A Little Piece of Paradise: A sweeping story of sisterhood, secrets and romance (Love from Italy Book 1)

by T A Williams

  ‘Hi, Chris, how’s things?’

  ‘Erm, fine, thanks, Soph.’ He sounded remarkably hesitant.

  ‘You okay, Chris? You sound a bit strange.’ As she spoke, she glanced across at her sister who was grinning from ear to ear and the penny began to drop. What Chris said next confirmed her fears.

  ‘I thought I’d phone, Soph. You see, I got a call from Rachel earlier today.’

  ‘Oh, God…’ Sophie knew what was coming and all she wanted to do was to find a deep dark hole and disappear into it.

  ‘She said some stuff about you… and me.’

  ‘Oh, God…’ Sophie realised she was sounding a bit repetitive, but she was struggling for words. ‘What sort of stuff?’

  There was a long pause before he managed to get the words out. ‘About you liking me…’ Another pause. ‘A lot.’

  Resisting the impulse to invoke the deity once more, Sophie made an attempt to play down what he had been told by her sister, who was looking as though she was about to explode with mirth. ‘Of course I like you a lot, Chris. You’re my best friend.’

  ‘She said there was more to it than that. Was she wrong?’ He was sounding a bit less hesitant now and she knew she owed him the truth. She took a deep breath.

  ‘She wasn’t wrong, Chris. Look, it’s like this… I’ve started thinking of you as more than a friend. I have no idea how you feel about me and the last thing I want is to do anything to screw up our friendship. I know you and Paola are now an item and I…’

  ‘Did you say Paola?’

  ‘Yes, Paola, from Milan.’

  ‘There’s nothing going on between me and Paola, Soph. Whatever gave you that idea?’

  ‘You did… and she did. You said you’d enjoyed yourselves so very much in the Pyrenees and she said she’d been very naughty. It wasn’t hard to join the dots.’

  ‘Well, the dots don’t join up the way you think. Yes, we both had a good time in the hotel. Yes, if she says she did some naughty stuff, I’m sure she’s right, but it wasn’t with me. The word is that she ended up in bed with our boss.’

  ‘Ah…’ There wasn’t much Sophie could think of to say to that, but fortunately he carried on talking.

  ‘Soph, just so you know, I feel the same way about you and I always have.’

  ‘But you were going out with Claire…’

  ‘And you were going out with all sorts of other guys at Exeter and then, of course, your Latin lover in Rome until that finished last year. Why do you think Claire and I broke up?’

  ‘She told me it was fundamental differences. She never really said much more. Are you saying I’m the reason you two split up? I’d hate to think I might have been responsible.’

  ‘There was a lot more to it than that and I never so much as mentioned your name to her but, deep down, I’ve known it all along. Soph, you’re the one I want and I’ll always keep on wanting. And that’s the truth.’

  Sophie’s mouth opened and closed ineffectually several times before she was able to form coherent words.

  ‘But why didn’t you say something?’

  ‘For the same reason you didn’t. We’ve both been too scared of screwing up our friendship.’

  Sophie felt absolutely drained. She flopped back on the sunbed and stared up through the branches of the big old fig tree to the blue of the sky beyond. She had finally heard the words she had been waiting to hear: her best friend wanted to be more than that to her. There was just one big ugly fly flailing about in the ointment: how could she really know if she found him desirable until she had him in her arms? Still, it was a massive step in the right direction and she rejoiced.

  ‘That’s absolutely great to hear, Chris, and it makes me so happy. I’ve been trying to tell you so many times… I really miss you. I can’t wait to see you again in, what, just about two weeks’ time.’

  They exchanged a few more slightly uncomfortable words before, by mutual agreement, they ended the call. Sophie dropped the phone onto the sunbed beside her and heard her sister’s voice.

  ‘Stings, doesn’t it?’ Rachel still had that same broad smile on her face and Sophie struggled to suppress the overwhelming urge to push her into the pool fully clothed. ‘It came to me this morning while I was sunbathing down at the beach. It seemed like the very least I could do was to help you the same way you helped me.’ She winked. ‘Glad to have been of service, sis.’

  ‘Rachel, you little…!’

  Sophie stuttered to a halt. When all was said and done, Rachel was right. She hadn’t done anything more than her sister had done for her. And, all things considered, they had both got the result they wanted – for now. She took a couple of deep, calming breaths.

  ‘Touché. All right, Rach, I suppose I deserved that.’ She checked the time again. It was half past six. ‘I make it lunchtime in Florida. Haven’t you got a call to make?’

  Chapter 23

  The vendemmia started at dawn on the fifteenth of September. Beppe and Rachel had spent the previous days out in the vines pulling off leaves to expose the fruit and making a preliminary triage, removing as many rotten or unripe grapes as possible in readiness for the big day. Beppe was a firm believer in hand-picking the grapes, rather than using a machine, and in consequence, they were at it all day. Dan came along to lend a hand, as did Rita and her husband, and they all got down to work early. Jeeves, clearly confused by the behaviour of these humans out in the burning sun, trotted around, poking people with his cold wet nose and generally getting in the way.

  It didn’t take long before Sophie realised this was probably the hardest manual work she had ever done, constantly changing position, crouching, stooping and straightening up again, clippers in hand, as she carefully snipped the bunches of ripe grapes from the vines and laid them into a plastic crate at her feet. Drunken wasps didn’t make the job any easier either and she had a few close calls. Once the crate was full, she picked it up, hoisted it onto her shoulders as Beppe had shown her, and carried it to the end of the row for collection by him with his little tractor and trailer. The only good thing about spending so much time in a crouch was that this did at least protect her from the sun which was still beating down fiercely, even though they were now in the middle of September. Rain was predicted towards the end of the month but, until then, the weather appeared to be set fair.

  As she worked – and regularly stretched her aching back – her mind was free to roam. All in all, things were working out really well. She now spoke to Chris on the phone almost every night and although they weren’t discussing anything particularly intimate, there was definitely a different feel to their conversations now. She still harboured the nagging fear that the reality of his touch might result in disillusion for both of them, but he would be here in just over a week’s time and she would be able to find out once and for all if he was going to morph from friend to lover. It was a scary, but at the same time, exciting prospect.

  As for Rachel, she and Gabriel had made peace and were spending long hours Facetiming each other. He had insisted on flying over at the end of the month to be with her on her birthday and to stay on for a few days’ holiday. It looked like the beginning of October was going to be a joyous time. To add to their delight, there had been visits from representatives of two big international real estate agencies – one with an office in Milan and one in Nice. The result of these visits had been valuations of the castle in excess of ten million euros and the assurance that, in spite of the property market in Italy being generally in the doldrums, there were potential clients queuing up for such a unique property. Not wishing to tempt fate, Sophie and Rachel delayed asking them to start viewings until October dawned and Signor Verdi had rubberstamped the deal.

  Around mid-morning, Beppe called a halt to proceedings and they all trailed willingly back to the shade of the trees by the cantina, the low building alongside the garage. Sophie took a look inside and saw the huge vats beginning to fill. She had been wondering if she might be required to take off her shoe
s and start trampling the grapes but he assured her this was all done mechanically. She was mildly disappointed until he told her that treading grapes could result in feet and legs being stained for days afterwards – surprisingly blue, rather than red, because of oxidisation or some such that Sophie’s unscientific mind failed to grasp. She reflected that it was probably just as well that Chris’s first sight of her since July wasn’t going to be with a two-tone colour scheme.

  She slumped down on a bench in the shade, clutching a bottle of cold water, and leant back, stretching her back and legs with a groan. A few moments later Dan appeared and settled down alongside her.

  ‘Seriously hard work, isn’t it?’

  ‘You can say that again. I ache in places I’d forgotten I had places.’ She gave him a weary smile. ‘Thanks for helping out.’

  ‘It’s the least I can do. Besides, I need the exercise after all the hours I’ve been spending at the computer or I soon won’t be able to fit into my clothes. I can’t allow that to happen with Jen arriving next week.’

  ‘So she’s definitely coming? And have you at least hinted at your feelings for her?’

  ‘Yes, after Rachel told me you’d opened up to Chris and she’d made up with her guy, I resolved to put my money where my mouth was and take a chance. We had a long talk and she told me she’s been feeling the same way about me for years. Years! Why didn’t she say anything?’

  Sophie reached over and caught hold of his hand. ‘We’re all guilty of being afraid to reveal the way we feel. But at least it’s out in the open now and I’m so glad for you. You must bring her to Rachel’s birthday party on the first of October.’

  ‘Thanks, I wouldn’t miss it and I really want you to meet her. I’m delighted Rachel and her guy in Orlando have made up. And what about you? You aren’t still afraid things won’t work out between you and Chris, are you?’

  Sophie shook her head, but it was without real conviction. ‘It’ll work out fine, I’m sure.’

  He didn’t miss much. ‘Seriously, it will work out. Just try not to worry.’

  By the end of the day they had picked all the black grapes and there just remained the considerably smaller patch of white grapes to do tomorrow. Rachel had had the bright idea of getting the restaurant to bring over an early dinner for everybody and they ate it outside by the pool, washed down with last year’s wine straight from the fridge. At the end of the meal, as everybody drifted away, Sophie and Jeeves accompanied Dan back to his house and he asked her in for a coffee. They sat under his loggia, looking out over the lights of Santa Rita, and she mentioned that she had seen the house for sale on the internet. He nodded.

  ‘That’s right. They’ll start doing viewings as soon as I move out in October.’

  ‘Like us at the castle. You know that it’ll become ours at the end of September if all goes well, don’t you?’

  He grinned. ‘To be quite honest, that was my idea.’ Seeing the surprise on Sophie’s face, he explained. ‘When George got his terminal diagnosis, I was one of the first people he told. He was remarkably phlegmatic about the whole thing, saying he’d had a rich, full life, but his one big regret was the fact that his nieces had quarrelled and he wanted to find a way of bringing them back together.’

  Sophie was impressed. She already knew that Dan and Uncle George had been close friends, but she hadn’t realised how very close. ‘So it was your idea to lock us up here together for three months?’

  At least he had the good grace to look a little sheepish. ‘It worked, didn’t it? I’m not as stupid as I look, you know.’

  ‘You aren’t stupid at all, but definitely devious. It was a marvellous bit of Machiavellian trickery and I compliment you on it, even though I was cursing you under my breath before I got here. And did you deliberately plan it so the last day would be the day before Rachel’s birthday?’

  ‘That was down to George. He saw a kind of synchronicity there.’

  Sophie nodded. This was rather what she had been expecting. ‘He never forgot our birthdays.’

  ‘The thing is, he wanted to leave the castle to you girls, but he could hardly leave it to just one of you, so that meant putting the two of you together – and ensuring you stuck together. At the risk of appearing immodest, I’m delighted the results have been positive.’

  ‘I don’t suppose you know who owns this house you’re renting, do you? Rach and I were talking about maybe buying a place here in Paradiso sort of in memory of Uncle George. We could use it for holidays or I might even set up home here if this book I’m writing were to prove popular and I decide to try to make it as a writer.’

  ‘That sounds like a brilliant idea.’ He paused for thought for a moment. ‘The owner lives in Switzerland. I can contact him and see if he’s interested in a private sale if you like.’

  ‘That would be great. Paradiso has really lived up to its name and the idea of keeping a toehold here appeals greatly.’

  ‘I know what you mean. You’re right about it being a little piece of paradise. Compared to big cities like Boston or New York, it feels like being on a different planet – so calm, so quiet, so beautiful and so friendly.’

  Sophie glanced at her watch and finished her coffee. ‘Now, if I can stand up, I’m going home for a long hot bath and then I’m going to fall into bed.’

  * * *

  By one o’clock next day they had managed to pick all the white grapes and it was with a real sense of accomplishment – and considerable relief – that they all sat down to lunch. Beppe pronounced himself hugely satisfied with the quantity and quality of this year’s grapes and he predicted an excellent wine when it emerged, ready to drink, next spring. Sophie wondered whether the castle would still be theirs this time next year or whether the new owners would find themselves with a liquid bonus in the cellar. On the one hand she hoped the place would have sold by then but, on the other, it would be good to taste the fruits of their labours.

  At the end of lunch, after thanking everybody for their help, Sophie headed upstairs for a well-deserved shower and a siesta that lasted for almost two hours. When she awoke, she came down to find that Rachel had had a very good idea.

  ‘How does a swim in the sea and a pizza sound?’

  ‘They both sound great but what about Jeeves? I don’t really want to leave him here on his own.’

  ‘It’s all arranged. Dan says he’s too busy with his book to come with us but he’ll be delighted to look after the dog. All we have to do is drop Jeeves there as we set off and bring a pizza on the way back.’

  They drove down to Santa Rita in Sophie’s car, leaving Jeeves with Dan on the way. Now that they were well into September the influx of holidaymakers had diminished to a trickle, and as a result the beach looked very different. Half the colourful parasols had already been taken down and they even found a parking space right alongside the promenade itself. There was an end of term atmosphere at Bagni Aurelia as the establishment was being taken apart, chairs stacked, umbrellas rolled up, the lifeguard’s seat on top of the ladder removed and even the coffee machine disconnected as preparations for hibernation took place around them. The sea was still blissfully warm after the long hot summer and it seemed a pity that the season for places like this should be so short. Still, Sophie reflected as she floated around, it was a whole lot more peaceful and enjoyable now for locals like themselves.

  They went to the pizzeria at just before seven and found it also only half-full. Rachel summed it up as they ate.

  ‘Santa Rita’s a funny place, isn’t it? For two or three months of the year it’s absolutely heaving, and then it just dies. I have a feeling it’s likely to be a ghost town by the time January comes around.’

  Sophie nodded. ‘That’s the lovely thing about Paradiso. It’s been peaceful all summer up there so maybe it just carries on the same way all year round. At least I hope so.’ She took a mouthful of her sumptuous frutti di mare pizza, laden with prawns, clams, octopus and squid, and washed it down with a sip of white w
ine. ‘I suppose I’m going to find out. You’re off back to Exeter to finish your degree and I’d better stay on here until the place sells. Besides, I have nowhere else to go at present anyway.’

  ‘Of course, you could always move in with Chris.’

  Sophie could see her sister was messing with her but she shook her head all the same. ‘One step at a time, Rach. I still don’t know if he and I are going to be physically compatible.’

  ‘Come on, Soph. You know him so well; you love him to bits as a friend. Of course you’re going to be compatible physically.’

  ‘I wish I shared your optimism.’

  Chapter 24

  By the time Chris arrived on the twenty-fourth, Sophie had almost turned into a gibbering wreck. As the day progressed, her nerves had been getting worse and worse. What if he kissed her and it didn’t feel right? What if her brain refused to accept him as anything more than a friend? Or, even worse, what if it all felt good to her, but not to him? What if she liked him but he didn’t like her? His week’s holiday with her could potentially turn out to be the most uncomfortable week of both their lives. Rita had prepared the same room for him he had occupied before, although Rachel had been making lurid suggestions about him occupying the other half of Sophie’s huge double bed. Sophie had been quick to pour cold water on that. If kissing him was a big step, moving on from there promised to be an even bigger one, and she knew she was going to need time. When she heard the bell at just after five announcing he was at the front gates in his hire car she very nearly took to her heels and ran out of the back door and just kept on running.

  But she restrained herself and went out to greet him. He was standing alongside his car, just outside the gate, and one look at his face told her he was as apprehensive as she was. This should have helped, but it didn’t. Still, both of them managed to muster nervous smiles and she opened the gates and waved him in. He jumped back into the car, drove in and parked, and as he climbed out of the car, Jeeves very wisely decided to do his ice-breaker act. He charged over and jumped up so Chris had to stop and make a fuss of him first. Finally persuading the dog to return to all fours, Chris came across and held out his arms to Sophie.