by T A Williams
‘Whew! You know what I need? A cup of tea. What about you? I want to hear all about your day. I was dying to ask you in the van, but I didn’t want to make any noise.’ Katie could see that Victoria was bursting to tell her all about it.
‘It was amazing. Filippo’s amazing. We went up to Fiesole first and had an aperitivo in a place overlooking the city. Then we went to this wonderful restaurant and had lunch. I’ve never had so many dishes with truffles in my life.’
‘And in the afternoon?’
‘We went back to his house and sat by the pool.’ She glanced at Katie rather guiltily. ‘He suggested having a swim, but I didn’t have my bikini. He said I could just swim in my bra and pants; he wouldn’t look.’ She saw Katie’s expression of disapproval and hurried on. ‘But I said no. He’s very nice, and very gentlemanly, but I hardly know him. I’m not going to take my clothes off the first time I’m alone with a man after all, am I?’ Katie gave her a nod of approval as she poured the tea. ‘He was very nice about it, though and we just sat and chatted.’ The guilty expression was back on her face. ‘Well, to be honest, we did a bit more than chat. He’s very handsome, you know, and he smells wonderful… And then he drove me home.’ She reached for her phone. ‘I’d better send him a text to let him know where I am.’
‘I don’t think that’s a very good idea.’ Katie set the tea in front of her and shook her head.
Victoria looked up sharply. ‘What makes you say that?’
Katie took a deep breath and recounted what Nando had said, rather unfairly putting the blame on the old fattore. ‘He says he’s just not very sure about him, so maybe it might be better to be a bit cautious with Filippo.’ As she spoke, she saw the colour rush to Victoria’s cheeks.
‘What right does Nando have to impugn Filippo’s reputation?’ Victoria’s tone was outraged. ‘He hardly knows him. Anyway, I think Filippo’s a lovely man.’
Katie rolled her eyes at Vicky’s choice of vocabulary and tried to be diplomatic. ‘But you’ve only known him for two days. Wouldn’t it be more sensible to just keep our whereabouts secret from everybody for now?’
‘He’s my friend and if I want to tell him where we are, I will.’
Twenty-five, going on fifteen, Katie thought ruefully and tried once more. ‘Well, if you feel you’ve got to text him, why not just say we’ve moved out of the villa and we’re in hiding? He doesn’t need to know the details.’
‘You don’t like him, do you?’ Victoria’s voice was accusing. ‘Are you maybe jealous?’ Katie sat back, looking blank, genuinely dumbfounded.
‘Jealous? Of course I’m not jealous.’
‘He’s a very handsome man, after all. I bet that’s what it is.’ This was beginning to annoy Katie now.
‘Don’t be so bloody silly, Vicky. I’m just trying to be cautious, circumspect, if you like. It’s for your own good.’ This time, clearly, she not only touched a nerve but hacked right into it. Victoria’s voice rose in pitch and she jumped to her feet in fury.
‘For my own good? For my own good, Katie! Do you know how often my father used to say that to me?’ She had tears in her eyes now. ‘No, you can’t go to the gymkhana, no you can’t go out to the cinema, no you can’t do any bloody thing a normal girl might want to do and why? Why, Katie? Because it’s for your own good.’ She spun round and headed for the kitchen door. ‘For my own good he kept me a prisoner in my own home for twenty-five years!’ The tears were flowing freely now. ‘So don’t tell me it’s for my own good. I’ve had quite enough of people doing things for my own good. I’m going to make my own mistakes from now on, so there!’ She pulled the door open and stormed out.
Katie sat there in silence for a few minutes, her annoyance long gone, replaced by a sense of overwhelming pity. For just about the very first time since she had met her, Victoria had offered a glimpse into the frustration and unhappiness she must have suffered year after year for so long. All right, she was so rich she couldn’t remember if she had three Ferraris or four, her Devon estate extended over an area the size of an average town, she had been waited on hand and foot her whole life, but joy and happiness had been squeezed out of her existence, all as a result of her wretched madman of a father.
Katie got up and went over to the larder. She pulled out one of the flasks of wine that Nando had brought and located a couple of glasses in a cupboard. She picked them up and made her way up the stairs to their bedrooms. Vicky’s door was closed, but Katie just tapped on it and went in. Unsurprisingly, Vicky was lying face down on the bed. She half-turned towards Katie as she heard the sound of the door.
‘What is it?’
‘Alcohol, Vicky. That’s what it is and that’s what we need.’ She set the bottle down on the bedside table and pulled out the cork. She sloshed a good measure of wine into each of the glasses and sat down on the bed beside her friend. She realised as she did so that she really did consider Vicky to be a friend, and a good one. ‘Here, sit up, dry your eyes and join me in a glass of wine.’
Vicky lay there for a few moments before drawing herself up into a sitting position. It looked as if she was about to talk, but Katie wanted to say something to her first. She cleared her throat. ‘I’m sorry, Vicky, very sorry. I really didn’t want to upset you. Anyway, you’re dead right. You’re old enough to make your own decisions and I promise you, I will never, ever, do anything for your own good again. Promise.’ She held up her glass and offered the other to Vicky.
‘No, Katie, I’m the one who should be apologising. You didn’t deserve that outburst.’ Victoria wiped her eyes, took the glass of wine and clinked it gently against Katie’s. ‘You were only doing what you thought was best. I’m afraid I just went a bit bonkers.’ She glanced at Katie. ‘Can I say bonkers?’
‘Yes, why not? Bonkers, loony, crazy. They’re all good.’ Katie took a mouthful of wine. ‘I’ll tell you something, Vicky, in a way I’m delighted at your outburst.’ She saw the bewilderment in Vicky’s face. ‘Ever since I met you I’ve been thinking to myself how weird and how hard it must have been for you to be kept locked up for so long and yet you’ve always steadfastly maintained the proverbial stiff upper lip. You’ve almost always acted as though it was no big deal, nothing very important. But it must have been terribly, terribly difficult for you. Today, for just about the first time, you’ve shown me a taste of how awful it must have been. Thank you, I feel privileged.’
Vicky gave her a weak smile. ‘It wasn’t easy. Anyway, it’s over now.’ She drank some of the wine and made appreciative noises. ‘Nando was right about last year’s wine, wasn’t he?’ She caught Katie’s eye. ‘I’m going to send a text to Filippo telling him we’re in hiding. Like you said to me before, it’s a text message, I don’t need to go into any great detail. There’ll be time tomorrow to tell him where we are if we both agree.’ She reached out with her spare hand and caught Katie’s arm. ‘We’ll both decide tomorrow, all right?’
Katie nodded, then a thought occurred. ‘Come to think of it, what are you going to decide about your dinner date with Tom? Or have you already set something up for tomorrow night? We’re a bit scuppered now that we haven’t got the car, aren’t we?’
‘They’ve got that rental car. He could come and collect me.’ She glanced up, a worried expression on her face. ‘That’s if you think it’s all right to tell him where we are.’
Katie smiled at her. ‘No problem.’
Victoria smiled back. ‘What about you, Katie. Would you like to come out with us?’
‘Absolutely not, Vicky. Thanks for the offer, but you and Tom should go out on your own and have a chance to get to know each other a bit better. I’ll stay here.’ She glanced across at Victoria, feeling slightly embarrassed. ‘To be honest, I’ve been invited out myself tomorrow.’
Victoria looked up with interest. ‘By a certain olive tree expert, by any chance?’
‘Just for a drink. I met him this morning and he invited both of us. I told him you’d already got a thing so he a
sked me.’ She caught Vicky’s eye. ‘And it’s no good you looking at me like that, Vicky. Nothing’s going to happen.’
‘Because you don’t want to get into another relationship. I know, you’ve already told me.’ Vicky was grinning. ‘I just don’t believe you, that’s all.’
Chapter Fifteen
Tom came round in the little Fiat to collect Victoria late the following afternoon. In order to get to the opera singer’s house, he had had to drive past the gate to the Chalker-Pyne villa, and what he had to report was not very cheering.
‘There’s a whole crowd of people by the gate, some with cameras, and there’s even a TV truck with a satellite dish on the roof.’ He gave Victoria an encouraging smile. ‘Don’t worry, we can take the long way round now and avoid going past that lot. I found even I had a few camera lenses stuck through my window as I went past, so it’s best avoided. Anyway, it makes life interesting. I’ve never been out with a celebrity before.’
Victoria opened the car door, donning her disguise of dark glasses and head scarf. Katie looked at her critically.
‘You know, Vicky, you look a bit too much like somebody who’s trying to disguise herself. I’m not sure it’ll convince a band of ravening paparazzi.’
Vicky pulled off the scarf. ‘So, what would you suggest?’
After a few moments’ reflection, Katie had an idea. ‘Hide.’
‘Hide? Where? There isn’t a boot in this thing. At least nothing a human being could squeeze into.’ Tom wasn’t convinced.
‘Crouch in the foot well behind the front seats and I’ll get a rug to throw over you. It’ll be terribly hot, but you’ll be clear of them in a minute or two.’ She went back inside and by the time she came out with the blanket, all that could be seen of Vicky was her bottom sticking up. Tom’s eyes were riveted to it and he looked positively disappointed when Katie threw the blanket over her. It did, however, conceal her most effectively.
‘Right, you two kids have a nice time, now.’ Katie assumed her schoolmarm voice.
‘If I don’t bloody well suffocate first.’ Vicky’s voice was muffled. Katie smiled as the car drove away. Since her outburst the previous evening, Vicky had been much more cheerful. Maybe, Katie thought to herself, starting to talk about everything she had been through was proving to be valuable therapy.
Their meal the previous night had been cheese, ham, wonderful unsalted Tuscan bread and fresh peaches, accompanied by quite a bit of last year’s red wine. Over the meal, Vicky had opened up a lot and Katie now had a much better grasp of just how weird her life had been up to her father’s death. They had also discussed Vicky’s plans for the future. The question of the charitable foundation had come up again and Katie was particularly pleased to hear that Vicky was thinking of going to university. A few years as a student would soon bring her up to speed in the twenty-first century.
Katie walked down to Rosina and Nando’s house just before six to collect the Labrador. Rosina was in the kitchen.
‘Ciao, Katie, how’s life in the opera singer’s villa?’
‘Great, thanks.’ Katie assured her all was well and asked if Dante might like to accompany her to Paul Taylor’s house. At the sound of Paul Taylor’s name, Rosina smiled. ‘He’s a good man, Paul, a very good man.’ She gave Katie a knowing look. ‘No Victoria?’
‘She’s out for dinner with her friend from England tonight.’
‘It’s good to see her going out on her own.’ Rosina and Katie had talked many times about Vicky’s troubled childhood and enforced seclusion. ‘It’s wonderful that she’s coming out into the world after all this time.’ She caught Katie’s eye. ‘It isn’t going to be easy for her, though. Look at all this paparazzi trouble for instance. She’ll never have a normal life, will she?’
Katie nodded in agreement. ‘I suppose not, but still, considering what she’s been though, Rosina, she’s handling it very well.’
‘And a lot of that is down to you, Katie. Nando and I both thank you for that. We were very fond of her father, in spite of his funny ways. We feel very responsible for poor Victoria.’
‘Me too. But, like I say, she’s doing well so far.’ She turned to the Labrador who was lying on his back beside her, all four legs in the air. ‘So, Dante, are you coming to see Paul Taylor with me?’ The dog may not have understood everything she said, but he leapt to his feet and headed for the door. Katie waved at Rosina and left.
They didn’t go down to the gates of the Chalker-Pyne villa, but cut through the olive trees. In consequence, they didn’t see a soul. It only took them ten minutes to get there. The gates to Paul’s house were open and Katie saw that it was an old farmhouse with numerous outbuildings. There were several tractors, trailers and other pieces of agricultural equipment spread around the yard, along with a line of matching green vans sporting the logo of an olive tree and the name Taylor Olive Health on the sides. His was clearly a larger operation than she had been expecting.
The house itself was made of the same ochre-coloured stone as Marco’s. It was quite big for a single man and she wondered as she waited on the doorstep whether Marco had been telling the truth when he had said that Paul was unattached at present. She didn’t have long to wait.
‘Hi, Katie. Good to see you. Do come in please.’ He was wearing shorts and a clean white T-shirt. He looked strong and fit. There was a slightly embarrassing moment as she wondered whether to shake his hand or kiss him on the cheeks. In the end, she did neither and followed his outstretched arm towards the rear of the house. She heard the Labrador’s nails clicking on the terracotta floor right behind her.
‘Straight out through the kitchen.’ She did as she was instructed and found herself in an open lean-to loggia, not dissimilar to Marco’s. Here, too, there was a massive old table. She took a seat at one corner and the dog flopped down beside her.
‘Looks to me as if Dante’s really taken to you. He seems to follow you everywhere you go.’
She looked up with a smile. ‘It’s just because I take him for walks. The way to a Labrador’s heart is through walks and food.’
‘Well, I’ll see what I’ve got for him to eat in a minute. Now, what can I get you?’ He was leaning towards her, his knuckles on the table. Her eyes focused on his strong arms, covered in a mat of blond hairs. ‘What if I open a bottle of Prosecco?’
‘Great idea. And maybe a jug of water as well, Paul. It’s so hot, even if it is gone six.’ She saw him look up towards the sky.
‘They say we’ve got another couple of days of this and then, hopefully, we’ll get some rain.’
She laughed. ‘It’s funny hearing an Englishman hoping for rain in the middle of summer.’ He disappeared into the house and she took a good look round. The view from here was to the west, along the valley of the River Arno. The sun was dropping lower on the horizon and already beginning to develop a deep red colour. It was still suffocatingly hot, though. The hillside all round the house was covered in olive trees; just right for a man in his profession.
He returned with an ice bucket. In it were a foil-topped bottle and a bottle of mineral water. He disappeared again, only to reappear almost immediately with a tray. On it were dishes of nuts, crisps and olives. Alongside this was another plate, this time covered in slices of ham and cheese. A pile of bread completed the array.
‘The cheese is pecorino from a shepherd just over the other side of the hill. The ham comes from that chap’s next-door neighbour. It’s maybe not quite as good as Marco’s beloved Cynthia, but I think you’ll like it.’ He tore the foil off the Prosecco and opened it with a gentle hiss. He produced two glasses and filled them. ‘Here, Katie. A toast: to the arrival of the sirens in Monte a Signa.’
She held up her glass, clinked it against his and took a mouthful. ‘I told you; we aren’t sirens. We have no intention of leading any sailors astray.’
‘It’s not sailors I’m worried about.’ He grinned at her. ‘You and Victoria are a dangerous combination. One beautiful girl in a flash
y sports car is one thing, but two together? That’s potentially lethal.’ He pushed the plates of food towards her and took a seat at the end of the table close to her elbow. He picked a couple of pieces of ham and some bread from one of the plates and handed it down to the ever-hungry dog. It disappeared down his throat without touching the sides. Paul shook his head regretfully. ‘He doesn’t really pause to savour his food, does he?’
They sat in silence for a few moments. Katie tried the ham and made appreciative noises. She allowed herself two pieces before taking a break. Looking up, she caught his eye. ‘So, Paul Taylor, tell me all about yourself.’ She took a mouthful of the wine and sat back.
‘What would you like to know?’
‘Oh, just everything.’
He gave her a broad grin. ‘Well, I was born at a very early age. My parents were living in the UK at that time so I was born in Guildford, the nearest hospital to the base.’ He picked up a large piece of cheese and paused before putting it into his mouth. ‘He was in the army.’
‘And your mum was Italian?’
He nodded, his mouth still full of cheese. He reached out and indicated that she should try a piece. She did so and grunted in approval.
‘We moved here when I was a little nipper and I went to school here until I was 13. Then, because my dad had been killed while on Her Majesty’s business, I was sent to a terribly expensive public school in the UK at the British government’s expense.’ He caught her eye. ‘Boarding schools are right up there alongside tapioca pudding as some of the worst inventions the English ever made. I really, really hated it; at least the first few years. And the food… Anyway, from there I went to Cambridge and, as soon as I qualified, I came back here and set up my business. Right, I’ve told you mine, so what about yours? How come you speak such good Italian, for instance?’
Katie gave him an abbreviated life story and they carried on chatting. By the end, they both knew each other a lot better, though she hadn’t mentioned either Martin or Dean to him. By this time, the sun was very low and it was beginning to get dark.
