Her Italian Boss’s Agenda

CHAPTER ELEVEN

OVER breakfast Luke called his mother, then announced that he was taking them all to the villa that night. Her parents exchanged looks and Olympia realised with dismay that this had given another twist to the screw of her supposed love affair with Luke.

But it was hard to deny it right now when she was still sore from Primo’s behaviour. At least Luke was saving her face, which perhaps was his kindly intention. Living together was possible because his manner towards her was never loverlike.

Then she put the thought aside to concentrate on making her parents’ visit memorable. They were guests of honour at the villa, treated like royalty, with the whole family lined up on the steps to greet them.

Toni kissed Angela’s hand, followed by Francesco, then Carlo, then Ruggiero, then-

‘Look who’s here,’ Hope said excitedly to Olympia. ‘But I expect you already knew.’

‘No, I didn’t know Primo was back,’ she said, trying to catch her breath.

She felt her hand taken into his, the shock of his warmth and strength. She was struggling to clear her head.

‘I haven’t contacted Enrico yet,’ he said. ‘But when I called home and Mamma said we had honoured guests, of course I had to be here.’

‘Of course,’ she murmured.

It was six weeks since she’d seen him, and he’d changed. His hair had lost its slightly shaggy look and was trimmed back neat and severe against his skull. It made him look older and slightly stern. Then she realised that the real change was in his face. He had lost weight and there were shadows under his eyes, which seemed darker, yet more brilliant.

Olympia suddenly remembered her mother’s remarks about her own looks. So he too had lain awake through long, lonely nights, thinking of how different things might have been.

He greeted Angela and Harold with perfect courtesy, but with a slight reserve that afterwards made Angela whisper to her daughter, ‘I don’t like him as much as his brother.’

Hope swept the two elderly people away for a glass of wine. Primo surveyed Luke, standing just behind Olympia.

‘Allow me to congratulate you,’ he said, ‘on your engagement.’

Olympia made a helpless gesture. ‘Primo-look-’

She was about to say that there was no engagement, but Primo continued, ‘And, while we’re being formal, allow me to introduce Signorina Galina Mantini.’

Out of the corner of her eye Olympia had just noticed a young woman coming towards them. Now she registered that this was the most astoundingly lovely creature she had ever seen. She seemed to be about eighteen, with honey-blonde hair that reached almost to her waist, and a flawless, peachy skin. She laid a possessive hand on Primo’s arm, gazed at him adoringly and giggled.

‘Galina, this is my brother, Luke, and his fiancée, Olympia.’

The glorious Galina put out her hand and said, ‘Buon giorno,’ in a soft, ravishing voice.

Olympia pulled herself together to return the greeting. Outwardly controlled, inwardly she was hurt and angry. Her own sadness of the last few weeks suddenly seemed like a mockery. She’d thought his feelings were as deep as her own, when she’d merely been a passing fancy.

You should have known! How often had she said that about him? She hadn’t been ready for this. But she ought to have been.

She was too preoccupied to notice Luke’s eyes, flickering this way and that, bright with malicious interest. As they moved on into the house Luke gave his brother an understanding nod, which Primo met with a set, rigid face. But she didn’t see that either.

Her parents seemed to be instinctively on everyone’s wavelength, especially Grandpapa Rinucci, who seized on them with delight.

‘What a fascinating man,’ Angela said when she’d briefly escaped his clutches. ‘Did you know he’s actually seen Vesuvius erupt?’

‘In 1944,’ Luke said with a grin, ‘soon after Italy was liberated. It lasted three days and he managed to grab a piece of lava as a souvenir. Ever since then he knows when the volcano is speaking to him personally. When anyone isn’t telling the truth it sends a plume of smoke into the air.’

He said this like someone reciting words often recited before and Angela chuckled. ‘You’ve heard it all before, haven’t you?’ she asked.

‘Only about a thousand times,’ Luke groaned.

‘But we’re really grateful to you,’ said Toni, who was listening nearby. ‘It’s a long time since the old man had a brand new audience.’

Angela looked around her in delight, taking in the warmth of the whole family.

‘You’re so lucky,’ she told Hope. ‘So many sons and so good-looking.’

‘But you too are lucky,’ Hope said. ‘The sadness of my life is that I didn’t have a daughter. I would have liked one as much like yours as possible.’ Then she added conspiratorially, ‘But perhaps soon you will share her with me?’

Angela nodded, also conspiratorial.

‘Sons are a great trial,’ Hope confided. ‘I have six, and how many have brought girls to their mother’s party tonight? Only two.’

Her accusing gaze fell on Carlo, who reddened.

‘Mamma-I did explain-’

‘I do not wish to discuss it,’ she informed him loftily. ‘Except to say that I have heard of that incident, and you should be ashamed of yourself.’

‘I am, Mamma,’ he said unconvincingly.

Ruggiero, his twin, chimed in beside him. ‘He is. He’s very ashamed of himself. And I’m ashamed for him.’

Under his mother’s withering glance he fell silent. When Hope was sure she’d reduced her menfolk to abject submission she turned back to Angela.

‘You should give thanks you never had boys,’ she told her. ‘They are nothing but trouble. But at least two of my sons are behaving properly tonight.’

Her smiling glance included Luke and Olympia, then Primo and Galina. She seemed to be waiting for someone to say something. But nobody did. At last Ruggiero said, with the air of a man desperate to break the silence, ‘Francesco is bringing his girlfriend tonight.’

‘Good. At least one of you knows his duty. And there he is.’

She went forward to greet Francesco who had appeared with a pretty, modest-looking young woman. Hope made much of her, to the knowing grins of the others.

Dinner was a riot. Harold was seated next to Grandpapa Rinucci, who spoke good English which, as he would tell anyone who would listen, he’d learned from the Allies in 1944. That was when Vesuvius-

And Harold won his eternal friendship by saying, ‘Tell me about Vesuvius. It’s fascinating.’ Just as if he hadn’t heard it once already.

To the amusement of the others, they plunged into an animated discussion. Letting her eyes drift past them, Olympia saw Primo and Galina, their heads together, absorbed in each other. Or maybe it was her plunging neckline that absorbed him, she thought bitterly. He hadn’t waited long before replacing her. She’d been right not to trust him.

Having taken centre stage, Grandpapa Rinucci flowered. ‘And when are you coming back for the wedding?’ he demanded of Angela.

‘Which wedding?’ she asked eagerly.

‘Any wedding. Primo’s to Galina, Luke’s to Olympia. We should have more weddings.’

‘Count me out,’ Olympia said firmly. ‘I’m concentrating on my career. In fact, I don’t even believe in love.’

‘Oh, darling, don’t say things like that,’ Angela begged. ‘She doesn’t mean it.’

‘Yes, she does,’ Olympia declared, desperate to seize the chance to say this. ‘Love is a snare for the unwary. My career is all I want.’

Before anyone could answer, there was a soft rumbling in the distance. At once a silence descended on the entire company and their heads turned towards the window.

The rumbling came again, and with one movement they all rose and went out on to the terrace. In the distance a soft plume of smoke rose into the night air and disappeared.

‘Is it going to erupt?’ Angela asked, thrilled.

‘No, these little grumbles happen a lot,’ Hope reassured her. ‘It means nothing.’

‘Oh, yes, it does,’ Grandpapa insisted. ‘It means that someone-’ his eyes lingered on Olympia ‘-is telling white lies. Or maybe black lies.’

‘Or maybe she meant every word,’ Olympia said, managing to laugh it off.

Right on cue Vesuvius growled deep in the ground and sent up another plume. Everyone laughed and there were knowing cries of ‘Aha!’

The meal was almost over and nobody returned to the table. Seeing that her parents were happy, Olympia relaxed slightly. Now she could afford to think of herself and what had just happened. It was only a joke, not worth a moment’s thought. She wasn’t superstitious.

Suddenly Primo was beside her. ‘May I refill that for you?’ he asked, indicating her glass.

‘No, I’ve had enough, thank you.’

He took the glass from her and set it down. ‘You’re looking very well,’ he said politely.

‘So are you. Are you back for good now?’

‘No, just for a few days, then I’m going back to finish putting the new arrangements in place.’

‘How is poor Cedric?’

‘Enjoying his retirement. On his last evening we went out and got a little “drunk and disorderly” together.’

‘You? Drunk and disorderly? Surely not?’

‘I used to in my younger days.’

‘That’s hard to imagine, but I expect you planned it all beforehand, so much of this to drink, so much of that, always stay in charge of the situation.’

Primo gave a curt, mirthless laugh.

‘You’ve just described my brother, not me. Luke’s the cold, hard-headed one, planning everything to suit himself.’

‘I haven’t seen that in him.’

‘No, he’s different with you, I’ll give him that. But if you make the mistake of marrying him you’ll find out in the end.’

‘Then the two of you are much the same,’ she flung at him. ‘Maybe that’s why you’re always at odds. It’s a toss-up which of you is more determined to arrange life to suit himself.’

That got to him, she was glad to see. He flinched.

‘I’m not as bad as you think.’

‘Aren’t you? Then tell me this. I’ve been thinking back and remembering that Cedric had met you before. He knew it was you all the time, didn’t he?’

‘Yes,’ he admitted reluctantly.

‘How did you persuade him to keep quiet? His pension didn’t suddenly double, did it?’

‘Not quite double.’

‘So you bribed him, just like you bribed the hotel receptionist. You only have two ways of dealing with people, haven’t you? Delude them, and bribe them. Did you ever try approaching anyone straightforwardly? Or don’t you know how?’

‘Olympia, please-’

‘All right, I’ve finished. We don’t need to talk any more.’

‘So when is the announcement?’

‘What announcement?’

‘Of your engagement to my brother. Isn’t that why your parents are here?’

‘No, it’s pure chance. They’re just staying with us for a few days.’

‘With us?’

‘Staying at Luke’s apartment.’

‘I see.’

‘No, you don’t see. He said I could invite them while he was away but then he came back early.’

‘Like a good prospective son-in-law. They love him. Your mother was telling me how wonderful he is, and your father longs for the day when he’ll give you away.’

‘And you heard what I said.’

‘Yes, I did.’ He gave a wry grin. ‘So did Vesuvius, and you know what he thought of it.’

‘Don’t tell me you’re superstitious.’

‘You can’t live here without being superstitious. The old man over the bay can tell when you’re lying.’

‘That’s it. That’s enough,’ she said furiously. ‘I spent weeks talking nonsense with you-’

‘You should know. You did most of the talking.’

She breathed hard. ‘I’m going back to join the others now,’ she said, and walked away.

She shouldn’t have talked to him. It had been a mistake, one that she wouldn’t make again.

The party split into small groups to drink coffee. Hope was talking about her first son, Justin, snatched from her at birth.

‘It will be the holidays soon and then perhaps Justin will return with my grandson,’ she said, smiling at Olympia. ‘And then you will meet him.’

‘I’ll really look forward to it,’ Olympia said. ‘I think it’s wonderful how you found each other at last.’

‘That’s what Primo did for me,’ Hope said, regarding him fondly. ‘He gave me back my eldest son.’

‘No, Mamma,’ he said, looking uncomfortable. ‘You can’t give one person to another. If they find you it’s because they want to. Justin was seeking you and in the end he would have found you himself.’

Olympia thought Hope was preparing to say more, but then she checked herself, as though she’d realised Primo wanted to end the subject.

‘Is there any hope that we’ll see Evie again?’ Luke asked.

‘I fear not,’ Hope said sadly. To Olympia she explained, ‘Evie is the woman who came here with him the first time. She’d done so much for him, and anyone could see that they loved each other, but now they seem to have broken up.’

‘Then perhaps they did not love each other,’ Toni pointed out.

‘Why do you say that?’ Olympia asked impulsively. ‘Sometimes people love each other and still break up. It doesn’t mean the love wasn’t there, just that they couldn’t find the path that led to each other.’

Hope made a sudden movement of interest. Several of the others turned to look at Olympia, but she couldn’t see if Primo was one of them as her head was turned away from him. Even so, she sensed him grow still.

‘I think you are right,’ Hope said, nodding to her. ‘I know that Justin is a difficult man. He says so himself. He wouldn’t be an easy husband for any woman, but I think Evie could have been the right wife for him, if only-’ She sighed.

‘If only someone would help them,’ Olympia said impulsively.

‘You think so?’ Hope asked. ‘But how?’

‘Talk to them, make them talk to each other. Knock their heads together.’

‘If only-’ Hope murmured. ‘But then my family would say I was an interfering busybody.’

‘Let them,’ Olympia said robustly. ‘People sometimes call me an interfering busybody, but I’ve never let it stop me yet.’

This caused a general laugh and Hope patted her hand.

‘I knew there was a reason I like you so much,’ she said triumphantly.

As the evening drew to a close Olympia sought refuge in the cool night air, from a position where she could glare at Vesuvius across the bay.

‘You’re a real pain in the butt,’ she informed him. ‘In future, shut up.’

He loomed in tactful silence. He’d had his fun.

It was a relief to be away from the chattering crowd. Her head was starting to ache from the confused impressions she had received tonight.

Primo’s face was in her mind, pale and strained as she’d seen him in the first moment, then cool and smiling as he’d introduced his glamorous companion.

‘Oh, it’s nice to be out in the fresh air!’

It was Hope, further down the terrace, echoing Olympia’s thoughts.

She was about to speak up when she heard Primo’s voice, saying, ‘Yes, come and sit down for a moment, Mamma. You’re looking tired.’

‘I am, but it’s been a wonderful evening. Galina and Olympia are both so beautiful. I wonder when-’

‘When we’ll see Justin again,’ he interrupted her quickly.

‘Yes, that too. Every family party feels as though something is missing.’ Hope sighed.

‘But you used to say that before we found him,’ he reminded her. ‘Then he was truly missing. Now you know where he is, and that he will come here again soon.’

There was a silence, then Primo said, ‘Are you thinking of what Olympia said?’

‘Of course I am. It’s so tempting to think that she was right, because then I’d have an excuse to act.’

‘And you always like an excuse to act.’

The words were not said in criticism. Olympia could hear the fond humour in his voice.

‘True, but I suppose my wise son would counsel caution?’

‘You do me an injustice, Mamma. I think Olympia is right.’

‘You, agreeing with Olympia? I thought you didn’t like her, chiefly because she and Luke are in love.’

‘You’re wrong-’ Primo sounded as though he’d been about to blurt something out, then checked himself. ‘You’re wrong, Mamma. I do not dislike her, and I think she’ll make an admirable wife for Luke. But she’s also a wise woman who’s learned some hard lessons about love.’

‘You sound as if you know her well.’

‘I do know her, better than you think. Tonight she spoke to you out of her wisdom and her pain. You should listen to her. If Evie and Justin belong together then we should do everything possible to help them overcome whatever troubles them.’

‘You say this?’

‘That surprises you?’

‘A little, because although it was you who found Justin, I don’t think you feel like a brother to him.’

‘That doesn’t matter. I know now that to find the ideal person and then lose them because-’

Olympia heard him take a sharp breath and then go on with difficulty.

‘Because of what?’ Hope asked curiously.

‘Because of their own foolishness, and because there was nobody to help them find the way that they had lost-it can happen too easily, and then the worst thing is to know that it was your own fault. I wouldn’t wish it on any man. Not Justin. Not Luke.’

‘Not yourself?’ Hope asked gently.

Primo gave a curt laugh. ‘I can take care of myself.’

‘Can you, my son? I thought so once. Now I’ve begun to wonder. Once you seemed so strong-’

‘I’m much stronger now, Mamma. A man is always better for making discoveries-especially about himself. From what you say, Justin has discovered many things, but they have left him confused. Olympia has spoken the truth. You must help him through that confusion.’

‘And you? Are you confused?’

Primo spoke quietly. ‘No, Mamma. My confusion is over. Now, come inside. It’s getting chilly.’

Olympia didn’t move but sat there silently until she knew that they had gone. She discovered that her face was wet, but she couldn’t remember when she had started to weep.

As part of the Maggio dei Monumenti celebrations Enrico was laying on a ball for all the ‘notables’ as he called them. His guests included most of the Council of Naples, who organised the festival, the older Neapolitan families and many of his employees. This year the number of employees was greater and included many from England, to mark the successful merger.

He had persuaded Angela and Harold to extend their visit for a few days and join him. On the night they set off, with Luke and Olympia, for one of the local palazzos, now owned by the city, where he had hired the ballroom.

It was a grand occasion. The Rinuccis were there in force-Francesco with the girlfriend on whom Hope was pinning expectations, Primo escorting Galina, who looked like a model in a white satin dress that plunged down at the front, down at the back and up at the side. She had exactly the perfect figure to get away with it and Olympia reckoned that if Primo was making a point then he was doing it in style.

She herself was elegant in deep blue silk, but she was glad she hadn’t worn white. She could never have competed with the luscious Galina.

Enrico was ebullient. The occasion had gone to his head and he was set on marking it symbolically. He gathered Primo and Olympia to him to receive directions.

‘It will be a wonderful evening,’ he enthused, ‘and the culmination will be the moment when the two of you take the floor together for the waltz.’

‘Surely that’s not really necessary,’ Olympia said.

‘Of course it’s necessary. We are celebrating the merger of our two firms, ushering in a time of peaceful co-existence, of happy union-’

‘It’s two firms not two kingdoms,’ Olympia pointed out. ‘Can we keep a sense of proportion?’

‘I agree,’ Primo said through gritted teeth. ‘I think you should forget this idea.’

‘I will not forget it,’ Enrico spluttered, enraged. ‘It is essential to tell the world of our blissful-’

‘Well, I don’t feel blissful,’ Olympia said firmly. ‘Why can’t you dance with someone?’

‘If I do, my wife kill me,’ he said mournfully. ‘No, it must be you.’

‘No,’ they both said together.

‘What nonsense is this? I demand that you dance together.’

They yielded to placate him, and took the floor for the first dance.

‘I’m sorry about this,’ Primo growled.

‘Don’t worry. I’m getting to know Enrico’s little ways by now. He’s harmless. We only have to smile and be polite, then go our separate ways.’

‘Our separate ways. Do you know how melancholy that sounds?’

‘New roads always lead to something,’ she reminded him.

‘But suppose it isn’t the place we want to go?’

‘You have Galina waiting on your road. She’ll probably take you somewhere interesting.’

‘Shut up,’ he said softly. ‘Don’t talk like that, do you hear me?’

‘Why not? What difference can it make now?’

‘You speak as if I’d betrayed you. But if you can say Galina, I can say Luke. Tell me that you’re not in love with him. Let me hear you say it.’

‘Didn’t I once tell you that I never fall in love with unsuitable men?’

‘Yes, and I asked what kind of man did you fall in love with. You said you couldn’t remember. But that was then. This is now.’

‘And life grows more complicated as time passes.’

‘Witch,’ he said bitterly. ‘Strega.’

‘Yes, you should beware of me.’

His mouth was so close to hers that she could feel the whisper of his breath across her lips. The sense of sweet pleasure was so intense that she felt faint. She longed for him to kiss her, longed for it so intensely that nothing else mattered. She was swept by a desire to forget all her careful, self-protective plans and kiss him first.

At any moment she would do so and the world could think what it pleased-any moment-

The music slowed. It was over. People were applauding the dance that symbolised the creation of the new firm. In the midst of the applause Primo led her to Luke, inclined his head in a little bow and walked away, back to Galina.

The next morning they went their separate ways.