by T A Williams
‘It’s a promise, Bee.’ There was a moment’s hesitation from him. ‘Bee, I can’t tell you how much this means to all of us. You may just have saved Montegrifone.’
‘You’d have managed, Luke, I have no doubt. Now, send me that photo.’
The photo duly arrived and Bee gazed at it in awe. In her eyes, there was no doubt that it was the genuine article. The Annunciation hanging in the Uffizi Gallery was unique for a number of reasons, one of which was the strange posture of the Madonna, curled back, as if unwilling to accept the news brought to her by the Angel Gabriel. Luke’s much smaller painting looked like an early study for that part of the more famous picture, and the bent position of the Virgin was unmistakable. It had to be authentic. However, as promised to Luke, Bee sent it straight on to Annabelle, who called back less than five minutes later sounding absolutely delighted.
‘I’d need to see it in person to be absolutely certain, but the photo you’ve sent me looks like an authentic Martini. I think you’ve found it, Bee. In fact, I’m sure you have. That’s amazing!’
And it was.
‘Thank you so much, Annabelle. Have you any idea what it might be worth, if it is authentic?’
‘I thought you might ask me that. I’ve just had a quick check. Another painting by Simone Martini, The Virgin Annunciate, was sold by Sotheby’s a few years back for just over four million dollars. It was a very small painting, so it’s a fair bet your one could fetch a good bit more than that. The market for medieval art has never been stronger.’
‘Wow! Thanks a lot, Annabelle. I’ll pass on the good news.’
Bee got straight back on the phone to Luke and was delighted to hear the awe in his tone. Somehow she felt sure that this discovery would not just save Montegrifone, but would save, or at least help, both Luke and his father. She crossed her fingers in the hope that this would bring the two men back together again after all this time.
She and Luke talked for some minutes, but the sense of frustration she got from knowing he was a thousand miles away and that she was about to travel even further away tinged her pleasure at the sound of his voice with melancholy.
The following days were a whirl of activity. She packed up all her stuff and hired two of her former students to collect it all with a rented van, and deliver it to her parents’ house in Newbury. After they had left, she tidied up the flat and spent a final few moments thinking back to the years she had been there, her relationship with Jamie, and how she was now making a fresh start. But there was no getting away from it, however exciting the next weeks and months of her new job promised to be, there was something, or someone, missing from her life. As she gazed out of the window over the overgrown back garden towards the identical row of drab houses beyond, she sighed for the beauty of her Tuscan paradise and the people who lived there.
One in particular.
While she had been at Montegrifone, she had managed to convince herself that there was no way he and she could ever be together because of their different jobs. She had told him, and everybody else, that her career was the most important thing in her life but now, back here and all alone, she wasn’t so sure. Yes, the new job promised to be really stimulating but, however alluring this new direction in her life might prove to be, she had a horrible feeling it might feel hollow without Luke. She found herself facing the same dilemma that had plagued women since the dawn of time – family or career? She knew she wanted both, but she also knew this was an impossible wish.
Just as she was drifting towards melancholy, her phone bleeped. It was an email and she was delighted to find it was from Riccardo.
Dear Bee.
I hope this finds you well. I’m sorry I didn’t have a chance to say goodbye properly before you left. I intended to, but lost my nerve at the last moment.
Thank you so very much for your exciting discovery. You can probably imagine what a difference this will make to the fortunes of Montegrifone and our whole family. I don’t know how we can possibly repay you.
I was very pleased to meet you and I feel honoured to have been able to get to know you. Do, please, stay in touch and let me know as soon as you have any plans to come back to visit Montegrifone.
Kind regards
Riccardo (Negri)
The formal tone of the email made her smile, particularly his surname in brackets in case she didn’t remember him. His comment about losing his nerve didn’t surprise her. Although hopefully beginning to emerge from his long years of depression, she knew he was still very vulnerable. He hadn’t mentioned his son and she hoped desperately that this discovery would turn out to be the catalyst necessary to rekindle the relationship between the two men.
She could only hope.
Chapter 23
September was an amazing, surreal month for Bee.
The headquarters of HOWTV couldn’t have been more different from Montegrifone if they had been on a desert island. Everywhere she looked was tarmac, glass and concrete and, from the top floor, the views out of the windows were of block after block of buildings, with the iconic Hollywood sign just visible on the hills beyond. The good news was that inside the company people were friendly and helpful, and her immediate boss, Virginia, the Commissioning Editor, was delightful. Bee was greatly relieved. She had seen too many movies about hard-nosed American corporate bullies and had been fearing the worst.
She spent long days with Virginia going through the new channel’s plans for the future and soon began to develop the knack of sifting the chaff from the wheat as submissions from production companies around the world came pouring in. Some were fascinating, some questionable, and some just plain rubbish. As the weeks went by, she and Virginia produced a solid schedule for the next few months and she definitely got the impression her efforts were appreciated. From her perspective, it was a fascinating job and every bit as interesting as she could have hoped, and should have been interesting enough to make her forget the Tuscan winemaker.
But she couldn’t get him out of her thoughts.
As far as work was concerned, the one thing she still didn’t know was where she would be based. The more she thought about it, however, the more she found herself hoping it wouldn’t be London. Somehow she knew she wanted to make a complete break with the past and move on. Every day new rumours circulated, ranging from Prague and even Reykjavik, to there not being a European base at all. She did her best to curb her impatience.
She was greatly helped in this by the variety and excitement of her life outside the office.
From the moment she extricated herself from US Border Control at LAX airport, she found herself in a world of riches, privilege and excess. She was picked up from the airport in a limo and transferred smoothly and silently to Mimi’s mansion in Beverly Hills. The house of the richest actress in Hollywood was ultra-modern and equipped with everything from a thirty-seat cinema to a massive swimming pool, tennis court and delightful subtropical gardens. Bee was touched to see that it now also boasted a snow globe of San Gimignano in the main living room. Most evenings, when Bee and Mimi got back from work, they went swimming or sat outside under swaying palm trees, sipping Prosecco specially imported from a little producer north of Venice as a reminder of Italy. Tuscany was still very much in their thoughts and Mimi was fascinated to hear about Bee’s discovery of the Martini painting.
‘So the love of your life’s now solvent again.’ She caught Bee’s eye. ‘You realise he could easily afford to employ an estate manager now, so he could come and live with you wherever you end up.’
Bee smiled ruefully. ‘He’s already told me he’d never leave Montegrifone. And I would never want to be the one to make him do something so drastic. His family’s been living there for centuries and I can understand the depth of feeling that keeps him tied to the valley. No, it still wouldn’t work.’
‘Of course, you could still go over there and settle in Montegrifone with him.’
Bee shook her head. ‘And give up my exciting new job?’
&
nbsp; ‘Not even in the name of love?’
‘No, not even for love.’
She almost believed it herself.
On a number of memorable occasions, Mimi took Bee along with her to parties at the homes of the rich and famous. Bee lost track of the number of household names in the movie business she recognised, and with whom she quite literally rubbed shoulders at some of the more crowded events. Also present at these events was Joey, now a permanent fixture in Mimi’s life. Bee was delighted to see both of them looking happy and she got the feeling Mimi’s wish of settling down might just be coming true.
Towards the end of the month, a week before Bee was scheduled to finish her initial four-week introductory period at HOWTV, Mimi’s Yorkshire film had its premiere in London. As promised, she invited Bee to travel across with her and Joey by chartered jet. The plan was to fly over, attend the premiere on the Saturday evening, and then fly straight back again – a round trip of over ten thousand miles. Bee had never done anything like this before and had never been on a private aircraft either.
The chartered jet was luxurious and offered full length beds to sleep on. The co-pilot explained to her that these aircraft flew higher than normal airliners and, in consequence, there was very little turbulence and Bee managed to get a good few hours’ sleep on the way there and on the way back. If she had wanted, she could have drowned herself in champagne and stuffed herself with caviar, but she exercised restraint and settled for some fresh fruit and a sandwich, knowing that a gala dinner awaited them in London. It was an amazing weekend but, when she got to London, she discovered she was in for an even greater surprise.
The film was great and Mimi’s acting as flawless as usual. Bee felt sure the critics would give it and her really good reviews. After the premiere in Leicester Square, there was the gala dinner. Rather apologetically, Mimi explained that she and Joey would have to be at the top table with the great and the good, or not so good, while Bee had been allocated a place at one of the other tables. When she made her way to the assigned seat, feeling nervous at the thought of dining with nine complete strangers, she discovered that not all the other people at the round table were strangers after all. As she leant down to check her name on the name card, the man sitting in the next seat turned his head towards her and jumped to his feet.
‘Hi, Bee. I can’t tell you how great it is to see you again.’
He was wearing a stylish dinner jacket, and his short fair hair was freshly cut. With his tanned face, broad shoulders and even broader smile, he was looking really good.
Bee squeaked with delight and literally threw herself into his outstretched arms.
‘Luke… you’re here.’
It wasn’t the most inspired observation, but she was secretly pleased to be able to say anything at all. The sudden upsurge of emotion she had felt at the sight of him had threatened to reduce her to tears. She buried her face in his chest and did her best to regain control of her faculties as he spoke into her ear.
‘Didn’t Mimi tell you she’d invited me?’
Bee stepped back so she could look up into his face, but still kept hold of his hands.
‘Nope. When it comes to surprises, this has got to be one of the biggest.’ She grinned at him. ‘Wait till I get her home…’
‘You’re looking wonderful. Really stunning.’ He sounded impressed.
Bee was wearing a very expensive designer dress that Mimi had insisted on buying for her to replace the silk blouse devoured by Berlusconi the goat, but Luke’s eyes weren’t on her clothes. He was beaming at her face.
‘Your cheek has almost completely cleared up now and I love what you’ve done to your hair. You look like one of those sexy French film stars.’
Bee had insisted upon paying for the visit to Mimi’s hairstylist herself and was still recovering from the amount it had cost. But she had to admit that José the stylist had done a wonderful job and she definitely liked Luke’s choice of adjective. She beamed back at him.
‘Well, you look like a film star yourself. The tuxedo really suits you.’
They both sat down and he kept her hand in his. As she devoted all her attention to Luke, she barely noticed that she was sitting opposite a couple of people she had met at one of the recent Hollywood parties.
‘Tell me about the painting. Have you had it looked at?’
‘Sotheby’s sent an expert up from Rome and she’s confirmed what your friend said: it’s genuine all right. It’s a study of the Madonna, very similar in style to the Annunciation. It’s going into their autumn fine art sale with a guide price of between five and six million euros.’ Bee could hear the awe in his voice. ‘She told me she reckons it might well go for a lot more than that.’
‘Wow! So that means your financial worries are over.’
‘All thanks to you, Bee.’
Bee hesitated for a moment. ‘And your father? Have you and he finally managed to talk?’
Luke nodded, a little smile on his lips. ‘He’s been doing most of the talking. I’ve been doing a lot of listening.’ The smile broadened. ‘But it’s all good. I now understand what made him behave like he did. Did you know? He sent me to that boarding school because my mother wanted me to be educated in the UK, not because he was just trying to get shot of me.’ He met Bee’s eyes for a moment. ‘If only he’d told me… Anyway, I’ve even persuaded him to see a psychiatrist. He should have done that years ago, decades ago, but better late than never.’ He leant towards her and kissed her gently on her good cheek. ‘That’s from him. He sends his love.’ Then he kissed her softly on her damaged cheek. ‘And that’s from me.’
Bee caught hold of his head as he was straightening up again and pulled him back down until she could kiss both his cheeks in return.
‘That’s for him from me.’ She didn’t let Luke go. ‘And this is for you from me.’ She kissed him, this time on the lips, and she felt her head spin, but all too soon she was interrupted.
‘Hey Beatrice, it’s great to see you again. And you’re looking really good. Back to normal.’
Bee’s eyes opened as she registered that the voice had come from none other than Amos Franklin, the director of The Dark Prince, who was now sitting a few places along from them. At his side was Gayle, looking far more glamorous that Bee had ever seen her in a dark red satin dress with a plunging neckline. Reluctantly, she pulled back from Luke’s arms and felt herself blushing as she hastened to explain.
‘Hello, Mr Franklin, hi Gayle. I didn’t see you there. I’m sorry. It’s just that we haven’t seen each other for a while.’ At the same time she waved vaguely towards the other people around the table. ‘I wasn’t concentrating.’
‘I could tell.’ Gayle was grinning back at her. ‘So, are you going to introduce us?’
As Bee made the introductions, she caught a twinkle in Gayle’s eye.
‘So you’ve found yourself a souvenir of Tuscany.’
Bee was still blushing, but she did her best to answer in kind.
‘Romeo the dog wasn’t invited, so I’ve had to settle for the next best thing.’
Luke caught hold of her hand again and gave it a squeeze as he answered on the dog’s behalf.
‘We couldn’t find him a tuxedo.’ He was smiling and sounding relaxed. ‘Besides, he’s never been too interested in the movies, unless it’s A Hundred and One Dalmatians. Whereas I’m a great fan of your movies, Mr Franklin.’
As Luke and Amos Franklin chatted about films, Bee settled back, delighted to see Luke looking and sounding so bright and cheerful. Clearly, the discovery of the painting had removed all his financial worries and had been the catalyst for the reunion of father and son. Had he maybe also managed to get over the loss of his fiancée and, if he had, what did that mean as far as he and Bee were concerned? Suddenly the perfectly balanced scales of career versus love showed signs of tipping, in spite of her best intentions. She knew she wanted and needed to spend time with him but, like Cinderella, she also knew she was going to have to
disappear at midnight.
When Bee described the food to her mum on the phone the next day, she told her it was pretty good, but not as good as Michelangelo’s restaurant. In fairness, the caterers were serving several hundred people, but it didn’t matter. She barely tasted any of the meal and just basked in the company of the man she had missed so badly ever since leaving Montegrifone.
As the evening drew on, they chatted easily, pausing only to eat or when the speeches started. He told her that the grape harvest had been even better than expected and this boded well for the new wine. He was looking and sounding so much more cheerful, and the stress lines around his eyes had melted away, leaving a happy, handsome and very desirable man. Bee tried not to drink too much of the wine, which wasn’t a patch on Montegrifone wine, because she knew that all her instincts were screaming at her to ravish him right here, right now, across the table. She felt pretty sure Gayle wouldn’t bat an eyelid if she did, but the other diners might take a different view.
Finally, just before midnight, a waiter appeared at her shoulder with the message that the car to take her back to the airport with Mimi and Joey was waiting. Bee stood up regretfully and took her leave of the others around the table, before turning to Luke who was standing before her.
‘I’m really, really sorry I have to go. I wish I could stay.’ There was a break in her voice and the familiar stinging in her eyes once more.
‘I wish you could stay, too, but I know you’ve got your job to do. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that you come back to Europe before long. Maybe if you do, we’ll be able to meet up.’
‘I can’t think of anything better. I really want to see you again, Luke.’ In spite of her resolve, she knew she couldn’t hide her attraction to this kind, gentle but strong man any longer. Why, oh why, did she have to disappear off to America?
He leant forward and kissed her briefly, softly, on the lips. As he did so, she felt herself go weak at the knees, and it was fortunate that Joey arrived at that moment to take her arm and guide her away as they made their way out to the car. As they left Luke at the table, through the wave of emotion that threatened to submerge her, Bee heard Mimi’s voice calling back over her shoulder to Luke.
