‘Sure,’ she said, her voice cracking a little. ‘Thanks. I’d appreciate that. How has everything been going with the surf school?’
‘Well, actually,’ Finn said, ‘it’s all ready. The shop opened last week.’
‘Really? You got everything set up quickly.’
‘Fewer distractions I guess,’ he said, with a shrug.
The words were gently spoken, but crushing to Imogen. He had started to see the positives in a life without her, free from the ups and downs and drama that seemed to follow her.
‘Look, I—’
He shook his head. ‘Let’s not go over what happened,’ he said.
‘OK. Sure.’ Imogen nodded. ‘Well, if you’re in this evening, I’ll come round for my stuff.’
‘I’ll be there, yes,’ Finn said.
As she put her key in the door to Lauren’s flat, hot tears fell onto her cheeks. This was it. A new stage for them both. She and Finn were really over.
‘Come over here, beside the rose tree,’ Imogen said, leading the bride and groom over. It was Saturday, a week after she’d collected her stuff from Finn’s house.
Sarah, the bride, tripped up on something and her new husband Joe helped her get her balance back, gently holding her waist. Their eyes met; Imogen saw the trust and care that was there between them.
‘That’s good,’ she said, capturing the photo.
They carried on laughing together and Imogen took photo after photo. Away from the wedding guests, their love came to life. It was as if she weren’t there, exactly what she wanted. When she’d got the photos, she walked with the couple back to the wedding group.
‘How did you two meet, if you don’t mind me asking?’
They exchanged a glance, and, without a word, seemed to decide who would tell the story.
‘At Brighton General Hospital.’
‘Do you work there?’ Imogen asked.
‘I do. I’m a nurse,’ Joe said. ‘Sarah was just visiting.’
‘You could call it that,’ she said, with a smile. She turned to Imogen and said directly, ‘I’d just found out I was very ill.’
Imogen felt her cheeks colour. ‘I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.’
‘Don’t be sorry,’ Sarah said, taking her husband’s hand. ‘I met Joe when I was at rock bottom, and he pulled me right back up.’
‘We got her happy again.’
‘And, two years later, I’m still here. And we’re married.’
Imogen looked at them, content and at peace in each other’s company. ‘You have a lot to celebrate,’ she said softly.
‘That’s how we see it,’ Sarah said.
That afternoon, Imogen photographed Joe and Sarah’s family and friends in the gardens of the Brighton Pavilion. They were taking the chance of happiness they’d been given and running with it. A wedding wasn’t just a show, she thought to herself. It was so much more than that.
Chapter 42
‘Two tangerine sorbets coming up,’ Matteo said, passing the ices over to the customers waiting at the counter.
‘They look delicious,’ the woman said, pushing her sunglasses up on top of her head and taking a scoop. ‘You’re the talk of the Amalfi coast, you know. We stayed at a hotel up in Positano and the guests were all on about how we must come here.’
‘Thank you. And that’s good to hear,’ Anna said. ‘We’re very new around here still, so it’s always nice to get feedback.’
‘We’ve only heard wonderful things.’
She sat with her friend at an outside table, and the shop fell quiet. Anna turned to Matteo. ‘Do you think things might finally be settling down?’
‘Don’t say it!’ Matteo said, putting his arms around her waist and kissing her on the neck playfully. ‘Let’s wait until we get to the end of the day.’
‘It was nice of your mum to take Bella out to the market today. Certainly makes it easier to run things here.’
‘You know it makes her happier than anything.’
‘Well, I appreciate it. I feel like it’s getting a lot easier between us now. She’s a very generous woman.’
‘And she respects you a lot. I wish she had been better at showing that from the start – but at least you two got there in the end.’
‘Good things take time, I guess,’ Anna said. ‘I had to talk Carolina out of joining them, you know. Now there’s a woman who really can’t handle the concept of rest.’
‘Well, she’s going to have to learn how: the doctors said she needed to take it easy for a month at least, possibly longer depending on how the pregnancy progresses.’
‘I’ll get her some good books. She’s always saying she wants to read all of Jane Austen and now she’s got no excuse.’
Matteo drew Anna near and brushed a hair away from her face. ‘I’m glad I met you, Anna McAvoy.’
‘Me too,’ Anna said. ‘Partly because you make the finest cappuccino gelato I’ve ever tasted. But a few other things, too.’ She kissed him, and the drama of the last few weeks that had consumed them so completely seemed to drift away.
‘So, how’s it going at your end?’ Anna asked. ‘I don’t know what you’ve been up to, but Luigi’s been grinning from ear to ear these past few days.’
‘Excellent,’ Imogen said. ‘I’m just supporting Evie in her communication, that’s all.’
‘Well, it certainly seems to have kick-started something. Luigi gave me and Matteo a free carafe of his best wine last night at dinner.’
‘She was a bit reluctant at first. I guess she’s settled into her own ways over time. I think she was scared of reopening old wounds, getting hurt again. But when she got the first reply from Luigi she came into the ice cream shop and it was obvious she was delighted.’
‘I got her on Skype with him too. I set her up and then—’
‘Spied through the crack in the door?’ Anna said.
‘Noooo . . . Anna, come on. I tactfully withdrew to the kitchen. Where I just happened to be able to overhear some of the conversation.’
‘Ha! Go on, then, spill.’
‘Well, let’s just say I think there’s still a whole lot of feeling there. I’ve never heard Evie laugh like that before.’
‘That’s lovely. So, what’s the next step?’ Anna asked.
‘Getting her out there, of course.’
‘Right. Yes. I don’t think Luigi’s going to need any persuading. I get the impression he can’t wait to see her.’
‘I just happened to stumble on some reasonably priced flights to Naples,’ Imogen said, ‘and have printed out the details for her. So, perhaps you should tell Luigi to clear a space in his diary.’
Chapter 43
Imogen and her parents were sitting in the guesthouse living room on a Sunday afternoon, sun rays falling through the bay window onto the Persian rug and Vivien’s beloved green-velvet chair. Hepburn was curled up on the sofa with Imogen and she was tickling him gently behind his ears.
‘So is it really true, what I hear about Evie heading out to Italy?’ Jan asked, her eyes wide.
‘Straight out to Sorrento, first class,’ Imogen said. ‘She didn’t want to leave the shop, but I wasn’t going to let her get out of it that easily. I’m doing a couple of days, and Lauren’s boyfriend Callum is doing the others.’
‘Well, I do hope it all goes well for her,’ Jan said. ‘How exciting, don’t you think, Tom?’
‘I’ve always got that sense from her, that there are more adventures to come. Perhaps this is the next one,’ Tom said.
‘I’m very hopeful,’ Imogen said. ‘And there does seem to be a fair bit of love in the air at the moment.’
Imogen nodded over to the kitchen, where Clarissa and Martin were laughing together as they prepared tea for the family.
‘She’s moved out, as you know – back to London,’ Imogen whispered. ‘Not that you’d notice, of course – she’s down here every spare minute. I’m pretty sure it’s not just to see her grandparents.’
�
�She seems nice, doesn’t she?’ Jan remarked, glancing over at Clarissa.
‘She’s lovely,’ Imogen said. ‘He’s done well for himself. And look at him – he can barely stop smiling. She’s a vast improvement on Françoise, obviously.’
‘Oh, Imogen. Be nice,’ Tom chided her.
‘It’s true, though, isn’t it?’ Jan said, cheekily.
‘You’re as bad as each other,’ Tom said, shaking his head.
‘He didn’t deny it,’ Imogen said. Her mum laughed. ‘So, what’s next for you two? How are you planning on filling your days now that things have settled down here?’
Jan considered a moment before answering. ‘Well, your dad’s got his sculptures, and I have a bit of charity work . . .’
‘Oh, come on!’ Imogen scoffed. ‘That can all wait. Evie’s flown off at the blink of an eye, and Anna’s dropped everything to go to Italy. When are you two going to have your big adventure? Or were you working all those years for nothing?’
‘She’s got a point,’ Tom said.
‘It wasn’t for nothing: it was for our family,’ Jan said.
‘I know, I know,’ Imogen said. ‘And we’re very grateful and all that. But Anna and I are both grown up now. You deserve a proper break.’
Tom and Jan glanced at each other. ‘Well, I hadn’t really thought about it,’ Jan said. ‘I’ve always been a homebody. You know that, Imogen.’
‘Life is short, Mum,’ Imogen said. ‘It’s never too late to change.’
Evie walked into the ice cream shop, in a summer dress and sandals, pulling a suitcase along behind her. There was a glow in her cheeks, and she looked younger than when she’d left.
‘You’re back!’ said Imogen, excitedly laying down the ice cream scoop she’d been holding.
‘Here I am,’ Evie said. ‘And what a trip it was.’
‘Come in and tell me all about it,’ Imogen said, pulling out a chair for Evie.
Since the day Evie had left for Italy, Imogen had barely stopped thinking about her. ‘I tried to get updates from Anna, but she insisted I should wait and let you tell me everything yourself.’
‘It was wonderful to see your sister out there,’ Evie said. ‘She and Matteo were so welcoming, and the ice cream at their new place was delicious. Little Bella has settled right in, hasn’t she?’
‘Yes.’ Imogen said. ‘That’s all nice, but—’
Evie laughed at Imogen’s evident impatience. ‘I get the sense there’s something else you’re more interested in.’
‘Of course there is,’ Imogen said. ‘My mind’s been on overdrive.’
‘Well, I’d better put you out of your misery then. I met Luigi, and it went well. Very well, in fact.’
‘Excellent,’ Imogen said, unable to restrain a huge smile.
‘I think Luigi was even more nervous that I was, if that’s possible. But the moment we saw each other – well, something came back.’ Evie had a sparkle in her eyes. ‘It didn’t feel like so long ago all of a sudden. And the fact we’d chatted on the computer beforehand – thanks to you – made the whole thing more relaxed.’
‘Was he how you remembered him?’ Imogen asked.
‘He’s older and greyer, of course, but the years suit him. I must admit I was wondering what he’d make of me, the way I am now – but, well . . .’ She blushed slightly. ‘I needn’t have worried.’
‘That’s amazing,’ Imogen said, full of excitement. ‘I’m so proud of you for going out there.’
‘I don’t know if it’s the craziest or the most sensible thing I’ve ever done, Imogen,’ Evie said. ‘But it’s one of the two. In any case, it was worth it.’
‘Were you tempted to stay longer?’
‘I was, actually,’ Evie said.
‘So why didn’t you?’
‘I wanted to come home and see how I felt. It’s a lot to take in all at once, a reunion like that. It’s all felt a little too good to be true – how we have a proper chance to be together now, in a way we didn’t back when we were younger.’
‘You want to be more sure.’
‘Exactly. It’s such a beautiful place, the Amalfi coast, it’s easy to get swept up with the romance of it all, the landscape, the delicious food and good wine.’
Imogen had a flash of how it had been with Luca, how easy it had been to get caught up in the moment out in Italy. But she could already see from the content look on Evie’s face how different the situation was for her.
‘I’m not one for rushing. I don’t want to be an old fool, Imogen.’
‘I don’t think there’s any chance of that,’ Imogen reassured her. ‘And he seems very genuine.’
‘Yes – he does, doesn’t he?’ Evie said. ‘Kind. And charming. And we have fun together. A lot of fun. I know in my head that we need longer to get to know one another . . .’
‘But your heart says you want to get back over there as soon as you can.’
Evie nodded her head, laughing. ‘Tell me again I’m not an old fool?’
‘You love him,’ Imogen said confidently. ‘That’s brilliant!’
There was a new light in Evie’s eyes. ‘Calm down, Imogen,’ she said. ‘You’re getting rather too much like your grandmother these days.’
Chapter 44
‘Here,’ Matteo said, passing Anna a cone laden with chocolate ice cream and raspberry sorbet. ‘Your favourite.’
‘Thank you,’ she said, taking it from him gratefully. They’d had a long evening of clearing the shop, and cleaning, making plans for the week ahead, and the thought of an ice cream at the end of it was what had been keeping her going.
He picked up his drink, a gin cocktail with a scoop of lime sorbet. ‘It’s such a beautiful night. Let’s go outside.’
They walked out into the square and sat on the edge of the fountain. It was nearly midnight and, it being a Monday evening, the square was quiet. A faint glow came from the back room of Luigi’s, but the other bars and restaurants, like their own, were closed.
Anna ate her ice cream in silence for a while, relishing the peace of the square. Being there, beside Matteo, appreciating his closeness, his calm. With him she felt complete.
Matteo said, softly, ‘It hasn’t been easy this summer, has it?’
‘No.’ She shook her head. ‘Not quite the holiday we both imagined.’
‘And yet it’s been amazing too,’ he said.
She nodded. She followed his gaze over to the ice cream shop, but saw that it was fixed higher, at the small room their young daughter was asleep in.
‘Every moment,’ she agreed.
‘It’s taught me a lot,’ he said.
‘Like what?’
‘That, whatever we go through in life, I want you by my side,’ he said. ‘I already knew it, of course. But I feel it now, so deeply.’ He reached over and took her hand. ‘I’ve made you cry,’ he said, brushing away a tear on her cheek.
‘They’re happy tears,’ she said.
‘Promise?’
‘Yes,’ she said. ‘And how could I not be happy when I’m eating the best ice cream in the world?’ she added, taking the final lick of chocolate.
‘I love you, Anna,’ he said, kissing her.
She pulled away, looking deeply into his brown eyes and running a hand over the stubble on his jaw. ‘I love you, too.’
She returned to her ice cream, taking a bite of the waffle cone.
‘You know you might not want to eat that right down to the bottom,’ he said.
She glanced down into the waffle cone in her hand. Something inside caught the light.
‘You didn’t!’ she said, laughing. She turned the cone upside down onto her hand. A platinum ring with a solitaire diamond twinkled in the light of the moon. Her breath caught. ‘Matteo!’ she whispered.
‘Shall we make it official?’ he asked. ‘Say you’ll make me the happiest man in Italy.’
‘This isn’t . . .’ Anna said, hesitantly.
‘It’s nothing to do with my mother
, if that’s what you’re thinking.’ He laughed, gently. ‘It’s about you and me, our family. No one else. Nothing else.’
Flashes of the previous two years came to Anna – the days spent in Florence, their emails, the moment Matteo arrived in Vivien’s Heavenly Ice Cream Shop, filling her life with happiness. Yes, they’d had their rocky times, too, but all she could see now was that he was the man for her and she wanted to be with him for ever.
‘Yes,’ she said. ‘Sí, sí and sí.’
He laughed. ‘You’re sure?’
‘Absolutely,’ she said.
He put the ring on her finger and kissed her. ‘Thank you,’ he said.
The next day, Anna and Matteo called through to her family on her laptop.
‘Have you got any plans for October?’ Anna asked them coyly.
Imogen wrinkled her nose. ‘I haven’t got any plans beyond next week,’ she said, sounding glum.
Jan and Tom shrugged. ‘Nothing we can’t rearrange,’ Jan said. ‘Why do you ask?’
‘I think you’ll all need to book some plane tickets,’ Anna said cheerily.
‘Anna’s agreed to marry me,’ Matteo said, a warm smile on his face. ‘And we very much want you all to be there with us.’
‘Wow!’ Imogen said, brightening immediately. ‘That’s amazing! Congratulations!’
‘Thanks. I nearly ate the ring,’ Anna said, laughing and holding it up to the camera. ‘He’d stashed it in my ice cream cone.’
‘Very romantic,’ Jan said, laughing. ‘We’re thrilled for you both. Will Bella be a bridesmaid?’
‘Yes,’ Anna said. ‘And Imogen . . .’ She hesitated. This moment was one she’d often imagined, and she wanted to savour it. ‘I’m hoping you will be one too?’
‘Just you try and stop me,’ Imogen said.
‘I promise I’ll go easy on the peach taffet,’ Anna promised her.
‘It’s all happening rather quickly, isn’t it?’ Jan said. ‘Are you sure you don’t want to give yourselves a bit longer to plan everything?’
Anna shook her head, and turned towards Matteo. ‘We’re pretty sure it’s what we want,’ he said, smiling. ‘And we want to get on with being married as soon as possible.’
The Heavenly Italian Ice Cream Shop Page 22
