Luca grabs his coat and wallet then they walk the couple of minutes to get coffee and lunch. They sat at a table inside, just next to the window. The afternoon sun was coming through the window, making the table and the chair warm. The air conditioning inside the small café sounded like it was working overtime to stop everyone from sweating, too much anyway. The waitress came over to take their order and had a short conversation with Luca in Italian. Iris didn’t understand what they were saying but it was clear from their body language that they knew each other fairly intimately. It was also clear that she still felt whatever it was between them, and he did not. The way that she leant into him with her hip forward, yet he pulled away slightly. The way she tilted her head to the side slightly when she talked to him and the overly eager laughter at whatever it was he had said. Luca turned to Iris and asked, in English, if she was ready to order and she nodded to indicate that she was. The waitress seemed surprised that Iris spoke English and Luca had to translate the order for her. Once they’d ordered, the waitress disappeared out the back to the kitchen.
“So what brings you here then?” Luca asked. “Rosa said something about researching your family tree but is that everything?”
“Yes, just researching my family tree but I had hit a dead-end back in the UK. The records I needed aren’t digitised here yet so that meant I had to come here to find out more. I went to the records office and the woman on the desk told me about you. And the rest you know.”
“How far back did you get?” He asked Iris. She told him that the research company got to her great whatever grandfather, Enrico, and found that he boarded a boat to the UK.
“Ah ok, yes I’ve got him in my research and I’ve gone much further back. I’ve managed to trace our family back to Venice in the 8th Century, so a long way back! It looks like they were in the right place at the right time and managed to profit somewhat from the trade that Venice was founded for. The family never appears to rise to the highest levels of power or anything like that but they’re financially well off enough to have owned a large house, had servants, but probably slaves, and to have had paintings commissioned of every member of the house.”
“So how did they get from Venice to here? And why?” asked Iris, sipping on the coffee that the waitress had just brought over for them.
“I originally thought it was to be closer to Rome but why not just live in Rome if you want to be closer? And then I looked at when Bracciano was founded, somewhere between 9th-10th Century, and those who built what were essentially forts here became lords of their land and the surrounding areas. So, I’m wondering if it’s some kind of land grab. Italy wasn’t unified until the 1800s so we know they were established in Venice in the 8th Century and then just over 100 years later, they pop up here. The eldest son of the family in Venice moved here and built a fort.”
“So maybe it was about getting closer to Rome? Maybe it was about owning pieces of land here, there and everywhere? Or maybe establishing trade routes? If these are new towns popping up, maybe they wanted to be the only supplier in the area?” Iris suggested.
“Like a monopoly on the new towns? Interesting theory. I’ll have to see what I can find out on that.” He said, tipping an imaginary hat at Iris which made her involuntarily smile.
“Where does the trail end? In the 8th Century in Venice?” said Iris, half picturing herself on the beach in a day or two. Venice might be her next stop but the Lido was supposed to be a lovely beach. Not the Amalfi coast but still an Italian beach she could relax on.
“Well, no, I believe it goes back further but it looks like our ancestors were from Greece maybe? I’m following our family history as a hobby outside of my work and I haven’t had the opportunity to go to Greece and find out more. I know roughly where they came from and I have the name of a ship they used frequently, I just need to go to the town the boat was from, I think, and see what documents they have.”
“Oh, that’s interesting, what was the name of the ship?” Iris asked.
“It’s a funny story actually. It was called The Gift Giver but I found a story about the captain of the ship which was passed down through the generations and written down in, I think, the 13th Century. The story says the captain always carried a small box around with him which he called The Gift Giver and he said the ship was named after the box. Apparently, he eventually went crazy and threw himself overboard, leaving the box to his son. But I don’t know how much of that is true, if any of it is.” This instantly piqued Iris’ interest but she did her best to remain expressionless.
“That is strange but interesting that the story has survived all this time. I’ve not heard of it before so it definitely didn’t make its way down my side of the family.” She said. What if the box in the story is somehow related to the cabinet she has? What if it will eventually drive her crazy too? “Where is the story written down? Is there any more to it?” She asked, trying not to sound too eager for an answer.
“I have it somewhere in my files at home. There’s not much more to it apart from the box becoming some sort of family heirloom but I’ve not really looked into it. It’s a box, how magical can it be?” Luca laughs and Iris half joins in.
‘Very magical if it is what I think it is’, she thinks to herself. “So, what’s your next step?” She asked Luca.
“The Greeks kept excellent records so it shouldn’t be too difficult to find the ship and its owners and then we’ll see from there. As you can imagine though, there’s no way they’ve digitised it all yet with literally thousands of years of documents to go through, if they’ve even survived all this time. I’m sorry I can’t help you further.”
“Honestly that has been so much help! I actually have a few more days off from work so if I can get what information you have, I’ll go to Greece and see what I can find.” Luca looked at her, surprised by what she’d just said.
“Really? You’d go all that way just to see what you can find?” He asked, sounding as surprised as he looked.
“Isn’t that what you were going to do?” Iris replied, also surprised by his response.
“Well yes but it’s a hobby of mine, for curiosity.”
“And it is for me too. I’m interested, I have the time and you have the information. I might as well since I’ve come this far, literally and figuratively!” Luca took a deep breath and ran his hand through his hair. He was about to say something when their lunch arrived. Luca thanked the waitress and turned back to Iris. He looked straight at her but also deep in thought.
“Can I come with you? As you said, I’ve come this far, I might as well see what else I can find and if you’re going to go anyway, I wouldn’t want to miss the opportunity to make a new discovery.” Iris pondered his request for a moment. They’ve only just met but doing this kind of research is literally his job and his hobby. It would make finding what she was after that much easier with someone who knows what they were doing.
“Ok, sure, why not? I could use the help in all honesty.”
“Great! He said with a smile.
They ate their lunch in relative silence, still a little unsure of each other, having only met less than an hour ago. They asked each other the usual ice breaker questions about work and they talked briefly about where Iris lived in the UK.
“Meet me here tomorrow and we can make a plan?” She said as the waitress took their finished plates away. “Find out where we need to go and who we need to speak to, to get the information we need.” She said.
“Ok, lunchtime? About 1pm?” Luca suggests. “We can get lunch again and save me another trip to the supermarket!” He said with a slight laugh.
“Perfect. I’ll meet you here.” She reached inside her backpack for her purse and waved the waitress over.
“I’ll get this one.” he said. “Since I had no food at home to offer you. My mother wouldn’t have been happy with my lack of hospitality.”
“Ok, but tomorrow is on me.” She smiled and he nodded in return. He paid and they went their separate ways, pausing
for a very brief hug seeing as they were now family. It felt slightly awkward but right, at least to Iris. He was now the only other family member that she knew of. They part and she waved as she started to walk away.
While she walked back towards the hotel, she thought about whether she could pass the cabinet off to him when the time comes but she’d have to get it shipped to Italy and what if he said no? What if he thought she was crazy? What if it had to be passed down to a new generation and not across? Assuming that he was even the same generation as her in their family tree. It sounded like their family split into two separate branches a few hundred years ago, he might be higher than her in the family tree or much lower, who knows?
Chapter 20
She eventually made her way back to her hotel, after a walk that should have been a taxi ride, and decided to go for that swim while she still had the chance. It would give her muscles a chance to stretch after all the walking today, so maybe she would still be able to walk tomorrow! By the sound of it, she’d be on her way to Greece in a day or two anyway but there was still so much of Italy she wanted to see. Hopefully, things in Greece would be wrapped up quickly and she could come back to Italy afterwards. Iris had been thinking about getting the train to the Amalfi Coast and stopping in Naples for a couple of days on the way. She’d always wanted to see Pompeii and since she would be headed that way anyway if she went to the Amalfi coast, it would be a shame to pass up the opportunity.
She arrived back at her hotel room and quickly changed into her new bikini. It fit perfectly and she was glad she splurged on a more expensive one this time, rather than a cheap supermarket one she would usually buy. Iris left everything but her towel and flip flops in her room and headed to the pool. It’s not like she needed anything while she was swimming and there wasn’t anyone to watch her stuff while she was swimming anyway.
Iris enjoyed her 30 laps of the pool in the afternoon sun then spent a little while drying off and topping up her tan on one of the poolside sun loungers. The warm sun on her skin felt good, like being wrapped up in a big fluffy blanket. She wished she’d brought a book or something to do while she lay there but with everything she’d learnt so far, she had enough to think about to keep her occupied.
When she returned to her room, she checked her phone and found she had a text from James. She sat on the bed, still wrapped in her towel, and opened the text.
‘Just checking in, see how things are going with you.’ She smiled and quickly replied.
‘Things are going well but looks like I’m off to Greece!’ She received a reply almost immediately.
‘Greece? When? Why?’
‘It’s a long story but basically, I met a long-lost family member who happens to be a historian and is also researching our family tree. He’s managed to trace our family back to the 8th Century and found a boat that our ancestors owned. It was recorded as coming from Greece and trading in Venice so we’re going there to see if we can find out anything else or if that’s where the journey ends.’
‘Wow, that sounds like a lot! What are your plans for the rest of the day?’
‘I’m an hour ahead here, so I’m thinking about getting an early dinner and then going to bed. What about you?’
‘Can I call you later? After dinner?’
‘Sure, I’ll text you when I’m back in my hotel room.’
‘Great! Enjoy what’s left of your afternoon.’
Iris jumped in the shower and got herself ready for dinner. She put on some comfortable flat shoes with her knee-length, cotton shirt dress. She felt like exploring a little bit while she was in Bracciano. She hadn’t had the chance to go and explore down by the lake or up to the Castle. Her hotel was just outside the main town so it would be maybe a 20 minute walk each way just to get into the town. Who knows whether she’d be able to walk back to the hotel if she wore heels to dinner? Especially if there was good wine or cocktails on offer.
Chapter 21
Iris came back to her room from getting dinner feeling quite content. She ventured into the town and found a cosy little restaurant on the beach and watched the sun set over the water with more than a couple of cocktails. She was feeling a little merry from the alcohol and decided to strip off completely before getting into bed. Then she remembered that she said James could call her so she sent him a quick text.
‘Hey, back in my room now so call whenever.’ She quickly got a reply.
‘Give me 15 mins. Just got home from work and need to freshen up. Will call when I’m out of the shower.’ It was most likely the alcohol making her brave but either way she couldn’t resist replying.
‘Or you could call me from the shower.’ A big grin spread across her face as she tried to picture his reaction. She didn’t know him that well but he’d seemed a bit shy when they’d talked in person.
No reply meant he must be in the shower, she thought. She plugged her phone in to charge and got up to grab a complimentary bottle of water from the minibar. She had some paracetamol in her bag so she went to find those as well, just in case, for the morning. She doesn’t ever drink much as she’s so busy at work all the time but sober, quite possibly hungover, her will appreciate the water and tablets in the morning if they’re needed.
She got back into bed and waited for the phone to ring. It was probably the alcohol but she wasn’t nervous about the call at all. She was actually really looking forward to talking to James when he eventually called.
Sure enough, precisely 15 minutes later, her phone started to ring and his name appeared on the screen.
“Hey, how are you?” She said, answering within the first two rings.
“I’m good, you? How was your day?” There was a warmth to his voice that made her feel happy. Like for the first time someone was actually interested in her answer and not just making conversation.
“It was good. I learnt a lot about my family tree and I’m making plans tomorrow with a new relative I just discovered to go to Greece! It’s so crazy but I’m looking forward to it. I never have time for adventures normally.” There was silence at the other end. “Hello? Are you still there?”
“Oh, yeah, I am, sorry. I’m just trying to make my bed while I’m on the phone to you.”
“Why didn’t you do that before you called me?” She realised that had sounded ruder than she’d intended. “Sorry, I meant…”
“No, I understood. I said I’d be 15 minutes and it had been 15 minutes when I called you. I didn’t want to make you wait.” Iris was glad he couldn’t see her at that moment. She could feel herself blushing and she wouldn’t have been able to hide the smile either. Not to mention that she was naked.
“I can wait for you to make your bed! I tell you what, you make your bed and then call me back. We can video call if you like? I have WiFi here so the signal isn’t a problem.”
“Yeah ok, it would be nice to see you. If you’re sure?”
“Of course I’m sure! It was my idea!”
“Haha yeah of course it was! Ok, I’ll be as quick as I can.”
“Ok, see you soon.” She hung up and quickly popped to the toilet before he called back. The call might go on a while and she didn’t want to interrupt it because she needed the loo. While she was washing her hands, she inspected herself in the mirror. She looked ok but she still had her make up on. She was debating whether to take it off or not when the phone rang once again. She dashed back to her bed and got comfy. Just before answering she realised that she was still naked so quickly grabbed her white t-shirt from earlier and put it on.
“Hi, again.” She said with a smile that he could now see, as he popped up on the screen. He said hi and smiled back. “Are you in bed now?”
“Well I did just make it, seems a shame to waste it.” He said. She could clearly see that he was in bed now they were video calling. He was also not wearing a top as he sat up in bed but he did have the quilt up to his armpits, blocking her view of anything below his well-defined shoulders.
“That is very true! So
how was your day?”
“It was ok. We did a lot of training exercises today, so both the dog and I are knackered. The dog more than me though I think, she’s asleep in her basket in the kitchen already.”
“She lives with you?”
“Yeah, the dogs live with their handlers when we’re partnered up and a few are adopted by their handlers when they retire as well. They’re like family pets when they’re not working.”
“Good for burglars I suppose!” Iris laughed.
“Only if they’ve got drugs on them! The German Shepherds would be better for frightening burglars as they’re general-purpose dogs and they’re much bigger. The one I have now, Danny, she’s only used for drug detection and being a springer spaniel, she’s not a very big dog.”
“Oh, um, ok.” Iris wasn’t sure what to say about that as she had absolutely no clue when it came to dogs.
“You’re bored, aren’t you?”
“No!” Iris forgot for a minute that it was a video call. “Not bored, just thinking. It's so interesting that you use different kinds of dogs for different tasks. And I didn’t realise that the dogs lived with the handlers. I assumed that they all lived in kennels all the time, to be honest.”
“Some do live in kennels once they’re trained… but anyway! I’m sure this isn’t what you wanted to talk about.”
“I don’t mind. It’s just nice to talk, to be honest. I’m usually swamped all the time and I haven’t been on holiday for a long time, let alone on holiday by myself, and I realised that while I’m nice and relaxed for once, I don’t have anyone to talk to! And, to be honest, I don’t know anything about dogs sorry.” The alcohol had made it much easier for Iris to let the conversation flow, which she definitely needed to do but would never usually admit.
“Ah! Well, that makes sense. Sorry, I guess I’m just not sure what to talk about, I just wanted to talk to you. I felt like we had some kind of connection the other day and I know that we’ve got a plan for a date eventually but I’d like to get to know you a bit more between now and then, if that’s ok? Since we have to wait anyway.”
The Bedside Cabinet: The Cabinet Mystery Book 1 Page 8