CHAPTER 28
THINKING TIME
‘Well, where is he? You know, the man we all love to hate?’ Laughing, Julie picked up her coffee cup and took a sip, leaving her red lipstick mark on the rim of the cup. She was curious because she knew Ralph had left Tony at the club hours ago. There wasn’t much that needed doing, because it was still closed due to bereavement.
‘You mean the man you love to hate, Julie.’
Julie’s warm infectious laugh filled the room, making Francesca and Elle smile.
‘Well? Have you heard from him? What’s he doing?’
‘Why, Julie? You know he will be doing some sort of business. You know me, I never get involved. Although I do agree he usually texts or phones at this time of day, so it must be something important.’ Glancing towards Elle, who had at last joined the fold again, a frown furrowed her brow. Why was Julie so interested in Tony’s whereabouts? ‘Isn’t he with Ralph?’
‘No, Ralph has gone to see the doctor, he hasn’t been feeling too well lately. Not sure what’s up, but he is getting checked out.’
‘Probably all those vitamins you have been giving him.’ Elle put the ironing board away, while giving Julie a knowing look, which she knew would make her feel embarrassed.
‘I knew you would bring that up. Well, for your information, I haven’t given him any in a couple of weeks. I just don’t have the energy. God, he turns into a rampant old devil.’ Again, Julie made light of it.
‘Serves you right, you little minx. Anyway, that is too much information. Are you staying for dinner?’ Francesca knew it was a stupid question because Julie never had any real plans, apart from shopping, and she usually just made her way to the house and sat at the table, legs crossed, with either a coffee or a glass of wine. Today she wore her red trouser suit. She looked beautiful. But then again Julie never left the house without looking immaculate.
‘Probably not. I suppose I had better go and see what is wrong with Ralph. Probably that bloody “man flu”, which means he is going to moan for the next few days and milk it for attention.’ Rolling her eyes to the ceiling, Julie looked bored at the thought. And usually when she was bored it meant she thought up some unusual plans to break the boredom.
Elle and Fran loved these coffee mornings with Julie, which usually spread throughout the day. All the bitchy gossip about who was sleeping with who came out. She was better than the newspapers!
‘Maybe you should try some of those “vitamins” on old Albert, Elle. Give him a new lease of life and put a smile on your face,’ said Julie, giving Elle a cheeky wink.
‘Don’t you even think of slipping something into his tea, young lady.’ Elle playfully threw her tea towel at her, which made Julie laugh even more. ‘Have you heard from Diana?’
‘Yes. You know I have. She meets with you most of the time. Got some house share with another couple of female coppers. She likes it. She seems happy enough and that’s all that matters, really, isn’t it, Elle.’
‘She looks well, Julie, and always sends her love. But we look forward to having her back for Sunday lunch when she is not on duty.’ Elle had to bring up Diana. It seemed such a taboo subject. It was as though Julie had put it to the back of her mind. It made her sad not having her daughter around as much and she knew it hurt Ralph immensely, even though it was for her own good.
‘Well, I had better go and listen to Ralph moaning. I will ring you later with the diagnosis.’ Julie picked up her red matching bag, kissed them both on the cheek and left.
‘She doesn’t seem her usual self today. I know Julie puts on a good front. Blimey, Fran. She has more front than Selfridges. But today she seemed a bit down. Do you think she is okay?’
‘Julie’s always okay and, between you and me, she is more worried about Ralph than she cracks on. I wonder where Tony is?’
As if by magic, the telephone rang. Francesca could see that it was Tony and answered it with a smile on her face.
‘Francesca.’ Those velvety tones on the other end of the line still made the hairs stand up on the back of her neck.
‘How are you, Tony? I wondered where you were.’
‘I’m at the club. It’s closed, it’s quiet and I have been thinking. It’s been a long time since I just sat and thought about things, without interruptions.’
‘Are you okay?’
Tony was never one to think things through and this bothered Francesca. He always jumped in feet first and thought later. Feeling concerned about this new Tony, she felt a churning in her stomach.
‘I’m fine, darling,’ he reassured her. ‘I guess we all need some thinking time now and again, eh? I’ve telephoned Scarlet and Katie, they are coming to dinner tonight. I want everyone there. Bobby is trying to change his shift, but it’s short notice so I’m not sure about him.’
‘Really? You want a family meeting in the middle of the week?’ Francesca couldn’t contain her surprise. This had to be something important.
‘Yes. It’s time I grew up. I’ve told them all to be there around seven. I’ll see you later, okay.’
The line went dead and Francesca stood there, still holding the phone. Something was definitely wrong. He had told her of the recent revelations and she presumed it could be to do with those. Now he had dropped this bombshell she knew she was going to spend the whole day worrying.
‘Was that Tony? You look worried, love, what’s wrong?’ Elle couldn’t help but notice the worried look on Francesca’s face.
‘I don’t know, Elle. Tony has asked everyone to come here tonight for dinner. He didn’t say why, but he sounded kind of strange.’
‘Well, time will tell. Come on, you pick up Adam and I will put something in the oven. It seems there is going to be a feast to make with everyone coming for dinner.’
***
One by one, everyone turned up. ‘So, what does Papa want to see us all about?’ Scarlet couldn’t help but ask and it seemed to Francesca he hadn’t told her anything, either.
‘Didn’t he say when he phoned you?’
‘No, he just said he wanted us all here and he wanted to speak to us all. That was it and then he put the telephone down.’
‘Well, we will all find out soon enough, Scarlet. There’s his car pulling up in the driveway. Your curiosity will be satisfied shortly.’ Elle was matter-of-fact. It seemed she had some kind of idea what this was all about but, as usual, she never said anything.
Tony came through the door like a whirlwind, picking up Adam, who had heard him and ran down the hallway to meet him.
‘How’s my boy? Did you have a good day at school?’
‘No, it’s boring. We have to do a school play. Will you come? I text you earlier, did you like it?’
‘Of course I will be there, tiger. Have I missed one yet? And you shouldn’t text while you’re at school, your mum won’t like it.’ Tony gave him the thumbs up. Adam texted him regularly with some silly joke they shared, but that was their secret.
‘It was only to ask if you would be home tonight. Sorry, Mum. No, Dad, you have never missed a school play, and you never will. You promised.’ Adam was jubilant at the fact that no matter what Tony was doing or how busy he was, he always made a point of going to the school plays and parents’ nights. Even though Francesca shuddered at parents’ night because she could see how much Tony hated them! He wanted to be a good parent, though, the parent he had never had until Elle came on to the scene.
To Francesca’s surprise, Tony seemed in a buoyant mood. This wasn’t what she had expected. Apart from the fact she knew he texted Adam all the time and did her best to ignore it, she liked the idea that they were close. She didn’t know what she expected, but to see him all smiles and happy made quite a change from recent events.
Elle started laying the tureens of vegetables on the table and gave Tony a sideways glance. That convinced Francesca she knew what all of this was about. He had obviously spoken to her at some point in the afternoon and told her of his plans.
&n
bsp; Clapping his hands and rubbing them together, Tony announced they should all eat first and then they would talk properly. Again, it seemed he was delaying the inevitable. Looking around the huge dining table at his family talking and laughing about their day while they ate convinced Tony he had made the right decision. This was his family and it seemed to him for the last few years he had let things slide. His business had taken up most of his time and although there, he hadn’t really been ‘there’ amongst them, as he should have been.
Looking at Francesca, his heart skipped a beat. She was always there at his side, good or bad. He could never express how much he loved her. Words just didn’t seem to say what he felt. Her long auburn wavy hair hung around her shoulders and down her back. Her eyes still shone when she looked at him. She had never lost her girlish figure. Her laughter was warm and genuine. This was his wife and these people around the table were his family. He had been blessed.
‘Right then,’ he began, breaking up the laughter and chatter. ‘I have kept you all waiting long enough. I suppose you all are curious as to why I wanted you here on a work night.’ Firstly, Tony turned to Katie and Christopher. ‘I have decided you can take over the running of the vineyard if you want to.’ The pleased, shocked expressions on their faces made him smile.
‘Really, Dad? That would be great.’ Katie hugged Christopher.
‘I won’t let you down, Mr Lambrianu. I promise you that.’ Christopher was more matter-of-fact and businesslike about the proposal.
‘I know,’ said Tony reaching over and shaking his hand in a goodwill gesture. ‘I hold sixty per cent of it. It is still my vineyard. The rest is to be split between the four of you. Of course, Christopher, you will get a wage on top of that for all of your hard work. A percentage of the profits, if that is acceptable.’
‘That is more than generous, Mr Lambrianu. As I say, I will not let you down. For the record, I realise you want to keep it Lambrianu Vineyards, and it will always be Lambrianu. After all, that is who Katie is. It’s her home.’
That seemed to satisfy Tony. He hadn’t wanted to specify that, but he was glad Christopher had brought it up.
‘You, Scarlet. You can help with the running of the club. That is, if still think you’re up to it. I am in charge and any madcap ideas you have must be run past me first, okay?’
‘I am, Papa.’ Scarlet’s eyes shone like sapphires as she stood up and walked around the table to give Tony a hug and a kiss. ‘It won’t interrupt with the salon. I can alternate my days. Everything is going splendidly there. Thank you for giving me the chance, Papa.’
Tony pushed her arms off him. He hadn’t finished yet. Remembering what Ralph had told him, he turned to Dominic. ‘You know about the running of the club, Dominic. Your father also knows about what goes on there. I appreciate you have to run your own business, but I would like you to be involved in it also. Maybe you could start by maintaining all of the cars? I also think you should help Scarlet with the doormen.’
Astonished at being involved in the family meeting, Dominic looked up at Tony. ‘I would like that, Mr Lambrianu. And yes, I will help wherever I can.’ He could almost feel a lump in his throat at this acceptance. He knew it was a big offer of friendship for Tony to do this and so followed Christopher’s lead by calling him ‘Mr Lambrianu’, giving him the proper respect he deserved.
‘It’s time we opened the club again and I don’t know of a better way of doing it than announcing your engagements and throwing a huge party inviting everyone to celebrate.’ Again, the pleased expressions on all of their faces confirmed he had made the right choice. He realised he had been a stubborn old fool and spending time alone this afternoon, thinking it through, he had realised he needed them as much as they needed him. What would have happened to everything if he had gone to prison? It was time to hand over some of the reins to the people he loved and trusted, if they wanted it.
Francesca reached over and squeezed his hand. She knew it was hard for Tony to let go. The club was his baby. The vineyard was his heritage. The only link to his family bloodline.
‘You all realise that, as a businessman, I want all of these proposals in writing. Anyone steps out of line and they lose it. My finger is still well and truly on the button and all decisions go through me first. Everyone is getting a fair crack of the whip and now it is time to prove yourselves.’
Everyone nodded in acceptance except Scarlet. ‘So what are you going to put on paper about me, Papa? Katie will be in charge, but I will only be working with you. How can that be put on paper?’
‘You, Scarlet, will be club manager. That is your contract, the same way as Katie and Christopher will be managers of the vineyard. You will have me under your feet more than they will, but I need to show you the ropes first and then we’ll see.’
That seemed to satisfy her. She wasn’t just the hired help, she had a title and was going to have a proper contract to boot.
‘What about you, Bobby? What do you want?’ Tony asked.
‘Nothing really, Dad. Just for things to run as smoothly as they always have and for everyone to be happy. Of course, I will be sorry to see Katie leave and live in Italy …’ Then he stopped himself and turned to Katie. ‘I presume you will be living in Italy?’
‘Yes, Bobby.’ Taking hold of Christopher’s hand, she nodded. ‘That is exactly our plan. Another Lambrianu bringing up their family on Lambrianu land.’
‘Well, I am surprised, Katie. For some reason I always thought it would be Scarlet moving to Italy, not you. Don’t ask me why. As I say, I will miss you. But good luck. And no, Dad, in answer to your question, I don’t need anything. I have everything right here around this table. Something you cannot buy: love and security.’
Tony blushed slightly at Bobby’s comments. He was right. All of Tony’s wealth could not buy this. Now was the most sensitive side of things. ‘What about you, Jack. You already have your father’s share in the club. Is there anything else you want or need?’
‘No, Uncle Tony. Well, yes,’ he stammered. ‘Like my dad I want a feeling of belonging. I’m an orphan and have been disowned by Mum’s family since I didn’t open my chequebook. I realise I am not a Lambrianu or a member of the family, since Dad died. But I would like to think I still have you all.’
‘What the hell are you saying, Jack? You’re our family. My brother’s son. We may have not been blood, but that doesn’t mean Elle wasn’t our mother. And you are a member of this family. Don’t talk shit.’
As nice as Tony was trying to be, he seemed quite upset at the thought that Jack felt alone. That he thought he had been deserted and because of Sharon’s actions he would be hated. ‘You are family, Jack, and don’t you ever forget it. You will be expected to be around this table regularly, eating and drinking with us all. I appreciate you have awkward shifts, but this is your home. Got it!’
‘Thanks, Uncle Tony. And thank you for Dad’s funeral. You did him proud. Although I was worried when you said we all had to dress up.’ Jack laughed. ‘Knowing Dad’s love of Marvel comics I thought we would all have to turn up as Captain America or something. Guess we had a lucky escape.’ Everyone burst out laughing at this and it broke the seriousness of the conversation.
Sweeping his hair back from his face, remembering Jake’s letter about his funeral, Tony laughed out loud. ‘You’ll never know how close we came! Right, then, it seems everything is sorted out. I suppose you had better start making the plans for this engagement of yours. Congratulations.’ Tony stood up and shook the hands of both men that were to marry his daughters. Now he felt settled. Everyone knew their lot in life. The rest was up to them.
After they had all gone to bed and Tony had swallowed on the fact that Dominic and Christopher had gone into the same bedrooms as his daughters, it was time to speak to Francesca.
They both checked on Adam, who was sleeping soundly. Tony always made a point of having breakfast with him. He rang him in the evening if he couldn’t get home and went into his bedroom t
o kiss him goodnight, even if Adam was asleep and didn’t know it. It made him feel better. How often, as a child, he’d wished that someone had loved him and done that. This made him more determined to show his little boy, the next blood Lambrianu man, how much he was loved.
Looking at him sometimes he remembered being that age and the horrors he had encountered. This was not the life for Adam. He would guard him and love him with every fibre of his being.
‘You have been doing a lot of thinking, today, Tony, and I’m proud of you. But tell me, and please tell me the truth, are you sorting things out because you won’t be here?’ Francesca’s voice was barely above a whisper. Tears brimmed on her lashes. Was this Tony’s farewell parting? Did he need to sort out his affairs and get them in order before everything went wrong?
‘No, love.’ Tony put his arms around her reassuringly and kissed the end of her nose. ‘This is my way of growing up and accepting we have a grown-up family with lives of their own. All that other stuff I told you has been swept under the carpet. It’s over, Francesca. Sharon did us all a favour in more ways than one. Telling the police and ripping us off like she did has only made her look like a bitter ex-wife. I and Jake always said we would take a bullet for each other if ever it were needed. We were that close, I would do anything for Jake, you know that. Jake took the bullet for us that cleared our names and got us out of a scrape. Sad but true. He knew I would have done the same if the boot was on the other foot. Sharon also made me realise that if anyone was going to take my empire from me it would be my own family, and with my blessing, not stolen by her or her boyfriend. That still nags at me, though. Who did kill her boyfriend, Fran? There is no trail. Maybe one day, eh?’ Tony was puzzled. This was one of those mysteries that would never be solved … or would it?
‘I know, darling. I know how close you and Jake were. I thought I was going to lose you.’
‘You’re never getting rid of me, Francesca. Anyway, on a lighter note, I have something for you.’ A mischievous glint came into Tony’s eye followed by that charming smile.
Dirty Dealings Page 26
