‘Zoe – this is madness! Is true you are a beautiful girl but how can he talk of marriage – he met you only yesterday!’
‘I know, I know…’ Zoe shook her head in disbelief. Her life had definitely gone into a spin. She gently fingered the dark velvety roses and studied the imitation drops of water on the petals. The flowers were beautiful in every way – almost too beautiful. She slowly untied the ribbon and then almost dropped the roses as she found she was holding a bracelet that had fallen from the ribbon. She looked at it resting in her hand, heavy and brightly glinting. She held it out to Paolo and he took it from her.
‘Zoe, I think is diamonds! I think this is why he use the Securicor!’
‘I think so too! Oh dear, what shall I do?’
‘What happened last night, Zoe…did you…?
Zoe turned to Paolo, her eyes flashing angrily.
‘Nothing happened – we danced at this wild party until about three and then Massimo drove me home – he gave me a kiss on the cheek, the merest peck, and he left!’
‘Peck…what is this peck?’ Massimo looked at her in alarm.
Zoe burst out laughing.
‘Sorry, Paolo, just another ridiculous idiom. A peck is the smallest of kisses…a nothing of a kiss, I assure you!’
Paolo relaxed and shrugged his shoulders.
‘OK, I understand…but why he talk of marriage and send this bracelet?’
‘He’s mad! It seems just like he’s not grown up and yet…according to all his friends, he is obviously a first-class lawyer.’
‘Certainly that – he has come to Siena to head up some sort of environmental council.’
‘That reminds me…last night I overheard him mention the Valle dei Sogni when he was talking with his friend Flavio.’
‘Valle dei Sogni? You sure?’
‘Well, I think so…yes, I’m sure I did. The Villa Sognidoro had been on my mind all day so I suppose I may have imagined it.’
The phone rang and interrupted their conversation and the day caught up with them. There wasn’t another moment to think about anything but work and more work. The heat was relentless and the office air-conditioning inadequate. By lunchtime they were both hungry, hot and tired. Paolo stood up from his desk and stretched.
‘Basta, enough, enough! If the phone rings again just don’t answer it. Why don’t you come back to the farm – have a swim and stay for lunch?’
Zoe looked at him gratefully.
‘Are you sure? Should you ring Serena first?’
‘Of course not – she’s always asking me to bring you up for lunch and maybe you ask her about what to do with the mad Massimo?’
‘That’s such a good idea, Paolo. Thanks so much.’
Zoe snatched up the diamond bracelet and bunch of flowers and, with Fidele trotting happily behind, followed Paolo out of the office.
Zoe floated on her back in the cool water of the Santinis’ pool and looked up at the deep blue sky. Why couldn’t life be simple? Why couldn’t she just fall in love at first sight with Massimo Mendozzi?
Later over lunch it seemed that Serena had the same thought.
‘He really is a nice boy, you know! Good-looking, wellbrought-up, hard-working and so clever… He’s certainly heading for the top of the legal world. He sends you flowers and diamonds and proposes marriage… I’m not sure I see the problem. It’s like a dream!’
‘Exactly!’ said Zoe, ‘adream or a silly romantic love story. It’s just not real. He can have no idea that he truly wants to marry me. It’s just some crazy idea. Anyway – it’s just ridiculous. I have no intention of even going out with him again and certainly will never marry him!’
‘Then that is that!’ Paolo said with satisfaction. ‘Leave it to me, Zoe. I will take him the bracelet and tell him to give up before it begins.’
‘Would you? Oh, Paolo, would you really do that?’
‘No problem! Also I ask him about the Valle dei Sogni – I must begin official searches for Mr. Knight anyway. No worry – leave everything to me!’ Paolo slapped his hand enthusiastically on his own chest.
Serena looked across the table at Zoe and smiled, raising her shoulders in mock despair as she said, ‘Don’t overcook it, Paolo. Keep to the simple truth. Didn’t you tell that client, Mr. Knight, that Zoe was your wife last time you tried to help? You always complicate things with the best of intentions.’
Zoe took a deep breath. Should she tell her good friends how she felt about Alex Knight? How could she confess that she had fallen head over heels at first sight – especially as she had just scoffed at Massimo falling in love the same way with her. How could she manage to let Alex know that she definitely wasn’t Paolo’s wife or anyone else’s? Her head was spinning with unanswerable questions and the conversation was continuing without her.
‘…so Mr. Knight is coming back at the end of the week,’ Paolo was saying. ‘Zoe scared him, you know. He only wants to meet with me!’
‘Did he say that?’ Zoe asked in surprise. ‘Really, he only wants to deal with you? I thought we got on very well!’
‘I joking, Zoe!’ laughed Paolo. ‘We arranged to meet at the Villa on Friday. You can come along too…it may be a good help as I think he bringing his baby.’
‘Baby?’ Zoe’s eyes stretched in surprise. ‘What do you mean?’ Sometimes Paolo’s power of the English language left much to be desired. Had he suddenly lapsed into American film talk?
‘What I say – he bring his little girl, sua filia.’ Paolo pronounced the words with care. ‘He not say his wife but maybe she comes too. I not know…but is dangerous at the villa – such a ruin! Maybe you can help keep eyes on his daughter?’
‘His daughter?’ Zoe repeated the word and looked so dismayed that Serena leaned across the table towards her and said,‘Zoe, you are very interested in this Mr. Knight? Do I detect further romance in the air?’
‘No, no of course not. I’m just surprised that Alex…Mr. Knight didn’t mention his family. We had lunch at Luigi’s and…’ Zoe faltered to a stop and then continued on another tack. ‘And then he said he had to get back that night to England…but the next day, by chance, I saw him at the hotel where the Partridges are staying. I suppose I thought he had lied about that and…well, I don’t know…that he wasn’t a genuine buyer and that he was just wasting everyone’s time – roaming around Tuscany chasing some romantic dream.’
She looked up and found Serena and Paolo both looking at her with expressions she found hard to read. Zoe decided it was time to change the subject.
‘By the way, the Partridges have fallen in love with the mill house. They’ve asked me to find a notaio and to get going as fast as possible with the conveyancing.’
‘You tell me already, Zoe,’ said Paolo, frowning. ‘I think you changing of the subject!’
Sometimes Paolo was just too clever, thought Zoe to herself as she began to clear the dishes from the table. Serena stood up and together they carried the remains of the lunch into the kitchen. Paolo watched them, leaning back in his chair, and said, ‘Is a wonderful sight – two beautiful women going into the kitchen to work!’
Serena turned back to him and deftly tipped the water carafe over his head.
‘Now, go and have a swim and then make us some coffee!’ she said calmly as he leapt up, shaking himself like a dog.
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