while later. This young man was really getting under his skin and Serena’s mother was being her usual tight lipped self about her daughter.

  He wondered briefly if Serena realised the kid was only after her money....and her car. He had heard that she was doing really well for herself and money wasn’t an issue for her. He didn’t know why, but he had been relieved to hear that. He turned moodily away from the window.